A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

This week's page contains a number of photos from the previous week's trip to New Hampshire. I thought I'd round out Saturday with another. Here's a recap of a road trip on February 12th.

We travelled to Concord and then up I-89 to the New London exit. Next, we drove through George's Mills and into Sunapee. The town was cold as a strong wind was blowing. Soon, we followed Rt. 11 and then went on Rt. 103 past the house of my youth to the Mt. Sunapee ski area.

After, we drove through Newport and down Route 10 to the city of Keene. We took a scenic bypass visiting Stoddard NH, a town where my grandmother had a summer cottage. When we eventually walked around Keene State, it was still very cold and windy. (A big big dump of snow occurred on the following day.) I thought it was interesting to see how much my old college campus had changed. I got a BS in Education at KSC. Of course it have changed a lot as I first lived there in the fall of 1977. In the past thirty years, the state has obviously put a lot of money into the college system. Certainly no money has been sent by this alumni though!



After walking around the campus for a half hour, we left and ate a a Friendly's Restaurant. It was then a quick trip back Route 202/101. We didn't stop to see what was going on at the office of The Old Farmers' Almamac in Dublin.

Labels: grandmothers, New Hampshire, Sunapee

I have about ten great ideas each day for new blog entries. Then, when push comes to shove, or, more accurately, fingers to keyboard, I can't remember any of 'em. So, in order to cope, I run to find something to scan.

Here's a wrinkled bit of long ago from a newspaper clipping. The Argus Champion was the weekly paper of the next-door town. Sunapee, New Hampshire had no local newspaper while Newport, NH did. This picture was taken in Newport anyway as that's where my family used to go to church.

The photo's caption reads: OLD_FASHIONED PAINTING BEE on Aug. 18 drew more than 20 persons to the First Baptist Church parsonage. Shown scraping and painting on porch roof, left to right, are Susan Spear, Larry Ellis and Dennis Hurd. The Rev. Richard A. Wallace, pastor, announced another painting bee for tonight.

This clipping, like most from my grandmother Osgood had no date. I am, therefore, simply estimating this to be August of 1968. It's not a very clear, but; hey, it's about 38 years old which is a lot for newsprint. Click the clipping to see the full-sized pdf.

Labels: grandmothers, New Hampshire, scanned

One grandfather died when my mom was a girl. My father's father passed away when I was three or four years old. Yet, I did grow up knowing both grandmothers.

My maternal grandmother, whom we called Nana, worked as a telephone operator for years. She was affected by the technological development of Ma Bell. First, she worked locally. Then, she had to travel to the next town for work. Finally, over her time with the one-time monopoly, she ended up commuting quite a distance from Sunapee, New Hampshire. These changes occurred because of the development and regional addition of call-switching equipment.

This photo and small article were part of an in-house publication at a time close to her retirement. She was working in Claremont, New Hampshire in 1969. As well as Nana and a very scary Santa, I am in the photo with my sister, a cousin, and a neighbour girl. You may click the image to load a very hefty PDF copy of it.

Labels: grandmothers, New Hampshire, Sunapee

At around the time I was a teenager in New Hampshire, many towns were celebrating their bicentennials. It has dawned on me that I grew up surrounded by 200 years of history. That ain't much by world standards. Much of the planet's population lives in places that have seen many hundreds or even thousands of years of history. I've written about this here before.

Still, towns back East are still much older than where I'm living now. When I first came west, I think I was aware of the fact that not much was old. I mean nobody lives in houses that date from the early 1800's as they might well do back near my childhood home. This photograph was taken at the bicentennial celebrations of Stoddard, NH in 1974.


My mother, Nana, Aunt Betty, and cousin Janet.

Labels: grandmothers, Mother, New Hampshire

I was riding home on the Skytrain yesterday doing what I most like to do; namely, people watching. While some people were incessantly gabbing on their cell phones and others were reading the free newspapers, I was simply watching the other riders.

There was a fat, old Chinese woman. She reminded me greatly of my grandmother. It wasn't really the appearance although I guess that babies and old people from any culture do resemble each other. There was something about her eyes that showed great joy in just existing. It was if she were confidently aware of a lot about life. I could see this even though she was simply sitting there.

Of course, this prompted me to try to find a picture of my mother's mother upon arriving home. We used to call this woman nana and this might have been one of the last pictures I have of her. I would guess this was when she was living with her daughter in Florida and I was there on a visit when working in the Middle East.



Anyway, thanks go to the old Chinese woman for prompting me to scan in this picture of my grandmother, Emily Osgood. (I have blogged a photo of an earlier picture of my Grandmother Hurd which was posted in May of this year.)

