John was the Pastor for "The Church Of The Brethren" church in rural Cordell, OK. Photo taken probably in Cordell, Oklahoma, about 1915.
They are dressed very conservatively in this one.
In the front row - John Pitzer, Marie, my grandmother Minnie Maye and Annie Elizabeth.
In the back row - Gladys, James and Alice. James disappeared in 1938, the family believed he was robbed and murdered as he was carrying a large amount of cash after a sale, but nobody ever found out for sure.
Gladys, Marie (in wagon) Alice standing in back and Paul with his dog Bounce.
this picture is earlier, my grandmother was not born yet for it
This photo was around 1935. I guess the Church of the Brethren had a not so strict dress code by this time too.
more Sepia Saturday family photos and histories
I so enjoyed these! Yes, funny how the dress codes lightened up! They do that now and people have a fit but it's been going on for decades! ha.
ReplyDeleteThey are such a good looking family. So sad about James...never knowing for sure.
Love the dog in harness!
ReplyDeleteDid the family also suspect that James might have absconded?
Like Vicki, I love the dog cart.
ReplyDeleteIn fact,one of my postcard sub-collections is "Quebec Dog Carts". they're listed in my Quebec Index in the Gaspe section:
http://wp.me/pp92w-3tO
The ones depicted in my collection are mostly handmade wooden carts and there are several styles. The use of the dog carts in the Gaspesie seems to come from the Norman French - and I've found no trace of them in other parts of Quebec or New Brunswick.
Do you think the cart in your image is bought or handmade? If it is handmade, then the wheels could be from a large pram, no?
Does the lettering on the side say Express?
P.S. In Europe they used dog carts in Belgium till the 20th century.
Possible murder and intrigue in the family. That must have difficult for those closest to deal with at the time.
ReplyDeleteI also like the picture with the dog cart.
ReplyDeleteSad about James. That would be terrible on a family, always wondering.
Great photos! It is interesting to see their facial expressions in the earlier photo as compared to the later one. Mom looks like she is pleases as punch in the last one.
ReplyDeleteVicki hit my observation...perhaps he simply left. I'm sure carrying a lot of money back then would have been a great test of one's moral character. Wonderful story and great looking family.
ReplyDeleteFound them in the 1910 and 1920 Census. John was listed as a farmer in 1910, a minister in 1920. James was living with them in 1910, but not 1920. Wonder where he was? Do you have any newspaper clippings of his disappearance and presumed murder? It would be interesting to know more.
ReplyDeleteFascinating. I have fond memories of going to church with my grandparents in the Brethren Church in Indiana in the 1950s.
ReplyDeleteMinnie Maye could hardly keep from smiling even when just about everybody else looked serious. I think I would have liked her. I feel so sorry about Jame. I wonder what he would have done with his life if he hadn't disappeared.
ReplyDeleteWhat a mystery about James. It makes me want to be a detective. It looks like it hit other people that way,too.
ReplyDeleteNice collection of shots.
ReplyDeleteGreat picture with the dog cart. I enjoyed seeing these wonderful photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat snaps, especially the second one. And it would seem the dress codes are not even close to what they were, as I've observed. More like "casual Friday" these days, wot?
ReplyDeleteI found you through Larry and Jerri's blogs. I love these pictures and the history.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post - you can have endless fun (well I did, anyway) searching for the same faces in the first and the last photo. It is its own little exercise in how changing times are reflected in faces and demeanours.
ReplyDeleteThere is something so magical in old family photos but your photos are always so perfect. It is great to have these moments captured in time.
ReplyDeleteHugs from Holland ~
Heidi