The story behind ... The Little Red Dress
<p>Polly Johnson shows the memory book she had her grandmother Edna Mae Ralph fill out and returned to her on Mother's Day about 15 years ago. This page tells aabout how Johnson's great-great-grandmother made a little red dress that has been part of a family tradition.</p>
<p>Sixteen girls in four generations have had their picture taken when they were 2 in a red dress made by family member Edna Mae Lozar in 1944. It's a family tradition the mothers, daughters and granddaughters have cherished. Each are holding their photos in the dress. Front from left, Francesca Johnson, Sofia Armstrong, who wore the dress this year, and Becca Atkinson. Second row from left, Tatum Baldwin, Jordan Ramsey, Michaela Dawson, Rachel Dawson and Chalee Atkinson. Third row from left, Joscelyn Ramsey, Peggy Beebe, Edna Willig, Bethany Atkinson and Nellie Armstrong. Top row from …
<p>Linda Dawson-Puls was the first girl to have her photo taken in the red dress (shown here), while her great-granddaughter, 2-year-old Sofia Armstrong, is the latest and 16th girl in the family to have a photo taken in the dress at 2.</p>
POST FALLS - Edna Mae Lozar would've been proud to know that the little red dress she made in 1944 turned out to be the common thread for a family tradition.
Four generations and 16 mothers, daughters and granddaughters of a Kootenai County family have had their picture taken in the dress when they were 2.
Linda Dawson-Puls, Lozar's great granddaughter, was the first to have her photo taken in the dress.
She had photos of her three daughters - Pam Houser, Polly Johnson and Peggy Beebe - taken in the outfit the same way. And the ball was rolling.
"Our family just kept having more babies and grandbabies, so it escalated from there," Dawson-Puls said. "It's a pretty special little dress and a pretty special little story."
Houser said it's nice to have the family tradition that has connected all the girls in a day when many families are spread out and bonds have been broken.
"Most traditions are about preserving history and building relationships," Houser said. "If you don't have a family tradition start one. It brings people together, it connects us to one another and, really, that's what life is all about."
Dawson-Puls formerly had all of the photos hanging in her home, and Johnson now has them on display at her place. All of the girls have their hair done similarly in the photos and are positioned the same way.
It makes for interesting conversation when guests come over, Johnson said.
"It's a really neat thing when people walk into your house and you're able to tell them why there's so many different kids in the dress," Johnson said.
"It's so special, especially since life is so busy now and a lot of families don't stay together. It's something we hold on to as a family, share and have in common."
As far as Johnson knows, the dress has only been washed once - and that was by accident. It shrunk a bit, but not enough to spoil the tradition.
"We put it on the girls just for the photo, then we take it off and store it away," Johnson said.
Sofia Armstrong was the latest and 16th girl to have her photo taken in the dress and 4-month-old Harlan Baldwin, Johnson's granddaughter, is on deck. It's a tradition the family hopes will last for generations to come.
Intertwined in the tradition, Johnson recently stumbled across a memory book that she had her grandma Edna Mae Ralph fill out about 15 years ago. Johnson hadn't read it for several years. Johnson gave her grandma the book on a Mother's Day and it was returned filled out on next Mother's Day.
"My grandma would have loved this (dress) tradition so much," Johnson said.
Writings in the book tell about how Lozar made the dress for Dawson-Puls and her sister Connie.
"She (Lozar) crocheted so beautiful," Ralph wrote.
Johnson said Lozar would have never imagined that the little red dress that she made 68 years ago for her great granddaughters would spark a family tradition.
"I'm sure she just wanted to make my mom something pretty and never dreamed where it would go," Johnson said. "As long as we have that dress, I can't see this ending."