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.