I recently shared a story about my Aunt’s funeral. While talking about her, my dad mentioned that he had some very old home movies that my grandfather took when he and his sister were quite young. They are silent of course, but you can see them playing and having some fun mugging for this new fangled invention, the movie camera.
Dad got the movies transferred to DVD so I am sharing them – the movie above – so my family can see some shots of my Aunt Marge Whelan, my father Bob Whelan, my grandfather Robert Whelan, my grandmother Dorothy Dorntge Whelan, the family dog Rowdy (one in a long series of collies named the same name) and even a shot or two of my great-grandfather Robert Whelan. There are a few segments that are “color” and I love Anna, what we called my grandmother, at the farm puttering around in the patch of flowers she always had out front in some of the color footage. In her later years, she had me plant the petunias there when she wasn’t able to herself. I also love Anna looking like a movie star posing in a bathing suit in one of the swimming segments.
Thanks, Dad for taking the time to share these movies, these memories and this part of our family history that may never have been preserved but for your efforts.
I wonder of Pop (my grandfather) had any idea when he was shooting these movies and recording this part of Whelan family history that someday they would be shared in such a way. Not in a million years!
I edited out some of the partying shots of my grandfather and his friends as I wanted to see family members. But rest assured, he liked to party. As a side note, there were some films that were not able to be transferred as they were in too bad of shape but at least we have this compilation that is about 53 minutes in length.
I did add some music to these but you can turn down the volume if you would rather see them as they were recorded – with no sound.
~ Patty