Tag Archives: Class photo

Williamsville Township High School, 1934, with handsome Orlando Viola

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Orlando Viola, 1934

Orlando Viola, 1934

Orlando Viola was 18 in this class photo from Williamsville Township High School in 1934. He was the son of Nikolas “Nick” Viola and Maria “Mary” Jannesse, both Italian immigrants. Nick and Mary married about 1911 in Illinois. They would have 8 children in all, Orlando was their second born, and first son. From at least 1920 to 1940 the family lived in Fancy Creek, Sangamon county, Illinois; the same county as the high school. Mr. Viola worked as both a coal miner and a road laborer.

In 1940, Orlando still lived at home and was working as a railroad laborer with his high school education. But on February 18, 1942 he decided to join the army. His mother died the same year. Per his army enlistment record Orlando was married at the time. Younger brother Julio would join him in the army.

Orlando’s parents lived out their lives in Sangamon county (near Springfield). They are buried in Calvary Cemetery there; as are many of his siblings. Orlando’s burial location is unknown to me. According to SSDI he died in 1977 while living in Virginia. He may have been the only one of the Viola children to leave Illinois.

I’m still searching for anyone searching for Orlando!

Marion O’Connor, inevitably some will remain a mystery

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Marian O'connor, 1934, 5th grade, Peekskill, NY

Marian O’connor, 1934, 5th grade, Peekskill, NY

Not everything can be uncovered. I know precious little about Marian O’Connor. Specifically I don’t know if she ever married and had descendants who might be looking for this adorable 5th grade photo. She might even still be alive and kicking! Here Marion is about 9 attending McKinley School in Peekskill, New York. She had a younger brother, Eugene, who would have been 6 or 7 at the time of this picture. A few census records are all I have to give me an inkling of who Marion/Marian was.

In 1925 the family, Peter O’Conner and wife Mary Krovjansky/Kravyanski lived in Cordlandt, New York. Mary’s father, Marion’s grandfather, lived with them. He was from Austria/Hungry. In 1930 the O’Connor’s had moved to Peekskill where Peter worked in a Food products company, Mary’s father was still with them. Mr. O’Connor had worked his way up to “yeast master” (a common profession in Peekskill apparently) by 1940. Both of Marion’s parents are buried in Assumption Cemetery in Cortlandt. Her father died in 1946 and her mother in 1977.

Here’s to hoping someone stumbles across Marion!

Anna May Lagana 1934 – into the looking glass of life and a census stumper!

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Anna Lagana, 1934, 5th grade in Peekskill, NY

Anna Lagana, 1934, 5th grade in Peekskill, NY

There’s something odd about looking at a photo of a 10 year old girl and reading the words of her obituary: “Her husband of 45 years died in 1993.” It’s like looking into a crystal ball and seeing a future we’re not supposed to know about. Anna certainly didn’t know what life would hold for her in 1934.

At the time of this photo she was living in Peekskill, Westchester county, New York with her parents (Matteo and Agnes Lagana), and two older sisters (Agnes and Margaret). Anna was born in 1923 in New York. The 1930 census listed her as Matteo’s sister rather than daughter; but it’s clear from the age difference and other census records that she was a daughter. Her father was from Italy and her mother from Ireland. Interestingly the exact same family (parents, children, ages, birthplaces) was living in Suffolk, Brookhaven, NY in 1930. The census records were only 14 days apart. The duplication existed in the 1925 NY census as well. One Matteo/Agnes family lived in NYC and another in Cortland, Westchester, NY (likely our Anna).  City directories show Matteo in Peekskill 1924-1927. In 1940, “Matt” and Agnes were still in Peekskill with Anna and younger brother Francis. Matt is a bar tender now, he had worked in grocery before. So far, I haven’t found the duplicate family in 1940.

Any ideas on that??

Here’s a snippet from her obituary: “Anna May Brendel, formerly residing in Tucson, Arizona, died on June 7, 2006 in Pasadena, California from advanced Alzheimer’s disease. She was born as Anna Lagana in Peekskill, New York on September 29, 1923. She married Oswald R. Brendel in 1948, having met him in Saudi Arabia while she was an employee of the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) for eight years. In 1953 they returned to live in Peekskill until 1961, when she and her family moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she worked as a x-ray technician. In 2002 she then moved to Pasadena, California to live closer to her two sons. Her husband of 45 years died in 1993.”*

*”Brendel, Anna Mae.” The Arizona Daily Star July 2, 2006. Obituary and Death Notice. Print.

