Julia Mostkowska Zdrojewska

There's a photo over the fireplace in the main office of the Coot Hill Family Historical Preservation Society.

                 

                          The elk antler is from Wyoming, but the photo is from Buffalo, New York.

The frame is of wood, carved to resemble braided leather, I would say.  This is a scan of the framed photo, glass and all.  The ghostly appearance of the image is appropriate to the fact that this is my paternal grandmother, whom I never met, but after whom I was named.

The backing came off easily.  Here's the straight scan.  From the clothing can we guess a date around 1920?  Note the round collar in velvet, and the belt that sits low on the hips.

She married JPZ, John Paul Zdrojewski, in - what year??  JPZ, my Dziadzi, told me that the proposal went like this (in what language was not specified):

He: "Julia, do you think you might marry me?"

She:  "Well, I think I like you well enough to marry you."

The color changes a bit toward the red when I click "Enhance" in IPhoto.  That's not the true color of the print, but it does lighten it up to show more clothing detail.

She and JPZ had Eugene in 1923, and Casimir  (what year, please??), and Melania.  Melania died at about age 12, most probably of scarlet fever.

Nowadays, photos of the lost first wife and the lost daughter would remain on display, honored by both the husband and the second wife.  But in those days, they put everything away and never spoke of it.  I've never seen a photo of Melania.

The photo was printed on postcard stock, then addressed, but not franked.  Somebody  decided to keep it and frame it instead.

Remember this photo from the earlier post, "Zdrojewski Identification Contest"? (Click on that; it's a link.) I think the lady on the left is Julia.  The top photo in that post is Julia also.  Look closely, and you will see she is wearing the same coat and hat.  I think my friend Laurie Harvey is right, and the noses clinch the identification.  I think that Grandpa Ludwig stands here with his daughter-in-law Julia Mostkowska Zdrojewski, and perhaps a sister of Julia's.

She looks that same as she does on the boat in the Orchard Lake graduation film.

My Grandma Julia died of a heart attack in 1943.  My Dad, Eugene, was away from home, in Army boot camp in Fort Benning, Georgia.  I never heard that they let him come up for the funeral.