Mabel Bulloch Harry

Grandmother Harry must have been an interesting lady. Mother says she was a gifted pianist and vocalist. She sang in churches all over the county. I really need to ask mother to write something from her perspective. My first hand memories are few. Most are from stories mother shared and from Grandmother's wedding journal.

There are copies of telegrams, notecards and other items that can be added. Everyone can enjoy them as much as I do. There is a tiny photo of Grandmother that is so small that it may not print well. Brittany could have been her twin at the same age. Other pictures show her as a confident young woman.

My favorite item tells part of their wedding story. I have bored my kids with it too often. Reading the letter tells a story better than I can retell it. There are a few love notes and poems Granddaddy wrote to Grandmama. Plus sweet notes from children written to her after she moved to New Orleans with her young groom.

The wedding album was on top of the bookcases in Granddaddy's library. When I showed it to him, he sat down in his kitchen and read the lovenotes to Grandmother he had tears in his eyes. That day he gave me the wedding album. He said if I didn't take it then I would never see it again. He was right. It is too precious to keep to myself.

The newspaper clippings about Grandmother's wedding are so interesting. She is described as "pure as the driven snow". Grandmother's bridesmaids wore brown dresses. I promised Ashley I would send her copies of the newspaper writeups. I must do that!

I keep meaning to write to Grandmother's college to get a copy of her transcript. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what classes she took in college. The college made me copy of her Senior yearbook picture.


Mama told me something about Grandmother's senior class having a reception at the Governor's mansion when she graduated from college. I pictured a trip to Atlanta; however, when I did some research I learned that Milledgeville had been the State Capitol during the early 1800's through the end of the Civil War. In 1889, the Georgia Normal & Industrial College was chartered as a two-year college emphasizing teacher training and business skills. As I dug a little more and learned that students lived in the "old Governor's Mansion" when the college was founded. Perhaps by the time Grandmother was a student, a dormitory had been built and the reception may have been on campus in the renovated "Governor's Mansion". (To me - putting little pieces of history together with family stories is interesting.)
























This the the Governor's Mansion. It is still in use at "Georgia College" as the school is known today.
Maybe Gaye or Barb will make a road trip and find some interesting information there.


I also found the thank you letter that Mrs Bloomfield wrote to Grandmother for naming Margaret, Margaret Bloomfield Harry, after her late husband. I should send it to one of the Thompson's - but I don't know who would value it the most. It will fall apart with much handling.

It is easy to know both Grandmother and Granddaddy valued education. Their brothers and sisters had college educations. So they made sure that their children did also. Mother finished Agnes Scott College in Atlanta. Aunt Margaret finished Duke in Durhan, NC. Uncle Henry finished the University of Georgia.