1900 - Aunt Fannie Kimball and Her Bees

Finding this wonderful RPPC (Real Photo Post Card) image on eBay last week,  I figured it was worth a try to see if I could find out anything about Aunt Fannie.  Besides, poking around the internet is what I like to do!

It was really easy!  One of the first links I found was to a Roots Web page which gave the answer as far as I am concerned.   The Uncle Hiram below was son of  George Kimball and Frances "Fannie" Kimball. I can't pinpoint the date, but it is around the turn of the previous century.

"The next day Fanny & I were sitting under some trees by the horse trough. We had passed the night, & I had got acquainted with my new cousin. How lovely the scene! We could see the orchard, the big potato field. 

There was a Grandma, too. Uncle Hiram's mother lived with them. She was tall. One of my memories was of watching this Grandma Kimball take a swarm of bees. In one of the trees near the house a large swarm had collected. Mrs. Kimball came out with her face all veiled & with the bee-trap, like a large corn popper at the top end of a long pole, & she could just reach with it the swarm in the tree, pulling on a lever she opened the trap, shoved it over the swarm & then pulled the lid closed. 

Of course some would escape. I was not frightened. Bees do not sting if you do not touch them. Then she carried the bees to a hive. Fanny & I trotted or paced along here & there. I do not remember the rest, for something else attracted my attention just then, I think. The land here was rich. There was a beautiful bed of pansies around one of the trees, in a circle. I never saw such beauties!"