Butler Family: Voices of the past

The Butler family speaks

hese sound recordings are stored in MP3 format (used by many music recordings) If the sound clips do not play well by simply clicking on them, try "Right-clicking" on the link and saving the file to your computer, and then playing it from there.

Tolbert at 3 years old trying to say "Refrigerator"
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1950 or 51. Jackie, Sewall and daughter Jackie work to get Tol to talk.

Jackie and Sewall Butler with their 3 oldest children
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August 26, 1951. Sewall annouces he has just turned 31. Jackie, Sue and Tol tell about the wedding of Roland and Betty which the family had just attended.

Eva Lutz Butler introducing her mother's singing
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February 22, 1952. Pleasantville, NJ. Eva sets the scene for the next two voice clips.

Laura Briesh Lutz singing (short ballad)
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February 22, 1952. "When I am in a foreign land." A folk song she learned from her father.

Laura Briesh Lutz singing (longer ballad)
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February 22, 1952. "In Jersey City."

George Sylvester Butler talks to grandson Sewall
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Probably 1955 or 1956. Cromwell, CT. He tells a story about lawyers, architect fellas and settling a bill. The youngster babbling in the background is probably your friendly neighborhood web-master,

Sylvester Butler, a couple words and a piano tune
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Early 1950's. A rather tinny sounding piano. I'm not sure if it was the piano or the recording. I don't know what the tune is, but in a letter he wrote in September 1916 he talks about some favorites he likes to play.

Gladys Williams sings
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Probably 1963 or 64. Driving from Cromwell, CT to Ledyard, CT. Nanny sings "If Moses supposes."

Edward Williams III tells a joke
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Same drive to Ledyard. He tells a story a man who becomes a foreman at work. Next day he tells a man to put down his wheelbarrow. "What do you know about machinery!"