Some Lake Odell photos 1962–1963

I was going through a box of photos my mother had saved from her childhood and early marriage years, and I came across this collection of photos from Lake Odell in 1962 and 1963. As Lake Odell brings back fond memories for many in the Askew, Prettyman, Flaten, and Montgomery families, I thought I’d share them with you.

Odell Summit Lodge was run by members of my family until it was accidentally burned down in November, 1971. It was owned by my grandmother Harriet (Askew) Prettyman’s two brothers and one of her brothers-in-law—Bob and Frank Askew and Howie Flaten. The three men and their spouses lived at the lake year-round and together with help from other family members, they ran a lodge, rented out cabins, ran a store, rented boats, and served up meals. Every summer, members of our extended family would travel up to help run the lodge in the busy season in exchange for a nearly free vacation.

I’m gradually accumulating enough info on the decade-long run of the Odell Summit Lodge to write a history of our period of its history, from its purchase by members of the Askew clan, to the building of a new lodge, to the accidental burning of both old and new lodges, to a last-ditch effort to rebuild the resort after it burned. But that’s too much for a lazy Sunday. For today, I’ll just present the photos from 1962 and 1963. Continue reading

Gert Askew and daughters in S.F. Chinatown

1945 Chinese Skyroom p1Whew. I like to write a post or two per week, but it’s been a busy several weeks since my last post. My time has been stretched really thin over these past weeks, primarily between travel, family, a bad cold, and writing a $500k NSF grant. I’ll do my best to get back on the family history blogging rails. Towards that end, I’ll see if I can get a few posts written this weekend to get some momentum built up again.

For my first post today, I present this charming souvenir photo I found recently while continuing to organize my grandmother’s photos.

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In memoriam: Beulah (Askew) Montgomery (1920-2013)

Beulah Lucille AskewI received word this morning that my great-aunt, Beulah Lucille (Askew) Montgomery (“Bonnie” to friends, and “Boo” to family), died peacefully in her sleep last night. I only knew her from a distance, but from where I stood, she was a remarkable woman who led a remarkable life.

She was the oldest of the three Askew sisters, born and raised in Wadena, Minnesota. She married Lawrence R. “Monty” Montgomery in 1942, and she was the first of the Askew children to give her parents a grandchild. She and Monty raised two boys—Bob and Rich—and led exemplary lives distinguished by their hard work, generosity, charity, activity, creativity, and humility.

In this post, I’d like to share with you some photos of Boo taken throughout her life. Please share your memories of Boo by leaving a comment at the end of this post.

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