Photo Project/Help Needed!

Greetings to Everyone! My name is Bridgette Collier, daughter of Paul Collier and niece of William "Billy" Collier. My father and uncle are both alum of the Baptist Orphanage of Virginia located in Salem, Virginia. Throughout the years my father has told me a great deal about the home where he grew up and in particular of a woman that embodied a role much more significant than her title allowed for, this woman was Gertrude Hayes. For my father, and I assume countless others, Mrs. Hayes was a source of comfort and strength during good and difficult times. She was the family member that you never knew you had; it is for these reasons that I believe she began to collect photos from all of those holding a little piece of her enormous heart.

Upon her death, Mrs. Hayes left a collection of photographs and memorabilia to my father. The original album she bequeathed is tattered and beyond repair; my intention was to transfer the photographs into a new home but with so many photos taken over a twenty year time span the task seemed arduous at best. The other issue at hand was that if these photos were precious to my father then certainly other alum would be interested as well; this leads to the creation of this space. I am in the process of scanning and attempting restoration of the countless photos in her collection. The photos had mostly fallen out of their original order in her album so I am going to be categorizing them chronologically when possible and by similarity in theme when not. She has written names and locations on the backs of some photos, nothing on others, and I will be posting what I decipher along with each one. I am asking for your help in properly identifying the photos posted. I would also love to hear from you on your experiences with this amazing individual in honoring her memory.

Paul Collier                                Billy Collier