DARLING Family of Cherryvale KS

DARLING Family photos

These four images were located yesterday at the Palm Beach County Fairgrounds Antique Show. All four photos were taken at the same studio in Cherryvale Kansas, although the photographer's mark is different on each mat. The two photos of the adult couple were problably taken in the same year, if not on the same afternoon.

Will and Nellie (Swart) Darling

Cramer & Munger, Cherryvale Kansas

This first photograph was probably taken around 1895. William appears to be in his upper 20s, Nellie appears to be in her lower 20s. Nellie is wearing a pleat-fronted dress with a fancy trim around the collar and a flower-shaped brooch at the neck. Will is wearly a suit with faint stripes which is casually worn unbuttoned, a tie with crossing double lines in the pattern, and a diamond shaped tiie-pin with a letter "S" on it. Will also appears to have either a lazy left eye, or a glass eye, or possibly suffered an injury which resulted in this appearance.

This second image contain many similarities to the first image. Nellie is wearing a similar dress, although the front pleats look to be more loose or open. Otherwise, the hairstyle is identical as is the flower brooch at the neck. Will is likely in the same suit, but buttoned up, same tie and same "S" tie pin.

"Uncle Merrill Darling"

Uncle Merrill Darling
Cramer Studio, Cherryvale Kans.
This photo was taken around 1900-1901. Merrill looks to be around 1 year old.

Nellie Darling, age 4 mo.
Cramer Studio














UPDATE - it is now 4 1/2 years since the date of the original post, and I have located another photograph of Wilma Nellie Darling. This one taken at about age 2 1/2 years.

William Darling (1867-1934) is a son of C.J. Darling and Ruth Jane Meeker (who died when William was about 4 years old).

His family appears on the 1880 Federal Census > Kansas > Labette County > Osage
DARLING, C.J., 38, Farmer, born in Ohio of Ohio parents
DARLING, Martha A., wife, housekeeper, born in Ohio of Ohio parents
DARLING, James, 16, son, laborer, born in Ohio
DARLING, Ruth Jane, 15, daughter, works in home, born in Ohio
DARLING, William, 12, son, works on farm, born in Illinois
DARLING, Alonzo, 5, son, born in Kansas
DARLING, Charles, 1, son, born in Kansas

The woman in the two upper photos is Nellie Swart (1872-1939),  a daughter of James Boyd Swart and Mary Samantha Hoff. UPDATE - A photo of her sister Minnie SWART-FENTON (at right) was found at the same booth at the antique fair the following month. Her portrait was also created at the Cramer Studio. She married Alden Eugene FENTON.

Nellie and Minnie appear on the 1880 Federal Census > Kansas > Labette county > Osage
SWART, J.B., 41, farmer, born in Indiana of Virginia & Ohio parents
SWART, Mary S., 33, wife, housekeeper, born in Ohio of Md and Pa parents
SWART, Nelly, 7, daughter, born in Kansas
SWART, Minnie, 5, daughter, born in Kansas
SWART, William, 79, father, born in Virginia of Va parents
SWART, Julia Ann, 71, mother, born in Ohio of Ireland & Pa parents

William C. Darling married Nellie Swart 26 Oct 1892 in Independence, Montgomery County, KS. Will is 24, and Nellie is 20.

William and Nellie appear on the 1895 Kansas State Census.

Their first son Glenn S. Darling lived only one day. He was born and died on Christmas Eve of 1896.

1900 Federal Census > Kansas > Montgomery > Cherry
DARLING, William C., head, Dec 1867, 32, born in Ill of Ohio & Ill parents, farmer
DARLING, Nellie, wife, 27, born in Kans of Indiana & Ohio parents
DARLING, Merrill, son, 6mo, born in Kansas

There is also 15-yr-old girl named Barbey Darling in the household, who is likely a niece, but is described on the Census as "servant." She was born Jan 1881 in Kansas, of Ohio and Iowa parents.

1910 Federal Census > Kansas > Montgomery > Cherry
DARLING, William C., head, 42, born in Ill of Ohio parents, farmer
DARLING, Nellie, wife, 37, born in Kans of Indiana & Ohio parents
DARLING, Merrill, son, 10, born in Kansas

1920 Census > Kansas > Montgomery > Cherry
DARLING, William C., head, 52, born in Ill of Ohio & Ill parents, farmer
DARLING, Nellie S., wife, 47, born in Kans of Indiana & Ohio parents
DARLING, Merrill L., son, 20, born in Kansas, farming
DARLING, Nellie W., daughter, 7, born in Kansas

Merrill (25 Nov 1899 - 4 Feb 1981) married Merle M. Foster (1904-1999) on 27 March 1927. This insert was located in the Cherryvale Republican newspaper, edition of 16 May 1927.

1940 Census > Kansas > Montgomery > Cherry
DARLING, Merrill, head, 40, born in KS, farmer
DARLING, Merle, wife, 35, born in KS
DARLING, Keith, son, 6, born in KS

Merrill died 04 Feb 1981. According to this obit in the Wichita Eagle, he left survivors which included wife Merle, son William Keith Darling (1933-1997) and daughter Millicente Darling (born 1941, at age 57 married Jack Bishop, had no offspring). Also sister Nellie Copeland.

Merrill's sister Nellie (10 Nov 1912 - 1 Oct 1996) married John H. Copeland (1911-1988). I have yet to discover if Nellie and John had children.

However - - someone wrote the words "Uncle Merrill Darling" on the back of Merrill's photograph. That would either be the children of his sister, or the children of his wife's siblings.

UPDATE - As I was filing away the photo for Minnie Swart, I discovered that I had acquired, more than a year earlier, a photograph of James B. SWART (shown here), who is the father of Minnie and Nellie, and is mentioned above in the census records. I do not need to do much research on him, as his memorial at Findagrave.com contains the following very thorough biography:

HON. J.B. SWART - farmer and stockgrower, Section 35, Township 31, Range 17, P. O. Cherryvale. November, 1869, he located at Sherman City, Kan., and in January, 1870, took a claim where he now resides. His farm consists of 480 acres of fine improved land with good buildings, orchard and small fruit complete.
He was born in LaGrange County, Ind., November 4, 1840 (stone shows 1838), a son of William and Julia A. Maxwell Swart. The father was born and raised in Loudoun County, Va., and is of Holland descent. He married the mother in Muskingum County, Ohio, which was his native county, and in 1834 moved to LaGrange County, Ind., living there forty-six years. Both of them came to Kansas in 1880 to reside with J.B. The father died January 23, 1881. He was born June 29, 1801; the mother is still living. She was born February 20, 1809.
J.B. is the third child, and when eighteen years of age he enlisted in Company I, Forty-eighth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was in the battles of Vicksburg, Corinth, Mission Ridge, Atlanta and with Sherman to the sea, then to Washington, D. C. and was mustered out at Indianapolis, Ind.
He then attended college for some time and then turned his attention to farming.
November 7, 1867, he married Miss Mary S. Hoff, a native of Ohio, born in 1846, a daughter of Abraham and Susan Hoff. The father is of Maryland the mother of Ohio. They settled in Indiana in 1852.
Mr. and Mrs. Swart have a family of three children - Nellie F., Minnie M., and Anna Mabel.
Mr. S. has always been a stanch Republican. In 1880 he was elected a member of the Legislature from Labette County by a majority of 480 votes.