MY MOTHER'S HALF-APRON
“Aunt Ida and my mom”
That was the Facebook message that came with this piece:
“Ginnie Patterson Crazy Lil’ Thing Called Life
The History of 'APRONS'
I don't think most kids today know what an apron is. The principal use of Mom's or Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold, she wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, she walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about aprons…
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love”
After Shari sent that message, I responded, “agreed. My mother and her signature half-aprons with the tissue tucked in the waist. For sure, there’s a picture somewhere, but where? Lol”
Shari commented, “Sharon Mark Cohen It reminded me more of Aunt Ida than my mother. I knew you would like it. Looks like something for your Tuesday Blog. It would be great if you had a picture with her apron on too.”
One cousin responded, “love this.”
Another, “I still have a couple of them.”
With that, I commented, I still have the one I made in sewing class in junior high school. I laughed out loud when that cousin responded, “me too.” I’ll have to ask her if she sewed a matching pocket on hers to match the trim, as mine in the title photograph shows.
I just had to make this one of my Tuesday blog posts. Shari will be so pleased. The article she posted brought me such joy. I remembered my mother, her Aunt Ida, using her apron for lots of the things mentioned in the posting. For one, my father always planted a vegetable garden and, I have vivid memories of my mother smiling as she used her apron to bring in the crops. She also used it for many other of the suggested ways.
After scouting the albums and loads of loose photographs accumulated in our house, there was no instant gratification of finding any shots of my mother in her apron. I did know just where to go, however, to pull out my apron made in sewing class in the mid-60s. It was where it had been kept for over 40 years, in a kitchen cabinet drawer, under the dishtowels.
What I didn’t expect to find among the pictures was another fond memory. Here, in the picture I’ve added, is the owner of the bungalow colony we stayed at in the Catskill Mountains in New York State the summer of 1967. She’s seen bidding us a fond farewell, adorned in her apron. My father snapped the image. He even wrote the information on back of the picture, which came in so handy, over 50 years later.
Back I go to looking for a picture of my mother wearing her half apron. Maybe one of my three brothers has one. If I cannot find any before this posting, I will keep a look-out, and when I do find one, I’ll post it below. Keep checking.
May 1954 Aunt Esther Mark in an apron
1953 Shari’s mother, my Aunt Cerna, in a half apron (standing second from left, next to my mother)
Thank you to my cousin Shari for sending this one from the early 1950s. My mother is on the left (with apron) and our Aunt Fannie is holding the dish on the table. It appears to be a full apron my mother is donning with a pocket for her tissue. I’m still looking for one with her more uniform half apron. My recollection is that she did not like full aprons.
Finally! June 9, 2021, I found this picture taken by Lou Weber of my mother in her signature half-apron with our dog Chico circa 1965