Saturday's Old Photo

I’m still working on replacing photos lost from some of the long ago Saturday’s Old Photo posts. This one was originally posted in May 2007.

These are Carl and Avas Carlson, relatives of my father, who ran a little Brethren in Christ Mission on the southside of Chicago. This photo is from the the early 1960s, and it’s one of those photo cards that missionaries give out. Stamped on the back of the photo in red ink is this:

 

BRETHREN IN CHRIST MISSION
6033 S. Halsted St. - Went. 7122
CHICAGO 1, ILLINOIS
CARL J. CARLSON, Pastor 
SUNDAY SERVICES 9:45, 11, 7, AND 8
WEDNESDAY SERVICE 8:00 P.M
YOU ARE WELCOME !  

 
I remember Avas as a pale, quiet woman. That’s how she was during the three years my family lived in the Chicago area and we attended church at the mission. According to my mother, there were quite a few days that Avas couldn’t get out of bed because she wasn’t feeling well. 

A few years after this photo was taken, Carl died. What did Avas do? We heard she started a new life. She began playing her harp again and giving concerts, perhaps until she was well into her eighties and maybe her nineties. No more days in bed for her.

You might think from those details that Avas was unhappy with Carl, but I don’t think so. I think she may have been unhappy with her restricted life in a gloomy flat above a storefront mission in a very rough area of Chicago.

Avas didn’t die until 2001 when she was 107 years old. 

Comments

[Kim in ON]

How wonderful for her that she began playing music again! That must have brought her a lot of joy.

[Dorothy]

Wow! Way to go, Avas!

[Judy]

Hi Becky,

Hop, skip or jump over to Violet's blog to see your name in my story.
I often say to people "I can't afford not to read Rebecca Writes."
J.

[rebecca]

I went over and read it! It's fun to see the story "in print", so to speak. :)

[Devin Thomas]

Hi Rebecca,
I maintain a blog titled "the search for piety and obedience," which explores the history, theology, and identity of the Brethren in Christ Church. I stumbled across this post on the Carlsons, and I really appreciated reading about Carl and Avas. What an incredible woman! I'd love to share this story on my blog -- do you have a problem with me linking to it?
Best wishes,
Devin Thomas