SANFORD and ARCHIE CHERRY

UPDATE - Sanford Cherry and Archie Cherry have been claimed and are going home. These two were found in the same box in a booth at an antique mall, so I bought them both to keep them together. The first is labeled "SANFORD CHERRY, 1893"

Studio stamp on the front says "Kottmann, 11th Ave & 13th Street, Altoona, PA" (Altoona is in Blair Co.)

UPDATE - there is a Sanford Cherry found on the 1880 US Census records born in either 1865 or 1866 to parents Thomas A. Cherry and Elizabeth Cherry residing in Antis, Blair Co. PA. (Antis is a small township about 6 miles north of Altoona.)

On the 1900 US Census, there is a Sanford Cherry residing in Woodbine Iowa, with wife Nellie E. (born June 1875, 25yo, b. in Wisconsin), son Thomas A. (5) and daughter Adabelle (3). He lists his occupation as Hardware Merchant. He and Nellie were married since 1893, meaning the photo above was taken in the year of his wedding, possibly the same day as his wedding.

ARCHIE CHERRY 5 mo. old.
Studio stamp on front says "Lyon, Woodbine, Iowa"

UPDATE - The 1910 US Census for Boyer, Iowa, (abt 25 mi NE of Woodbine IA) shows a Sanford Cherry residing there with wife Mary E. (35, b. in Wisconsin) (I believe this is a mispelling of Nellie E.). Also in the household 15yo T. Archie (whom I believe is the same person as Thomas A. from the 1900 census), and 13yo Isabelle (whom I believe is the same person as Adabelle from the 1900 census.)

MARTHA and CAROLINE LUND

UPDATE - Martha and Caroline LUND have been claimed by a relative and are going home at last!  

The back of this photo identifies "Left - MARTHA LUND (Mrs. Wm Roman), Right - CAROLINE LUND (Mrs. Alvin Fosbett [Foskett?])."  There is no indication of age or year, but best guess would be circa 1906-1909.

The studio stamp on front says "Chr Hansen, Waupaca, Wisc."

"Wisconsin Births and Christenings 1826-1926" show that Martha Lund was born 12 April 1888 in Waupaca, Wisconsin to parents Fred E. Lund and Bertina Christensen, both immigrants from Denmark.

1900 Census records for the area show that Martha is living at home at age 12 with parents F.E. (56), Bertina (46) and brothers Albert (26) and Christian (14.) There is no mention of a Caroline in the household, indicating that she is probably not the sister I had presumed her to be, and is more likely a cousin instead.

Further online research has found the Marriage announcement of Martha Lund to William Roman, an event which took place on April 30, 1912.  This newspaper article contain additional family information. Since the link I provided no longer works, I was able to locate the cached article again and have included it here for posterity:

WAUPACA REPUBLICAN POST
May 2, 1912
 
ROMAN-LUND
One of the most elaborate weddings that has occurred in this city, took place Tuesday April 30, at four o’clock at the Holy Ghost church, when Miss Martha Lund, one of Waupaca’s most popular young ladies, was given in marriage to Mr. William Roman of Racine in the presence of many invited guests.  Rev. C.H. Jensen officiating.

Chris M. Lund, brother of the bride acted as best man and Miss Caroline Lund as maid of honor.  Dorothy Lund acted as flower girl and ring bearer.

The Misses Stephene Stepheneson of Racine, Anna Anderson of Kenosha and Mrs. N. Pearson of Racine acted as bridesmaids and Mr. N. Pearson of Racine as attendant.  Misses Jessie Hanson, Alma Larson and Karen Anderson, ushers.  Misses Jessie Hansen and Karen Anderson, ribbon bearers.  The wedding march was played by Miss Nanna Peterson.

The father, F.E. Lund, entered with the bride.

After the ceremony at the church, a reception took place at the residence of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. F.E. Lund, which was followed by an elaborate six o’clock dinner.  The decorations were in pink and white.

The out of town guests were:  Mr. and Mrs. Richard Roman of Racine, Mr. and Mrs. James Wilson of Milwaukee, Mrs. Geo. Zahn of Milwaukee, Miss Stephene Stephenesen of Racine, Miss Anna Anderson, Kenosha and Mr. and Mrs. N. Pearson of Racine.

