Dr. Robert Leever Wainwright, Xenia, Ohio 1880s

The photograph has some water damage, so I cleaned up the image in Photoshop.

Robert Leever Wainwright was born in Ohio in 1855 to Redding Wainwright, a farmer, and his wife, Elizabeth Leever. Robert was the youngest of the Wainwrights' 6 children. 

Though initially he worked as a farm laborer with his father and brothers, he eventually became a physician. After his father passed away in 1878, Robert lived with his mother in Jefferson, Ohio.

Robert married Anna Elizabeth Ritenour in Greene County, Ohio, on October 28th, 1883 when he was 27 years old. Tragically, they were married only a few months when Robert passed away on May 25th, 1884. This photograph, which I would date to the 1880s, may have been one of the last taken of him. In his will, he left to his widow Anna his surgical instruments, medical books, and a horse and buggy among other things.

Anna would eventually remarry in 1890 to Daniel Erastus Little, with whom she had 3 daughters.

If you know who this may be, let us know in the comments!

Henry and Andrew Hawkins, Owatonna, Minnesota 1890s

Andrew Haakensen was born in Laerdal, Sogn, Norway in 1862. His brother, Henry, was born in 1865. They were the sons of Haakon Olson and Anna Haagensdatter Vold. The family immigrated to the United States around 1873. Upon arrival, the family shortened their name from Haakensen to Haken, and eventually to the more American Hawkins. They settled in Wayne, Iowa, where their father, now going by Olson Haken, worked as a laborer. 

Andrew married in 1894 to Synneva Monson Groethe, who would eventually go by Sarah. The couple had three sons, Hagbarth (b. 1894), Adolph (b. 1896), and Carman (b. 1906). Andrew supported his family by working as a farmer in LeRoy, Minnesota, which is about an hour away from Owatonna, where this photo was taken. 

Henry married a few years after his brother in 1897 and, coincidentally, also married a Sarah. Henry and Sarah made their home in LeRoy, where Henry ran a dry goods store and became well-known in the community as a successful businessman. They had one son, Tillman, born in 1902.

Andrew lived in LeRoy for the rest of his life, passing away there in 1931 at age 69. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the year of Henry's death. 

If you know who these gentlemen may be, let us know in the comments!

Marjorie Long Bishop and Ida Brant Freeman, Rahway, New Jersey 1900s

"Marjorie Long      ?       Ida Brant Freeman"

Only two of this wonderful trio are identified. The gentleman in the middle with the fancy hat and umbrella is unfortunately labeled with only a question mark. I was, however, able to find out a bit more about our ladies here.

Marjorie Long was the only daughter of Nathaniel Long and Jennie Brant. She was born in February 1888 in Rahway, New Jersey. Her father Nathaniel was an electrician at a time when electricity in homes was still fairly new. The family's home in Rahway was just 4 miles from Roselle, New Jersey, which in 1883 became the first town lit by electricity as part of a demonstration by Thomas Edison. 

The Longs lived with Jennie's sister, Maggie Brant, her husband, Lindley Freeman, and their daughter, Ida. Ida was born in July 1882, just 6 years older than Marjorie. Though they were cousins, I have to imagine the two girls grew up as sisters. 

Maggie Brant died in 1893 at just 31 years old, leaving her husband a widower and Ida without a mother at age 11. Lindley and Ida continued to live with the Longs while Lindley worked as a painter. 

In 1908, 20-year-old Marjorie married Edward Bishop. Edward worked as a freight manager for a steamship. Together they had two sons, Robert and Everett. 

Ida, meanwhile, got a job as a maid for the Dennis family in Marlboro, New Jersey. She continued to work as a maid for many years. In the 1940 census, her occupation is listed as "practical nurse" and she is lodging in the home of a Mr. and Mrs. Crawford. 

Marjorie Long Bishop lived to be 75 years old and passed away in October 1963. 

Ida Brant Freeman passed away 5 years later in 1968 at age 86.

If you know who these folks may be, let us know in the comments!

