COAT

Description: MANS NAVY BLUE LINEN 3/4 LENGTH WINTER COAT LINED WITH VARIOUS SIZED PIECES OF SHEEPSKIN. COAT HAS FULL TRAPEZE STYLE BODY WITH CROSS OVER FLAP IN FRONT WITH ONLY 1 BUTTON AT THE COLLAR TO FASTEN. HAS BLACK STRIP OF VELVET DOWN FRONT OF COAT AND AROUND CUFFS. ALSO HAS VERY LONG SLEEVES. SOME OF THE SEAMS ON THE COAT ARE WEAK, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE COLLAR, MAKING IT SLIGHTLY DELICATE. ALSO, COAT HAS A VERY STRONG ODOR.

History: BROUGHT FROM RUSSIA BY A DOUKHOBOR FAMILY, THE MALOFFS, IN 1899. BELONGED TO JOHN'S (?) GRANDMOTHER, MRS. TOMELIN. ACCORDING TO DONOR THE CIRCULAR SHAPED SKIRT OF THE COAT WAS TYPICAL OF GEORGIA REGION DURING THE MID 1800'S. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING SHEEPSKIN COAT DONATED BY VERA MALOFF. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. VERA MALOFF (NEE TOMELIN) WAS BORN IN SASKATOON, SK ON NOVEMBER 24, 1915. SHE WAS MARRIED TO JOHN MALOFF IN 1936. THE COUPLE LIVED IN COWLEY, AB UNTIL RETIRING TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1976. VERA PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 89 ON AUGUST 27, 2005. JOHN MALOFF WAS BORN IN BRILLIANT, BC ON NOVEMBER 21, 1914, THE SON OF GEORGE AND DORA MALOFF (NEE KASAHOFF). HE MOVED TO COWLEY, AB IN 1919 WITH HIS FAMILY. HE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 88 ON MARCH 27, 2003. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.; *UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING OTHER ARTIFACTS WITHIN THIS COLLECTION. RESEARCH CONDUCTED INTO THE DONOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT WORK.