Mr. and Mrs. Roman took the 1:15 train, under a shower of rice and best wishes of their many friends.

LARMAR HURST

LARMAR (?) HURST - the penciled handwriting is a bit pale, but it certainly looks like Larmar is the first name. I cannot make a case for any other spelling.  The full inscription on the back says " Larmar Hurst, Freelandville, IND. Mom's friend."

In the 1910 Census for Bicknell, Knox County, Indiana (less than five miles from Freelandville) there is a James L. Hurst, age 36 (born about 1874), divorced and living alone. His occupation is Miner, at a coalmine. Knox County is one of several Indiana counties, bordering Illinois, where coal production has been going on for more than a century. The census indicates he was born in West Virginia of West Virginia-born parents.

George Washington EVERHART and Susan COLLIER-EVERHART

Sue C. Everhart

G W Everhart

UPDATE - G.W. and Sue have been claimed and are going home to a direct paternal descendant. G.W. and SUE EVERHART age unknown.  The only clues in this pair of portraits is the studio stamp on bottom front of each "Sipple, Parsons, KS".

UPDATE - I have since determined that GW is George Washington Everhart, and Sue is Susan F. Collier. She appears to have been George's third wife and they had no children together, although George had a dozen children by his previous wives.

UPDATE -
1870 US Census shows this couple living in Louisville, KY. At that time, George was 56 and his young wife Sue was 33. Children in the household were Charles (17), Emma (13), Marie (12) Logan (10) and Harry (8).

1880 US Census shows George and Sue C. Everhart residing in Osage, Labette Co., Kansas. George, a farmer, is indicated as having been born in 1815, Sue born in 1838. Both were born in Kentucky. The only child living with them is Logan who is 18 or 19 at that time, and working on a farm.

1900 US Census shows Sue C. Everhart, widowed, residing in Taylorsville, Kentucky, with her younger brother Abner L. Collier, an auctioneer and farmer. I was able to ascertain that her brother Abner Collier died in 1925 and was buried in the Valley Cemetery 1 mile west of Taylorsville, KY. Here is his headstone: http://image1.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2009/227/38829477_125045327753.jpg
I expect that Sue C. Everhart can be found nearby.

HAZEL EDITH OSBORN

HAZEL EDITH OSBORN seen at two different stages of her childhood.  Both photos are labeled on the back "Hazel Edith Osborn" but contain no other clues.  There are no studio marks on either photo.

These photos were from the same antique consignor as the above photos of the elderly Everhart couple or Parsons, Kansas, and may be from the same area.

My best guess for time period is 1900 on the first photo, 1903 on the second photo.

Here is a possible clue, found in the 19 June 1919 Coffeyville Daily Journal, Coffeyville Kansas.  (Coffeyville KS is about 40 miles from Parsons KS.)

1905 State Census, Coffeyville, KS
MOORE, Martha, 47
MOORE, Isabel, 15
MOORE, Mabel, 13
OSBORN, Hazel, 3
OSBORN, Emma, 25

1908, Dec 24. Coffeyville Daily Journal reports the following:
William W. Webb (34) and Emma A. Osborn (28), both of Coffeyville are issued marriage licenses.

1910 Federal Census, Coffeyville, KS
WEBB, William, head, 35, married 1 yr, born in Indiana, laborer in a glass factory
WEBB, Emma, wife, 30, mother of 1 living child, born in Kansas
OSBORN, Hazel, daughter, 8, born in Oklahoma

The 1910 Census illuminates the relationship between Emma and Hazel. Hazel is described as "daughter". Emma is described as M with a small 2 in superscript, which I believe indicates that this is her second marriage. She also says she is the mother of one child, which is still living. The only conclusion I can come to is that Hazel is Emma's daughter. But I wonder why Emma was required to submit an annual report on the estate of Hazel?

1920 Census - War Eagle, Benton county, Arkansas
WEBB, William, 45, farmer
WEBB, Emma, 40, wife
OSBORN, Hazel, 18, step-daughter
MOORE, Martha, 72, mother-in-law

She married Wayne Shields (1897-1929.)

I have not determined who Hazel's father was.

