FIVE GENERATIONS. A MOMENT IN TIME

Five Generations. Don on my great-grandmother's lap, Anna Henderson. Middle seated, great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Harrington. Right, my grandmother, Margaret Henderson Russell. Standing, middle, Margaret (Peg) Russell Fairchild.

You may remember from previous posts that Betty's mother, Margaret Russell visited Chicago in May 1944. Apparently a reporter and photographer from the Herald newspapers came out to visit and a photo of five generations of the family were featured in an article in the Sunday American Weekly. I guess it was published locally in June and then nationally in October. These copies are from Betty's files. I haven't been able to find actual publication information from online sources. (This is something that only bothers a former library/editorial person like me. I'm hoping I will someday find a copy of the article, perhaps on microfilm at the Library of Congress.)
The article questions whether the women who went to work during the war would shorten their lifespans. Well, most of the women in my family were, and are, working women -- for at least some part of their adult lives -- and our life-expectency seems just fine. Great-great grandma Harrington lived another year after this article. Great-grandma Henderson lived another 12 years. My Grandma Russell and her daughters Aunt Peg and Betty, lived to their mid-80's.
The article was way off base but my family still loves having these photos. Seventy Two years ago. A moment in time. Five generations together in one place.

Women Shortening Their Lives by Doing Men's Work? From The American Weekly, October 30, 1944.

I can only assume that this was published in Chicago on June 15, 1944. However that date was a Thursday.