Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Ooo, la, la....Smile for the camera, 10th edition.

Alma Guinee

January, 1933

Photo privately owned by P. Taylor


My great grandmother Alma Ball Hirschberg Guinee was quite a lady. Sure wish I could sit down and chat with her about her life! Rumor has it that she left home at a very early age and joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Although she may have left home at an early age, she defintely did not work for Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. More likely she was in the circus or in vaudeville. From what I do understand is that she could easily ride a horse bareback. A distant cousin also has some fond memories of her singing and dancing to a vaudeville song "Shuffle off to Buffalo." My cousin said Alma was in the chorus line and demonstrated this song and dance routine for him when he was a teenager, in the 1940's!


I love this picture of Alma, her hairstyle, the jewelry, and the dress are beautiful and quite becoming. I don't know what the occasion was that she got all "dolled up." I have one other picture of Alma with that same hair style so she must have really liked it!




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4 comments:

Diana Ritchie said...

Great picture! I noticed you mentioned Buffalo Bill's Wild West. I also have a relative that rode in that show - we even have pictures and the contract she signed. I just found out recently that she would have only been about 16 at the time. Your post brought that back to mind and I need to investigate further!!

February 11, 2009 at 6:17 PM
geneabloggers said...

I love the way her hair is all "marcelled"! Amazing

February 12, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Unknown said...

This doesn't look like a woman who'd be riding a horse bareback! Funny the way people can surprise you.

February 14, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Taylorstales-Genealogy said...

Thank you for all your kind comments. Alma sure was a hoot. I continue to be amazed at her life story!

February 18, 2009 at 4:31 PM

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The Family

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck

Genealogy Pox, author unknown

WARNING: GENEALOGY POX IS VERY CONTAGIOUS!

SYMPTOMS: Continual complaint as to need for names, dates and places. Patient has a blank expressions, sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has no taste for work of any kind, except feverishly looking through records at libraries and courthouses.
Has a compulsion to write letters. Swears at mailman when he doesn't leave mail. Frequents strange places such as cemeteries, ruins, and remote desolate country areas. Makes secret night calls and hides phone bills from spouse. Mumbles to self. Has strange, faraway look in eyes.

NO KNOWN CURE!

TREATMENT: Medication is useless. This disease is not fatal, but gets progressively worse. Patient should attend genealogy workshops, subscribe to genealogical magazines and be given a quiet corner in the house where he/she can be alone.

REMARKS: The unusual nature of this disease is that the sicker the patient gets, the more he or she enjoys it!