JOHN and MARGUERITE McCULLOUGH

JOHN L. McCULLOUGH, On the front of the photo is penciled the year 1880. The back has hand-written "John L. McCullough probably before 1885." The back also contains the studio stamp "Gayford, Rock Island, ILL."

Found at the same antique sale, same box of photos:

MARGUERITE McCULLOUGH, age 6 months.  But no indication of when the photo was taken. The studio stamp says "Burgoyne's Photograph Gallery, Manhattan Kans. Established 1859."

1860 US Census records (Rock Island, ILL) indicate 5-yr-old John L. McCullough (born 1855) living with Pennsylvania-born parents J.C. McCullough (48) and Jane S (49). Also in the household are siblings Rachel A (18, schoolteacher), Abram A (16), Harriet J (14) and Hannah P (12). All of the siblings were born in Ohio, except little John who was born in Illinois.

1900 US Census records (June 4 1900, Hyde Park, Chicago, Cook Co. ILL) indicate that John McCullough (b. Aug 1855 in Illinois) lived at 7706 Saginaw in Hyde Park, and worked as a clerk in a lumberyard. His parents were both born in Pennsylvania. At the same residence was wife Adelaide (b. May 1861 in Wisc., her father born in Vermont, mother in NY), daughter Marguerite (age 13, b. March 1887 in Kansas), and son John L. (age 8, b. Oct 1891 in Kansas). Both children were in school.

1910 US Census (Illinois) shows John L. McCullough (age 54) living with wife Adelaide M. (age 48) and children Marguerite (23) and John L. (18).

CARROLL K. WALLACE

Update - CARROLL K. WALLACE has been claimed and  is going home!

CARROLL K. WALLACE looks like a happy child, all bundled up for cold weather. No indication of age or time period. But appears to be around 4 years old, and my best guess for time period is circa 1900-1910.

The matte frame is stamped "Pierce Studio, Ottumwa, IA"

UPDATE - well, that's what I get for making assumptions! Further research shows Carroll Kaley Wallace is a boy (I had thought this was a girl in the photo).  Iowa Births and Christenings indicates that Carroll was born on May 6, 1898 to parents George R. Wallace and Della M. Kaley. The 1910 Census for Ottumwa IA indicates that Carroll was an 11 year old male living in a household which also contained George R. Wallace (45), Della M. Wallace (41) and Nancy Kaley (65).  Nan Kaley was still in the household in the 1920 Census.

Carroll K. Wallace signed up for the World War I draft on Sept 12, 1918 and stated that his current occupation was "musician."

Iowa Marriages reports that Carroll K. Wallace was married June 28, 1921 in Des Moines IA, to Fay Marie Biesen (b. 1899 in New London, IA, daughter of J.H. Biesen and Marie Rauch.)

Died 23 May 1972 in Los Angeles, California.

Joe WALKER and wife Malissa VAN WINKLE

The back says "JOE and MALISSA WALKER" but includes no date or location.  My best guess is circa 1900-1910.

The matte has a studio stamp "Garver, Greenville, Ohio"

Further research shows this couple appearing in the 1880 US Census for Van Buren, OH. At that time, Joseph, a farmer, was 39 yrs old and his wife Malissa was 33. They had two children living at home, Harriet (5) and Elizabeth (2).

UPDATE - I have since determined that Malissa's maiden name was Van Winkle.

From FindAGrave.com I was able to collect the following information.

JOSEPH S. WALKER ( Mar 28, 1841 - June 10, 1916)
Civil War Soldier, Private - Comp K 34 Reg, Ohio Infantry

MALISSA (Van Winkle) WALKER (May 28, 1847 - May 3, 1928)

their children:
(Elizabeth) Irene Walker-Ingle (1878-1905)
Harriet C. Walker-Stocker (1875-1962) m. Adam Charles Stocker (1874-1944)
  her children:
 - - - Lester C. Stocker (1895-1920)
 - - - Melissa S. Stocker-Royer (1897-1969)
 - - - Stewart W. Stocker (1906-1906)

JENNY SMITH

JENNY SMITH, died April the 14th, 1891.  That is the hand-written note in pencil on the back of this photo.

