My Great-Grandmother's Wedding Dress - Rose Gross Ryan

As mentioned in the previous post, I attended the Celebration of Life for a James Hugh Ryan this past weekend.  In the process, I got to meet several second cousins I'd never met.  One of these was Pam Biederman.  I'd been told by Pam's mother that Pam had part of the wedding dress of our g-grandmother, Rose Gross Ryan, framed and hanging in her living room.  Pam said she had been given the dress by her grandfather, Ray Ryan, with the promise that she would wear it in her own wedding.  In an email Pam said, "I never married so I did the best next thing and framed it. The dress is in my family/living room and I enjoy it every day."

I'm one of those lucky family historians who actually was left INFORMATION by my ancestors.  My grandmother, Virginia Ryan, left records stating that James Hugh and Rose Gross were married in a "mission" church in Ottenheim, Kentucky.  I wrote to the church and they sent me this record.

Based on this information, I'd tried to discover why the Ryan/Gross families were living in Kentucky -- a fect not supported by any of my research.  It was only in the past year, thanks to Matt Biederman, that I discovered that they only got married in Kentucky, but did not live there.  He sent me a copy of the dispensation James and Rose got from their parish to get married before their banns had been published three times.

Pam kindly agreed to send me pictures of the framed wedding dress.  I don't know what the top looked like, but I can't believe the detail in the skirt portion.  I tried to enlarge part of the embroidery so that you can have an appreciation of the handiwork involved in the dress.

Click to see detail

What talent!  This dress gives me a better understanding of how my ancestors were able to support themselves through embroidery.  Thanks, Pam, for sharing.

James Hugh Ryan - A Celebration of Life

I attended a "Celebration of Life" for a relative I had the pleasure of knowing for about two hours. He is my first cousin, once removed. My mother was his first cousin. I can only say I wish I had known him.

Jim is one of the relatives that I had the opportunity to meet because of this blog.  A couple of cousins found this blog by searching on their names.  One of the search results was this blog, leading us all to meet and share artifacts and family stories in February.  You can read about it here.  Jim knew that he had colon cancer that had metastasized to his lung, but he, his wife Peg, and son, Tim came to our little reunion anyway -- and I am so glad he did. 

Jim was the son of Raymond Matthew Ryan and grandson of James Hugh Ryan -- the head of the Ryan family that first settled in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Both the names "James" and "Hugh" are sprinkled throughout my family tree, but usually not in that combination.  If anyone was to carry the name forward, Jim seems to have been the right guy.  I'm told he inherited a great sense of humor and was a jokester, much in the tradition of his father.

I won't pretend to try to summarize the life of someone I knew so little, but I got to meet his four children, their spouses, and eleven grandchildren.  Pictures of his life were found on posters and you just can't fake in pictures the obvious love that Jim had for his wife, Peg.

I learned of frequent family camping trips to the Ohio River.  His children cherished the memories and as a River Rat myself, I could identify.  He was described as a man not rich in the financial sense, but rich in family and the blessings that can bring.  His was a life well-lived and one that will continue in the lives of the family and friends he so obviously touched.  I would estimate that about 300 people were present at his funeral.  That says a lot about the man I hardly knew.