George H. and Pearl L. Vining

 

 

 

George graduated from Pittsburg Teachers College with a B. S. in Mathematics and Social Science.

George married Pearl Byers Sept. 28, 1910, both were teachers, and George was also the superintendent of the public high school in Edna, KS.  George and Pearl never had children.

George is the grand uncle of Nancy Henning, and was James M. Vining’s 5th oldest son. He always seemed to be quite prosperous. When Nancy, her mother, Lorene Vining Brown and her sister Shari, would visit them in Chanute, KS, they would stay in their beautiful two-story home. Pearl was such a refined appearing lady.

George was the superintendent of Edna High School when Lorene Vining went there. In his later years after teaching, he sold insurance. At times George and Pearl would rent out portions of their home, as well as, complete living quarters upstairs with a full kitchen.  In the 1940’s George also was part owner of a farm that he shared with his brothers’ Harry and Lawrence.

(the photos above are in the collection of Nancy Henning)

George Howard Vining

BIRTH – 17 FEB 1883 • Kansas City, Wyandotte, Kansas, United States

DEATH – 5 DECEMBER 1964 • Chanute, Neosho, Kansas, United States

Pearl Leona Byers

BIRTH – 17 NOVEMBER 1890 • Kansas

DEATH – 7 OCTOBER 1972 – Chanute, Neosho County, Kansas, USA

 

 

Lester Vining’s Photo – A Comparison

Just for fun here is a side by side of the unknown picture of a Lester Vining, left,

and a picture of James Vining Jr. and Jane’s 1900 picture of their son Lester, right

Same style of clothing for both.

Heytoto asked to see the rest of the group photo. Here’s the whole family (Nancy Henning’s photo) around 1900.

Fred, Lester. Aaron, George, Harry, cousin Ralph and son Earl (top row) Elnora and Irene (center) Lawrence, James Jr., Sara Jane McFall Lindsley (Jane’s mother) and Jane (affectionately known as grandma Jennie)

Aaron Lee Vining – 2nd oldest son of James M. Vining Jr.

Aaron Lee Vining, b. 1877 with his wife Carrie Carson Vining b. 1885

posing for their wedding photo ca. 1904

Aaron and Carrie with their children, Mary Ruth and Jennie

Aaron, Carrie, Mary Ruth and Jennie Vining – ca. 1912

Little Jennie with her life size dolls

Later when she grew up she married Albert Schoonover

    

Jennie                Albert

Mary Ruth with husband John Sherman who both became teachers

Aaron and Carrie owned a laundry business, where various family members worked

Aaron & Carrie owned and ran a laundry business in Neodesha, KS – photo taken abt 1912

Later in life Aaron bought a farm with his brothers Harry, George and Lawrence

Aaron and Carrie celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary

Blanche Vining’s WPA photo

Here is a picture of Inez B. Vining working in a WPA program sewing room in 1937.  She is sitting in front of the lady standing close to the center of the room.

The CWA (Civil Works Administration) was the Roosevelt administration’s first major work program, one of many created by Franklin D. Roosevelt,  towards the end of the Great Depression to get folks back to work and restore the nation’s infrastructure.  The WPA (Works Progress Administration) employed women in sewing rooms in almost every city and small town.  The WPA distributed the cloths to people on relief and ran mobile lending libraries, as well as, having pack horse librarians in rural areas.  The WPA also cleared swampy mosquito invested areas to make free flowing water canals and renovated public buildings, such as schools.  I was amazed at the list of works attributed to the WPA in that era.

Fred and Blanche Vining’s children

Two years after Fred and Blanche were married, they started a family.  First came Bernice Irene in 1912 and then James Sylvester in 1915

               Age 21 mo.                         Age 6 mo.

Age 21 months Bernice Irene Vining

James and Bernice approximately 3 yrs. and 5 yrs. old

                                                       In 1917 Bertha Lorene came along.

            

and below in 1919 Mildred Naomi.  The photo to the right shows Lorene studying mom Blanche’s technique for cranking up the old Model T.

                                                 

         The following is the last photo taken of Mildred Naomi to the left, with older sister Lorene         the right. Mildred tragically perished from an accidental gunshot incident.

                         

Fred and Blanche Vining Wedding photo

It is believed that Fred and Blanche Vining were married around the time they graduated from the Normal Institute.  Fred studied to become a minister and Blanche a teacher.

ca. 1910

Inez Blanche Wise Vining School Photos

Blanche also attended the Normal Institute school to train to become a teacher and her soon to be husband Fred N. Vining studied to become a minister.

   Graduation photo ca.1908/10

Blanche and her graduating class

Normal Institute’s women’s teacher student body

Fred N. Vining’s wife and daughter-Inez B. Vining and daughter Lorene both at age 18

Inez Blanche Vining ca. 1899

Lorene Bertha Vining High School Grad photo 1935

Lorene Bertha Vining

High School Grad photo 1935

Nancy Henning’s grandfather Fred Nathaniel Vining

My grandfather Fred grew up in Neodesha, KS.  This is the next earliest photo I have and I think it might be his graduation photo.  He attended the Kansas State Normal School for teacher training.  He is the sixth from the left on the bottom row in the class picture below.  ca. 1908

The University was founded in March 1863 when the Kansas legislature passed the enabling act to establish the Kansas State Normal School. The school’s first graduating class consisted of two women—Ellen Plumb and Mary Jane Watson in 1867. The name “Normal” originated in France during the 17th century and was given to schools that had “model” classrooms or schools designed for, teachers-in-training, the proper practices of teaching students.

Glen C. Barnett

Irene and Harry Barnett’s son Glen with a good friend.