The front is labeled "Taylor's Great Western" and the back is stamped "C.L. Taylor Artist, Photographer"

UPDATE - I found another photo online with the same studio marks front and back. The woman who was the subject of that photo was known to live in Selma, Iowa. So perhaps the photographer worked that region of the country.

UPDATE - Using the death date and presumed location of Iowa, it was possible to determine the identity of "Jenny Smith" as Jennie (Kaley) Smith, born 1864, and lived in Iowa. There is a great obit/bio for her at Findagrave.

MABEL ROSE

Mabel Rose has gone home.

MISS MABEL ROSE is the name written in pencil, in a young hand, on the backside of this photo-postcard. It also bears a date stamp of Jan 15, 1928.

I am going on an assumption that ROSE is this young lady's last name and not a middle name!

MARLE PALMER and IDA

Here was a fun find.  A photo-postcard which was stamped (with a one-cent stamp) on Aug 7, 1910 in Rosenberg, (Texas or possibly Tennessee.) Here is the front of the card:

Here is the back of the card:

The postcard is addressed to MISS MARLE PALMER, Greenwood, Indiana. And it says:

"Do you know this kid? Hello; how are you? I am all O.K. We are having hot weather. How is it with you? What are you doing? I am sleeping. Big meeting is going on, have been going most every night. Cotton picking has be gain. Write. Ida."

Now, I know that Ida never gave her surname, so I cannot really title this entry as IDA PALMER, although that may be correct. I suppose it would be more accurate to label this as a correspondence to Miss MARLE PALMER from someone named IDA.

Perhaps if relatives of Marle Palmer happen to see this blog entry, they might know who Ida was and what her connection to Marle was.

Using a jeweler's loupe, the postal cancellation stamp appears to look more like TEX than TEN.

Further research shows that there is a "Murl Palmer" in Greenwood IN on the 1900 Census, 7-yr-old at that time, living with her parents James W. and Jane Palmer. At the time of this postcard, would have been 17 years old.

COCKAYE or maybe CORKAYE

Not really sure why I bought these two photos. Maybe because the faces look so kind. Maybe I just didn't want these two to get broken up. But there may not be enough real evidence here to help these folks find their way back home. The surname is not even certain. Best I can make of the cursive penmanship is either COCKAYE or possibly CORKAYE.

The first is of "Daddy Cockaye, 19 or 20 years".  The photo is badly broken around the edges, so no studio location can be identified. Just part of a street address. No town.

The second photo is of "Grandma Cockaye", although I do not know which person in this group photo is being indicated by that label. The matte appears to be stamped "Simonton" and on the torn paper backing one can vaguely make out a stamp which says Royal Photo Studio.

DORIS ODLE

UPDATE - Doris Odle has been claimed and is going home.  

Here is a birth announcement for DORIS ODLE who was born April 3, 1906.  Other than that, I had no clues about who she was or where her family lived when this photo was taken.

So I posted to the Odle Gen-Forum in June 2001 and someone there, who although not related to Doris specifically, seemed to know an awful lot of Odles in general, and was able to add more information on baby Odle:

Doris T. Odle b. 4-3-1906 near Ridgeville, Randolph Co., IN.
Father; Elmer Odle b. 9-16-1868 in Randolph Co., IN
Mother; Elsie Iola Beary Monks b. 1-29-1880
Grandparents; Thomas W. and Leah Waltz Odle
G-Grandparents; David and Elizabeth Jack Odle
G-G-Grandarents; William and Elizabeth Franklin Odle who came to Randolph Co., IN in 1820.

This line goes back to William Odle and Rebecca Brown who migrated from England to CT in 1635. Some of their children went to Rye, Westchester Co., NY., later decendants migrated to the Shenandoah Valley, VA, Ross Co., OH and Randolph Co., IN.

