In doing family history and genealogy, every once in a while, you get lucky. That happened to me this week. I had been working on my maternal line, adding some new information at WikiTree. Suddenly, appearing in my email inbox came a string of emails with photos attached. The scans were from a cousin from an album of her Grandmother’s that had recently surfaced. The images were from the first four decades of the 1900s. All in black and white, some not of the greatest quality, of course.
A big thank you to my California cousin, Rose Shapley (daughter of Jeanette, grand daughter of Gertrude, great grand daughter of Nettie, our common ancestor) for sharing these photos and many others!!!
Suddenly, among the dozens and dozens of images, two jumped out at me. I shared them with my daughter, Annette, who did a little editing, and really enhanced the images. Thanks, again, Annette!
The images I have from the early 30s of my family are few and far between. A good number earlier, many later. Perhaps is was the Depression era, but any good stuff from that era is welcome. So, the date of 2 Feb 1931 on a family group, or two, was most welcome, and led to much more fun.
Uncle George, on the left, was from Illinois, so his visit to Coon Rapids and Bayard in western Iowa was likely the occasion that generated the photos. It turns out, this is a complete group of the family of Nettie (Williams) Kinnick at the time, 18 children. Here is a rundown of the entire family pictured here:
The families:
Paul, 39, Dorothy, 43, Leo, 14, Eileen, 12, Buzz, 3; P.S. Buzz is the only one of the entire group that survives today (8 Aug 2020) at nearly 92 (on 18 Aug), my mother’s brother - Uncle Buzzy!! ;-)
Lucile, 37, Wilson Herron, 41, Margaret, 17, Wilbur, 15, Don, 14, Duane, 12, Pauline, 10, Wilson, Jr. (Ping), 8, Naomi, 6, Geneva, 4, Genevieve, 4, Shirley, 2
Robert, 34, Edna, 36, Lyle, 14, Ila Jean, 12, Gretchen, 11, Betty, 9, Burdette, 7
These three families were complete in 1931.
Gertrude, 29, and Everett Brideson, 32, would also have their two children in the 1930s. John and Jeanette.
Lillian, 23, and Delbert Ford, 27, would have their two children in the 1930s. Roberta and Dennis.
Just one of these four are still living, John Brideson, now 85.
Personal note: On the children’s photo, I was especially taken aback by the young lady on the left - my mother, Eileen, just past 12 years old, along side her ‘best friend’ Ila Jean. The oldest is Margaret at 17. “The Twins” - Geneva and Genevieve - are in front, age 4, along with the youngest, Shirley, 2, and Buzz, age 3, of the 18 total kids. A year later, as a 13-year old, Mom began her diary that she kept continuously throughout her life that ended in 1999. A valued set of artifacts in our family.
Nettie was the matriarch of the family. Her husband, Lon Kinnick, had died in 1923. Her given name was Margaret Jeanette Williams, but always known as Nettie. As I was growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, the Kinnick Williams (or Williams Kinnick) Picnic was a June Tradition. This included her brothers and sisters and their families as well, of course. In a bit reduced format, this annual gathering in June continues…but everyone who qualifies, or wants to attend, is welcome. I get a phone call every year. Herron girl descendants generally organize and Uncle Buzzy is always involved. It is held at the Aquatic Center Community Building in Coon Rapids, Iowa, each year.
I’ll post links to additional related stories as they are produced. I love to hear comments and questions.
Families are Forever!! ;-)
Related link: https://thekinnickproject.blogspot.com/2020/08/netties-grandchildren-1-feb-1931.html
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