Mildred Angeline Couch Culbertson 1889-1970

 

A note with the black apron reads, “APRON Made by Aunt Mildreds Aunt – about 1865 100 yrs.” My family search identifies Carrie S Couch, Mildred’s mother’s sister. Carrie would have been about 11 years old when the black apron was machine stitched. Advertisements for family sewing machines appear in the Journal of Emery’s Agriculture dated January, 1858, published in Chicago. The advertisement touts the family use as demonstrated at the Chicago and Illinois State fairs. Chicago is just a train ride from Kankakee to Chicago. Centralia, 1858 state fair, is located on the Illinois Central Railroad line south. Which fair did they attend? Did they attend a later fair? Or did the family just read about this new family sewing machine? My family stories are missing. At this time, I have no diaries to put flesh on the bones. As talented, artistic and creative as the family was, I have no doubt that they owned one of the new family sewing machines. Their first machine would have been in the mid 1860s. Their next machine or attachment would have been in the mid 1870s when the zigzag stitch was added.

The note reads, “Aunt Mildred’s Baptism Dress.” Mildred Angeline Couch was the youngest daughter of Eugene Deloss Couch, 1851-1925, and Laura Eleanor Armstrong, 1857-1931. Mildred’s birth date is 4 July 1889. She would have been baptized in the Methodist church. In 2016, Jane Thursby and I searched in Seneca and Marseilles for church records. The staff was very helpful; the records were missing for the early years. At the time of her childhood, the church was within walking distance of their home. From personal experience of knowing the family this verse comes to mind, Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he [she] should go; when he [she] is old, he [she] will not depart from it.” As I know nothing about vintage fabrics, I am not able to identify the type of fabric or trim. The dress is machine stitched with beautiful trim on the collar, cuffs and hem. Mildred was the youngest daughter. Did her older siblings wear the same dress or did they each have a unique dress of their own?

Wrapped separately, yet included with Mildred’s possessions, the above aprons and dress, were six tea towels. Mildred may have made these as a young lady and decided they were too

pretty to use. A search for vintage tea towels revealed many different sizes and different kitchen uses. The “It’s the berries” and “Banana split” measure 32” by 36” and are made from a soft fabric. The other four measure 21” by 37” and are made from the same fabric.

 The provenance of all the above items is Mildred Couch Culbertson, 1899-1970, Eleanor Schuler Boldt, 1910-1995, Selma Kampe Blackmon, current owner of these items.

 Mildred’s relationship to me: grandaunt.

 My remembrances of Aunt Mildred include:

she lived in Lockport

she had an apartment above my grandparents

she worked industriously making custom draperies

she had a bright sewing room with windows on two sides

she entertained me, in the early 1950s, in her living room by playing her guitar and singing gospel songs

she exemplified Psalm 139:1-18

 My Roots_Digger tree is on MyHeritage.com and Ancestry.com or email sbgenealogy@gmail.com