At FamilyTreeMaker, the following biography was found on Doris' grandfather Thomas W. Odle:

THOMAS W. ODLE, retired citizen of Ridgeville, has lived a long and useful life of eighty-six years, and is one of the few Indiana survivors of the men who as boys were in the Union army during the Civil war. He was born in Ward Township, Randolph County, December 7, 1844, a son of David and Elizabeth (Jack) Odle. His father was born at Deerfield, Indiana, in 1820, just a year after his parents, William and Elizabeth (Franklin) Odle, came from the Scioto Valley of Ohio and entered a tract of Government land in this portion of Eastern Indiana. Elizabeth Jack was born near Lebanon, Ohio, in 1817, and was thirteen years of age when, in 1830, her parents, Robert L. and Rebecca (Ferris) Jack, settled in Randolph County. Mr. Odles paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Franklin, was descended from a brother of Benjamin Franklin. His grandfather Odle was one of the pioneer justices of the piece at Winchester, and treasurer of Randolph County in 1831, where he also conducted a business as a merchant. David Odle was a farmer and died of accidental injury when only twenty-eight years of age, his son Thomas being then about three years old. Thomas W. Odles mother, in 1851, became the wife of Harrison Wilmore. He remained with his mother and step-father until February, 1865, when he enlisted in Company A of the One Hundred and Forty-seventh Indiana Infantry. During the last weeks of the war he was engaged in guard duty in the Shenandoah Valley and received his honorable discharge in August, 1865, at Boliver Heights, Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Prior to his army service he had taught a term of school in Randolph County, and after leaving the army he attended Liber College, in Jay County, and at intervals continued teaching until April, 1867. At that time he married Miss Leah A. Waltz, who was born at Lebanon, Pennsylvania, January 14, 1848. Her parents were David and Elizabeth (Schreckengohst) Waltz, also Pennsylvanians. Following his marriage Mr. Odle located on a farm near Deerfield,and gave nearly forty years to the active work and supervision of his farming interests, building up a highly improved farm of 253 acres. When he left the farm he built a modern home in Ridgeville. For ten years he was a director of the Ridgeville State Bank. Mr. Odle for fourteen years served as a justice of the peace at Ridgeville. He is a Republican and was a member of the Grand Army Post as long as it was in existence. Mr. and Mrs. Odle lived together for sixty years, death terminating their companionship on July 18, 1928. The oldest of their children is Elmer, of Ward Township, who married Elsie Veary, and they have three daughters: Doris, a dietician in a hospital at Mercer, Pennsylvania; Lucille, Mrs. David Shockney, of Ward Township; and Bernice, a student in Purdue University. The second child is Ned, a Ward Township farmer, who married Margaret Ulrich, and their three children are Lee A. and Edith, both graduates of Purdue University, and Mrs. Vera Warren, of Jackson Township. Alice, the third child, is the widow of Ara Harlan, and her three children are Mrs. Nilah A. Brookings, a teacher, Nelda and Mary. Harry Odle, of Ward Township, married Grace Eltzroth and has a son, Charles, who is a graduate of Purdue University and has been a teacher since 1925. Mr. Odles youngest daughter is Miss Hazel.

I do not usually get this much information on one of my "wards" without actually placing them back in their home.  The information shared above should be adequate for someone out there to determine if they are related to Doris.

UPDATE - the following yearbook photograph was located online and is from the 1928 edition of  "The Debris" yearbook from Lafayette, Indiana. (I do not possess this photograph - only the baby photo.)

 

G.F. DICKSON

G.F. DICKSON was found Sep 22, 2001 at a Shelbyville, KY antique mall. The subject is a young man named "G.F. Dickson" apparently taken in 1918. I would love to reunite him with his family.

The hand-writing below the image states that G.F. is the twin of Grace Dickson Van Deventer, and is the youngest son of "Uncle Archie Dickson."

UPDATE - well this is an interesting mystery ... On the US Census for 1900, Milan Township, Macon Co. Illinois, there is an Archie Dickson (62) living with his wife Jennie H. (46) and children J. Harry A. (20), Mabel (18), Olive (17) and the 11-yr-old twins Frank G. and Grace E.  I don't really think the census taker made any mistakes on this entry since the census taker was Archie Dickson himself. Could the cousin who wrote the inscription have gotten it wrong, or did Frank G. later in life start going by "G.F."?  All other details match up - also the time period is right. If he was 11 in 1900, then he'd be 29 in this photo, which looks possible.

UPDATE - Grace's middle name is Eudora.  Frank later married a woman named Kate S.

