My Love Story of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy

When I was about 4 years old, I remember I wanted this rag doll called Raggedy Ann so bad! I thought she was the most beautiful rag doll I had ever seen.

She was so soft with real shoe button eyes and my Mother said she even had a heart made out of candy! I begged for her but my Mother said "No". It was "war time" and there was no money for things like that. Before long the war was over and my Daddy came home. By this time I was 6 years old and I began school and soon forgot about this precious little doll. Before you could turn around, I was a teenager. One day I saw a book called "Raggedy Ann Stories" and you guessed it, I bought it! I went home with my treasure and read every word of it!

I fell in love and married soon after high school and began right away having my family.

When my two sons, Mark and Chris were born, I purchased a Raggedy Andy for each one of them. They played with them but never really became attached.

Several years later my daughter, Michelle was born. I began to give her the Raggedys at Christmas and Birthdays. I even started a collection of the books for her. She adored them but with two brothers to play with, she did not play with the Raggedys that much.

Over the years I began to have grandchildren. And you know what I did....I bought each child one of the Raggedys even before they came home from the hospital.

When my granddaughter, Amanda, was about 4 years old, I made her both of the Raggedys and put music boxes in the back of them. At the same time I made for myself Life Size Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy Dolls. I put the music box "Memories" in Raggedy Ann and "Thank Heaven For Little Girls" in Raggedy Andy. I put them on a window seat in my Studio where they still sit today, holding hands. They are so very precious to me! I even entered them in the Fair that year.

Now about 6 years have passed........and we once again seemed to have forgotten about the Raggedys until.......one day recently Amanda was staying with me and she was looking for something to read.

Well, you know what I did! I got the "Raggedy Ann Stories" book off the shelf and said to her, maybe you would like to read this book.

Tears came into my eyes when she began to read and she liked the book! I began telling her the story of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. She loved it so much she went home that night and told her Mother about it. Her Mother, Michelle said to her "Amanda, I believe I still have the Raggedys and all the books up in the attic, we will go up there tomorrow and look."

They found everything! Just like Marcella did a very, very long time ago!

Yesterday Amanda brought Raggedy Andy over. His left foot was about to fall off and he had a hole in his other leg. So I began to sew the foot back on and to repair the hole in the leg. The material is tearing so I have put an iron-on patch on it.

I began to look for other signs of the Raggedys in my home. I have "cross stitched" Raggedy Ann. I have ear rings and pins that are made out of resin. I have a necklace made of wood hanging in the Studio. I have prints of both the Raggedys. I have Tole painted them. I have Christmas Tree ornaments that are the Raggedys and you pull the strings and the feet and legs go up. The grandchildren look for them every year to see where they reside on the tree. They are just precious and it would not be Christmas without them!

I now have someone in the family that shares my love of the Raggedys! We have already made several trips to the bookstores looking for more books with new adventures. We are going to make all different sizes of the dolls for Amanda's room. I hope you have enjoyed my little story on Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy as much as I have had writing about them.

If you share the love of the dolls, please e-mail me.