Beyond the South End

The Seasons come and the Seasons go…

As New Year’s celebrations go, when you wake up on the first day of the year you don’t feel much different than you did the day before in the previous year. However, the seasons will come and go without you noticing the subtle changes that carry you through your life.

Thinking about the loss of one of our family members this year, our dear Aunt Virginia; and the birth of a new member of our family, Beatrix Millie Peabody, my great-great niece, I gathered some pictures I have hung onto or have acquired from other family members over the years. I present them to you as a sort of mini-family album. There is neither rhyme nor reason to the ones I chose to show you nor are they in chronological order. Not all family members are represented by any means. You will be able to see some comparisons of the years passing before you in the pictures presented here.

 

Two pictures of the sisters, my mother, Evangeline, and Aunt Virginia Poletti. The picture on the left shows them as young Winchenbaugh girls, Virginia on the left. The second picture shows my mother on the left and Aunt Virginia as they relax in the sun down at Spruce Heat at their retirement ages.

 

 

Mother and brother Harlan at the Birch Street Place house.

 

Four Generation picture: Harlan, Mother holding her first granddaughter, Brenda, and Brenda’s great-grandfather, Herman Winchenbaugh.

 

Harlan’s wedding day to his bride, Kay Katherine Keizer of Thomaston

 

Harlan and Kay on their 50^th Wedding Anniversary Cruise to Hawaii with their family.

 



 My parents, Ted and Evangeline Sylvester’s 50^th wedding anniversary at the old Methodist Church on Union Street.

 

Cousin Mary Sue Hilton Weeks and sister, Sally in their flower dresses they wore as flower girls for brother Ted’s wedding. They wore them here again for my folks 25^th anniversary party or at least I think that was the event.

 

Mary Sue’s picture from her guest blog, The Hilton Homestead

 

Recent photo of sister Sally

 

My twin cousin Diane Hilton O’Connor and I at age 4. I’m on the left. Diane passes away three Thanksgivings ago.

 

 

The cousins take a trip over to Vinalhaven a few years ago: Diane on the left, me and cousin Babs Emery Weber who was visiting from Oregon.

 

Sister Sally and I standing on a snowy walk at Mcloud Street. We are about age 6 and 11.

Sally and I on the steps at Fulton Street dressed up in our Easter best. We are about 10 and 15.

 

 

Uncle Mac and Aunt Virginia dancing with Brenda Sylvester Peabody and new husband, Milton on their wedding day. Brenda is now a grandmother to Beatrix.

The four Sylvester sibs, now first generation: front, Sally on the left, me; back Ted on the left, Harlan at the wedding of Sally’s son, Christopher. I am now the great-aunt to his son, Matthew.

 

My great-niece, Danielle with her mother Barbie Dotsie Sylvester at Danielle’s wedding.

 

 

Great-nephew, Nicholas, Sally’s grandson, at Danielle’s wedding.

Nicholas at his recent 7^th birthday.

 

Nicholas getting a recent skiing lesson from Daddy Dave Ruddy.

 

My dad, Theodore Winthrop Sylvester, Sr. in his Sheriff’s uniform. He worked in the courts.

 

Dad in the center with his two boys, Harlan on the left, Ted on the right of him. I think this was circa 1980s.

 

 

A fun day with my dad on our mopeds as we toured Spruce Head and Tenants Harbor area. He was feeling very French that day with his tam and all. Late 80s I think.

 

Niece Bette, daughter of Harlan and Kay Sylvester as a princess at the Lobster Festival circa 80s I think.

 

Brenda, daughter of Harlan and Kay at my graduation in 1964. Washington State Teachers College is now UMM, University of Maine at Machias.

 

Christmas photos of my three great-great nieces. At top newly born, Beatrix Millie, daughter of Jon and Bridgett Peobody; and Allison Sylvester with the big fur hat, and her sister, Katie Mae; daughters of Great-nephew Jake and Linda Sylvester.

 

The “Berry House,” now Berry Manor Inn was once owned by my grandparents Herman and Carrie Winchenbaugh. This is the winter of 1947.

 

The party goers at my 5^th birthday party sitting on the steps at the Berry House. Do you see yourself here…Judy?

 

Me sitting on the steps of the Berry House at about age 3. Wish I still had those blond curls.

 

I hope I haven’t bored you non-family readers out there. This was a fun project. I may do another one next year with a lot more of my family members. It was not possible to represent everyone of them here.

I found two poems reflecting the theme of this blog. Enjoy.

From http://www.lds.org/new-era/1998/03/m-mother-my-daughter?lang=eng.#listen=audio

For an audio version of this whole poem, go to this site.

Mother:

3. The seasons come; the seasons go; and I see you grow.

The light of faith is in your eyes; I saw it long ago.

I weep at your sorrows, smile when life is fair.

I speak your name in each tender prayer.

I know the time will quickly come when I must let you go,

But seeds of truth within your heart were planted long ago.

So reach for your dreams, for ev’ry good thing,

depending on my love, my dear daughter.

From the Disney movie “Pocohontos”

Steady As The Beating Drum

Vocals: Chorus
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz

---

Native Americans

Hega hega ya-hi-ye-hega
Ya-hi-ye-ne-he hega

Hega hega ya-hi-ye-hega
Ya-hi-ye-ne-he hega

Steady as the beating drum
Singing to the cedar flute
Seasons go and seasons come
Bring the corn and bear the fruit

By the waters sweet and clean
Where the mighty sturgeon lives
Plant the squash and reap the bean
All the earth our mother gives

O Great Spirit, hear our song
Help us keep the ancient ways
Keep the sacred fire strong
Walk in balance all our days

Seasons go and seasons come
Steady as the beating drum
Plum to seed to bud to plum
(Hega hega ya-hi-ye hega)
Steady as the beating drum

Hega hega ya-hi-ye-hega
Ya-hi-ye-ne-he hega

Thanks for listening to Pocohontos and me. Happy family memories in 2015.