BUNNELL

I have had this photo since June 2001. I thought it was sufficiently labeled to determine who the children are, but it is not. It turns out, the name of the photograph's owner is the only name on the back side.

The back, however, holds lots of clues. First there is a handwritten note that says "From Mrs H L Bunnell, Lawrence, Van Buren Co., Mich."  Then there are some photographer's instructions for making a 14 x 17 portrait from this original, but isolating only the smallest child for the larger finished product.  It is unknown if the elder child got a similar treatment.

It is also possible that the smaller child died and photograph was required for the funeral, or newspaper insert, and this was the only suitable original.

The matte is labeled with the photographer studio being that of "Parker Studio, Lawrence, Michigan".

It is now 2015 and I recently decided to research this photo again.  Now armed with accounts at Ancestry.com , newpapers.com and genealogybank.com I have found quite a bit of useful information.

Mrs H.L. BUNNELL turns out to be Inez Elvira (Christie) Bunnell of Lawrence Michigan. She was married to Harvey L. Bunnell (born 1854, died 20 Jun 1928) a farmer and earlier settler in Van Buren county. His parents were John Bunnell (1827- 15 Apr 1902) "one of the earliest settlers of Van Buren Co." - and Abiah J. Bunnell (1854-1928).

Elvira Bunnell was born on 1855, died Feb 10, 1924. She is buried at Hill Cem., Lawrence, Van Buren Co., MI. Her parents were James Christie and Mary Steele (pioneer residents of Van Buren Co., but lived the last 40 years or so of their lives in nearby Benton Harbor) .

Elvira had a sister Mertie E. Christie (Myrtle) who married Charles A. Hill, a popular fruit broker in Benton Harbor.. Mertie died 27 Nov 1933 in Benton Harbor. She had 3 children. One died in infancy, the others are Leon James Hill and Faye Jane Hill. Could the children in the photo be Elvira's niece and nephew? I think not. Leon (born 1888) and Faye (born 1886) were only two years apart, whereas the children above appear to be about 8 - 10 years apart.

I will probably have to locate a Bunnell descendant to find the answer to this question.

ALLEN and LEONARD GROSSMAN

ALLEN and LEONARD GROSSMAN in 1930.

Caption beneath photo says:  "Allen and Leonard Grossman, Aged 1 Year, April 26, 1930"

I guess this means they are twins, if they were both 1 year old on this date. One of them certainly has a fuller head of hair than the other.  I am not sure which is Allen and which is Leonard.

The brothers appear on the 1940 Census for Cincinnati, Ohio. Parents are John (45) and Amelia (40). There is also an older sister Sue (13) and Allen and Leonard are 10. The father was born in New Jersey, and works as a typesetter for a printing company. The mother works as a saleslady in a department Store.

I was able to find these two images of the boys in 1947 from their Walnut Hills High School Yearbook:

BERNADETTE LALONDE





Bernadette has gone home!

BERNADETTE LALONDE was found in a box of photos at the Loose Leaf Tobacco Warehouse Antique Show in Lexington KY in June of 2001. The matte is stamped "B. Chalifoux, 350a Rue Rachel, Montreal" and in pencil on the matte are the words "Bernadette Lalonde, Fred's Niece".

In Dec 2002 a relative in North Carolina contacted me to claim her. He had seen my post at the Gen-Forum board for the Lalonde surname. What a great resource that is for potentially reaching the right people.

MARGUERITE RODDY

Marguerite has gone to a foster home!

MARGUERITE RODDY was always one of my favorites.  This photo was found at an Antique Show in Saratoga Springs, NY in August of 2001. It was the Annual Antique Show at the old Canfield Casino building near Congress Park.

The only clue to location is in the photographic studio which marked the cardboard frame with "Aubin Studio, Hibbing". The only Hibbing I could find was a town in Minnesota.

Bryan Roddy (who is not a direct relative, but wanted to help) provided further information on the Genforum board for this surname: "Per the 1920 Census, Marguerite Roddy was in Hibbing, MN and was 10 yrs old. Her parents were Thomas (born in Canada) and Anastatia (born in Wisconsin). She had an older sister named Katherine and a younger brother, Thomas.  According to the 1930 Census, she lived in Omaha, NE with her mother, brother Thomas and a younger sister, Helen."

