Tuesday, March 9, 2010

**UPDATE** Slightly labeled

UPDATE: Mystery Monday's aren't always mysteries forever! This is the family of Phylea Hopfinger & Fredrick Nieman. Fredrick & Phylea had eight children. In birth order we have Edward, John, Franklin, Clara Hasselbach, Elmer, Bessie Gauthier, Cora Boyson & Karl. I am assuming Karl is the missing name.


For the first mystery we have this picture of ten. The back is beautifully labeled in black ink pen as follows:
  • Cora - August Boysen
  • Bess - John Gauthier
  • Elmer -
  • John -
  • Edward -
  • Frank -
  • Fred
  • Clara - Arthur Hasselbach
  • Phylia
Does anybody else see a problem with this? First, there are only nine names but ten faces in the picture. Second, what name goes with what face? Third, does this family have a last name? If the names follow and go left to right the back row would be Cora, Bess, Elmer, John, Edward & Frank. Is the younger male on the far right side Fred or does that make the older man sitting Fred, the young woman in the middle Clara and the woman on the right Phylia? That would leave the youngest male unnamed. Does anybody have any more information on this family?

Timeline: The photographers mark on the bottom right hand corner says "Banister". There is some writing below that but I can't make it out. When I look in "Ohio Photographers; 1839-1900" I find nothing. That isn't surprising because judging by the girls clothing on the far left I was guessing it was taken after 1900. I pulled out my trusty "Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs" and looked at the listing for female clothing after 1900. The listing for 1908-1914 is the last listing and it is the first to include the notation for skirts as "feet show". Since you can clearly see the girls feet I assume this was taken after 1908. The youngest child, Karl, was born in October of 1895. Assuming he is 14 or 15 years old that would make the picture taken in 1909 or 1910. Cora, the youngest girl, is only 10 months older than her brother and it is possible for her to be fourteen or fifteen I am guessing right around there.

Where It Fits: Frederick Henry Nieman is the son of Frederick Nieman & Christina Schriber. In February, 1879 he married Phylea Hopfinger. (You can find her name spelled a billion different ways.) Phylea is the daughter of Charles Hopfinger & Friedericka Richardson. As mentioned above they are the parents of Edward, John, Franklin, Clara Hasselbach, Elmer, Bessie Gauthier, Cora Boyson and Karl.

5 comments:

Candy Dish said...

The Fred Nieman family, Port Clinton, Ohio.
Back row: Cora L. Nieman (m. August Boysen), Bess Nieman (m. John Gauthier), Elmer Nieman, John Nieman, Edward Nieman, Edward Nieman, Frank Nieman, Karl (sometimes: Carl) Nieman,
Front row: Frederick H. Nieman (father), Clara Alma (m. Arthur Franklin Hasselbach), Phylea Hopfinger (m. Frederick Nieman)

Carl Nieman died in a car accident 22 Apr 1917.
Fred Nieman also died in a car/interurban train accident 19 Jun 1919.

Candy Dish said...

Phylea Hopfinger Nieman is my husbands great-grandmother.

Candy Dish said...

Karl (Carl) Nieman died in 1917 at the age of 21.

Candy Dish said...

Sorry, in the first comment I listed Edward Nieman twice.

Kathryn said...

WOW! Thank you for the information Candy Dish!