Betty's Box - Part III

Let me introduce you to Larry Arnett and his wife, Betty Hodges Arnett.  Betty is the daughter of Wyvetta (Betty) Hodges who was the keeper of all of those precious family documents and pictures.  She is a second cousin to me.  Rachel Wainright Jones (Pop's Mom) is our common ancestor -- our g-grandmother.

I currently find myself living in this strange 21st Century world where the people I talk to, write to and share family information with, I'VE NEVER MET!  Count Betty among that number.  When Betty and I first "met" she told me of the family's frequent moves.  She joked that her mother never cleaned the house, she'd move instead.  But there was one constant -- everywhere they moved, "Betty's Box" moved with them.

Edith holding Wyvetta

The box held items I consider to be priceless.  The last two posts contain many of the items, including pages from the family Bible and pictures of our ancestors (often labeled).  Betty was not aware of who many of the people were, so we are grateful to each other.

Betty is one of four children:  Don and Mary Lee (deceased), Betty and John Patrick (known as Pat).  The family moved to Florida in 1949 when Betty was only a few years old.  My grandfather, Pop, and her grandmother, Edith, remained close all of their lives. Since I always knew that my grandmother, Norine, was happiest at home, I was surprised when Betty shared  pictures of Fred and Norine when they came to visit them in Florida.

Wyvetta (Betty) greeting Norine when
they came for a visit in Florida.


Pictured is Pat and Betty carrying Pop's luggage from the train station in Orlando.  Betty tells me she was known as "Skipper" her entire childhood and did not realize she had another "legal" name until registration for Junior High School.

Fred and Norine at the Orlando Train Station, 1951

Fred, Norine, Wyvetta, Donnie, Pat and "Skipper"

When Betty and I were first trying to understand our connections to each other, she sent me a picture that summed it up.  This is a great picture of our combined families taken in Cincinnati in 1941. On the back of the picture, it said that this was taken when the family went to the Viaduct Inn to celebrate Edith Hodges' 59th birthday (Pop's sister)! With the help of a "cousin collaboration" I'm going to do my best to identify the people in the picture.  (Corrections and additions welcomed).

From left to right in the top row: Fritz Breving, Fred Jones, ?, Norine, Margaret Ann, Edith Breving, Emery Hodges, Edith Hodges and Harold Hodges
Bottom row:  ? ,  Donnie Hodges, Mary Lee Hodges ?, Bob Breving, Rosemary Breving, Fred Breving, ?,  and Wyvetta (Betty) Hodges

Thanks so much, Betty.  I look forward to the day we actually meet!