Puttin’ on the Ritz

This is a photo of my Aunt Dorothy in the early 1930s when she was a young woman. At the time, Aunt Dorothy and two of her friends loved to sing together and they formed the Silver Trio, which performed at evening clubs in the Moline, Illinois, area, so I think this may have been a professional photo. I can remember when we used to take the three-hour train ride from Moline to Chicago and our first stop would be Marshall Field’s, where we could find the latest hats, makeup, gloves and, of course, dresses. I think Aunt Dorothy’s favorite purchase was shoes, but she looked smashing in all the fashions of the day—from dresses with butterfly sleeves, nipped waists and midi-length skirts to peep-toe pumps.

Aunt Dorothy became a working woman during World War 2 and continued working throughout her life. In her retirement years she helped to organize another small group of women and they had a wonderful time entertaining at various retirement communities. This year, Dorothy turns 104! She now resides in Florida with her second … //READ MORE