This is a formal portrait of J. R. Bader, immigrant from Hugsweier, Germany, proprietor of the Bader Furniture Company, father of Carl George (Sr.) and founder of our family line in America.
There's no photographer's mark or any other identification on the photo, but it says "J. R. Bader" on the back in Barbara's handwriting (the very careful script of her later years, when writing had become a challenge for her). And look at his face: his expression looks so much like our "Grandpa Bader," Carl Sr. (Except for the mustache, of course!)
Again, no date on this photo, but J. R. Bader died in 1929 at age 65, so I'd guess this was taken sometime in the mid-'teens or early 1920s.
As you can see, although they may have met on Prince Edward Island, they were married in Worcester, Mass, where they raised their family—Harold, Edna (future bride of Carl Sr.), Mary Ellen ("Minnie"), and George Wyman.
It's interesting that both sets of great-grandparents married in the same year. J. R. Bader married Emma Elsner on May 25, 1887, at Arlington, Nebraska; George McAfee and Francis Cowell married September 24, 1887, at Worcester.
Love must have been in the air in 1887! Fortunately for all of us.
Was our great-grandmother Cowell's name really Francis, and not Frances? I can see that's the way it's spelled on the marriage certificate, but it seems odd.
ReplyDeleteSteve
Well, there's always the possibility of clerical error whenever anything is hand-written. Look at how many immigrant family names were altered in transcription on ships' manifests, or in the check-in process at Ellis Island.
ReplyDeleteMom always spelled her grandmother's name "Frances," and since that's the standard female form of the name, I'll bet that is correct. Jeannie's middle name (which is very likely an homage to her grandmother) is also spelled "Frances," so I should probably correct it in this post!