Hollands and Hartmans After a Swim

Have you seen the movie Fried Green Tomatoes? When I look at the photo below, I think of that movie. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. 100 years ago, it wasn't so easy for women to stand up for themselves.  We continue to fight that fight today in many ways, and sometimes it seems like we're going backwards. But in the  1920s and 1930s, it was harder. Women needed good friends and female family members who could help validate their worth and instill confidence. The movie and this photo are good reminders that women need to help each other up, not push each other down.

Those overalls must have been so heavy once they were wet!

This was probably taken around 1926-1927 somewhere in Wayne or Butler County, Missouri. "After a Swim" was  written on the back.

The girls at the top are Eunice Hartman (b. 1916) and Ora Mae Hartman (b. 1919). At the bottom is their big sister, Nelle Hartman Holland (b. 1901) and her sister-in-law Hettie Hartman (wife of Luke Hartman).

The cute little girl in the middle is Norma "Lucille" Holland (b. 1922), my Granny.

I will never know if this was taken at an event, a picnic, or if the girls just went for a swim, but I sure am glad someone had a camera with them! I haven't come across stories of any of them covering up a murder (it was self defense, you know), but at least I can get a glimpse into one of the fun days they had together.