Family History

This post is in response to my earlier post: 1920s:The Rise of Everyday Makeup. So go check that out and then come back to this one! 

This is a picture of my great grandmother Marie Kassel with her soon to be husband George Grove on their wedding day in 1929.  The style of her dress was very common even for someone who lived in the rural midwest. Her makeup was simpler than many people of her time, but she did use the prominent blush and red lips for her special day. 

The picture below is of the whole Kassel family posed for a picture. This was probably taken around 1924. Their style was not as flashy as some wealthier women from the city. They were a poor, yet close knit family. My grandma gave me a little family history lesson while looking at this photo. 

My great great grandfather was 15 years older than his wife and a nearly a foot and a half taller! She was told to get out when she turned 16 because the family didn't have enough money to take care of her. My great great grandfather did not have any family and became smitten when he met my then 15 year old great great grandmother on her parents farm. Knowing that neither of them had anybody he asked her to marry him and went and bought some land so they could start a farm. 

Both were pure German and spoke it fluently, and therefore so did all of their children. They had thirteen in total but only eight lived to adult hood. Most were miscarriages, one died as an infant, and another when she was two. My great grandmother was told she would not live long because of kidney issues (which is why she is so swollen in the picture to the left) but she did and moved to Saint Louis  and had two children of her own. Her daughter Geraldine grew up to have two boys and adopt one girl. From that came seven grandchildren (including me of course!), and now we have seven great grand children and counting! It's amazing what two people can do.

Back row left to right: Ida, Marie (My great grandmother), Lena, Martha, Emilie, Sarah
Front: Magdalena Hopher Kassel, William, Phillip Kassel