I did some research this week. I had a photo of the family that raised my maternal Grandmother Elsie. They were August and Elizabeth Anderson..Elizabeth was my Grandmothers Aunt.
I was also able to figure out a few things about this photo..
I believe this to be a photo taken right around 1915. Left to right are John-25, Lena-?, Annie-28, Lizzie ( Elizabeth)-21, Elizabeth-59, Elsie ( My Grandmother)–5, August-75, August-35 and William-15. This photo was just called the Anderson Family Photo. Now the faces have some names. In the 1920 census my grandmother appears as the adopted daughter. She went to live with this family in 1912 probably around Christmas time…after her mother died and her father did not want to care for her. On a side note..August seemed to have had some huge friendly dogs! I am not absolutely certain of the identity of all the men in the photo..but they seem to fit the census records and how the photo was labeled.
From what I understand this was a safe home for my Grandmother, she worked hard there..and when she became old enough she was “Shoved from pillar to post to work in the fields or cared for babies wherever she was needed the most.” She was married at the age of 15.
She had a good relationship with her adopted sisters..I met them many times when I was little..I just thought that they were a bunch of old ladies that visited my Grandma all the time.
This is how I remember these ladies, always in dresses with black little old lady shoes worn with thick stockings. One more piece of family history solved:)
Oh Connie, I loved this post. So great that you were able to identify so many in the old photo. That last photo of the sisters visiting your grandma reminds me so of a car load of "old ladies" that used to stop by my grandma's house. It would be many years before I realized they were relatives! They always had on the same attire as the ladies above too!
ReplyDeleteLove those old photos. It is great that they had this family photo made and that you were able to identify them. The men back then were so hardened when it come to raising kids.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good feeling to get the names and age of the people in old pictures. It was a hard life for a young girl back in those days. Great sun rise you and Chance got to share.
ReplyDeletePatsy
Thanks for more history about Elsie. The quote about pillar to post, is that from her directly or from her to your mom to you? A hard working good life often is the safest.
ReplyDeleteI love to read your stories! You have some history!
ReplyDeleteLanny, That is a direct quote from my Grandmother. She stayed with many members of this family, going from one house to the next where someone was ill or having babies. I don't think she had any say in where she went or for how long..she didn't feel like she belonged. I think that is why she married so young..she finally had a permanent home..and she was so young when she married..uffda:(
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story. It's so amazing to know our family history, but you actually have found (sleuth that you are) names and more! You will always have these memories now that your posts have archived them.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you are puzzling your family history together. Married at 15 - wow! (And no thanks.)
ReplyDeleteI remember my grandmother wearing those very thick stockings. Maybe it was standard 'granny' uniform? ;-)
So interesting. - Where did the Anderson side come from? My moms mother was an Anderson, and they all settled in the Wilmar Lake Lillian area after coming from Norway.
ReplyDeleteI had a boy in school who was raised by a couple he thought were his parents. When he turned ten they told him they were actually his uncle and aunt and that he had lost his parents. The boy eventually married and had five or six kids.
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