Margery F. VanAmburg: From Michigan to California

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Margery VanAmburg, 1931, Plymouth High School

Margery VanAmburg, 1931, Plymouth High School

Such a sweet photo of 18 year old Margery VanAmberg. This was her senior year high school photo at Plymouth High in Plymouth, Wayne county, Michigan. During the 1930 census, the year before this photo, Margery lived in Plymouth with her family: Arthur Garfield VanAmberg (dad), Nellie Friend (mom), Marian (sister, age 12) and Keith (brother, age 10). Her father was a carpenter building houses, as his father had been before him.

The family had moved to Plymouth from Bay county, Michigan where they had lived in 1920, next door to Nellie’s parents (Margery’s maternal grandparents). There, Arthur had been a farmer. Margery’s paternal grandfather (Fred VanAmberg) lived with them.

After high school, Margery did what many women of the depression/pre-war era did. She went to work. According to the 1940 census, she was a bench worker at an auto plant. Her siblings (all of them still living at home) also worked. Marion was a stenographer and Keith a machinist in the auto industry.

Eventually Margery would marry Charles Morrison and at some point move to California. It appeared to be a family move. Mother, Nellie died in California in 1983, just 3 years shy of her 100th birthday! Margery had been preceded in death by her husband, and died in California in 2005. I’m confident there will be some descendants to give this photo a good home.

Clinton V. Postiff 1931 – Elvis had nothing on this guy’s hair!

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Clinton V. Postiff, Plymouth High School, 1931

Clinton V. Postiff, Plymouth High School, 1931

I do love Clinton V. Postiff’s hair! This is a photo of 18 year old Clinton – born in Michigan in 1913 to a college educated farmer, Walter James Postiff and his wife Mabel Shayman. Walter and Mabel lived in Michigan all of their married lives and had 5 children in all; Clinton was the second oldest and second son. In 1940, the entire family still lived at home with the exception of Clinton. He had married Dorothy and was farming on his own. Dorothy had a 2 year old son, listed as Clinton’s step-son in the census. Zary Owens.

Farming, or something, took the Postiff’s to California. Clinton died in Los Angeles in 1971 at only 58 years of age. His wife would outlive him by more than 30 years, passing away in 2005. Several sibling died out there too, so the move must have been a family affaire. Both brother Allen and sister Mildred died there; Allen in 1935 and Mildred in 2002. I don’t know where they are buried, but Dorothy’s obituary indicates that she and Clinton had at least 4 children – some of whom are hopefully into genealogy research and will enjoy the photo.

Good luck Clinton!

Ralph Spitzer of Chicago, another son of German immigrants who fought the Germans

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Ralph Spitzer in 1931

Ralph Spitzer in 1931

Meet Ralph Spitzer, a classmate of Thomas Wirth from St. Michael’s Central high school in Chicago. Ralph was born in Illinois in 1913 to Max Spitzer and Sophie Mawicke. Max and his parents were all from Germany and immigrated to the US in the mid 1870s. Sophie’s parents were also German, but she was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ralph was the youngest of 5 siblings (Loretta, Florence, Dorothy, Robert, and Ralph). The family appears to have all lived and died in Chicago.

In 1931, the year of this photo, Ralph was in high school. After graduation he continued to live at home and worked as a shipping clerk for a clock manufacturer; he did not attend college it would appear. His mother died in 1939, and, with the war in full swing, Ralph joined the army in 1942. He married Rose in 1948 (the same year his father died), although I don’t know if they had any children. I hope they did, so there will be some descendants who care about this photo!

According to several sources, Ralph Spitzer died in Chicago in July of 1981. His parents are buried in Saint Boniface Cemetery in Chicago, but I’m not sure where or if Ralph is buried.

Best of luck Ralph!

The Gaines couple and Eastman Business College, Class of 1888 in Po’keepsie

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Photos of the 1888 class as well as President and Treasurer, Clement C. Gaines and Mrs. C. C. Gaines.

Here’s what the documentation shows: Mr. Clement Carrington Gaines was born on March 15, 1857 in Charlotte county, VA according to a passport application. He was 53 at the time of the application in 1911. The wife Elizabeth he listed was 27. Likely NOT the same wife as in this class photo.

In 1880, the closest census to this photo, 23 year old Clement was living at home in Virginia with his parents and siblings. Parents were Richard V. and either Virginia or Elizabeth Gaines (different names in different years). Clement was listed as a student, his father a farmer. By 1900, Clement had married Mirina E. who was 13 years his senior. They lived in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, NY. Clement was a teacher. I believe it is Mirina who is pictured here as Mrs. C. C. Gaines.

The could had no children listed as living with them. But, thank goodness for the 1892 NY census, in that year, in Poughkeepsie, Clement was 38, a professor, no wife was listed, but a young Minerva Gaines was 14 years old. This was likely Mirina’s daughter, but I can’t find anything else after that one census. Was this a mis-recorded wife? Had Mirina already died?

