Gumpy and Uncle Bob

Keith D. and Robert Jones, Thorntown, Indiana

I do not have a date on the photo above, but my guess is it is from the mid 1920s. My Gumpy, Keith D. Jones, is on the left and his older brother Bob (Robert P. Jones) is on the right. The old car in the background is a nice bonus to the photo.

Nifty Beauty Salon

Blanche Allene O'Brien Jones in middle

Back in July 2014, I posted about my grandmother Blanche Allene O'Brien's beauty salon in Broad Ripple. The photo above shows Blanche in the middle, with two of her colleagues, sometime between 1937 and 1941.

Alma Oyler

Alma Oyler Jones.

The photo above is not dated, but is of my great-grandmother Alma Maude Oyler. The photo is part of a larger set of family photos that belonged to my Gumpy, Keith D. Jones.

Latino art at Wynwood Walls

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural by Luis Valle at Wynwood Walls. 23 Jul 2016.

I have had the opportunity to check out Wynwood Walls and the surrounding area on several layovers in Miami to Latin America or Spain. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, I am sharing a few more photos from my most recent street art layover on 23 July 2016. While I don't know for certain all of these were made by Latino artists, I think the images and themes fit well with the month. The mural above is by Luis Valle, who is from Nicaragua and is now based in Miami.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural at Wynwood Walls.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural by Ruben Ubiera, Miami.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural by Ruben Ubiera, Miami.

The mural above is by Dominican artist Ruben Gerardo Ubiera Gonzalez. On the wall directly across from this mural was one featuring a diver by Cuban-American artist Anthony Hernandez.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural by Anthony Hernandez.

The cool Darth Vader mural below is located at J. Wakefield Brewing in Wynwood Walls. This was painted by Puerto Rican artist Bikismo in December 2015. The brewery also features cool Star Wars themed murals on the inside.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural by Bikismo, 23 Jul 2016.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural by Sipros, 1 Mar 2016.

The Frida Kahlo mural above is by Brazilian artist Sipros. This photo was taken in March 2016 on a layover from Miami to Madrid.

A charitable life

The photos of my Nana's grandmother Laura Ray hint at a very active life. Laura lived to be nearly 100 years old, and during those years she led a number of organizations in Indianapolis. I hope this provides some inspiration for my daughter, to see a family connection living a charitable life, giving back to the community and setting an example for so many others to follow.

In the 1920s, Laura and her daughter often hosted parties at the home, include bridge and card events. Her activities included the Order of the Eastern Star, Et Cetera Club, and Oriental Shrine.

Ind. Star, 3 Jul 1924.

Ind. Star, 5 Mar 1928.

Ind. Star, 6 Dec 1924.

These events often took Laura and Marie out of Indianapolis, in 1927 the Oriental Shrine met in Philadelphia. In 1928, Toledo, Ohio.

Ind. Star, 15 May 1927.

In 1929, Laura was a delegate to a national Shrine convention in Los Angeles. The group from Indianapolis took a special train across the country for the event. Laura went on this trip with her brother in law John Ray and his wife, daughter Marie and granddaughter Jeanne.

Indianapolis Star, 31 May 1929.

In the 1930s, Laura had a leadership role in the Ladies' Oriental Shrine of North America. It is unfortunate to see the news articles of the day crediting her as "Mrs. John D. Smith" instead of under her name, Laura E. Smith. In the article below, Laura was the chair of the fundraiser to benefit the Shriners' Hospital in Chicago.

Ind. Star, 4 Dec 1932.

Ind. Star, 22 Apr 1934.

In the 1940s, Laura had leadership roles in fundraisers for the Marion County chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (1938-1943), Indianapolis Council of Women (1941), collection of fund for Finnish Relief (1940), American Education Week (1941), Women's Relief Corps (1938), Indianapolis Historical Council (1943-1946). In May 1940, Laura was named President of the Indianapolis Council of Women. In that role she regularly spoke at events in Indianapolis. This looks like it was quite a prestigious position in the city.

Ind. Star, 29 Sept 1940.

In 1947, Laura was president of the Indiana Council of Women.

Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct 1951.

In the article above, Marie Reynolds hosted an afternoon tea in October 1951 for the Indianapolis Historical Council. Marie's mother Laura attended as president, along with the wife of the Indiana Governor. In 1952, Laura hosted a reception for the National Screen Council, which awarded a "blue ribbon award" each year for the film best suited for family entertainment.

Ind. Star, 20 Jan 1952.

In 1954, Laura was the recording secretary of the National Screen Council in Indianapolis, and this group was affiliated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs (a national organization). According to available articles, she remained active with the Et Cetera Club and other charitable clubs in Indianapolis well into the 1960s. It is really quite impressive to see the various articles describing these activities and the social circles she was involved in during these days in Indianapolis. She must have been a very able leader and well respected in the Indianapolis community.