Happy Easter!

This Sunday is Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our church will be decorated with beautiful spring flowers and the music of hymns like Christ the Lord Is Risen Today will fill the sanctuary. It will be a glorious service and celebration.

Zion Lutheran Church, Chattanooga, Ohio

Church-goers often wear new spring outfits on Easter Sunday. It feels good to wear the bright spring colors and put away the drab winter clothing.

Years ago an Easter outfit also included a hat. Hats were worn by both men and women, but the women’s head-wear was usually more colorful and eye-catching.

My mom had some pretty Easter hats and she saved two of them. These two must have been special because she had them packed away very carefully:

Easter hats saved by Florence (Schumm) Miller

I wish I had a photo of her wearing either of these two hats. I tried them on but neither are flattering on me. That is why you do not see a photo of me modeling them here. The orange one is quite large and full!

Below is one of the few photos I have of my mom wearing a hat. This may have been an Easter photo, taken about 1959 or 1960:

Florence & Karen, c1959

I remember one Easter when I wore a wide-brimmed, lacy, white Easter hat. An elastic band went around my chin to hold the hat in place. That elastic band came in very handy because the hat also had two long ribbons going down the back, long enough to fall between my back and the church pew.  When I sat back against the pew the long ribbons pulled the hat backward. I am sure I looked very fashionable for a 5-year old, with my long curls and that big white hat, but the hat experience was not very comfortable. It was a long church service for all concerned.

Not Easter photos, but I do have a few photos of ladies wearing hats.

My grandmother Hilda (Scaer) Schumm, with daughters Amy, Esther, and Florence. This could be an Easter photo:

Grandma Hilda (Scaer) Schumm with Amy, Esther, & Florence

A photo of Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Schinnerer) Scaer with grandchildren Elmer and Mary Schumm. Lizzie was my great-grandmother, the mother of Hilda. They look like they are bundled up, so this probably wasn’t an Easter photo:

Lizzie (Schinnerer) Scaer with grandchildren Elmer & Mary Schumm

Finally, a couple photos taken outside of our church, Zion Lutheran, Chattanooga, years ago:

Caroline (Miller) Caffee, Ruth Miller, Donna (Johns) Caffee.

The ladies wearing hats are Caroline (Miller) Caffee, Ruth (Miller) Werner, and Donna (Johns) Caffee. Caroline was my great-aunt, sister of my grandfather Carl Miller. Ruth is my aunt, daughter of Carl Miller. Donna was Caroline’s daughter-in-law, wife of Vernon Caffee.

Zion’s quartet, with Pauline (McGough) DeArmond wearing a stylish hat:

Zion Chatt’s Quartet, Howard Caffee, Stubby Bollenbacher, Rev. Carl Yahl, Paul McGough, and Pauline (McGough) DeArmond. (c1931-1942)

I will not be wearing a hat this Easter Sunday. The only hats I have are ball caps, not suitable for church. However, I could chose to wear either of the two vintage hats my mom saved…

Easter Blessings from Karen’s Chatt.

4 comments

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  1. Happy Easter Karen,

    what a nice memorial post. Thank you for sharing. BTW, we are looking forward to either of your mother’s hat that you choose to wear for Easter Service.

    You are very fortunate to have so many photos and recorded family history.

    Farrel

    1. Thanks, Farrel! But don’t count on seeing either of those hats Sunday…

    • marthalawler on April 19, 2019 at 6:03 pm
    • Reply

    Karen,
    Thanks for the last picture. Those people are in my memory. Rev. Yahl taught my Mother (Mildred Fisher) to play the organ there . He used to come to our home for Sunday dinner. This was part of the payment for the lessons.
    I certainly enjoy all that you post and I have such good memories from that church.
    Martha Lawler

    1. Such nice memories. And interesting to learn that Rev. Yahl taught your mother to play the organ. Thank you for writing.

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