Marion Moran and doll, ca 1890

The photo's of Marion Moran are always so sweet.  Notice the doll she's holding is wearing a bonnet that looks just like the one that Marion is wearing.  Adorable. 

The photo was taken by R.S. Patterson of Nashville Tennessee.

Craddock Vaughan, Miss Dresden of 1936

This photograph was found in a folder of military paperwork belonging to Bub Moran.  She is Craddock Elizabeth Vaughan, a classmate of Bub's.  

She was born June 7 1918 in Detroit, Tipton County, Tennessee, the daughter of Joseph Craddock "Crad" Vaughan Jr and his wife Kate Elizabeth Trobaugh.  Like Bub's family, the Vaughan's were bankers.   In 1936 she was named Miss Dresden and represented the town at the Humboldt Strawberry Festival. She attended Lambuth College in Jackson Tennessee and was a member of the Phi Alpha Mu Beta Chapter. She was also a member of the Glee Club and sang soprano.

Craddock married Martin B. Baker in 1940 and had a daughter named Jeannie. Interestingly enough in 1973 she wed another Vaughn, albeit with a slightly different spelling of her maiden name, John Kimbrough Vaughn. Craddock Vaughan died July 20 2010 at the Bear Creek Nursing Center in Morrison, Colorado.

Along with others from the Class of 1936, Craddock can be found in the group class photo and in a newspaper clipping announcing her title in 1936.

Her parents, J.C. Vaughan and Kate Elizabeth Trobaugh Vaughan are interred at Sunset Cemetery, Dresden TN.

Nathan H. Moran, Air Force Commendation Medal

The big old Victorian home built by John W. Moran shouts to the world "Look at me!"  So it's ironic that most of the people that inhabited Moran Place were actually the opposite.  They were not into promoting themselves, their accomplishments, their philanthropy. 

Nathan H. Moran

They preferred to maintain what we call today a "low profile."  There were, of course, a few exceptions, James the third comes to mind. He did love to show off! But his son, Nathan (Bub), was by all accounts not that interested in family history or past accomplishments and the big old house that so many people love was just a house to him.

The back is engraved: For Military Merit
Nathan H. Moran

So in true Bub fashion he didn't bother to tell Kent that he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal,  It just wasn't in his nature to do what I suppose he thought was self-aggrandizement.   He left that for us to do for him.  :)

We don't know why he was awarded the commendation but it's on our list of things to find out.  

According to the Air Force Fact Sheet the medal was authorized by the Secretary of the Air Force in 1958 and was awarded "to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving in any capacity with the Air force after March 24, 1958, shall have distinguished themselves by meritorious achievement and service.  The degree of merit must be distinctive, though it need not be unique. Acts of courage which do not involve the voluntary risk of life required for the Soldier's Medal (or the Airman's Medal now authorized for the Air Force) may be considered for the AFCM."