Mina Miller, born July 6th 1865, was the seventh of eleven children, and became Thomas Edison’s second wife in February 1886. She met her future husband at the home of a mutual friend of her inventor father Ezra Gilliland and Thomas Edison. The story goes that Edison taught his ladylove Morse code, so that they could converse in secret even in front of her family, and that he actually proposed to her in Morse code. Her answer to his proposal was “-.— . …”
Here is a sculpture of her sitting on a concrete bench in the Edison Heritage Garden in Fort Myers. She would have felt right at home here, as she had a great love for the tranquility of formal gardens and created really beautiful ones in the grounds of their extensive winter estate.
Click here to participate in Jude’s ‘Bench Challenge’.
A wonderful and tranquil touch of history. Beautiful!
Here’s my entry for February’s challenge:
https://izzyreadson.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/bench-photo-challenge-lean-on-me-naturally/
Thanks so much, Izzy. 🙂
You’re very welcome!
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Ditto on my previous comment. I enjoyed the walk through the garden. Your photo captured the quiet peaceful setting. 😃
A Morse code proposal :D. What a fun story and picture. I will have my own bench photo on Sunday, but for my challenge 😀
Glad you enjoyed this post, Paula. I’ll keep a watch out for your bench. 🙂
very interesting. must be extra special and sweet to communicate in codes 🙂
Yes, I think so too, Lola. 🙂
lovely story!!
Thanks, Cybele. 🙂
A beautiful story, Sylvia!
Thank you. 🙂
what a cute story (and who knew- morse code yeah baby)
great take on the bench challenge 🙂
Thanks, Yvette. 🙂
What a great story, Sylvia.
Thanks, Tish. Glad you enjoyed. 🙂
Haha, great story Sylvia, wonderful entry for Jude’s bench series…love those benches 🙂 xx
Thanks so much, Sherri. 🙂
I forgot to mention how lovely the photo is is though. It is 🙂
hmmm, this got me thinking. Why would he want to converse secretly in front of her family? Strikes me as pretty rude! If my daughters brought home a chap who wasn’t able to talk openly I’d be telling him to sling his hook. I think this got my goat going this morning!
Hahaha. I think it was just a bit of fun, and maybe they wanted to say lovey-dovey things to one another. 🙂
Awww… I think the morse code proposal is so very sweet. Another great post to meet the challenge.
Thanks, Gunta. Yes, a very novel proposal indeed. 🙂
A fantastic find for the bench series Sylvia!
Thanks, Sue. 🙂
So serene Sylvia, it could double up with the WP photo challenge this week…
Thanks, Pauline. 🙂
I love this Sylvia, I think it also covers “Serenity” very nicely!
Thanks, Kathryn. Yes, you’re right. 🙂
Wish I was where you are right now Sylvia. Enjoy Fort Myers for me.
We did have a lovely time, Emily. Back home now, with lots of photos to post. 🙂
I took my grandson there in October and he participated in the “young inventors tour”. They even made rubber. Fascinating place and history. She really looks content sitting on her garden bench.
Yes she does look right at home there. 🙂 I’m sure your grandson will always remember his visit there. It’s a fascinating place.
Truly a man with a golden hand who create that statue Sylvia ….Thanks for sharing 🙂
Glad you enjoyed, Jake. 🙂
Dare I say, she looks a little like Lady Thatcher 🙂
It must be the hair. 🙂
Excellent, I can’t make up my mind if that was a romantic proposal or not 🙂
I think it was rather fun to propose this way. Like their own private joke. Better than a text message. 😀
Ahh that’s it they were the fore runners, way ahead of their time!
Do you think she likes to spice things up with those herbs that are being sold in the background? 😉
Hahaha…….. Most probably. 🙂
Well done, Sylvia! Great photo too! 🙂
Thanks so much, Jill. 🙂
I do love looking back – so many amazing stories hidden in the folds of history….
Me too, Rebecca. I enjoyed my visit tremendously. 🙂
Nice twist on the theme, Sylvia.
Thanks, Marcy. It was a gift. 🙂
Perfect for the challenge. I don’t know Morse code, but I’m assuming “-.— . …” = yes!
Thanks, Nancy. Yes, I looked it up on Google. 🙂
I would like to sit next to her and have a chat.
I don’t think you’d get much sense out of her. She’s made of cold pressed aluminium. 🙂
Nooooo you don’t understand She is going to be kind en listen to every word I say.
You have a good point there. 🙂
Great story and lovely photo
Thanks, Marylou. 🙂
Interesting story . . . 🙂
Thanks, Chris. 🙂
What a wonderful bench and a wonderful story
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed. 🙂
A bench challenge. lol I like that and looked at the challenge. I have a poem about a bench…..who knows?
We usually just read the cold facts about Edison as a genius inventor and forget the human side. Really interesting about the code. 🙂
Thanks so much. Yes, he was human just like the rest of us. 🙂
Now that’s an elegant bench (though personally I prefer to have a backrest) and accompanied by a lovely story too! Thank you Sylvia 🙂
Thanks, Jude. I was quite excited to see the bench, as I knew it would fit your challenge this month. 🙂
Cool story that I never knew and your photo is perfect for the “bench theme”
Looks warm, too!
Thanks, Ruth. It was actually cool for Florida, but I’m sure you would have found it warm. 🙂
Looks like you enjoyed Ft Myers and Sanibel. Give us a call the next time you are in the area.
Thanks, Ron. Yes I will, but I have no idea when we’ll be visiting there again.
That was sweet between the two of them 🙂
Yes, I also thought so. 🙂