THE OLD HOMESTEAD - PHOTOS OF FAMILY HOMES

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             It is said a picture is worth a thousand words, so this post will not be nearly as long as it could be, since it’s largely made up of photos!  I have many photos of family homes, some indoor, some outdoor.  Some photos that appear to be the interior of a home may in fact be a photo backdrop, which was popular early on in photographic history. 

I don’t have many photos of the interior of my ancestor’s homes, but I do have several of the exteriors.  The oldest residence photo I have is from 1897, and is of my great-grandparents, Francis Marion and Sarah CHURCHWELL and their children.  This is a favorite of mine, not only because of the people, but of the view of the house, yard, barn and some horses.  This must have been taken in late fall or early spring since the trees are bare of leaves. 

 

1897 – Left to Right:  Rebecca Ellen, Richard Henry, William Thornton, Thomas Herman, Father - Francis Marion, Sr., F. M., Jr. (rear), Benjamin David, (front), Mother - Sarah Ann Virginia (DURRETT), Mary Susan, John Samuel, and Mona Lorena.  (2 daughters Frances Josephine and Sarah Ann, were married by then).

Another favorite, for the same reasons as above, is a circa 1899 photo of my grandmother as a little girl with two of her siblings, her parents, grandparents, an uncle, and a family friend.  This is unique because of the way they are spread out in the yard.  The season appears the same as the CHURCHWELL photo, again trees have no foliage.  I do not know whose house this is at, but I’m going “out on a limb” to surmise that it’s probably the home of John & Lucretia WALLIS, since Clara EVANS is in the photo.  John WALLIS lived with the EVANS family after he had a falling out with his father.  

 

ca.1899 – Left to Right:  John Glover WALLIS holding son Rufus Monroe, Rufus Ira SMITH, Iva Louise Henrietta with her grandmother Martha (PATTERSON) Smith, Jeptha Rufus SMITH, Archibald Eugene with his mother Lucretia Virginia (SMITH) Wallis, and Clara EVANS, family friend. 

             In about 1915, a family photo was taken of my grandma Iva WALLIS CHURCHWELL’s parents and her siblings.  This is an example of a possible photo backdrop, since I have no idea if this is the interior of their home or not.  Charley left his wife and three daughters and for years his whereabouts were unknown.  His mother did receive a letter from him postmarked Wisconsin.  Years later, one of his daughters discovered that he had remarried, without being formally divorced! 


ca 1915 – Back: John Wesley, Charley Thomas, Rufus Monroe, Iva Louise Henrietta, Archibald Eugene and Mary Elizabeth Front: John Glover WALLIS, Jesse Irene between her parents, and Lucretia  Virginia (SMITH) WALLIS

            My LAREW grandparents lived in southwestern Missouri, where all their children were born; they moved to Colorado in 1934.  I believe this is my grandparent’s house, I have a couple of photographs of this place.  The woman in the doorway is unidentified, but the three children are my aunt Lois, my dad Kermit and their cousin Ruby.  They are each holding a goose egg.  I have another picture of Grandma LAREW with her four children and her mother-in-law.

 

1919 –Lois Esther, Kermit Winfred & cousin Ruby Cleo LAREW

 

1925 – Kermit Winfred, Margaret Caroline (DENBY) LAREW, Marjorie Gail, Lois Esther, and Helen Esther (VANHOOSER) holding Georgia Juanita LAREW


           1991 -  Home of Charlie P. & Margaret C. (DENBY) LAREW in Dade County, MO.

 


     Barn of Jim & Helen (VANHOOSER) LAREW, Dade County, MO, across the road from his folks, Charlie & Margaret


              My mom always told me they lived in a sod house, but for some reason I thought that was when she was very young.  But I have a photo of William, Iva and their children standing in front of their "soddy" in 1936, for Will & Iva's 25th wedding anniversary.  Notice the holes between some of the mud bricks - makes me shiver thinking about winters in that soddy and the cold wind on the plains!  


1936 – Back row: Richard Webster, Kenneth Weldon, Harold William, Francis Wallis, Warren Calvin,  Front row: Iva Louise Henrietta, Beckie Jean, William Thornton, Louise Virginia, and Mildred Elizabeth

              My dad was discharged from the U.S. Army on October 8, 1945; he told my mom he wanted to go visit his family in Missouri before he started working as a civilian.  So, they drove out to see his kin.  If you look close at the photo, I believe that's my dad's car with a rumble seat!   His maternal grandmother had been widowed three times, and married her fourth and last husband when she was in her 80s. 

         1945 OCT –  Mildred Elizabeth (CHURCHWELL) & Kermit Winfred LAREW, Orlena America (STOCKTON) & Alfred James CARTER

              In November, 1945, my mom wrote that they “came to look at a little house in Westwood 582 So. Meade."  Mom took a photo of Dad clearing the lot.  They timed their purchse just right, since their first child Kermit Dean, was born nine months later!  By the time I came along, the address had changed to 592. 

 1945 – Kermit Winfred LAREW clearing the lot for new home

              I have a photo inside a home, but I’m not sure whose house it is.  I believe, based on the calendar on the wall, the photo was taken in March of 1953.  My guess is it is either John or Irene’s house; both lived in Iowa and the other siblings must have come for a visit. 

 

     1953 – WALLIS siblings: John, Irene BRODERS, Monroe, Lizzie ALLEN, Archie & Iva CHURCHWELL

              My CHURCHWELL grandparents moved from Wheat Ridge to 3437 W. 23rd Avenue in Denver.  I barely remember the house in Denver; my main memory is of the back porch with lots of plants, and the alleyway.  My uncle Kenneth and aunt Vivian (PRESLER) living across the alley from Grandma & Uncle Calvin.  Grandpa CHURCHWELL died before I was born. 

  

1954 – This photo of the CHURCHWELL kids was taken in front of the CHURCHWELL's home after their dad’s funeral - Frank, Kenneth, Mildred LAREW, Harold, Jean WILLIAMSON, Calvin, Louise SHERMAN, & Richard

                   

NEXT:  TENNESSEE RESEARCH

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