Wednesday, May 22th of this year, marked the 125th anniversary of Edna Jessie Burkhardt nee Walker's birth. Persons born in the late 19th century and especially ones like Edna who lived nearly a century, watched a broad evolution of transportation. The following is an attempt to illustrate that change through the photographs and film of the life of Edna.
Edna and her mother Betsy, Thanksgiving 1898.
Edna in 1906 rides Pet while her boyfriend, Jimmie Campbell and her sister-in-law, Jenny ride in the carriage.
There were many types of transportation. Sometimes a person rode the horse while pulling a carriage and then there was the more traditional manner of riding in the carriage.
Edna and Grace with Uncle Morris Johnson in Colorado Springs, 1908.
A form of transportation that's still available is walking as illustrated with this photograph of Edna and EA walking to Burnett's Mound in 1913.
EA and Edna walk to Burnett's Mound in Topeka in February 1913.
Then, of course, along came the automobile.
EA, Edna, Bill Smith and Ada Walker in Freeman Burkhardt's auto in 1913.
Along with automobiles, came powered flight. I don't know when she first flew, but I know she did fly during my childhood. Then in 1969 at the age of 81, Edna flew with my family to Europe. The first film below is from Sauda Norway.
Eight years later, Edna, her children and their spouses flew to Hawaii. Where at the age of 89 she inspected a pineapple field. Note the smoking guide below.
Below is a longer clip from our 1969 trip to Europe, this part features London. As with other of Dad's movies, one gets frustrated with the manner of filming. At some point Edna makes a brief appearance. Others featured are Mary, Ray himself, Sally, Cindy, Scott and my paternal grandmother, Vala Morgan. To reemphasize, her lifetime saw transportation vastly change. While we were in Norway that July of 1969, the US landed on the moon.
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