Hazel Graham

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In the Peabody News of 17 Jul 1901, appeared this item:

My grandma, Hazel Graham Harnden, was born on this day 119 years ago! I thought I’d commemorate the day with a few bits of her history – and some great pictures.

The first story is how she got her name. Will and Etta Graham had a hard time naming their children. That’s why they all just had one name! (Feeling deprived, the two youngest, Nola and Naida, gave themselves middle names.) Anyway, a month after the baby was born, her parents were fixing to go into town to show her off to the grandparents, and Etta said, “We can’t introduce her to our parents without a name!” So Will went off to the barn and Etta got breakfast ready, and when they met back up, he said, “How about Hazel?” And so it was. Grandma, of course, couldn’t tell me if her eyes were already hazel at that point. But I have my suspicions!

When Grandma was just 4 years old, her Grandpa Graham died. Someone lifted her up to look in the casket, and she was marked for life. She thought that was a terrible thing to do to a child!

Here Hazel is just starting school, near Peabody. She looks a little uncertain, but she’s got her older sister to look out for her.

In 1906, Hazel’s Grandpa Corkins sold his farm, and bought a section of land in Liberal as you can see. Meanwhile, he and his wife moved into Peabody, and I guess town life suited them. In 1911, his son-in-law Will Graham took over the remaining quarter section. He went ahead with a load of household furnishings, and on his way back to Peabody, changing trains at a junction, spotted a familiar cap with a bobble on it. The little boy asleep against the train window was his son Clifford! So the family was reunited and on to Liberal they went, all marveling at their good luck.

I think life was pretty good at Fairview Farm, which will look very familiar to some of you. Although I remember there being trees around. Hazel had a horse, although I doubt she went riding in that skirt!

In February, 1918, Will Graham died of pneumonia. A month later, Hattie who had married Vergne Harnden in 1916, delivered twins who only lived a month. They were buried in April, and my grandmother said to the end of her days that “those two little coffins sitting beside the grave was the saddest sight she ever saw”.

The family moved into town the next year, and Hazel got a job at a dentist’s office.

Miss Iva Norris has resigned as office girl at Dr. Miller’s, and Miss Hazel Graham has taken her place.

Liberal Democrat 6 May 1920

I don’t honestly know when Hazel got her Brownie camera. I think she paid for it with money she earned. There are a lot of pictures of farm life, and some great pictures of her friends horsing around.

I strongly suspect the man running away to be one Francis Harnden.

Hazel and Francis Harnden were both heavily involved in the Epworth League, which was Methodist education and good works. They also shared the bond of having been at Vergne and Hattie’s farm when Hattie died. The newspaper says Hattie had typhoid, but Grandma told me it was sunstroke. She told Mom that she didn’t think Hattie wanted to live. (But that’s a story for another time.)

The Liberal News had the scoop on 6 September 1923.

The rest, as they say, is history! But I do think there should be a picture of Grandpa that matches this one of Grandma. If you happen to have a copy, please let your faithful correspondent know!