A mystery.....photo found among dad's things
suzefoss
I'm hoping someone out there can help me solve a mystery that I've been trying to figure out for over 10 years now. It's a photo found among my parent's things after my dad died in 1998.
I know immediately it's dad's family. I recognize the features of my Aunt Helen, dad's sister. That lady is the one standing on the left of the seated woman. I recognize the curly hair, the eye and mouth shape. If I put a photo of my Aunt Helen next to that woman's photo, other than the distance of time, they could be siblings.
The only thing I know about the photo is that it was taken in Culver, IN. I've posted it in the Marshall County Historical Society and tried the local paper without results. The photographer is no longer in business and I've been unable to trace someone who might have records or a thread connecting back to this photography shop.
My dad was born Russell Myrl Foss on October 17, 1012 in Culver, IN. His parents were Moncton H and Harritte Lucinda Cox-Foss. Hattie, as she was called, died in October 1919 of TB when she was only 29 years old. Although my grandfather remarried her sister, that woman had a total hatred of us and to say we were estranged would be an understatement. In her mind, we were no relation to her. That might have been for the best, considering the horror stories my aunts told of their growing up with her.
Dad, in the meantime, was removed and raised by his grandmother in Montana. He did not return to Culver until he was 18 years old.
Moncton was born to William Adney and Lovinia Delphine Youngs-Foss. Hattie was born to Alfred Tailor and Florence Huldah Taylor-Cox. The Coxes were Native American....
Alfred T Cox was born in Fulton Co to Daniel Alexander and Lucinda Jackson-Cox. She was born in NC and Daniel was born in Bartholomew Co, IN - which is where they met and married. Lucinda was born to Hiram and Mary Catherine Whitaker-Jackson. It's thought Hiram's parents were Jesse and Susannah Whitaker-Jackson; Mary Catherine Whitaker's parents were William and Mary Canada/Canaday/Kennedy-Whitaker. Mary Canada was from VA.
William O Taylor was born in Ohio to O. and Deborah Hinton-Taylor in Delaware Co, Ohio. He was married first to a Chipawa woman from Michigan who died in childbirth. He later moved with his parents to Northern Indiana, where they farmed. William drove stage from South Bend to Vincennes, IN, where he met Mary Catherine Hewitt - an orphan - working in the stage house in Vincennes. They took with them several of her younger siblings to raise (can't even imagine that today!)
Hoping something along the way in all that info will help lead to the ID of the ladies in the photo. Meanwhile, I continue my search.
Comments
janilye on 2013-03-28 21:11:54I'm betting one of the girls standing is his grandmother.
This photograph was taken c1890. Generally when men treasure photographs they are of his mother, wife or girlfriend. He would have felt his grandmother was like his mother since she raised him or this photo may have belonged to his grandmother. The era of the photograph and the ages of the subjects rules out all apart from the grandmother.
suzefoss on 2013-03-28 22:40:25I was all excited about your idea until I realized his grandmother only had three boys - no girls. I also have a photo of her when she was younger and she was very dark with dark eyes. This lady is fair with blue eyes.
But you've got me thinking and wondering if this may be Florence Huldah Taylor-Cox. I know he had a lot of contact with both his Foss and Taylor lines....Oh how I would love to know at last that I may be looking into the eyes of my ggrandmother! That would be wonderful and the possiblity is already sending chills down my spine!
Diluca on 2014-07-22 05:53:00I'm not being rude but isn't the lady on the right pregnant? That might help.