This photo is one I am very familiar with. There is a copy in my Dad’s book of remembrance. I looked through that book so many times growing up, often at the side of my Grandmother who had created it. Even though the photo was familiar, the women were not. It was much later in life that I understood the significance of this photo.
The woman at the bottom left is my 2nd great-grandmother, Hattie Margaret Cheney. Hattie is the daughter of Joseph Thompson Cheney and Louise Maria Austin. Hattie was born in Paris, Bear Lake, Idaho on 9 July 1866. She was the third of eight children. She had four sisters and three brothers.
Here she is seen with three of her sisters – Louise Delina (who went by Delina), Blanche Lenore, and Della Maude. At the time this photo would have been taken, the fifth sister, Octavia Achsa, was no longer living. Hattie would go on to name her own daughter Blanche Octavia – who was my great-grandmother and the creator of this wonderful photo album. Della was the only sibling who never married or had any children.
What a treasure to have a photo of these four elderly sisters together! What makes it even more remarkable is that the four sisters lived in three different states – Idaho, Utah, and California. I wonder what event brought them together? I wonder whose idea it was to have this photograph taken? I would like to thank them. 😉
This photo comes from the twenty-sixth page of the album. Here are pages twenty-six and twenty-seven to give context for this photo:
This post is part of a series sharing this wonderful old family photo album. You can learn more about the album here. Pages seventeen through twenty-five were filled with twenty-two wonderful photos that all contained at least one living person. Descendants of Paul & Claudia Nye – email me if you would like files of those photos. My address is on the sidebar.
Wow, what an incredible family resemblance! Amazing!!
Thank you, Amy! I was thinking the same thing. 😉
There is such a strong family resemblance, especially the two in front! What a great photo.
Thank you, Ellen! It seems to be a consensus that these ladies definitely look like sisters. How fun. 🙂
Wonderful to have all four in a photo. My mother made a point to have pictures taken of her and her two sisters every time they got together in their later years because there were very few of them of her mother and aunts in their later years. And I’m glad she did, as one of my aunts died in 2011.
That really is great Elizabeth! I’m so glad your mother knew to preserve those memories. There is something extra special about intentional photos taken for future generations. Every time I come across one I want to hug them all for taking the photo. <3
I recognize the name Frank Cheney, but I forget why. I had trouble using your e-mail so. Mary Lake on your fan: correct the names to : SJMLT as is, Harriet (Hattie) Emily Owen Crane, Mary Lake, & my dear grandmother, Mary Jane Taylor Owen. In verifying Hattie’s middle name, there is a photo of Frank Walton Cheney & Mary Elizabeth Owen!! Wow!!
Very cool! Thank you, Nancy. My email address on the sidebar is written strangely to help prevent internet trolls from picking it up. Replace the {at} with the normal @ and replace the {dot} with a normal period – . I hope that helps! Would love to hear from you. <3
See what happens when I get behind on reading. Others seems to make the same comment I think up while looking at the photo and reading. What a treasure.
🙂 I’m so ridiculously behind on so many things this year. Lots of good stuff has been going on, and well the rest, eh, not worth mentioning. Here’s hoping I can get back in my groove when my boys are back in school.
I have a picture of my great grandfather and his brothers. Two of the brothers lived in Wyoming and Nebraska. The picture was taken in Ohio. I figured out that it was taken when they assembled for their mother’s funeral. So–this looks like the 1940s. Did anyone in the family die that these sisters might have been gathering for the funeral? Of course a family reunion is possible, but you probably would have other pictures from that.
They have such a large family, I didn’t even try to guess. A funeral is the most logical of course. Their mother died in 1927, that seems too early. Their other sister died in 1920, again, too early. They do have a brother who died in 1949, so that is possible. Della passed the following year. It’s too bad it’s not dated! 🙂