Ella Martin Parker, Vermont/New Hampshire, 1860s

"Ella Martin
(Mrs Scott Parker)"

I had some difficulty researching the woman in this photograph. I was unable to find an Ella Martin who married a Scott Parker and lived in New Hampshire. I was, however, able to find an Ella Martin who married a Clark Parker and lived in Springfield, Vermont, which is right on the border between Vermont and New Hampshire. The ages between this woman and the one in the photograph match up. Ella spent the last years of her life in Massachusetts, where this photo was purchased. I think the details are close enough to be her- what do you think?

Ella Martin was born in Springfield, Vermont, on April 21st, 1852 to Dexter Martin, a chair manufacturer, and his wife Charlotte. She was one of 10 children, though several of her siblings died while still young. Two twin siblings, Collins Dexter and Lucy Jane, died on the same day in 1843 at the age of 3. An older brother, Horace Haywood, served with the 7th Vermont Infantry in the Civil War. After sailing aboard a steamer to Louisiana and witnessing the Battle of Baton Rouge in August 1862, Horace fell ill with tuberculosis. He died at the Marine Hospital in New Orleans at just 22 years old. Tuberculosis took another of Ella's brothers, Frederic Edmond, in 1869 at age 23. I have to wonder if perhaps Ella herself fell ill around this time, which would explain her short hair.

In 1876, when she was 24, Ella married Clark Converse Parker. They lived together on their farm in Springfield, the town they were both born and raised in. Ella and Clark had four children: Lula, Carl, Ernest Martin, and Alda Lottie. I couldn't find any record of Lula and Carl as adults, which leads me to believe they may have died young.

In 1908, 56-year-old Ella lost both her older brother, John Henry, and her husband, Clark. She continued to live in Springfield with her son Ernest, who worked as a machinist, her daughter, Alda, a teacher, and her sister, Lucy. 

In 1920, Ella is living as a boarder in the home of the Lawton family in Chester, Vermont. Her occupation is listed as "companion." 

In 1930, Ella has moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. At 77, she is living with her son Ernest and his family. In 1937, Ella fell ill. She spent the last months of her life living with her daughter Alda in Reading, Massachusetts. She passed away there on December 17th, 1937, at age 85.

If you know who this may be, let us know in the comments!

Pansy Niver, Caton, New York 1900s

Pauline "Pansy" Eola Niver was born in Caton, New York in 1888 to blacksmith Abner Niver and his wife Mary. Pansy was the only girl among three boys- Clay, Cloy, and a younger brother, Drexel. Another brother, Grover, died as an infant. I believe this photo, taken sometime between 1904 and 1907, may show the interior of the Niver family home in Caton. A few details tell me this is taken in a home rather than a studio: the natural light creeping through the window shutters, the framed photo on the wall, and the large family Bible sitting amongst other books on the side table. 

In 1907, 19-year-old Pansy married William E. Beaman (sometimes spelled "Beeman.") William worked for the New York Central Railroad. Together they had two children. Their first son, Niver, was born in 1911 and was named for his mother's maiden name. Drexel, named for Pansy's brother, was born in 1917. That same year, Pansy's mother Mary passed away. In 1920, William, Pansy, and their sons are living with Pansy's widowed father, who continued to work as a blacksmith in a repair shop. 

By 1930, Pansy and William had divorced. William remarried and remained in New York, while Pansy moved with her sons to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Here, she worked as a waitress and took in boarders.

Niver served in the Coast Guard Reserves during WWII before becoming a successful reporter. Niver was the city editor of the Waterbury American, a Connecticut newspaper, when it won a Pulitzer Prize for journalism in 1939. He went on to write Fat Man in a Phone Booth: Notes Off a Newspaperman's Cuff, a collection of comedic stories from his time in journalism. Later he left journalism to serve as California Governor Earl Warren's publicity director. Drexel, like his brother, also served during WWII. He married Jane Hamberger, with whom he had six children.

Pansy passed away on November 1st, 1954 at age 67. At the time of her death, Pansy's last name is listed as "Wagner" and her death certificate notes that she is married. Her obituary, however, mentions no husband, only her sons and her two surviving brothers. 

If you know who this may be, let us know in the comments!

