Frank Farnham Scott (1894-1961)
maternal grandfather
I was in school the day my grandfather died. The only thing I really remember about that day is walking down the long hallway to the office after being called out of my sixth grade classroom. My father had come to pick me up. It was Wednesday, January 25, 1961.
Grandpa’s death did not come as a surprise. Even
after he found out he had emphysema, he continued to smoke. At the end of his funeral service a few days later, my
mother gave me the small, white satin pillow that was on his casket. At age 11, I was the
oldest of his five grandchildren, so I suppose Mom thought I should have it. The
pillow was square, about nine inches across and had a ruffled edge. On top was
a single yellow rose. I kept that pillow tucked away long after the rose dried
up and fell apart.
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L−R:
Grandpa, my brother, Scott, age 2½, my father, Woody Bradish, 36, and my aunt,
Virginia Anderson Scott, 26. My mother, Shirley Scott Bradish, wrote "1960 Last picture of my Dad." [Taken in January 1960 at our home on Ridge Road in Lakewood, New York.]
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After my mother passed away in 2002, I was tasked with sorting
through her papers, newspaper clippings, keepsakes, and the notes
she jotted down on small sheets of paper and the backs of used envelopes. These
proved to be a treasure trove, since she wrote down dates, events, and
little tidbits about family members. Among those things, I found a note that said Grandpa played the saxophone. That was a complete surprise. I made another discovery while looking at old family photos. There was a dated picture
of Grandpa playing a guitar. Apparently, he was a musician – my siblings and I never knew that.
After I found an article in the August 16, 1938, edition of The Evening Observer, Dunkirk, New York, I began to wonder if musicians run in the family. The article states that
Rodney B. Scott (Grandpa’s uncle) directed the Silver Creek band at an event in
August 1938. (Newspapers.com)
When I add that my mother could sing, my sister sings
and plays the piano, and her daughter sings, I have to say yes – musicians run the Scott line of the family.
What I remember most about Grandpa, though, was his love of photography. This is something my mother and grandmother
talked about often. Judging from the sheer number of pictures
he left behind, he devoted a great deal of time to that hobby.
Thanks to my grandfather, we
are fortunate to have an extensive collection of pictures taken and
developed by him. It would be interesting to know if his hobby was inspired by
his Uncle Rodney, the aforementioned band director, who was actually a
professional photographer in Forestville, New York.
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| Left: 53 14th Street, Jamestown, New York - 1919. Right: 55 West Livingston Avenue, Celoron, New York - 1938. My grandmother probably took these pictures of Grandpa. |
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| Summer 1915−taken by Frank Scott. L-R: Ashley Sealy (Grandma’s 1st cousin), Gertrude Sealy (my grandmother), Josephine Lewis Sealy, wife of Grandma’s brother, Otis (seated on the bottom step). Note that Josephine is holding a large camera. |
My grandfather took all the pictures below. He developed his
own photos and colorized some, as well, such as the two of my mother. I like the picture of Grandma on the left – she looks happy and carefree.
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| Gertrude Sealy Scott - L: Summer 1915, age 22 and R: Lakewood, New York dated 1916 |
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| My mother, Shirley June Scott, age 3½. My grandfather took these photos in late Spring 1926 at their home on 14th Street in Jamestown. |
I have a considerable number of
vivid memories from my early childhood years. Strangely, they don’t include
many of my grandfather interacting with, or taking pictures of, me. I do,
however, recall Grandpa telling me to fold my hands together for the photo on
the left. I was supposed to look like a doll in its box. I also recall Grandpa
getting me posed for the picture on the right. I loved that red velveteen coat
and beret. My grandmother made it – she was quite the seamstress.
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| Left: Jody, age 3½, taken about June 1952. Right: I'm about 5 yrs old (1954). I can't believe all the bruises on my shins. | |
Grandpa took this picture of my sister, Jan, playing my grandmother’s
baby grand piano. Jan was about 18 months old at the time.
Grandma entered it in a photo contest in the Jamestown Post-Journal, a local newspaper, in the summer of 1953.
The photo was aptly titled, "Baby Boogie,"
and not surprisingly, it won.
As I was organizing the family photos in January and
February of this year (2020) – a good activity during the pandemic – I came across a note
my mother wrote about my grandfather and his hobbies and interests. Not only did
he play the saxophone and like photography, but he was also an avid woodworker.
His love of cars was passed down to his son, my Uncle Jerry, who had an
extensive collection of cars and motorcycles, as well as to his grandson who is carrying on the legacy of his father and grandfather.
This note, written by my mother, offers some details about my grandfather.
Transcription:
Frank Scott – A barber with his business in the Hotel Jmtn. [Jamestown] for many years and later the Hotel Samuels. He also ran a barber supply business later. Hobbies: played the saxophone, spent much time and many years doing woodworking and loved photography. Also played horseshoes. Liked nice clothes and cars plus all new gadgets.
While I’m disappointed that I don’t have more
memories of my grandfather, I am thankful for the ones I do have. Fortunately,
my younger siblings were able to provide a few more.
- My brother, Scott, who was only three and a half when Grandpa died, recalls a time when Grandpa spent the night at our house on Ridge Road and slept on the hide-a-bed in the rec room.
- Jan and I share a memory of him bringing us large Easter baskets wrapped in colorful cellophane one year.
- Jan also remembers how she enjoyed going into Grandma and Grandpa’s basement at their home on Livingston Avenue in Celoron. She thought it was fun to look at Grandpa’s woodworking tools and photography equipment. Jan was fairly young when she did that, since she was barely nine when he passed away.
Even though my mother's note gave me more insight into my grandfather, I feel as though Grandpa’s
story is incomplete. I never asked how and where he met my grandmother. How did he become interested in woodworking? Could he sing? What made him want to be a barber? I don’t recall Mom or Grandma ever talking
about these things, at least not when I was old enough to remember. I regret that I didn’t think to ask those questions long ago because now the answers are likely gone forever.
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This version, performed on Sesame Street (Season 25, 2017), will make you smile.
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− SOURCES −
Dunkirk Evening Observer (Dunkirk, New York) Tues, August 16, 1938, p 2, col 4. Newspapers.com Ancestry.com. Dunkirk Evening Observer (Dunkirk, New York) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Accessed April 2, 2020. Original data: Dunkirk Evening Observer. Dunkirk, NY, USA. Database created from microfilm copies of the newspaper.
Photos and note from the Shirley Scott Collection held by Jodell Bradish.
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Bradish-Scott Family History - April 2020
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