52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 46 "Birthdays"

HAPPY 125th BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA

Today, November 15, 2021, would be my paternal grandmother's 125th birthday.  How appropriate that the topic for today's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge is "Birthdays".

My paternal grandmother, Ella Anna Helene Wellhausen, had a long and productive life, living to the age of 93.  During her lifetime she was photographed 3 different times in 4 generation photos at 3 different stages in her life.

Today for her birthday I will present photos of her as a granddaughter, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Here is Ella Wellhausen Schulte in 1921 holding her oldest son, Melbourne M. Schulte.  Sitting next to her is her grandfather, Wilhelm Schluessler, and on the far right is her mother, Amelia Schluessler Wellhausen.  This is a special photo of mine as not too many photos exist of her grandfather, Wilhelm:

In 1948, 27 years later, my grandmother is again pictured in a 4 generation photo this time as the grandmother in the photo.  She is on the far left with her mother, Amelia Schluessler Wellhausen, in the center and my mother, Eloris Kijak Schulte, holding me as a 2 month old baby.  To make this a "true" 4 generation photo my father should be holding me in the photo instead of my mother as my grandmother and great grandmother are really my father's mother and grandmother.  But I can take creative license in my blogging and it is a 4 generation photo in my opinion!

In 1983, 35 years later, my grandmother again appeared in a 4 generation photo.  This time she is the great-grandmother in the photo at the age of 87 with my brother, Jeffrey Schulte, in the center holding his daughter, Diane Schulte, and my father, Mylen Schulte, on the far right:

A humorous sideline to this photo is that my father showed this photo to a casual friend who asked him if the woman on the left was his "wife".  My father was insulted and remarked "that is my MOTHER".  He felt that he must look old enough to be married to the woman who was his mother but perhaps the friend thought his mother looked young enough to be his wife!  In any case it was the cause for much laughter in the family.

My grandmother was indeed blessed with a long life as evidenced by these 2 photos.  The first shows her with her older sister, Gertrude, when she was 3 years old and the second shows her at age 87 holding her great-granddaughter, Diane:

 

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Copyright 2021, Cheryl J. Schulte