Linnie Lawson and Her Sister, Stephenville, Texas 1900s

"Aunt Lennie Lawson + her sister."

This is a photo of Linnie King Lawson and one of her sisters, probably Mahala King Walker. Since they're not labeled, it's hard to tell which sister is which. Any guesses?

Linnie Esther King was born in Mississippi in June 1882 to parents Allen and Rebecca King. She was one of 7 children, including her older sister, Mahala, younger brothers Thomas, Allen, Fernandes, and Andrew, and a little sister named Ursula. The family lived together on their family farm in Stephenville, Texas. Mahala, also sometimes called Ollie, was 4 years Linnie's senior. I believe that by the time this photo was taken sometime in the early 1900s, both sisters would already have been married.

In December 1901, 18-year-old Linnie married Winfield Scott Lawson. The couple lived in Thurber, Texas, and raised 3 children there: Mayme, Doy, and David. 

Mahala married William U. Walker in June 1907. They lived in nearby Stephenville and had 7 children, one of whom was named Linnie after her sister.

Linnie's husband Winfield, who worked as a truck driver, was drafted into the military in 1918 at the start of WWI. His draft registration card describes him as "stout" with brown hair and brown eyes. Their son Doy worked in the oil fields as a young man, while David assisted his father in his trucking business.  Both sons went on to serve in WWII. After her husband passed away in 1937, Linnie lived with her daughter, Mayme, Mayme’s husband, Maynard, and their 3 children. Linnie Lawson passed away in 1949 at age 67.

Mahala’s husband, William, worked various jobs to support his family. In 1910, he is listed as an artist, specifically a landscape painter. Mahala meanwhile is working at a feed store. In 1920, William is a miller at a flour mill. In 1930, his occupation is listed as “laborer” in the crude oil industry. In 1940, at age 66, William is a farmer. He passed away at home in Stephenville in 1954. Mahala lived another 20 years before passing away in 1974 at age 97.

If you know who these ladies may be, let us know in the comments!

Ernest Haywood Miller, Texas, 1910s

Ernest Haywood Miller was born in Louisiana in August 1892 to parents Hubbard and Priscilla Miller. In 1900, Ernest and his 4 siblings, Octavia, Ruth, Clemmie, and Seabourn, are living with their parents on a farm in the small town of Muddy Fork, Arkansas. By 1910, the family had relocated to Silver Valley, Texas, where 17-year-old Ernest is working with his father on the farm. The family also gained three new members, Emma, Norah, and Onnie. 

In April 1917, the United States joined World War I, and in June of that year, Ernest registered for the draft. Just a few months later, in August, he married Lola Jane Brush, in Shackleford, Texas. They were only together a brief time before Ernest was shipped out to France with the 121st Infantry, 31st Division. They arrived in October, where the unit was broken up to serve as replacement groups for other units and sent directly to the front.

While Ernest fought overseas, Lola remained at home in Texas, pregnant with their first child. The baby was born sometime early in 1918 amidst the rapidly worsening Flu Epidemic overtaking the country. According to information left by a family member on Lola's Find A Grave page, Lola was nursing others ill with the flu in Cove, Arkansas when she herself became infected. Her sister, Minnie, cared for Lola until her death on November 8th, 1918. Her baby passed soon after. It is difficult to imagine what Ernest must have gone through, learning that his wife and child had died while he was so far from home. 

Ernest returned to Texas in May 1919 and settled in Henrietta. It was here that he met Flora Wilson, the daughter of a local farmer. They married in 1923 when Ernest was 31 and Flora was 17. They moved in with the Wilsons and lived on their farm in Wichita, Texas. Ernest was unable to work due to a disability he possibly gained during the war and his father-in-law may have helped support the couple. They had 2 sons, Ernest Haywood, Jr. (born 1927) and William (born 1928), and a daughter, Wanda (born 1930). Both Ernest Jr. and William would go on to serve in World War II. 

Ernest Haywood Miller passed away in 1959 at the age of 66 and was buried in Wichita County Cemetery in Wichita Falls, Texas. 

If you know who this may be, let us know in the comments!