Dear Aunt Amelia

Postmarked Dunkirk, NY Oct 12, 1914

Addressed to Mrs. H. C. Brockman, 15 Avenue B  Schenectady, NY

Dear Aunt, Uncle & Cousins- I received the coat the other day 

and was  very pleased with it.  It is not very much too large 

but I can wear it anyway this winter.  

The sleeves are a little bit too long.  

Harvey got hurt while playing football Weds.  

He is in bed but the Dr. says it is a bilbus (?)  attack with it.   

He runs into another fellow and bumped his eye.  

We do not think it will be serious.  Thanks for coat.  

Your old house is being painted at last.  Sort of gray.   Ella  

* * * * * * * * * 

Dear Aunt Amelia:     I thought I would drop you a few lines 

to let you know we received your letter 

and also received little Henry's picture  

we thank you very much and we thin it is fine of him.  

Mama would have wrote but she is so busy sowing (sic)  

but she will write in a few days.  

How are you all  we are all reel (sic) well.  

We are having awful cold weather and rainy weather.  

as ever your niece,  Mabel Hamann.

Tell Pearl I will write to her soon.   

Dear Aunt Amelia:  We received the 25c O.K.  

Mama & Papa went up to the cemetrary (sic) 

Monday evening and put 3 geraniums on, 

white, pink and red. It looks nice now again.  

Papa started in to work for Mr. Rice today.  

Good by.   Mabel        

Postmarked Dunkirk, NY  May 28, 1914 

* * * * * * * * * 

Dear Aunt Amelia  & all,

Xmas is now past.  Old Santa was a good fellow.  

We received your package O.K. in time for Xmas. but meant to write before.  

 I want to thank you ever & ever so much for my writing paper, 

 just what I wanted.    Mama thinks that edge (crochet) on towel is great 

and papa likes his handkerchief.   Tell Lionel we thank him for his picture.  

It's dandy of him.   Tell Pearl I will write her letter. 

 I got a watch bracelet from Mama & Papa.  

Hope you all shared good.   

A Happy New Year.    

Mabel    Postmarked Dec 27, 1910 

* * * * * * * * 

Addressed to :  

Mrs. Henry Brockman 15 Avenue B

Schenectady, NY

Postmarked from Dunkirk, NY Nov 3, (no year, maybe 1910?) 7:30am 

* * * * * * * * 

Dear Aunt Amelia:  Received your letter, Mama will answer it soon.  

Tell Pearl I will answer her dandy letter too.  Mama is busy taking care of Papa. 

 He has Rhuematism again.  It was 4 yrs since he had it first.  

He can't hardly walk. He is taking treatments 

at the Santitariom (sic) baths.  I hope they will help him.  

He has only had 4.  How are you all?  

We wish you Many more Happy Birthdays.  

We almost forgot it.  Good by.  Love to all.  Mabel 

Birthday Wishes

Miss Pearl Brockman   

To a young lady whom the stork brought 

to Mr. and Mrs. Brockman 12 years ago.   

May she remain many years to make them happy.  Aunt Louise

Postmarked April 15, 1910  11-30am,  Columbia, S.C.

I'm sending a wish for your birthday

A wish and a hope and a prayer

A wish that the day may be joyous and gay

Unclouded by sorrow or care--

A hope that the year that is coming 

Will find you both steadfast and true

And a prayer that its strongest temptation

May never be stronger than you

Addressed to :   Miss Pearl Brockman

15 Avenue B  Schenectady, NY  

Postmarked april 26  11:30am  1909 from Columbia, SC

(from Aunt Louise  for Pearl's 11th birthday)

Many good wishes for Pearl

April 28, 1909

   "     28, 1898

Amelia and Henry

Amelia W. Brockman, 

photograph taken Dec. 21, 1915, age 41

A special celebration... 

at 1637 Ave B, Schenectady, 1952

...Henry and Amelia Brockman on their 

60th Wedding Anniversary...

Brockman Family  

cast of characters, 1952:

(this photo  taken by Roy VanValkenburg, Ellen's husband)

1.  Alexander B. Wright 

(Pearl's husband, Alan's father)

2.  Henry C. Brockman

3. Amelia W. Brockman

4. Wallace Brockman (son)

5.  Louse W. Valentine (Amelia's sister)

6.  Alan J. Wright (grandson; Pearl's son; my dad)

7.  Pearl Mae Brockman Wright 

(daughter; Alexander's wife;  Alan's mother; Pamela's grandmother )

8.  Ellen Brockman VanValkenburg 

(granddaughter; Henry's daughter; Alan's cousin)

9.  Henry Brockman (son, husband of Jo; father of Ellen)

10.  Josephine Brockman (daughter-in-law; Henry's wife; Ellen's mother)

11.  Lionel Brockman (son; Virginia's father, Lanny & Debby's grandfather)

* * * * * * * * * 

A few random postcards...

Top:  Free Library, Dunkirk, NY  

                               Addressed to:  Mr. HC. Brockman, 

#15 Ave B, Schenectady, NY  

Postmarked:  Dunkirk, July 5 5:30 pm (no year) 

 Am having a fine time.  Expect to leave here Fri. or Sat.     Lionel

Bottom:  Brooks Memorial Hospital, Dunkirk, NY  

Addressed to:  Mr. Lionel Brockman, 

115 Avenue B, Schenectady, New York 

Dear Cousin  We are all well and hope this 

will find you all the same.  

