Ice is Nice

Several weeks ago I posted (click here) a recipe for nut bread that was sent in to an unidentified newspaper by my great-great-aunt Claribelle “Belle” Snyder Shanower. I mentioned that I don’t remember ever meeting Belle and her husband Ralph Leo Shanower. However, my mother remembers visiting Ralph and Belle once at their summer home in Florida. But Mom isn’t sure whether I was born yet, so the jury’s still out whether I met them or not.

I also mentioned that I didn’t think I had a photo of Belle. But while looking at family photos recently I found one that I think includes her. It’s reproduced below. I’d tentatively identified Aunt Belle as someone else. But now I’m pretty sure it’s her, because she’s seated beside Uncle Ralph. The photo is dated March 1953. The location must be Florida, as evidenced by the palms in the background.

Claribelle "Belle" Snyder Shanower, third from left, Florida, March 1953. Click for larger view.

I’ve identified the people in the photograph, from left to right, as:

George Edward Shanower (1879-1955)
Louise B. “Lulu” Hensinger Shanower (1888-1980)
Claribelle “Belle” Snyder Shanower (1895-1981)
Ralph Leo Shanower (1895-1979)
Malcolm David Shanower (1913-1997)
David Elmer Shanower (1885-1967)
Edna Marietta McNaughton Shanower (1891-1964)

The two people on the right, David E. Shanower and Edna M. Shanower, were my great-grandparents. A couple weeks ago I posted a baby photo of Edna with her twin sister Edith—click here.

The three older men, David, George, and Ralph, were brothers.

I’m speculating that the standing woman is Lulu, George’s wife. Although I have other photos of Lulu, I’m not 100% positive that’s her, so this identification is currently tentative. But I’m pretty sure it’s her.

My best guess is that the standing younger man is Malcolm Shanower, son of David and Edna. Identification is complicated by the shadow cast over his face by his hat. But the chin, nose, and dimple look like Uncle Malcolm to me. (I suggest his presence means that his wife, Ann Gertrude Shive Shanower, took the photo.)

In addition to the nut bread recipe I posted several weeks ago, great-great-aunt Belle also had another item published in the newspaper. Although it involves food and she won $1 for the contribution, I hesitate to call it a recipe. It’s more of a tip. Here it is from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 1, 1929:

Ice Cubes De Luxe.
(This contribution takes $1 prize)

A few drops of red or green vegetable coloring added to the water in the ice trays of your mechanical refrigerator, result in dainty colored ice cubes which give a very novel and pleasing touch to iced drinks.

MRS. RALPH SHANOWER.

Chesterland.