Happy Birthday, Bonnett!

The character of Bonnett, played by Ashley Simonsen in our upcoming film project He Leadeth Me, was born February 21, 1915 . In 1932, during the Great Depression, Bonnett would have turned 17 years old February 21! Because the 2011 calendar matches the 1932 calendar exactly, she would have celebrated her birthday just a few days ago!

HISTORY

- Born February 21, 1915, location unknown
- Daughter of: unknown

Siblings
 A 14 year-old sister who goes by the name of “Darcy”, real name unknown

PERSONAL DESCRIPTION
- Occupation: gambler
- Location: Mount Sterling, Illinois (Brown County)

- Personal interview: “I go where I wanna go. I ain’t from anywhere, just from where I’m at right now…if anyone’s askin’. You can search and search and you won’t find anything about me. Darcy? She’s my sister, yeah…anyway, maybe. I guess you’ll never really know for sure…will ya?”

- Character profile: An individual with secrets, Bonnett has a past that no one has been able to understand. Full of secrets, and not really trustworthy of anyone, this young woman acknowledges that she has one sibling, though the truth of their relation has not yet been proven. Her location is always wherever she happens to be living, currently, and she is an expert at covering her trails. She earned her nickname by swiping a wealthy woman’s Sunday bonnet during a rural church picnic. During a train ride through the North West, an old, crusty transient told her how to spell her name. She’s never gotten it right since.

Happy Birthday, Clara Crawford!

The character of Clara Anne Crawford, played by Gina Vandever in our upcoming film project He Leadeth Me, was born February 15, 1905 . In 1932, during the Great Depression, Clara Crawford would have turned 27 years old February 15! Because the 2011 calendar matches the 1932 calendar exactly, she would have celebrated her birthday tomorrow!

HISTORY


- Born February 15, 1905 in Saline County, NE
- Son of: Edwin Murray Crawford & Martha Gene (Dawson) Crawford (deceased 1930)

Siblings:
 Sue Beth Crawford born 1908 (deceased 1908)
 Harold Dean Crawford born 1909
 Lester Lloyd Crawford born 1910
PERSONAL DESCRIPTION

- Occupation: teacher
- Location: Rock Valley, IA (Sioux County)
- Personal interview: “Maybe I’m supposed to be looking for a husband. I don’t know. Ma doesn’t seem to give a hoot about the fact that I haven’t given her any grandchildren. Remembering all of the children I’ve taught…I don’t think I’d ever be able to choose a name for my own baby anyway…there are too many faces already attached to the names I like...and don't. I don’t want to look at my own children and think of all the rascals, rats, and rebellions…far too exhausting to be worth it.”

- Character profile: Clara Crawford, born and raised on a rural farm in Nebraska, once had aspirations of becoming a stage performer on one of New York City’s leading stages. She’d never seen any of these performances, of course, but she figured them to be spectacular for all the fuss the church ladies made over condemning their immorality. She never told her folks about the dream. Instead, she kept the secret to herself and searched for a more local, “acceptable” stage on which to use her creative oratory skills…the neighborhood school. To this day, her lesson skits and fantastical Christmas programs are the favorite of many a Rock Valley citizen. Clara feels near perfectly content…if only they’d pay her a little more.

Gina Vandever or "Clara Anne Crawford"

Picture provided by Diane Ehlers