Although Marguerite was with me for years, no member of her family ever stepped up to claim her. Finally one day, a nice lady from Texas contacted me to report that the photo was taken at her Great-Grandfather's photo studio, The Aubin Studio in Hibbing, MN. She had nothing of her Great-Grandfather to remember him by and asked if she could safeguard the photo of Marguerite until such time as a relative surfaced.

I have kept a cardstock photocopy of the image, and the lady in Texas says she will be happy to see that Marguerite goes to her rightful family on some happy day.

HENRY SCHELLER

On back, in pencil, is written "Henry Scheller".  There is no indication of date or location. But the matte is stamped "H. Mueller, Artist & Photographer, 407 Vine Street, Near 12th, Cincinnati, O."

My best guess for the year is between 1900-1910.

LUISA ARMSTRONG

Luisa has gone home!

LUISA ARMSTRONG is seen here in a photo that apparently dates to the Civil War era, based on the style of dress.  On the back of the photo is found the following: "August the 11, 1900, Luisa Armstrong Died 8 o'clock Saturday Morning."

This photo was sent to me by a friend in Costa Mesa, CA, in October of 2001. She found this at a garage sale and passed it on to me, as she knows I collect things like this and try to get them back to their relatives.

I posted the find to the Armstrong Gen-Forum boards within a few days of receiving it, but it was about a year and a half later in February of 2003 when a descendant of Luisa finally saw the posting and contacted me. She informed me that Luisa is her GGGrandmother, and her full name is Luisa Estabrook Armstrong. Luisa's daughter, Louisa Armstrong Bolender, lived in Bakersfield CA until she died in 1919. This is how the photo came to be in California. 

Luisa was sent home to be with her family in February 2003.  Yay!

CLARA HERMAN and ELLA

These two photos were found in the same box at an Antique Mall. I think they look so much alike, they could easily be sisters. The penmanship on the back of the photos is the same. So the photos were in the same collection.  See what you think:



On back -- "Clara Herman"

On back -- "Ella, confirmation 1913"

The photo of Clara was taken at a studio in Union Hill, NJ.

WILLARD WATSON - JENETT DAVIS

I generally limit my purchases to photos, as a relative's face is so precious to someone. But one day I came across this Marriage Certificate and decided to add it to my project. The paper is thin and fragile, and it is quite remarkable that it has lasted this long. But the print is easily legible.

In its entirety, it reads:

Know All Men by These Presents, That by virtue of a license issued from the Probate Court of Ashtabula County, dated June 29th, 1858, the marriage contract between WILLARD WATSON and JENETT DAVIS was legally solemnized by the undersigned at JOHN CONKLIN's in Harpersfield Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, on the 30th day of June in the Year of Our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Fifty-Eight. Given under my hand, this 30 day of June 1858. WILLIAM NELSON, Justice of the Peace.


UPDATE - Thanks go out to Michelle Doutrich for adding the following valuable information:

According to the 1860 census, Willard and Jenett were living in Saybrook (Ashtabula County) with their one year old daughter, Celestine. He is 37, born in NY. She is 23, born in PA. I 1870, Celestine is 11 and they are living in Iowa.

By 1880 they are in Bedford, MI, Celestine is not listed (most likely married) and Jenett and Willard have 3 other daughters. Daughter Josephine marries William Wood in Michigan in 1901. Celestine marries William Evans (from death cert) and dies in June 1928. Daughter Carrie marries Abram Huftile and dies in 1927 of liver cancer (in Michigan).

Toddler Frank Watson died in Bedford, MI in September 1877 age 2 yrs, 1 m, 10 days.

HENRY OPPERMAN and NELLIE WALTON

UPDATE - this group of photos has found a home with the descendants of Henry and Nellie Opperman. They are going home!  On March 10, 2007, a box of old photos at an Antique Show in Georgetown KY yielded 5 good possibilities - meaning they were labeled with enough identification that I felt confident I could place them back into homes. Little did I realize at the time, but these five photos were in the same box for a reason - they were all related.

Upon arriving home, I set to work researching the photos and discovered something I had not noticed while at the show - three of the photos contain images of the same young man - HENRY OPPERMAN.



