GOULD, Robert & BARBER, Robert (unknown location)

 

Robert Gould
and Robert Barber

IDENTIFICATION ON PHOTO: "Robert Gould holding Robert Barber"

PHOTO TAKEN: unknown location & studio, circa 1914

PHOTO ACQUIRED: 2025 August, Bright's Antique World, Franklin KY

This photograph was sufficiently labeled with the subjects' names, but had no indication of where or when the photo was taken. The names are common enough ones. Still, I decided to acquire the photo and take on the challenge of making an accurate identification of the young boys.

Based entirely on the older boy's shirt collar, the photo can be dated to around 1914. 

The older boy appears to be around 13 years of age, and the younger boy appears to be about 1 year or thereabouts. This would mean birth years would be around 1901 and 1912, respectively.

I always like to go into my research with three known things:

• WHO - meaning the person is identified on the back
• WHEN - year photo was taken, or subject was born
• WHERE - a general idea of where the person lived

With those three "knowns," a starting place can be had. Without them, or even without one of them, the starting place may never be found. Lacking the location meant I might fail in my research.

Find-a-Grave is my usually starting site. I began with Robert Gould as that surname is more unusual than Barber. Searching for Robert Gould born 1901 (give/take 3 yrs) resulted in 25 hits. That's quite a few to wade through.

How certain was I of the 1914 timeframe? Pretty certain. So I adjusted the search parameters to birth year 1901 (give/take 1 yr). This resulted in 11 hits.

Then looking at the memorials for each Robert Gould, and the list of their known relatives, I found what I was looking for;  Robert Kinkade Gould, of Lawrenceville Illinois, born April 8, 1901, had an older sister (Helen Pearl Gould) who married a man named Roy Barber, and that couple had a son named Robert Barber born in 1912.

So in 1914, Robert Kinkade Gould was 13 years old and his nephew and namesake, Robert Barber, was between 1 and 2 years old. Everything seems to fit together perfectly.

I will try to find a known relative to those men, to verify that this photo is indeed images of them, before I add the image to Find-a-Grave. The following newspaper obits for Robert Gould and Robert Barber can be made larger by clicking on them.

SUCHER Family of Oregon

SUCHER Family of Oregon

IDENTIFICATION ON PHOTO: Wedding of William Edgar Thompson and Julia Alice Sucher
PHOTO TAKEN: 28 Nov, 1894, Ogden, Iowa
PHOTO LOCATED: July 2025, Coburg Antique Mall, Coburg OR

During a recent trip to Eugene Oregon, I took a day to explore some local antique shops and came away with six images from the same family, from the Coburg Antique Mall. After a bit of research, I was able to piece together a "family tree" to see how each of these people were related to each other.

Highlighted names are individuals who appear in the found photos.

Julia, Ida and Minnie are sisters, daughters of George SUCHER and Elizabeth SMITH. They also have a brother Charles, but his photo was not among those acquired.

Julia SUCHER married William Edgar Thompson in 1894 in Iowa. They had six sons:

• 1897-1977 Leslie Rae THOMPSON
• 1899-1971 Warren Jay THOMPSON
• 1901-1984 Loyd Elton THOMPSON
• 1902 - ___ Elvin K. THOMPSON (seen also as Alvin)
• 1906-1998 Ivan Glenn THOMPSON
• 1910 - ___ Miles THOMPSON

left to right: Leslie & Warren Thompson; Leslie Thompson with his aunts Minnie and Ida; Loyd & Elvin Thompson taken in Enid Oklahoma Territory.

Warren Thompson, 1919

Ida Kunst, Dorthea and Kermit

Ida Ellen SUCHER married Julius KUNST (1875-1942) and had two children:

• 1902-1913 Dorthea Elizabeth KUNST
• 1906-1987 Kermit Lester KUNST (named for Julius' brother)

Dorthea died young of spinal menengitis, and her parent's marriage broke up soon afterward.

Ida then married Ephraim DAWSON in 1916. She became the step-mother of several Dawson children by a previous marriage.

Minnie May SUCHER married Albert CLAY in 1912 and had no children. She developed cancer and died in 1915.

Other research found, which provides useful information (click on any image for a larger version):

RATHFON, Cora Landis (Lancaster PA)

Cora Landis RATHFON

IDENTIFIED AS: Cora Landis RATHFON

PHOTO TAKEN: unknown location, circa mid-1920s

PURCHASED: Feb 2025, Traditions Antiques Mall, Wildwood FL

This is Cora Becker Landis (27 Dec 1893 - 23 Jun 1984), a daughter of Milton Landis Landis (yes, that's correct) and Elizabeth Hostetter Becker. She was born in Pennsylvania and lived most of her life in the area of Lancaster PA.

Cora's father was a son of Christian Rohrer Landis and Hettie Shavely Landis (Landis was also her maiden name.) He was an auto mechanic for much of his life.

Cora's mother was a daughter of Christian Becker and Mary Hostetter.

In 1920, Cora married Jacob Baker RATHFON, a son of Amos K. Rathfon and Elmira C. Baker.

In 1975, The Rathfons celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary, which was announced in the Lancaster newspaper.

When her husband died in 1979, Cora relocated to Indianapolis, where her daughter Betty Dussinger lived and worked as a medical technician.

Cora died in 1984, a year after her daughter, and was buried in Lancaster, next to her husband.

WIGGIN, Art and Mary (Lima OH)

 

Art & Mary WIGGIN

IDENTIFIED AS: Art and Mary Wiggin

PHOTO TAKEN: Manhard Studio, Lima Ohio, circa 1921

PURCHASED: Feb 2025, Traditions Antiques Mall, Wildwood, Florida

This photo of Art and Mary WIGGIN may have been taken at or soon after their wedding, which occurred on June 14, 1921.

Arthur Odonivan Wiggin, born Jan 9 1898 in Toledo OH, was a son of Rev. George Wiggin (1864-1940) and Mary Ann Buckby (1874-1944).

Mary Frances Carmony, born Jun 26, 1899, was a daughter of Harry Clifford Carmony (1873-1952) and Jennie Wade Simmons (1873-1957).

They had four children; Jack, William, Joan and Patricia.

Arthur operated the "Spot Restaurant" in Lima OH and later in Zanesville OH. The couple moved to Sarasota County, Florida in their later years.

He died April 16, 1979 in Venice Florida. His widow lived until April of 1994.