Fred, Albert E.L. and I went to Dunkirk 

Sat. for over Sunday and had a fine time.  

from your cousin Laura B

Amelia Brockman  

date on photo Aug 6, 1947

age 73  Schenectady 

Days in the Lives

The Falls, Glens Falls, NY 

addressed to Mrs. H.C. Brockman, 

15 Ave B. Schenectady, NY.....postmarked 1913

A pretty good place.  

Rained a little so that it made drilling easy.  

Camping on sand.  LB

(Lionel Brockman)

* * * * * * * *

Top:  Looking down Eagle Street, 

Dunkirk, NY  postmarked Dec 28, 1909

Addressed to Mr. Henry Brockman, 

15 Avenue B, Schenectady, NY

Received oil and much oblige. I received my ribbon

 and was very much pleased with it.. 

Mama would like to know if you received the 

Xmas box from us.  

as ever  

Mabel Hamann.  

Tell Pearl I will ans. soon.

Bottom Card:  Cliffs Point Gratiot, Dunkirk, NW

Addressed to:   Mrs. Henry Brockman, 

15 Avenue B, Schenectady, NY

Dear Sister and Brother  I received your letter to day and see that you send Henry som  oil  We did not receved  it.  if you Let me know how you send it then I will see if I cin  trace it   I am going Down to the expres office to day and see if is ther   We ar  very sorry But maby  I will gid  it.  We ar sorry that Pearl has Ben sick hop that Henry Walace ar Better   We ar well   Mabel has Ben Sick  Henry has a cold   I will write mor soon   from Lizzie Hamann   I am going in the grapes next week  (sic...transcribed exactly as written ) 

...a box full of vintage postcards...what to do with them all...and where to start?...how about Schenectady, NY...

Business Section of State Street, Schenectady.  

Addressed to:  Mrs. Henry Brockman, 

                  15 Avenue B, City  

  "I am leaving the store will be home after Apr. 19."  

        Mrs.  MacMichael, 40 Guilderland  

Postmarked 1913.  

The Leighton &Valentine Co., N.Y. City.  

Printed in United States.

* * * * * * * * 

The Gleason Building, 

also known as  the Gleason Book Co. 

104 Jay Street.    

My father was born in 1932 in Schenectady, NY and lived at 1637 Avenue B....his grandparents, my great-grandpa Henry Brockman and great-grandma Amelia, also lived in Schenectady.   So, we start in Schenectady, NY with that generation...four generations back from my children's (Alex, Brendan, Chandler).  

Schenectady Public Buildings, 

Steamer House No. 4, S.F.D. Schenectady, NY  

and 256 -Public Library

addressed to Mrs. Brockman, 15 Ave B, City

...Washington, July 15, 9:00 We leave at 9:50.  

Had a good nights rest.  

Warmer here and the air has lost its northern feel.  

Cloudy, so it may not be so very hot.    Louise

Postmarked Washington DC, July 15, 1913

* * * * * * * * 

Alexander B. Wright,  Alan J. Wright (my dad),

Pearl B. Wright  date on photos Christmas 1958.

Schenectady, 1637 Ave B.

* * * * * * * * 

"Welcome to the USA" reception 

(wedding/bridalshower!) given to Yoshiko A. Wright (my mom) 

left to right, center back:  Pearl Wright, Amelia Brockman, 

Louise Valentine, Jo Brockman, Yoshiko Wright, foreground.  

Aunt Jo's mother and sister on left.  Photo taken at Aunt Jo's house, 1957.

* * * * * * * * 

Ellen Brockman VanValkenburg, Yoshiko Wright

1957.

My dad's cousin Ellen  gave me a shoebox full of vintage postcards and ephemera, probably over 100 pieces.  Originally I fell in love with the graphics and old-timey verses; I even color-copied the cards and used them to decorate my own cards and Christmas letters.  Not until one day I actually took the time to read all the sentiments and messages that were sent in real time to real people did I actually become fascinated with the ordinary moments that were captured in that time.  All by distant ancestors most of whom, of course,  I'd never met.  Some, I barely had heard mention of their names.  

Fortunately, it appears that my great-grandmother Amelia,  

--Mrs. Henry Brockman aka Amelia (Wallatz) Wallace,  saved...and saved 

(like Ellen, and me) all the cards she received.  Would she ever have known that they would be so appreciated, and provide a window into her life and her contemporaries?!  She was born on Nov. 8, 1874 and died Oct. 19, 1959, three years after I was born.   Could she ever have imagined that anyone, a century later, would have been interested in the ordinary lives of her family and her generation...    

Credit, too, must go to her sister Louise, (Louise W. Valentine) who was a natural journalist and correspondent and sent frequent postcards from places she went.  Also dear to my heart is young Mabel Hamann, (a cousin of my grandmother Pearl Brockman Wright) whose notes and observations provide a sweet and often touching  look into life at that time.  Unfortunately, she  died too young; according to cemetary records (Forest Hills Cemetary in Fredonia, NY) Mabel Lucille Hamann was born Dec 14, 1894 and she died in a diabetic coma on February 11, 1916, and was interred on Feb. 14, 1916.    None of Mabel's writings give any insight to her illness,  she seemed like such a happy, thoughtful young woman....