A Good Age: Finding clues in old photos, and the upsides of long life

Sue Scheible, The Patriot Ledger
·4 min read

QUINCY − It's amazing how a little information can turn a family photo into a story.

Thank you to Marie Schlag, curator of "The Gilded Age" gown exhibit at the Cohasset Historical Society, for shedding light on an old photograph I have that also involves a gown, though far from gilded.

I didn't know much about a photo of my paternal grandparents on their wedding day circa 1900 in Rochester, New York. My grandfather, Alfred F. Scheible, and my grandmother, Dorothea Pfau Scheible, are dressed up, standing outdoors. They died in 1948, when I was 5, and I have little memory of them.

Alfred F. Scheible and Dorothea Pfau on their wedding day circa 1900 in New York state.
Alfred F. Scheible and Dorothea Pfau on their wedding day circa 1900 in New York state.

After Marie showed me the dresses on display in the exhibit, I came home, looked at my photo from that era, and thought Marie might be able to tell me something about the dress my grandmother was wearing.

Here's what Marie said: "What a sweet photo. You're fortunate to have it.

"The dress is era-appropriate. Looks like it had the typical high neck and full blousy top we call a monobosom (pigeon-breasted shape of a blouse), meaning it overflows above the waistline.

"Judging from the trees, it's probably spring or summer, so I would venture a guess that it's a thin cotton. And although I can't make it out, there may be some embroidery on it, which is also typical of the mid-1910s.

"Her hairstyle is perfect for the era, a Gibson girl look. The dress is probably two pieces. Thanks for sharing."

Thank you, Marie. I appreciate the photo even more.

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At 85, Angie the tailor is not quite ready to sew things up

In this 2017 photo, Angie Spiropoulos, then 79, is at her Quincy Taylor Shop on Washington Street in the Quincy Point neighborhood. She opened the shop in 1982 and still works three days a week..
In this 2017 photo, Angie Spiropoulos, then 79, is at her Quincy Taylor Shop on Washington Street in the Quincy Point neighborhood. She opened the shop in 1982 and still works three days a week..

Congratulations to Quincy's Angie Spiropoulos, who turned 85 on Jan. 18 and continues to happily spend three days per week at her business, the Quincy Tailor Shop in Quincy Point.

"I can't stay home all the time," she said. "What else would I do?"

She enjoys being busy, having customers and friends drop by, and tailoring clothing, as she has for 40 years. Her customers have come from Quincy, Braintree, Scituate, Hingham and Hull. Some have been bringing their family’s clothes to her for generations.

Remembering Hanover teacher Miriam Osborne Allen, of Norwell

The late Miriam Allen, right, of Norwell, and daughters Rebecca and Richie.
The late Miriam Allen, right, of Norwell, and daughters Rebecca and Richie.

Relatives of the late Miriam Osborne Allen, a member of a well-known Norwell family who taught kindergarten in Hanover for many years, reached out to express their deep gratitude for the NVNA and Hospice.

As Allen's daughter, Rebecca, wrote:

"Miriam was remarkably healthy and spry until very recently. Her wish was to stay at home. Keeping mom at home, especially in the final days of her life, would not have been possible without the amazing help from the Norwell VNA Hospice team."

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The team of nurses, home health aides and others providing phone support "used their compassion, training and experience to ensure Miriam got the help she needed and deserved," her daughter said.

Miriam Osborne Allen with her brother, Wes Osborne, in Norwell.
Miriam Osborne Allen with her brother, Wes Osborne, in Norwell.

Miriam was able to stay in the house on Bowker Street that she and her late husband, Richard S. Allen, built in the early 1950s. Sister of the late Wesley Osborne, Norwell's longtime tree warden, she lived in Norwell for most of her life and grew up in the family farmhouse at 296 Main St., which had been owned by her Osborne grandparents. She graduated from Bridgewater State College as a physical education major.

Her younger friend, Mary Nisula, of Hanover, recalled being out shopping with her and "having people recognize her and come up with love and thanks. Those kindergarten kids do grow up and they remember her with great fondness."

Hull's Éva Borsody Das enjoys leading South Shore hikes at 80

From left, Appalachian Mountain Club hike leader Éva Borsody Das, of Hull; Ann Rega, of Scituate; and Richard Carnes and Ed Fopiano, both of Middleboro, explore the flooded trails at Whitney Thayer Woods in Hingham and Cohasset after a rainy night. All are wearing gaiters. The hike was sponsored by the Southeastern Massachusetts Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.

Éva Borsody Das turned 80 last June and finds this is a better time than ever to be positive about aging, she said.

She is a seasoned hike leader for the Appalachian Mountain Club and has regular walks at World's End in Hingham and Whitney Thayer Woods in Cohasset. Instead of feeling "old," she focuses on "holding on to life in our golden years with pride and vigor, even if slightly faded! Not clinging to the past (mourning what is lost, regretting what once was) but being fully in the moment and looking to the future!"

Each outing now is a chance to "spread the word. 80 is an achievement; celebrate it!"

Reach Sue Scheible at sscheible@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: A Good Age: Quincy's Angie Spiropoulos turns 85, remembering Miriam Osborne