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Showing posts from September, 2022
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A photo with minimal information. Can I identify the family? I purchased a lot of photos from an estate sale auction. This one was in a modern frame. I could see the photographer's studio mark- E. J. STONE, DEXTER, MICH. When I removed the photo from the frame, I found TODD FAMILY on its back. Who were these people? I went to the Directory of Early Michigan Photographers available online here . Edmund J. Stone operated his studio in Dexter, Washtenaw County, Michigan between 1898 and 1907. Todd Family, front of photo. Back of photo. Examining the photograph, the family appears to have been, arranged by age: 1). Adult male (father) 2). Adult female (mother) 3). Oldest child- male 4). Second oldest child- male 5). Third oldest child- female 6). Fourth oldest child- female 7). Fifth oldest child- male 8). Infant, unknown sex  On Ancestry.com I then searched the 1900 census for Dexter, Washtenaw County, Michigan for the surname Todd. No results. I broadened the search to the entire Was
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I purchased this photo at a thrift store in Tucson. It is a photo of a studio photograph. No studio mark is visible. On the back (see below) in black ink is written the following: Maternal Parents & Grand Parents & Uncle of Bernice Gingrich Nagel  1904 3rd Lawrence Calvin Smith 1889-1957  Fred Dewitt Smith 1884-1930 2nd row Josiah Henbling Gingrich [holding] Florence Irene Gingrich b Lavern W. Smith 1877-1939 1st row  Mary Inez Smith Gingrich My Mother   Lucy Hooker Smith Born 1/14/1852  Henry D. Smith Born 3/19/1845 New York State  Gordon Hooker Smith 1893-1964 Smith-Gingrich family. Back of photo, showing text transcribed above. On Ancestry Public Trees I exact searched for Lucy Hooker born 1852 with a spouse Smith. Only one entry, for Lucy Fisher Hooker, 1853-1934, married to Henry DeWitt Smith, 1847-1920. Their children were Luverne, Mary Inise, Fred Dewitt, Lawrence Calvin, and Gordon H. The family lived in Isabella County, Michigan. Mary had five children- Florence, Oliv