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| Mira Rockwell (Main) Stratton, ca 1900 |
Mira Rockwell (Main) Stratton (19 May 1881-2 December 1926) was the wife of Dr. Charles W. Stratton II (Sepia Saturday: Horse and Buggy Doctors of Lee, Massachusetts). Mira died young and only snippets of family lore remain. Her diary provides our only glimpse of her daily life as a nurse.
I would relate Mira's December entries from her Line-a-Day diary but, she was a diarist after my own heart. Entries stop on 21 September 1913 and in 1914, on 6 August. On 1 January 1923 she resumes with "8 years since I left writing in a Line A Day ...." Her last entry is January 2. So much for New Year's resolutions.... I'll have to remember not to make any resolutions to write a blog a day!
The genealogist in me jumped for joy when perusing the diary. Not only does Mira include notations of visits by aunties and letters from family; she included in her Memoranda a list of birthdays! It just doesn't get any better than that. (Unless you want to shoot for the moon and wish that she had included the year as well.) The clues to determine Mira's paternal grandparents might be waiting to be discovered in the pages of her diary. Thank you Mira for the best medicine ever!
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| Mira Rockwell (Main) Stratton (19 May 1881- 2 December 1926) |
This is a Sepia Saturday post on the theme of nurses or anything else inspired by the photograph. To see more wonderful nurses or other cathartic takes on the theme, see Sepia Saturday 103.
Stratton, Mira Rockwell (Main). "Line-a-Day Diary." MS. Lee, Massachusetts, 1913-1923. Privately held by Liz Stratton, [ADDRESS FOR PERSONAL USE,] Cincinnati, Ohio. 2011.
Stratton, Mira Rockwell (Main). Portrait. ca 1900. Digital image. Privately held by Liz Stratton, [ADDRESS FOR PERSONAL USE,] Cincinnati, Ohio. 1999.
That's a nurse who looks like she means business! :)
ReplyDeleteWere She Alive Today, She Would ,no doubt, be blogging up a storm!
ReplyDeleteShe's a handsome figure in her uniform, and I'm so pleased that you have her diary - what a treasure :-) Jo
ReplyDeleteWonderful picture! But I can imagine your thrill of reading her diary; what a score. I loved this post, thank you for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
She is a handsome lady in that nurse's uniform. How does anyone today have time to keep a diary with so much time taken up with blogging and commenting.
ReplyDeleteI use a diary every day but knowing I play golf twice a week is hardly earth-shattering.
Neverthless you have got your hands on a diary of importance to you and your family.
That's an interesting photo. Her hourglass figure makes me wonder what she is wearing under the uniform.
ReplyDeleteImagine if we didn't have those wonderful nurses! All three of my children were brought to life by the urging and strong willed nurses far more so then my doctor!
ReplyDeleteI think she looks great! My father kept a diary when he was a first year student but I have to be honest, it's not interesting at all.
ReplyDeleteLoved it. If my great great grandchildren ever come across my old diaries they will equally find them filled in with great detail for the first few days of January and then abandoned after that. It is why I started my blog in November - to avoid the mid-January hiatus. An amazing photograph, a great post. Keep it going!
ReplyDeleteA terrific photo and story. Lots of potential in research.
ReplyDeleteJinsky - She does look a little stern in the photo but I think it belies a very gentle heart - anyone who gives her fiance puppies and kitties can't be too stern!
ReplyDeleteTony, Kathy, Bob, Sheila and Alan, I couldn't resist and read her diary yesterday. One of the more interesting diaries I've read. I loved reading about the plays, performances and books she had read. In the end, a real cliff-hanger. I find myself wishing for more.
ReplyDeleteJo, Postcardy - She mentions being fitted for corsets so there goes the mystery of what was under the uniform. Mira really is lovely in her uniform. I was amazed to learn how much time she spent sewing and repairing clothes!
ReplyDeleteKaren, She talks about deliveries in her diary and about lying-ins. Interesting .... Wouldn't it have been nice to have a private nurse to live with you in the final weeks?!
ReplyDeleteMike, I started with a post about the research that her diary spurred but will have to wait to get a few more records to know the meaning of it all .... Shucks!
ReplyDeleteHi Auntie Liz, so is Mira Main Stratton Gramps's and Auntie Tish's mother? Also, what did she die of?
ReplyDeletea gorgeous photograph, and a diary that got you giddy as a schoolgirl, I warrant...
ReplyDelete:)~
HUGZ
Hi Anna, I plan to post the family lines on other pages of the blog soon so that all the connections will be clear. Mira was Gramp's and Auntie Tish's mother. I've been meaning to add some pages with the genealogy to show the connections. I always want to dot one more 'i' and cross one more 't' first! Both Mira and her mother Phoebe died of heart disease. Take a heart aspirin a day!
ReplyDeleteTicklebear - see how little it takes to keep me happy?! ;)
ReplyDelete"little"?
ReplyDeleteI say it's pretty big!!
if you can make sense of it...
:)~
HUGZ