Local Woman’s Video Goes Viral, Over 2 Million Views

In 2012, when Angie Gillam of Southern Humboldt posted a video showing her mother-in-law in tears, she never imagined the fuss people would make over it. She posted the short clip for family to check out but, in the last week, a flood of people across the nation watched it over two million times.

The video shows Gillam’s mother-in-law, Dottie, delightedly breaking into tears when she sees her granddaughter wearing the prom dress Dottie had worn in 1957. When Gillam realized that thousands of people were watching the video, she worried. “I was afraid my mother-in-law would be pissed,” Gillam said, “She’s so private. She’s the most kind, generous person ever but she doesn’t do social media.”

“I told, Mike, my husband, I can’t take it off the internet. It is there forever,” Gillam said. Fortunately,  her mother-in-law did not mind. CNN called Gillam a few days ago to ask if they could post the video on the Daily Share. Gillam said she would only give permission if Dottie approved.

She called Dottie and said, “I hope you won’t be really mad at me. Remember the video. It went viral. Do you know what that means?…Right away, my mother-in-law answered, “That means a lot of people saw it.”

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Grandma Dottie as a young girl wearing the dress.

A lot of people have seen it. And with the post to CNN’s Daily Share even more are likely to see it.

Gillam says that Cassie, Dottie’s granddaughter and Gillam’s niece-in-law, wore the dress to her graduation in Vancover Island, B.C. Dottie had given the dress to her daughter, Debbie, when Cassie was small so the little girl could use it for dress-up but the daughter put it away–saving it for a special occasion. As Cassie’s graduation approached, she chose to wear her grandmother’s dress. When Gillam heard that Cassie planned to surprise her grandmother by wearing the dress to graduation, she knew her mother-in-law would be touched. Gillam plotted to video the occasion for the family.

Now, the video has touched people across the world with the story of the beautiful dress passed from one lovely woman to another.

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Cassie, the beautiful dress, and Grandma Dottie

 

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Aww...Lovely
Guest
Aww...Lovely
9 years ago

One of the beauties of life is passing down treasures for generations to enjoy. The item passed down, in this case a dress, is so much more than any old thing bought at the store. It has love in it. It’s special. It’s priceless. Money can’t buy those qualities. Good stuff.

Linda Bott
Guest
Linda Bott
9 years ago

I just had a similar experience my Great granddaughter put on my Dress from 1994 that I still wear fit her like a glove brought Tears to My Eyes as I lost my Husband five ago he picked it out and it’s Timeless such Wonderful Memories (Only one I wear it’s Black with small flakes of Gold and Silver with Slit up side one of my Treasure

nines
Guest
9 years ago

The only thing handed down to me beside my great grampa’s barbershop mirrors was a manual coffee grinder. I gave it to an old friend whose power goes out frequently and leaves him with no way to grind his coffee beans. Makes me feel better that it’s frequently in use after a hundred or so years in service.

gazzoo
Guest
gazzoo
9 years ago

great story! thanks