Labels: grandmothers, scanned, transit

After a hard day teaching, preparing for Sunday's entry generally means dipping into a box of pictures that dad was kind enough to send parcel post.

Here's a precious one, well before my sister came along. Considering the clothes, we were probably at a holiday dinner at my Great Aunt's house in Methuen, Massachusetts. Olive was my grandmother's sister and she married George Krikorian. They moved to Florida when they were still quite young and spent years working and throughout their retirement there. I believe I recall hearing stories that they met in a TB sanitarium. What was that all about? Olive and George both passed on during the decade of the 1990's.



From the photo, just my dad and I are still alive and kicking. Here, my grandmother was to the left and appears quite young. Look at the hairdo and frames my mother was wearing; this was obviously the 1960's! My dad looked a bit bored but somebody must've told me I was quite the handsome and photogenic young man. Don't you think?

Labels: grandmothers, Mother, New Hampshire

Here's an unusual photo. I remember getting my first camera with a timer. In this shot, I'm standing with my grandmother, Ina Hurd. We must've been waiting for the camera to click and not had enough time to smile. Our seriousness and the weird lighting give this a unique tone. By the background, I know we were visiting Stoddard, NH and the 'camp' where my other grandmother used to spend summers.


This was scanned from a slide. I do not have a date but expect it was in
the early 1970's.

Labels: grandmothers, scanned

My grandmother was a determined 'clipper'. I found a small stash of newspaper shreds containing things that she must've guessed would be of interest to me. I'm not exactly sure how the faded documents got to Vancouver. I must've carried them in an envelope that included a few personal papers.

I remember visiting this old guy as a pre-teen youth. He was a relative in some way or another. Interestingly, he was the namesake for my middle name! The following photo was scanned from a yellowed newspaper clipping. The weekly Argus-Champion was printed in Newport, New Hampshire. I know the article was printed in the 1960's but, unfortunately, the exact year is unknown. My nana did not clip that portion of the page. It must have been an important event due to the fact that fewer folks became centurians in that decade. The photo is credited to Whitney Studio and the caption reads:

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"SHARP-EYED SYLVESTER KIGGINS grins at his friends as he prepared to blow out the candles at his 100th birthday party at his home, 110 North Main St., Monday afternoon. Highlight of his birthday was a congratulatory message from President Johnson."






LBJ congratulates Kiggins on his 100th

Vesty Kiggins made it.

He started his 101st year Monday.

Meanwhile he was the star of his own celebration, outshining Congressmen, Mayors, Senators, Selectmen, and other dignitaries.

He was the star, not only because he completed his first 100 years, but because he entertained his guests with some rare humor.

The celebration began Friday night when the Knights of Pythias arranged a star-studded party at their club rooms on Belknap Ave.

Carl Bugbee had arranged it, and when Mrs. Bugbee played stirring martial piano music and Sylvester Kiggins marched down the aisle to take his seat of honor on the platform, every one in the hall rose in applause.

The dignitaries brought him honor. Mayor Quinn of Concord, Mr. Kiggins' birthplace came all the way from Concord over icy highways to present a scroll.

Sen Harry Spanos brought greetings from Gov. John W. King, and himself noted that Mr. Kiggins had been born during the administration of President Johnson and here he was celebrating his 100th birthday in the administration of President Johnson.

CONGRESSMAN James C. Cleveland congratulated Mr. Kiggins and presented him an illustrated book depicting the historical attractions of Washington.

Selectmen James Maley recalled with humor, some of Mr. Kiggins adventures in his 80s and 90;s and wished him well on behalf of the town.

He received a life membership pin in the Knights of Pythias.

Then came Louis Willett, who read telegrams and messages from Sen. Tom McIntyre, Sen. Norris Cotton, and Congressman Louis Wyman.

WITH APPROPRIATE dramatic pause, he then lifted a message and read it. It contained greetings from President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Surrounded by close friends and dignitaries from far and wide, Mr. Kiggins, proudly grasping his gold-headed Boston Post cane, stood up and regaled the crowd with his recitation of the "Deacon Slocum" and the off-ox. He piled on recitation upon another, each time winning more applause.

There were more gifts. Then Mr. Willett brought in a large birthday cake with candles outlining the figures "100". And he lit all of them.

Mr. Kiggins came down from his place on the platform, took a deep breath, and blew. When he had finished all but three of the candles were out.

GUESTS AT a 'family' party for Mr. Kiggins Monday afternoon in his home at 110 No. Main St. were Gilbert Farmer, Clarence Colson, Fred Fraser, Curtis Olney, Leonard Sargent, Mrs. Harold Aiken, Mrs. Ellen ...

(Continued on Page 12)

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I have nothing further.

Labels: grandmothers, New Hampshire