I went to the library today and met Joann or Joan?!?!?!?(I am sooooo terrible at remembering names! shame-shame-shame!!!) Oh by the way you may want to fix a cup of tea......
But back to my story.....
1st ) I was at the library to pick up a book by Daphne du Maurier. I had read and loved Rebecca when I was in high school and went on to read several other of her books. I have a pinterest board of "Books" and had listed it as one of my faves, a HS friend & fellow pinner commented that her
favorite du Maurier book was Jamaica Inn. I had never read that one so decided to go on a du Maurier reading binge-- choosing several that I had either forgotten or never read, went to my Kindle to download and found that there were NO - NADA - NONE of her books available on the Kindle (I was surprised!!) so it was off the the local lending library (yes there are still honest to gosh, physically located, lending libraries LOL). I checked out My Cousin Rachel and The House on the Strand. I did not remember the first (tho I had read it), had not read the second, and they did not have Jamaica Inn, but I could "order" it from another library and have it in shortly so ordered Jamaica Inn and took the other two home and read them. They called from the library this past Friday to say the book was in and I finally made it over there today to pick it up. I did enjoy reading the two I had checked out and was reminded of du Maurier's penchant for a hint of "Poe-ishness" and as I love Poe's works that may be why I love her books... It is uncanny how her works are still so readable today.... Or maybe it's just me and my love of BOOKS/READING. I got to library and informed the librarian I was there to pick up the book I had requested and that my name was Signe Anderson..... she informed the 2nd person (who appeared to be in training) behind the counter where to find the requested book and finished checking out another person in front of me..... The librarian & I spoke a bit about Du Maurier (she had not read her) and as I was about to leave the 2nd lady asked ....
2nd part!) "Did you say your name was Signe? That was my mother's name, she was Swedish." ~ Well SHUT MY MOUTH!!! ~ She went on to say that her mother had come over after WWII via an ocean liner and then flew to California!!!!! Shades of "copy my G-Grandmother Signe"!!! She also informed me she had a blog ( milkandlingonberries.blogspot.com ) that was all about her mother, her mother's funny sayings, and the ability her mother had of driving her crazy.....(that was with a big smile). I know I can relate to that!... my mama could drive me nuts but tickle me to death with all her idioms and stories and I loved her so much.... (sure do miss her). So..... we had a nice little chat and as I left she shared her name....Joan or JoAnn (shame on me) and I decided to blog about my grandmother Signe. Which is the
3rd and final part of this tome) About my Great-Grandmother Signe:
Signe Carolyn is the tallest in this picture. Starting on the left is her mother, Annette Karolina, her brother Arvid, Signe and her father, Daniel Gustav Fagerstrom, her younger sister Hulda Sophia (always known as Fifi) is in the center between the parents. Their other sister Sigrid had not yet been born at the time of this picture.
(Annette Karolina Petersson Fagerstrom 1890-1945)
(Daniel Gustav Fagerstrom 1833-1903)
(Signe Carolyn Fagerstrom Kuhn Erikson 1883-1966)
(Arvid Enoch Fagerstrom 1888-?
(Hulda Augusta Sophia (Fifi) Fagerstrom Skarlen -1892-1969)
*not in picture is:
(Sigrid Katerina Maria Fagerstrom Jonnason -1897-1965)
This picture is of Annette, Signe, Sigrid, Sophia (Fifi) and Arvid.
This is a picture of her and her class. I am not
sure where her school was but her father, Daniel
Gustav Fagerstrom was also a school teacher.
Annette and her children were Daniel's "2nd" family. I do not know if his 1st wife died or how they were seperated but I do know he had a previous wife and other children by her before marrying (?) Annette.
This picture is of Signe after she had come to the U.S. She came into Ellis Island & from there ended in Reno Nevada. She married Thaddeaus Gates. I am not sure if she met Thaddaeus in Reno or back East as he was originally from Maine and I have several census records of this. They moved from the Reno area to Napa Valley California area where she continued to live the rest of her life. She and Thaddeaus divorced and she married Charles Erikson, they too divorced.
..This is my first Christmas picture taken in 1951. Great-Grandmother Signe is the person farthest right, holding on to the arm of my mother, Betty Pittman Kuhn, I am to the far left being held by a friend of the family. The 3 children toward the front are my Aunt Margie Kuhn, Uncle Chris Kuhn (Chris & I share a birthday (Sept. 25) and Aunt Carolyn Kuhn.
This picture was taken in Santa Rosa. CA - late 1963 or early 1964. My family had just come back from living in Thailand for 2 years and were visiting G-Grandmother Signe (in blue dress) and G-Grandfather Thad Gates. The back row is my mother, Betty Pittman Kuhn, myself, Signe Michelle Kuhn, my father Charles M. Kuhn and my sister, Karla Renee Kuhn was sitting in G-Grandfather Thad's lap. This was at home of my Uncle George & Aunt Della Gates. G-Grandmother died about 2 years later in 1966.
I never knew my great-grandmother well, as being part of a military family we moved around often, but I was blessed to have met with her on several occasions and have been very proud to be her name sake. My grandmother Averil Gates Kuhn Frye lived with me the last few years of her life and blessed me with many stories of G-Grandmother Signe that I have documented in my genaeology files and on taped recordings. That too may one day be another blog.... so thank you Joan M. (I looked up her name on the milk&lingonberry blog) for the blog idea and until later...
May the Lord bless you and go have another cuppa tea...... Signe
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