chapter 377

3/15/2015

Wilna Olmsted

vice president Wilna

Grandma was a important figure in this one horse town of Virgil where our family had deep roots. It was a different time but more importantly it was a different place. The place still exists and there is still a strong sense of community. But it's not at all like the impersonal suburban environments that I and most people I know are so familiar with.

Re-edited this shot from 1974 when I realized I could do a better job on the coloration. She meant a lot to me and this shot captures the gentleness of soul that I always remembered as she sat in her usual spot on the end of her couch.

Wanted to do a thumbnail sketch of her life but it is so difficult to find written information. Through the magic of google and the Fultonhistory collection I did find this bit. She was elected Vice President of the Virgil Community Council in 1934 . She had prepared a History of the Virgil Community Council which she sent to professor Robert Polson of Cornell University. Her community service had aided the Virgil School, the Cemetery, fire department as well as getting the Electric light line established through Virgil.

Gma was a community activist. Interesting tid bits from perhaps 30 news articles include 1925 Chairman of Home Bureau, 1933 her presentation to the Home Bureau on Soap Making (I remember her brown soap from fat, ash, and lye?), 1940 appointed school attendance supervisor, 1957 resigned as attendance (truant) officer for school, census enumerator for school district, bridge club, cribbage, senior citizens, plays, fairs, social gatherings (many at her home), etc. All small potatoes, as these potato farmers would say, but they had heart.

Grandpa Hayden Olmsted, salt of the earth, sitting in his recliner on the same day in July 1974. 

They defined what it was to be a grandparent. Not in words, but in spirit. And their spirit lives on.

Another interesting tid-bit: Aug 31, 1956  Mrs. Hayden Olmsted and Mrs. Dale Olmsted and three of her children drove to Geneva early Thursday morning to spend the day with Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Warren and celebrate the birthday of their daughter, Gail.  Mrs. Dale Olmsted took one of her special birthday cakes topped with a miniature doll dressed with a ruffled dress made of icing in dainty colors. Don't remember that specific trip, but I can recall my last trip to Geneva in 2014, 58 years later to visit the same two, Carol and Gail.

The American Innovator Tom Tryniski's Fultonhistory bio        http://fultonhistory.com

And couple more so-so portraits of Dad and Bill in the geneaology folder.

Camera Raw edit for these shots taken with high speed ektachrome pushed twice to ASA 1600. Low light and the telephoto lens required high speed to get acceptable hand held high shutter speed. The key point was adjusting the white balance, temperature and tint since the low orange setting sun on the horizon and the blue green pastel wall stucco gave a color cast to the slide.

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