COLE Siblings

COLE Siblings, circa 1924, of Nebraska

UPDATE - The Cole siblings have been claimed by a relative and are going home! This snapshot was found in the same West Palm Beach Florida Antique Show where most of the recent posts were found. I am guessing on the time period (around 1924) based upon the clothing and the automobile parked at the curb. The people appear to be in their sixties, so would be born in the 1860s and thereabouts.

The back of the photo bears the inscription:
1. Uncle Will Cole
2.           Frank  "
3. Aunt Lizzie   "
4. Uncle Clarence  "
5.   "     Barrett    "

The note was obviously written by the offspring of one of these people, and my guess goes to some child of Frank. The reason I think that, is that there is no "ditto" mark before the name Frank. All of the other names bear some relationship title in front of the name, ie. Aunt or Uncle. I think the "ditto" mark was purposely omitted in front of Frank because he is the father of the person labeling the photo.

The 1880 Census for Clarksville Nebraska shows a family named COLE. The parents are John F. Cole (b. abt 1822) and Mary R. Cole (b. abt 1828.) At that time they are farmers and have six children living at home and helping to farm the land. The children are: Franklin (age 22, thus born abt 1858), Charles W. (21 / 1859), James S. (17 / 1863), Elizabeth (14 / 1866), Barrett (12 / 1868) and Clarence (9 / 1871).

Further research shows there was also three older brothers, William Albert Cole (born 1848), John Henry Cole (born 1852) and Robert Mory Cole (1854-1924) - all of whom had left home prior to the 1880 Census.

I noted the death date for older brother Robert (died 1924), and then examined the photograph a bit more carefully and found that this group of siblings appear to be standing in front of a church; a stained glass window is visible over the right shoulder of "Uncle Will." I wonder if this gathering of siblings was on the occassion of Robert's funeral? They are all wearing dark clothes.

Franklin married Laura Malone and they had a son Ralph (1898 - 1975) whom I suspect held the pencil that wrote the names of the subjects on the back of this snapshot.