We had just closed on the Florida home I had sold to this delightful couple from Pennsylvania. After they moved she called and ask me to come to her new home.

She explained to me that they had closed out their business before moving to Florida and was showing me some things that hadn’t sold. One was a little very old Shirley Temple doll about 11 inches tall, then she brought out another one about 18 inches tall that wasn’t quite as old.

I got a real surprise as she held up the second Shirley Temple doll and said “Flo, I want you to have this one.” I was thrilled!

I worked with the doll’s red hair putting it into the Shirley Temple curls, made a new dress similar to the one I had made for my daughter Susie when she was four years old, bought new doll shoes and socks then displayed this doll beside the photo of my daughter.

And the doll

A couple years later while up north visiting with my daughter Meredythe, she and I went to Lima Ohio to an antique sale and what do you know, there were three of the same Shirley Temple dolls like the smaller and older one that this lady had who had given me the larger one.

Of these three Shirley Temple dolls, the one in the best condition was wearing the original pink and white sun suit, shoes and socks with a price tag of $165. I couldn’t leave the store without that doll. This older, smaller doll was more valuable than the larger one the lady had given me.

This is how my newly purchased doll looked after I made a new dress and bought new socks and white shoes for her.

Then I made a little dress like the dress I had made for my daughter Meredythe to wear when she was a flower girl for Norma McGinnis as “Miss Richwood  Fair”.

My daughter Meredythe and Susie Hamilton

Susie Hamilton, Norma McGinnis and my little Meredythe

The full court

My apology, I don’t remember the two lovely attendants names.