Eugenia Howard Hunt (AKA Jeana), my mother, was a pistol. Pictured here with her friends, was a free spirit and adventurer. She was a nature girl who loved nothing better than to set up her easel on a mountain or a beach – or pack up and drive from Houston to Santa Fe, West Texas, or San Francisco on a whim. She would often stand with her hand on her heart, rapturous before a sunset. And she loved to sing. Her favorite song, as I recall, was the “St. Louis Blues” by W.C. Handy, which was a huge hit song and musical in 1929, when the photo above was likely taken. She called it “St. Louie Woman” from the lines: “Saint Louis woman with her diamond rings/Pulls that man around by her apron strings.” Click on the link below to see the song sung by Bessie Smith in a 16-minute short film directed by Dudley Murphy.
Happy Birthday, Jeana!!!!
And just for the joy of it check out this past post: https://allyall.org/2016/11/25/jeanas-conundrum-whether-to-take-a-husband-to-europe-or-not/