Ida Guth standing, Ada Nafsinger left, Aunt Lizzy on right. In Washington, Ill.

This was a challenge, but I believe I did find all three of these ladies identities. It helped that two of them had full names on the back. Another huge help is the location of the photographer embossed on the frame – Washington, Illinois. Next I did some guess work around the age of the photo (early 1900’s was my guess based on dress) and of the ages of the women. Ida I presumed to be 35-40, Ada around 20-25, and Lizzy about 40-45. Initially I worked with a theory they they were sisters, that would be the easiest find after all.

Ida Guth was the easiest to find. She and husband Samuel are living in and around Washington in the early 1900’s. When I found her Maiden name of Ropp, there were unfortunately no other Ropp daughters that would have been her sisters. So the search continued with the theory that they might be cousins. That search took me to Ida’s parents siblings. It turns out Ida’s mother, Mary, did have a sister named Lizzie. But the real jackpot was the 1910 census in Washington, IL where Ida’s grandmother Catherine Kennel is living with her daughter Lizzie and her granddaughter Ada Nafziger. Bingo!

So it turns out Ida’s grandparents Catherine and Jacob Kennel had a lot of kids. Mary (Ida’s mother) was born in 1854. Lizzie (Ida’s aunt) was born in 1874 only 4 years before Ida herself was born. Ada turned out to be the daughter of another sister Amelia, born in 1857. Ada was born only 10 years after Lizzie in 1884. So I wasn’t too far off on the difference in the women’s ages.

While I don’t know the definite date of the photo, we do know That Ida Ropp Guth is pictured here with her niece Ada Nafziger and her aunt Lizzie Kennel probably around 1900.

I love it when a puzzle comes together!