On back "Henry Opperman"

Another is a group photo. Henry Opperman can be seen in the middle of the back row. The back of the photo says simply "About 1903".



On back "About 1903"

The third photo is of a smaller group of people. Four young students and an older man; the older man has a bushy mustache and may be a professor, the young people are all holding rolled certificates.

The back contains a wealth of information. It says: "Front - M.G. Barnhart, Ethel Shearer. Back - George Kingdom. Henry Opperman, Wm Donahue. Cullom ILL High School, Class of 1903". The matte frame is stamped "Stevens - Gratsworth, Ill."

Photo number four is labeled "Nellie Walton, about 1907" and is one of the most beautiful portraits of this era that I've ever seen.



"Nellie Walton, about 1907"

There were a lot of photos in this particular booth at the Antique Show, and had my budget for this project been larger, I would not have limited myself to just 5 photos. Therefore, it is a strange coincidence that I should have picked up Nellie Walton along with Henry Opperman, as further research online indicated that Henry Opperman married Nellie Walton.


June Ferguson Barger

The fifth photos from this outing is of JUNE FERGUSON BARGER, circa 1899.

Further research online shows that Henry Opperman and Nellie Walton produced a daughter named Iolla, who married a man named Golden Barger. June is then related by marriage in some way to Henry and Nellie. An in-law, possibly the mother or aunt of the Barger boy that married Henry's daughter.

UPDATE - I was able to locate the obituary on June Barger, and this provides excellent family data on her.

This obit is from the Mattoon Illinois Journal Gazette, Dec 19, 1965.

CHARLES TOWNSEND

Charles Townsend has gone home!

He has been claimed by the Historical Society of Lansingburg.

A rarity - two images of the same gentleman - CHARLES TOWNSEND - taken at different ages in his life.
The younger Charles' photo was taken at McMichael Studio, 246 Main Street, Buffalo NY. It is inscribed on the back, presumably in Charles' own hand, "Very Sincerely, Char. Townsend, Lansingburgh, N. York - Feb 1 '86 - We have fought the good fight."

The photo of Charles as an older man is stamped on the front "Dana, Carbonette, New York, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh", and on the back in pencil is written "Charles Townsend of 1st Presby Church, Lansingburgh, NY."

Further research shows that Charles Townsend eventually left Lansingburgh after many years, spent a year in Cleveland, then took up duties at the First Church of Orange, NJ.

MARY SULLIVAN THORNTON

MARY SULLIVAN THORNTON

UPDATE - This photo of Mary Sullivan Thorton has been claimed by her great-granddaughter and is going home!

No location or date given.

I love this photo. A simple, yet graceful portrait.

There is a Mary Sullivan, born about 1895 in Cornish NH, who married Herbert Thornton in 1913 at age 18, in Vermont. I think this may be her. If so, her parents were Michael E. Sullivan of England and Edith M. Hudson of Vermont.

Herbert was 27 years old, and this was his 2nd marriage. His parents were Norman Thornton and Clara Root.

Mary's gravestone says she was born in 1897, which would have made her only 16 at the time of the wedding.

ANNA MARGARET BRUBACHER

Here is a pretty little baby identified on the backside as ANNA MARGARET BRUBACHER at age 7 1/2 months.

I confess I do not remember where this photo was found. It is simply one of many in my collection which were not properly documented - a situation which should be remedied now that I am getting organized with this blog.  A stamp on the photo identifies the photo studio as "Baldwin", but no location is given.

After I found the above image of Anna, and went to file it in my records, I discovered that I had already placed another photo of Anna Brubacher with her family. But sadly, had not kept a record of who she was sent home to. Rats! Here is the other image that went home:

This photo of Anna has gone home!

If anyone in the Brubacher family is reading this blog, please email me or comment below. I've got Anna with me again!

WILLIAM GUY DAVIDSON

I will begin with this success story.   William has gone home!

WILLIAM GUY DAVIDSON was found in a box in an Antique Mall in Kentucky.  I posted the find to the Davidson Gen-Forum board and shortly thereafter received an email from a person who identified William as his grandfather.  The photo has been returned to its rightful place in the loving care of William Guy Davidson's descendants.