Sepia Saturday 87 : 13 August 2011

Sepia Saturday and Weddings can make a girl cry even long after her vows.......
Welcome to another Sepia Saturday where every Saturday Alan from  SEPIA SATURDAY  posts a theme photo for us to follow.....or NOT!.... it's all about sepia photos, old photos, family photos or what ever photo you desire to post...just do it!

                 If you didn't see the theme photo for this week it featured sweethearts and/or couples in love.   You can check it out at Sepia Saturday.

                 I've decided to take another approach....one of opposites, since some folks are just unlucky in love, or rather long lasting love.  Whether it's divorce or somebody becoming a widow or widower.... the serendipity or happiness of marriage for them lingers no more........

Oops, looks like something is amiss even before the Honeymoon!
(funny today some use Photoshop to remove people in photos!)

                         Wants A Divorce
                         Mrs. Cloutier Does Not Love Her Husband
Caroline Cloutier has asked for a divorce from her husband, who conducts a small   store ....in this city. 
       Mrs. Cloutier has had troubles of her own until you cannot rest, having been married four times.  She lived on a farm north of Crookston with her first husband and found, after several years, that he had a wife living from whom he had never been divorced.
       She also alleges that the present spouse is abusive, calls her names which would not look well in print, plays handball with the dishes, and is very jealous.  She will therefore sue the court that absolute divorce be granted her.  Cloutier is said to be quite rich having several farms and a valuable piece of property in Thief River Falls.
             The entire article (not all here) was printed in the Thief River Falls News - Dec. 19, 1901

Friendships have a better chance of surviving......

On the left is, Brenda Ueland and her good-long-time friend Martha Otenso on the right. They are Ice Boating on Lake Calhoun, in Minneapolis.  Courtesy of The Minneapolis Public Library.

“So you see, imagination needs moodling - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering,” – Brenda Ueland

                 ...... keeping best friends together longer.

              
SOMETIMES, YOUR BEST AND LONGEST RELATIONSHIPS       
ARE WITH YOUR DEAREST FRIENDS.

Brenda Ueland, born in Minneapolis, and freelanced for the Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, Golfer and Sportsman, and other publications and newspapers wasn't so lucky in love.  She had many lovers, was married three times and also divorced three times.  Her career was prolific as she wrote scripts for radio shows like "Tell Me More" where Ueland responded to listener's personal problems and also a children's program about notable women, "Stories for Girl Heroes."

One of her dearest friends, Martha Otenso was luckier in love.  Also a novelist like Brenda only Canadian and a screenwriter as well and also taught in a rural school.  She was born in Haukeland (now Bergen) in Hordaland County, Norway before emigrating with her family to the United States. She married a fellow novelist, Douglas Durkin, and her stories mostly included elements of romance and melodrama set on farm life in Minnesota.

Luckily for me, the seller of the photo below had no idea who these two ladies were.  (Although their description is written on the back plainly.  Another long and lasting relationship, this between mother and daughter.

"Who has time for scrubbing and cooking when there is walking to be done!"
Introducing "The Lady Pedestrians."
May I introduce Helga, a 36 year old suffragist (1860-1942) and her 18 year old daughter, Clara Estby (1877-1950) together they walked from Mica Creek, Spokane County, to New York City beginning on May 6, 1896, just to win $10,000!  Yes they met many curious and famous characters along their over 4,000 mile journey.  This link will give you their full interesting story.  They hoped their winnings would save their family farm.

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9847

In short, they wore out 32 pairs of shoes but made it to New York.  Sadly they weren't paid even a nickel by the sponsor although once they traveled back home, their visit through Minneapolis proved eventful as they were given $10,000 for their story for a book that apparently never was published.

OH THE BITTERSWEETS OF LIFE SOMETIMES.....

Then there was the unlucky in love who became widows.....as this starry eyed woman.

...and of course not to forget the single ladies.....where a good father tried his hardest to get his daughters hitched.

I can hear him now, "My Sweethearts, from the top of your head to your dainty toes; you're the last word in fashion where ere you go, and any good lad would be proud to claim you as his bride."

Remember to stop by Sepia Saturday and view the other witty and excellent posts......and hoping your relationships are long and lasting too!

http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2011/08/sepia-saturday-87-13-august-2011.html

Note: History buffs may recognize the name Ueland in Minnesota, and Brenda's father was Judge Andreas Ueland from Norway, and her mother, Clara Hampson Ueland was a kindergarten teacher and was drawn to social activism and in 1914 was elected president of the Minnesota Suffrage Association and in 1919 became the first president of the Minnesota League of Women Voters (thank you Clara!) and after women won the right to vote in 1920, she was chair of the league's legislative council.  Sadly, in 1927 Clara died when struck by a truck on her way home from the Cottage City Streetcar stop.

Thanks for stopping by another Sepia Saturday post......have a great weekend and try to create some serendipity into your weekend...if you can!