By 1920, second wife Elizabeth had entered the picture. She and Clement, now 62, still lived in Dutchess county, NY with 4 small children – aged 7 to 2. I hope Clement had a lot of energy!

An additional list of life events follows on his Find A Grave memorial. According to that site, he died in 1943 and is buried in Gaines Family Cemetery in Virginia. Other photos of the couple are for sale in an autograph book listed here.

Anyone know what happened to Mirina or Minerva?

Thomas Wirth of St. Michael’s Central High School in Chicago

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St. Michael Central High School, Chicago, 1931

St. Michael Central High School, Chicago, 1931

I LOVE when I get a “new” class photo that I’ve ordered. This week the 1931 class of St. Michael’s Central High School in Chicago came in. The “Central” is very important in order to differentiate it from St. Michael’s High school, which started co-ed but quickly became all girls. This school, it appears, was all boys, at least this class. Here’s a great site that gives some background on the school.

Thomas Wirth (1914-1939)

Thomas Wirth (1914-1939)

The first young man from the 1931 class that I will focus on is Thomas Wirth. In 1930, a year before this photo, Thomas lived with his parents and 2 sisters. He was 16, both his parents were born in Germany. His father, Joseph Wirth, was a elevator operation. His older sister Mary, named after their mother, was the only other worker in the house; she sold pianos and organs.

Looking back, in 1920 the family – with oldest son Joseph Jr. still at home – were still in Chicago. Mr. Wirth still operated elevators and Jospeh Jr. (age 22) was a bookkeeper for a railroad. The spacing of the children was interesting: 8 years between the 1st and 2nd, 8 years between the 2nd and 3rd, 4 years between the 3rd and 4th.

Thomas doesn’t show up in a census after 1930. It appears he died rather young, in 1939 at the age of 25 :( He was married to Erma Wirth. I’ve not found anyone searching for him. Not surprising given his young age when he died, but perhaps a niece or nephew or even a child of Erma’s who would be interested?

Beekman Ezell, back to the Wink Wildcats!

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Beekman Ezell, 1937

Beekman Ezell, 1937

I just can’t resist these Wink Wildcats. A rugged Texas team of young men, many of whom would go off to war, and Beekman Ezell was no exception. Born on December 5,1919 in Louisiana to Jefferson Ezell and Pearl White, Beekman Benjamin Ezell was the 2nd of four children born in rapid succession. Older brother Jeff was born in 1918, Beekman in 1919, Dee Earl in 1921, Don in 1922!

It appears that dad, Jefferson Ezell, died in 1925 in La Salle, Louisiana where the family had lived. Pearl remarried by 1930 and she and her children lived in Wink, Texas with new husband Hobart Little. The children are actually listed with the last name Little in this census. But that’s corrected by 1940, when the family is still in Wink.

Beekman enlisted in the war effort for the army in 1941. He was single at the time with 2 years of college. He was released from the arm in 1945 and went back to college at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, and he also went back to playing football. A 1946 newspaper article discusses the issue of vets who receive disability payment playing football. They, and Beekman was mentioned by name, would have to take a physical and if they didn’t pass, choose either football or benefits, but not both.*

Beekman appeared to live in or near Winkler for most of his adult life. Beekman Ezell died August 19, 1999. He was preceded in death by his first wife and remarried, passing away before his 2nd wife. He is buried in Kermit cemetery. A wonderful obituary of his brother Don on Find a grave, outlines more of the family history.

Looks like serving their country and TCU football were in the Ezell boys’ blood!

*Friday, November 1, 1946, Seattle Daily Times (Seattle, WA), Page: 31

Peekskill, New York 1934: A gem of a 5th grade class

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Fifth grade class of McKinley School in Peekskill, NY 1934

Fifth grade class of McKinley School in Peekskill, NY 1934

What a wonderful photo this class makes. This is the 1934 Fifth grade class of McKinley School in Peekskill, New York. I love the way the individual pictures are arranged and the background – they really do look like little angels!

I’ve randomly chosen one of these youngsters to research. His name is Joseph Palmiotto (2nd row from bottom in the middle). Joseph was born in New York in 1923 to Italian immigrant parents. He would be about 10 in this photo. Pascuale and Philomena Palmiotto (that’s a mouthful) likely married in New York. Pascuale came over in 1911 and Philomena in 1921 – according to the 1930 census of Peekskill. Pascuale was a yeast maker. I can only imagine the yummy pizzas in that household!

Joseph Palmiotto, age 10Joseph was their first born of eight children – at least that’s all they had had by 1940. He died in New Jersey in 2003, just a few days after his 80th birthday. His parents are buried in Assumption Cemetery in West Chester County, NY along with several siblings. But Joseph is not there.

That’s about all I’ve discovered in my quick search on Joseph. I hope to find a family who would enjoy seeing him as a spry 10 year old!