Hello Cousins,
We promise not to overburden you with too many sendings, but Ray and I are on a roll. Think of us as two cousins who have too much time on our hands.
By way of background, Ray, in Sydney, and I in North Carolina have never talked to each other since we first met on the Internet by e-mail initiated by Ray in late 2003. Over the years we have exchanged over 90 lively emails. Ray’s quest is the genealogy pursuit of the Jerrems tree. Many of us have assisted him in this journey.
You are welcome to submit Jerrems names and story features for future editions.
Vanessa Graduates from High School
Vanessa, daughter of Susan Jerrems Begat and Didier Begat, graduated from Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, LA on May 20, 2005. There was a great gathering of Jerrems over a festive few days. The graduation ceremony was high society with black tuxes for the male graduates and white gowns for the young ladies.
Pictures are sprinkled throughout this sending. Warren and Mia and daughters are from Gulf Breese near Pensacola Florida. (note: Hurricane Dennis passed over their house this weekend. God bless.)
Pictured: Vanessa, with cousins Olivia on left and Jacqueline. Click Link below for more pictures.
Any physical resemblance to you may not be coincidental. Many of us come from the same gene pool.
Jerrems Trivia
As part of my program of ringing likely suspects in the US with our surname I rang James Jerrems (aged about 60) at Crestone Colorado this morning. When I explained the reason for my call he said that he is not really a “Jerrems”, his family was originally Jasminski (or suchlike) from Poland. His grandfather decided to change the family name. He worked in a shop in Wabash Ave in Chicago opposite the Jerrems Men’s Clothing Store and decided that the name “Jerrems” would fit the bill. So he changed the name to Jerrems!
Talk about jumping out of the frypan into the fire!
Ray in 2004
Believe it or Not Department
Our roving reporter in Sydney, Australia, has received unconfirmed reports that a convoy of cars full of protesters has left Melbourne and is traveling towards Sydney. The protesters come from the Melbourne art community and they are complaining at how a major work of their favorite daughter, the late Carol Jerrems, has been treated by a Sydney art gallery.
Carol, arguably the most famous Jerrems of all time (just check the number of hits on Google) was the author of a famous photo of a petite and demure young woman who was wearing nothing above the waist but an imperceptible Melbourne suntan. This photo has been reproduced in postcard size by the National Art Gallery, where it has been available in the foyer for 20 years.
The news was broken by the Sydney Morning Herald, which said that publicity material prepared by the Sydney gallery for an exhibition included a much more modest lady. It is not clear whether a two-cupped item of ladies apparel, or perhaps a blouse, had been added. Perhaps she had been rendered flat chested, or she was turned around so that only her back could be seen (its wonderful what you can do with computers these days). Outrageously, the Herald article was accompanied by a copy of the offending photo.
In an exclusive interview with our reporter, Lance Jerrems (Carol’s brother) said that it was a disgrace, typical of Sydney, which is far less cultured than Melbourne. Cathy Jerrems of Idaho, a consultant nurse, observed that she often saw women in a similar state of deshabille, in her professional capacity, and that the gallery’s action was an affront to women. Former board riding champion Rob Jerrems from Queensland agreed, his only criticism of the original photo being that the woman would have looked a lot more dressed if she had been wearing a robust Queensland tan. Chick Keller, back earlier this year from Iraq, says that the woman was obviously not a Muslim.
Also, Warren Jerrems (Florida), Russell Jerrems (West Australia) and Laurel Gray (Sydney) issued a joint statement to the effect that although they would not exactly encourage women to attend church in the same state of dress (or undress, if you prefer) the artistic merit of the original photo should not be impaired. As Doug Jerrems from Canberra commented, dressing the woman was like putting a kilt on Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture or removing Mona Lisa’s smile.
Meanwhile, as the protesters approach Sydney, the gallery is frantically trying to decide what form of redress it should offer them.
Roving Reporter Ray
Editor’s Note: Concerned that our roving reporter may have inadvertently misquoted some people I asked him to verify the quotations. Ray conceded that the quotations were completely fictitious. However the part of the story about the alteration of the photo is correct.
From the Circulation Department
The Jerrems Journal, with a world-wide subscription, includes 25 Jerrems folks, with more to come. Our Legal Department is working on the definition of a person qualified to be included on Jerrems Journal mailing list. Since our numbers are small, we shall endeavor to be inclusive rather than exclusive.
Here’s who has subscribed so far:
Allis, Cathy, Charles Keller (Sydney’s husband), Chick, Dan, Donald & Sharon, Cindy, Steven, Jacqueline, Mia & Warren, Olivia, Ray and Di, Jerry and Sue, Susan and Didier, Doug, Laurel, Anita McDonnell in New Zealand (daughter of Ray and Di). Roger & Caroline (son of Ray and Di), Ian Harrison, (he relates back to Henrietta Harrison, who married Arthur Reginald Jerrems, one of the original Gainsborough emigrants).
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