Full Circle 21

 Photo Number 409

Iggy found Liz on Facebook and sent her a message..this was our first (edited to second) Facebook connection!

I heard from Liz:
Connie,
I just got an email from xxxx ( Iggy)  that you found a postcard that I wrote to my parents when I was staying with my older brother in Carthage, Ill.

For some reason, my parents had me and my brother (Billy) spend the summer with my older brother and his wife. Not sure what the reason was, at the time. I just know for a 7 year old it was a long time to be separated from my parents and I can remember being terribly homesick. It was such a shock to open up the email and see the postcard I had written 48 years ago. My Mom saved EVERYTHING so not too surprising it appeared. We had an auction for my parents belongings at their home in Lake George, MN this past summer. ( The postcard was found at an Antique shop just down the road from Lake George, MN )

You are doing such a wonderful thing returning photos, cards, etc. that mean the world to someone. And it will be a treasure returned back to me and I know my children will treasure it, as well.
Especially, when they hear the entire story of how the postcard came back to me. Thank you.....can't say it enough. Liz
I had not heard if she ever got the card or not..so I emailed her over the weekend.
 
Yes, I did get the card. Thank you so much. My kids got a big kick out seeing their mom's little girl handwriting and my extreme homesickness. It is on display in my office and has been a great conversation piece. Thanks for the nice surprise and returning a piece of my childhood back to me. Liz
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Photo Number 445

This is a Real Photo Postcard that was tucked into the back of the Nettie Parks Album.

Kids in chairs!  At first glace I thought a girl ( because of the bow in her hair) and a boy ( his hair is parted off to the side).

This is an Azo Real Photo Postcard with the triangles up= 1904 to 1918.
In the same hand as we are used to seeing in this album:  My Aunt Frona Wheller (Wheeler)  Grandchildren Grace Wheller ( Wheeler), Watson (Fred)  Red Oak.  So there is a girl and a boy in this photo..both Grands of Aunt Frona.

Nettie’s Mother had a sister named Amanda Saphrona, so I will assume that this is one and the same Aunt Frona. I have decided that Nettie just spelled Wheeler,  Wheller some days..

Red Oak is a little town in Iowa.
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Update from Iggy: 
Fred Watson (b. 1878? in Montgomery County, Iowa) married Grace L. Wheeler (b. 15-Jun-1885 and d. 15-Nov-1972 in Red Oak, Iowa) when she was 18 years old on 04-Nov-1903 in Red Oak, Montgomery County, Iowa. The groom's parents were A.W. Watson and Sarah E. Brown. The bride's parents were Augustus Wheeler and Amanda Saphrona Mccombs (Aunt Frona).

Fred and Grace Wheeler had Helen Watson (1906), Dean R Watson (1909), Margaret L Watson (1910), Mary J Watson (1911), and 87 year old Augustus D Wheeler living with them in 1930.


From this information we will assume that the notation gives the names of the parents of Aunt Frona's Grandchildren.   So the Grandchildren in the photo are Helen and Dean Watson in 1910 or so.   Thanks Iggy! 


Update from Iggy: 
A Helen Watson married John W. Rapalje on 24-Sep-1924 and moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa. I believe Dean R Watson died fairly young but not before having Dean R Watson, Jr.
..and there... frustratingly enough, the trail goes cold.

Photo Number 444

This Real Photo Postcard was tucked into the back of the Nettie Parks Album.

This is a Kruxo Postcard ..I was unable to find an exact date for it..probably right around 1920.  Could it be Nettie’s Father?  Maybe..or one of her uncles. It is not marked with any names.

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Photo Number 443

This is another photo that was tucked into the back of the Nettie Parks Album.

This is another of those on the diagonal photos.

This is what is marked on the back.  Louis Wheller or Wheeler?
Earlier we had an empty page with this name on it.  Page eight.

Then to confuse both you and me…this fellow looks very much like a gentleman we looked at earlier in this album. 

The photo on the left was in a pocket marked Louie/Louis Stennett..perhaps someone mistakenly put it in the Louis Stennett spot when it should have been in the Louie/Louis Wheeler spot.  The photo on the left is a cabinet card..perfect for a slot in the album.   The photo on the right is 3 inches by 3 inches.  Ha!  They even tie their tie pretty much the same way.

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Update from Iggy: 
Louis A Wheeler was related to Nettie L Parks - they were cousins via her mother's sister Amanda Saphronia.

Full Circle 20

The photo of Emma Norell found it’s way back to Kansas recently.

Photo Number 415

Iggy located a blog post that contained an obituary of a relative of Emma’s and a connection was made.

Emma’s Great-Grand Niece Darlene wrote:

Hi Connie, Thank you so much for the picture.  As to the comment Emma Norell “Mothers Sister” I would guess that Emma sent this picture to her sister Anna in Wisconsin.  Anna had fourteen children and some live in Minnesota.  Probably one of the children made this notation when identifying who Emma was.  This picture didn’t mean anything to later generations. ( The photo is marked Mothers Sister)

All the Norell family ( Peter and Christina, Erik, Magdalena, Christina, Emma and Peter) came to Kansas except Anna  who stayed in Minnesota and married Aaron Peterson in 1880 in Lake City, Minnesota and Olof John who followed the family as far as the Dakota Territory or Nebraska. A son Sven was born in the Dakota Territory and died two days later.

The family has some of this picture but gladly would take more to share with the family here.  I’m enclosing a special picture of myself and my sister with Emma “Auntie” Norell.

During World War II in 1943 families living in a 340 square mile area of Gove, Logan, Lane and Scott Counties in Kansas had to move out of this area.  The land was used as an Arial Gunnery Practice Range.  This spread the family apart.  Some moved back after the war and others stayed where they had moved to.

Keep up the good job of saving family history pictures. Thanks!  Darlene

PS Enclosed is a check for $20.00 I appreciate all your efforts.

This is Emma Norell with her Great Grand Nieces Marlene and Darlene in late 1954, Emma Norell died March, 02 1955.

Thank you Darlene for sharing this photo..it is so nice to hear about the people that are featured, and to see what they look like in later years is a real treat.

I do not charge anyone anything for individual photos, however if someone sends me some money..I turn around and buy more photos that have names on them! 

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Photo Number 442

This is a Real Photo Postcard that was tucked into the back of the Nettie Parks Album.

Oh look..some smiles!! Whose photo do you think they were looking at? It looks like an old photo folder to me.

This was mailed from Windom, Minn.  May 5 at 230PM 19 something. To : Mrs. F. Strehlou ?  Mc Henry, N. Dak.

Dear Ema, How you like it.  Had some big pictures taken quite awhile ago. They will be ready next week. Hope they are good.  Love to all- Blair Hapel

I am not sure how it fits in the Nettie Parks ongoing saga..one of these young ladies could be one of Nettie’s daughters, or friends of her daughters. 

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Photo Number 441

This is a cabinet card that was found in the back of the Nettie Parks Album. 

Such a darling little girl! ( Her hair is parted in the center and it is curled!)   Her dress is showing the huge “leg of mutton” sleeves with the ”wings” on the shoulders that were popular in ladies blouses around 1895.  The information on the Photographer O E Flaten of Moorhead and Halstad Minnesota and Gardner ND shows that he was at these three studios from 1887 to 1902.   So I will date this photo at the year 1895.

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