- 8 mm Film | Reel to Reel Audio -

- 8 mm Film | Reel to Reel Audio -

There were hundreds and thousands of film slides featuring trips and experiences, but there were also three 8mm silent films that were recorded by a family member, capturing different scenes from the 1950s. It's a wonderful feeling to watch these moments, and I'm hopeful that there are more to be uncovered, digitized, and added to this project.

An Audio Letter from Wayne Gustafson

Canada, Sept. 1958 & Ft. Meyers, Mar. 1959

A lot is going on this this film. You can see some familiar faces with March and Pete-Pie, and Dick Coe, but the men in Canada in the opening of the video, I have no idea. In the same vein, I am pretty sure that Granny and Grandaddy Gus are there too, with March, but the generation before Petey-Pie is sometimes challenging for me to name based on the face.

I took a moment and asked Melissa (M2) to see what she might know about this film in particular and it seems like the fishing men are a mystery for now!

I don't recognize any of the men in Canada. Later in the film, you will see cottages and that is where we stayed in Fort Myer, Florida where Stanley and Betty Courtney lived.

The two boys in that film are their sons John Michael Courtney who is the eldest, and Dan Courtney, the youngest.

Michael Courtney is two years older than I and owns Black Swan Books in Lexington, a rare & fine book dealer - you would love him!

Additionally, you are correct that Edna March and Ernst Gustafson are in the film with March, and I would guess, the other one is Michele? Depends on when the film was done.

I was born in 1952 , Mikey in 1947. In '58 I would've been six. Of note: the house with the front door and the small roof overhead is Granny and granddaddy Gus' house in Webster Groves, a portion of St. Louis. Their address was: 441 Newport Ave., Webster, Groves, Missouri

I remember their original phone number as being : Area code 314, Woodland 2-1892, which today would correspond to: 314 – 962-1892.

Also - forwarded the tape from Uncle Wayne (air force colonel) to his only daughter - Laurie Ann Findlay who raises alpacas in California with her husband, Scott.

This is another brief plug: if you are a family member reading this and seeing these pieces of family history, and you know something or someone, send it! I would love to capture it and record what I can on here so that we can keep the memories together.

Coe Oil Service, recorded on top of Family recordings. Circa 1955

Judy Nebutt with Petey-Pie and M1 (March). M2 (Michele) has the cat and M3 (Melissa) is in her own world.

Florida 1959, Country

Stanley and Betty Courtney. Stanley was with Shell Oil with Dick Coe and Betty and Stanley’s two boys were great friends of March, Michele, and Melissa.

Previous
Previous

The Gustafson Family History

Next
Next

The People