 |
| My grandfather Preston with his little sister Eve Williams, 1908 |
Nana was so proud of Maybelline’s great success in the cosmetic field that she suggested I give a speech at school…..I did and I got an A+. From that minute on, I was obsessed uncovering the lost story about the people who shaped the Maybelline Company and my life. After spending precious time with my parents, grandparents, great aunts and uncles gathering memories, collecting photographs and vintage Maybelline ads, I was determined to write my book. Then, in 1978, My dear Nana died mysteriously in an arson related fire and I vowed not to let her memory die. So for the next 20 years I studied being an intensive journal keeper, using the Ira Progoff system, until eventually I found my writer’s voice.
 |
| My father – great uncle Tom Lyle – Nana 1967. |
When a fire burned down my home in 1993 and all my treasures were lost, I turned to my father, Bill Williams, to help me reconstruct a 963 page manuscript.
I believe I was divinely inspired to leave a legacy before a piece priceless piece of American history was lost forever. I hope other people will be inspired to research their roots, capture their family’s story and preserve it for their children, grandchildren and beyond.
History is the greatest gift one can pass on and connecting with your ancestors is priceless. My Nana’s words still ring in my ears today, “Sharrie Darling” she’d say, “you can lose everything, but nobody can ever take your background away.”