A Life Lived

My Grandmother, Virginia Tuell Kraft, passed away early Saturday morning. Family will be gathering over the next couple of days and we will grieve the loss of a loved one together.

However, there’s nothing sad about a life lived. The family is what she helped make it. And she’s been able to be a part of so much of it.

I’ll share a favorite image of mine, which in my eyes says all there is to say. A resolute Mom with her children in a time of war while her husband fights on the other side of the world. Dignity, maternal strength, holding a family together - all qualities that defined her life and legacy.

Connections

Much of my passion for preservation and history is derived from making direct connections to the past. Here are some fun Ted connections.

My historic home was built by Dr. A. N. Coleman (c.1913).
I’m restoring the home to its original condition.

Dr. Coleman was a dentist.
My father is a dentist.

Dr. Coleman’s office was at 319 Pearl Street, rooms 1 and 2, on the 2nd floor of the Baer Building. I was walking the same stairs Dr. Coleman did about 90 years ago and hanging out in rooms 1 and 2 during our recent Window Restoration workshop at the Baer Building (and future home of the River City Winery).

A relative of Dr. Coleman has informed me he loved cigars and I can only assume he purchased them right across the street from his office at Kaiser’s Tobacco.
I share his passion for cigars and make frequent trips to Kaiser’s Tobacco.

I’m feeling quite connected.

Here’s a dental invoice from Dr. Coleman from 1919. Not that it matters today, but note that it was paid a year late by Miss Graf. It was still stamped with a smiley face. The Doc must have been a good guy.