Quondam Tuesdays Young Life

For Quondam Tuesday I am taking you back to the late seventies and earlier eighties, when I was involved with a Christian Youth Group called, Young Life . Lots of stuff, going on in my teen years and it couldn't have been a better time for me to be introduced to this club. I believe Karin Hilton & Mary Moore are who I have to thank for it.

summer of 1979  me front & center

Young Life was amazing. Here several high schools kids from our school, with different backgrounds gathered, sang, played skits, and learned more about the love of Christ. As students we took turns hosting club. I started coming my Junior year, but it was my Senior year, when Richie came with me, that I have the best memories. Also, camp. Oh my goodness, throw me on a bus headed for Colorado Springs, Colorado, teach me to hike, repel down a mountain, go river rafting down the Arkansas River... and top it off with studying of Gods love & His joy in our growth... oh yes.. It was love♥

I also was Blessed to be able to give back as a Volunteer Leader for two years. (Got me back to camp a couple more times♥)

The years with Richie coming with me, we would go weekly, and had a blast. We loved Young Life. When the evening was over, Rich & I repeated our favorite tunes of the evening, rather loudly and off key, barreling down the road to home. We were terrible & we didn't care. We had songs in our heart & sang them out to the Lord.  These songs were so different than the hymns we were use to in our more traditional churches. They were funny..creative.. and modern.

Richie & I also were Youth leaders together for summer camp in Colorado one year.

Summer of '81 or '82

This trip still makes us crack up. From the ghetto inner city kids that we "supervised", one "little girl" telling me..."don't make me havta cut you up!" to the strange young man that developed an uncomfortable "crush" on Rich. Shin splints...Stomach virus... oh yeah, and on the bus ride home, not even 100 miles into the ride, our bus lost a wheel, nearly crashing off a cliff and causing us to spend one more evening with our campers in a makeshift older campsite. Oh yes...Rich & I still can laugh about that trip. May have been why Richie only was a leader one year?

Derek, Me, forgotten leader, & Richie

Derek Wallace was our leader, and my mentor, into becoming a leader. I have lost touch with this wonderful man. When I knew him, he & his wife, were busy with their adorable triplets. Derek had this great accent as he was from South Africa. He was an amazing story teller and involved his audience in every story. He always had a smile. He gave so much to us all. He helped me tremendously grow spiritually.

I know that Young Life has continued over the years. I had hoped that me daughters would actively become interested in this youth group. But the chapter available to them did not have the same atmosphere and charisma. 

Click this link: young life to learn more about it.

Quondam Tuesday

Today I am taking you back to my Great-Grandmother Beulah Rahmann again. Last week I shared a couple of old wedding photos. This week we will go back a little further of some of her history.
She grew up in Lyons Kansas. This is her parents home in which she lived while they were in Lyons. The photo is actually a news clipping from many years later, as the home was for sale but from the folks that live here after the Butlers. My Great Great Grandfather was Tom Butler of the State Builder & Railroad Contractor.

Nice little crib...
Next I am going to share one of Tom's other passions. His "colts".  This photograph is from 1904, from Arlington, Kansas. He would travel his with prized colts to sell, trade and buy new. I love this photo and I hope you can see it as it is so very faded.

Arlington Kansas 1904 Colt Show

His final passion was his daughters. All eight of them.

The Butler Sisters Spring of 1911

My Great Grandmother Beulah, Granny as she was affectionately known to me. Was the oldest of the girls, on the far right. This photo was taken of the Butler Sisters prior to Beulah's wedding (I noticed she wore this dress, for her graduation photo, her Sister photo and her wedding. Must have been her good dress. The  truly amazing thing is, she snipped portions of it and gave to her own daughters. My Grandmother Mellie, gave it to my Mother, but unfortunately, it perished before my Sister & I were grown. I do remember seeing and touching it, and was in awe over the delicate material and the beautiful stitch work). I believe my Granny was also the last survivor of the girls. One died in childhood, one at the hands of her husband. Then one by one they died, mostly of age related complications.  Beulah, after a wonderful long marriage to a man she loved, and buried, lived on to around 102, I believe. I was just out of high school, and although we lived far apart, I was very fortunate to know her, and visit many times. She was an amazing woman with many stories to tell. I wish now I paid more attention. My Sister has much of the history Granny wrote and collected & Julie will organize it.

One final photograph I wan to share.
This on I call "The Men of Frigidaire". Because it is glued into a very old album, I can not see the date, but assume it was around 1910s-1920s. The man on the far right bottom row, was my Uncle Richard, that married Beulah's sister Annie.

He was a top man in the company, and I feel this picture is really cool. Loving the automobiles in the background, and the snazzy sharp dressed men. I love this photo!

Hope you enjoyed Quondam Tuesday at Just Breathe Janis♥