Dear Group, Well, I suppose you now realize that you have encouraged me to write down some more history. Granted it's in the form of memories again but just picture your mother or grandmother enjoying hollyhock dolls as much as I did as a kid in the 1930s. Here in the Town of Porter, I still see hollyhocks growing. Now, maybe some of you might not even know what hollyhocks are and that you may not have even seen them. Well, just in case, this is what I remember about them. I don't recall that I have ever seen hollyhocks growing in someone's flower garden. I kinda remember that they generally grew up against fences or in the back of someone's scruffy yard. I have the feeling that they had always been there. But there they were, growing up very tall, around five feet or so. And when they came into blossom there were two parts of the blossoms that fascinated us kids-the fully bloomed large blossom and the bud that the was coming into blossom. What we did was to pick the big pretty blossom and made certain that it still had its long stem (about 1/2 inch) attached. Then we picked the bud that was only beginning to show some petals. And that's when we put together the pieces of our hollyhock dolls. What you do first is take the bud and carefully peel away the little green leaves from the base of it. And when you do, you'll notice that the white base of it has a number of holes in it. What you do is take the big pretty blossom and carefully insert its stem into one of the holes in the bud. And what you then see is a beautiful flower girl with a beautiful full skirt and what with the holes in the bud you see her eyes and then, to top it off, there she is with a beautiful tall hat on top of her head of smaller flower petals. And then you continue to do that with different colored hollyhock blossoms and then line them all up on your porch railing or on your steps or wherever you are at the time and you marvel at the beauty of your hollyhock dolls. Scarlet O'Hara never looked as beautiful as your hollyhock dolls. vee

Vee, I know you won't believe this but just last weekend I was stopped at a yard sale about 5 miles from my house and there were two little girls about the age of 6 and 7. They were making hollyhock dolls. The hollyhocks are abundant here in Potter County,PA......which is mostly farmland. I see them mostly in rows of about 35 feet long next to drives. They are pinks and oranges and whites and yellows. I have none yet but have a mess of rootings to put in next year. Rose ----- Original Message ----- From: Vee L. Housman <housman@adelphia.net> To: <NYNIAGAR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 4:00 PM Subject: Hollyhock Dolls > Dear Group, > > Well, I suppose you now realize that you have encouraged me to write down > some more history. Granted it's in the form of memories again but just > picture your mother or grandmother enjoying hollyhock dolls as much as I did > as a kid in the 1930s. Here in the Town of Porter, I still see hollyhocks > growing. > > Now, maybe some of you might not even know what hollyhocks are and that you > may not have even seen them. Well, just in case, this is what I remember > about them. I don't recall that I have ever seen hollyhocks growing in > someone's flower garden. I kinda remember that they generally grew up > against fences or in the back of someone's scruffy yard. I have the feeling > that they had always been there. > > But there they were, growing up very tall, around five feet or so. And when > they came into blossom there were two parts of the blossoms that fascinated > us kids-the fully bloomed large blossom and the bud that the was coming into > blossom. What we did was to pick the big pretty blossom and made certain > that it still had its long stem (about 1/2 inch) attached. Then we picked > the bud that was only beginning to show some petals. And that's when we put > together the pieces of our hollyhock dolls. > > What you do first is take the bud and carefully peel away the little green > leaves from the base of it. And when you do, you'll notice that the white > base of it has a number of holes in it. What you do is take the big pretty > blossom and carefully insert its stem into one of the holes in the bud. And > what you then see is a beautiful flower girl with a beautiful full skirt and > what with the holes in the bud you see her eyes and then, to top it off, > there she is with a beautiful tall hat on top of her head of smaller flower > petals. And then you continue to do that with different colored hollyhock > blossoms and then line them all up on your porch railing or on your steps or > wherever you are at the time and you marvel at the beauty of your hollyhock > dolls. Scarlet O'Hara never looked as beautiful as your hollyhock dolls. > > vee > > > > ==== NYNIAGAR Mailing List ==== > Were your ancestors in Niagara County by 1860? You might find their > names at <http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyniagar/extras/1860.html>, > transcribed from 1860 county maps! > >

Hi Vee and All, When we were little, my grandfather used to make us Hollyhock Dolls, I have often wished in this rushed world we live in now, that I could be the Grandparent that mine were to me. Epically my Grandfather, There were 4 of us, and with the 3 of us younger ones being just 3 years apart we gave our mother a run for her money. Grandpa was always doing something special to keep us busy and out of her hair. He lived in an apartment next to our house, there was only a driveway separating his second floor porch and our back yard. If we were real good, (and sometimes when we weren't) he would make up little bags of gingersnaps and add a parachute and drop them off his porch to us. Oh how excited we would get watching them float down and ALWAYS land in our yard, Because if they didn't they would be on the other side of the fence. Grandpa never knew I didn't like ginger snaps. Patty Champion Sanderlin Wilson, Niagara Co. NY searching: Armstrong, Campbell, Champion, Curnow, Freeman, Maynard, Meek, Morcom, Richards, Russell, Taylor and Wass ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vee L. Housman" <housman@adelphia.net> To: <NYNIAGAR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2000 4:00 PM Subject: Hollyhock Dolls > Dear Group, > > Well, I suppose you now realize that you have encouraged me to write down > some more history. Granted it's in the form of memories again but just > picture your mother or grandmother enjoying hollyhock dolls as much as I did > as a kid in the 1930s. Here in the Town of Porter, I still see hollyhocks > growing. > > Now, maybe some of you might not even know what hollyhocks are and that you > may not have even seen them. Well, just in case, this is what I remember > about them. I don't recall that I have ever seen hollyhocks growing in > someone's flower garden. I kinda remember that they generally grew up > against fences or in the back of someone's scruffy yard. I have the feeling > that they had always been there. > > But there they were, growing up very tall, around five feet or so. And when > they came into blossom there were two parts of the blossoms that fascinated > us kids-the fully bloomed large blossom and the bud that the was coming into > blossom. What we did was to pick the big pretty blossom and made certain > that it still had its long stem (about 1/2 inch) attached. Then we picked > the bud that was only beginning to show some petals. And that's when we put > together the pieces of our hollyhock dolls. > > What you do first is take the bud and carefully peel away the little green > leaves from the base of it. And when you do, you'll notice that the white > base of it has a number of holes in it. What you do is take the big pretty > blossom and carefully insert its stem into one of the holes in the bud. And > what you then see is a beautiful flower girl with a beautiful full skirt and > what with the holes in the bud you see her eyes and then, to top it off, > there she is with a beautiful tall hat on top of her head of smaller flower > petals. And then you continue to do that with different colored hollyhock > blossoms and then line them all up on your porch railing or on your steps or > wherever you are at the time and you marvel at the beauty of your hollyhock > dolls. Scarlet O'Hara never looked as beautiful as your hollyhock dolls. > > vee > > > > ==== NYNIAGAR Mailing List ==== > Were your ancestors in Niagara County by 1860? You might find their > names at <http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyniagar/extras/1860.html>, > transcribed from 1860 county maps! > >