Social Media

 The prompt for this week is "Social media." Social media didn't exist in our ancestors' day, but I can imagine how it might've been used. I'm sure Mildred Strand, with her love of letter writing and communication, would have loved Facebook. She would have Friended everyone and commented on their posts and kept up with what was happening. My Grandma Thompson, with her love of photography, would have been a natural for Instagram. I can picture Carl Strand being active on political Twitter, Arguing with politicians and telling them how they were doing everything wrong. And of course YouTube would have been a natural for our ancestors to relax with after a hard day working on the farm. Or scrolling through the latest TikTok reels to relax by.

While they didn't have social media, they DID have the local newspaper. The newspaper not only printed all the news fit to print, but also all the local social news. It listed all the comings and goings of the local townspeople. I've been able to find many of my ancestors mentioned in the local Allegan Gazette over the years. I've been able to piece together what life was like, and even get some questions answered too.

For instance, in this blurb from April 1910 I know that the Strandt children all had the measles. That would include Carl Strandt. 

I also know that in April 1911 my great grandfather Frank L. Thompson was visiting my future great grandmother Anna Coners. This is also the only time I see my great grandfather referred to as "Lawrence." All other papers refer to him as Frank, or Francis. 

Going back further I"ve found my great, great grandfather Orville Ashley mentioned in the papers. I knew he was a successful farmer and hunter, but it was cool seeing it mentioned in the paper.

Of course, one of the biggest reasons for being printed up in the paper was for getting married or for celebrating an anniversary. I found an article detailing the wedding of Selma Anderson, youngest daughter of Carl and Ulrika Anderson. And sister to Malvina Henrickson.

For Malvina's wedding to George Henrickson, I found only this.

Wedding anniversaries are common too. I found this article describing the twenty-fifth anniversary of Malvina's brother, Frank.

And this article describing the 60th wedding anniversary of Carl and Mildred Strand

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This is just a small sample of the articles I've been able to find. I've found a few mentioning the Strandt's visiting relatives in Chicago. One was about the wedding shower held for Miss Viola Strandt before her upcoming wedding.  I guess the social aspect has always been with us, whether printed in a newspaper, or posted by ourselves to social media.