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A Tribute to Sisters

Last week I had the very great pleasure of interviewing two sisters - Audrey and Gladys Miller of Stroud. That's them, in 1937 in the display picture in their farm on the 10th Sideroad and 11th Concession. We hope to have those interviews available for you shortly. These wonderful women who let me into their home and shared their lives and stories with me got me thinking about my own sister and the bonds that tie us in general. Growing up we could be co-conspirators or adversaries depending on our moods and whether or not we wanted to gang up on our younger brother. Today, she is a trusted friend and a constant ally, and the person to whom I go for advice. I think this is true of most sisters, and as I skimmed through the photos and portraits of sisters that have been shared with us here from the collections of the Innisfil Historical Society I can imagine these women as confidantes and friends, supporting each other in school and work and love. Imagine the hardships that our earliest pioneers endured in making our Innisfil the community it is today. It is comforting to think that many of these women had strong friendships through the bonds of sisterhood. The families, faces, and places make our community - if you have a story to tell Contact Us!

Then and now photo montage of 4 sisters in 1937 in black and white and in 2015

4 portraits of women circa the late 1800s. The women are the Maconchy SIsters of Gilford.

The Maconchy Sisters late 1880s

Black and white portrait of 5 sisters in 1885. Three are seated, two standing.

Thompson Sisters, 1885

Sepia toned portrait of sisters circa 1900

The Sturgeon Sisters

Portrait of 4 sisters in 1900, all 4 women are looking to their right. The three sisters on the right have their hair pinned  up but one sister on left has hair loose and down.

The Rothwell Sisters, 1900

Two girls in white dresses and veils, black and white photo for confirmation. There are garlands in their hair.

Betty and Florence O'Connell at their Confirmation

black and white photo of two women with grey hair and in floral print dresses, Harriet and Lavinia Orchard of Stroud in 1938

Lavinia and Harriet (Hattie) Orchard in 1938 at the Stroud Scool centenary.

three sisters in snowsuits playing in the snow in 2013

This great photo of the Stephen sisters playing in the snow in Innisfil was submitted to us in 2013 as a part of the Faces of Innisfil project.

 

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