My Sawyer great-grandparents lived large. Large family. Large personalities. The stories are numerous, full of love and laughter. Much like their children. But since they died long before I was born, my images of them were constrained by the few photos I'd seen. Especially for Gee Sawyer (Jehu Stokely Sawyer, 1855-1940). My great-great aunts Selma and Mary Kathryn resembled their mother Catherine. I knew them well. I could imagine her cooking, or chatting, or chasing down a stray child. But the only photos I'd seen of Gee were a formal portrait at the time of his marriage, and this one of him not long before he died.
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| Sawyer family, c. 1940 (from left to right, Clevel Sawyer Luttrell, Gee Sawyer, unknown man (perhaps Clevel's husband Hardin Luttrell), Mary Kathryn Sawyer McKenzie, Emma Sawyer) |
Looking through my aunt Mary Kathryn's photo album from the 1920s I found what I am certain is a snapshot of her parents. Faded, and not the greatest image of her mother. But, after I put it through the photo enhancement program at MyHeritage.com, I can see Gee now. His little smile. Sparkling eyes. The relaxed embrace he and Catherine share.
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| Catherine Conway and Gee Sawyer, c. 1927 |
