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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Wyora

My middle name is Wyora, and a lot of times I "sign" my samplers with that name, or at least initial.  My EverQuest character's name is Wyora.  But where did the name come from?  Its pretty unusual.  Despite a lot of Google searches, and looking in various name origin books, I can't find any information about it, either what it means or the country of origin.  All I know is that it was my paternal grandmother's name.  Unfortunately she died when my father was about 4 years old.

Isn't she beautiful?  We really don't know a lot about her.  He she is with my dad, we're guessing when he was about 2 years old.  She looks like she was a very smart dresser.


And a family photo.  My grandfather was a very handsome man in his early years.  As he aged, he became what you would describe as distinguished looking.


And while this last photo isn't of Wyora, its very appropriate to the season.  Its my dad with Santa in 1945.  He looks a tiny bit scared of Santa, but I'll give him a break, he was only 2.

While digging through some of the junk treasure in my mom's house, I found this.  Its a spool of lace from Wyora's wedding dress.  Absolutely gorgeous!  Its about 2 inches wide, and a beautiful ecru color.  There's a lot of it there.  I haven't fully unwound the spool, but I'm guessing at least 5 yards, if not closer to 10.  I want to find a way to use it on a piece of cross stitch, maybe a band sampler.


For about a year I've been having my dad do some genealogy research.  He found some great resources when I was living up in Utah and both he and my mom were up there helping me  get through my ankle surgeries.  Ogden actually has the second largest genealogy library in the world, second only to the one in Salt Lake City.  Despite that, there are still a lot of gaps in my family history, starting with my grandparents and getting even worse the further back you try to go.

What drop this interest in family history?  Why the BBD Anniversary of the Heart series of course.  I've been leaving out all the personal details until I can get a better idea of what I have to work with.  This project is one of my priorities to finish in 2012.  Its been neglected for too long, and I'm not sure I can use the excuse of not knowing the genealogy information for too much longer.

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17 comments:

  1. TheresaDecember 17, 2011 at 1:18 PM

    I love all the old photos!!!! Your grandparents are such a handsome couple~~~

    The lace from your grandmother's wedding dress is so beautiful!!! What a treasure you found there at your parents!!!!

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  2. blue star stitcherDecember 17, 2011 at 1:23 PM

    Your grandmother was a beautiful woman, isn't it interesting to imagine what kind of life she had?

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  3. AnnieDecember 17, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    It's so much fun to look at those old photos. I have a photo of my mother and father with my brother when he was about 5 or so that reminds of that photo of your grandmother taken on the street. They were in New York and it was common for photographers to make money by taking your picture as you walked by. I'll have to scan mine and show you how similar they are.

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  4. Peggy LeeDecember 17, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    Very handsome family photos. Thanks for sharing.
    That lace is such a treasure indeed. It will add a very meaningful touch to a special piece, I'm sure!

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  5. MargaretDecember 17, 2011 at 4:09 PM

    Oh my! Yes, you have to finish your AotH! So beautiful! I want to stitch it someday as well. I love seeing all your family photos. Your grandmother and grandfather are both very good looking. And the lace is gorgeous! I love that name Wyora. Very unusual indeed! And so pretty!

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  6. SiobhánDecember 18, 2011 at 2:40 AM

    What neat old photos! The lace from Wyora's dress--what a treasure. I know what you mean about AotH making you more interested in family history. It did that to me, too, and I found out some interesting things. I love to remember them in my samplers.

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  7. ChristineDecember 18, 2011 at 3:33 AM

    Your old photos are fascinating and the old lace is gorgeous

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  8. cuckiDecember 18, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    i love the old photos so much..your grand mother was a very pretty lady..
    and the lace is so stunning too.
    hugs cucki xx

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  9. ChrisDecember 18, 2011 at 6:11 AM

    Beautiful post Mindi.

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  10. SallyDecember 18, 2011 at 9:07 AM

    Lovely old photos Mindi. I love that lace. What a wonderful find.

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  11. dixiesamplarDecember 18, 2011 at 12:32 PM

    Wow, your grandmother was a beautiful woman with an equally beautiful name, and what a handsome grandfather and father!! Love the pictures...and good luck with the genealogy search. My father and I have been working on both sides of my family for a while now...it is quite addicting, and frustrating at times, LOL!

    Your AotH is gorgeous and will be exquisite with all the personification added; it will make a treasured heirloom. Hope you can find a truly special place for that lace too; it is lovely!

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  12. GabiDecember 18, 2011 at 2:25 PM

    What a beautiful name. And she was such a beautiful woman too.That lace is gorgeous too.
    Looking forward to see your AotH finished.

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  13. PennyDecember 18, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    I love old family pictures. Your grandmother certainly was a beautiful woman and such a lovely name as well. Your father was a cute little fellow too. :) What a very special treasure the lace is, so pretty. Your AotH will be all the more special with the history you will stitch into it.

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  14. CarolDecember 18, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    Oh, wasn't your grandmother a beauty, Mindi! And I love the fact that you've managed to save lace from her dress... That's all I have from my own wedding dress, too. It got so yellowed and damaged in my parents' attic that I had to dispose of it, but did keep some of the lace.

    Love the photo of your dad with Santa, too--so dear.

    You are so close to a finish on Anniversaries of the Heart--what a treasure that will be!

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  15. MichelleDecember 19, 2011 at 7:32 AM

    Oh your AOTH is looking amazing! Love the name Wyora.

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  16. NicolaDecember 20, 2011 at 4:35 PM

    I have so enjoyed this post. Wyora s a gorgeous name and she looks beautiful.

    The lace from her wedding dress is very beautiful and such a treasure. Would be lovely to incorporate a small piece into a sampler to commemorate her life.

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  17. MhairiDecember 22, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    What a lovely story about the origin of your lovely name.
    Did you know there is a town in Queensland, Australia called Wyora?
    I hope that you can find the meaning and origin of the name - if only for the personal satisfaction.

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