I always knew my Grandmother, Leona Purcell Lewis (Nonie or Aunt Nonie to many) was a great seamstress, but I guess I didn’t know how early in her life she had that talent.

In 1933 she made this wedding dress for her little sister Amanda “Mandy” Purcell Lewis.

Leona was but 22 years old at the time she sewed this wedding dress. She was raised on a farm in the community of High Grove, Bastrop County, Texas and had no formal training. It was surely a gift of God and being raised up in a hard working family. I’ve been told that the girls there made all their own clothes as soon as they became of age to start sewing.

I was shown this dress by Betty Dewbre this morning (3/23/2022), Leona’s niece and Mandy’s daughter. I truly was blown away.

There were probably no sisters that were ever closer than Leona and Mandy.