Photo Sharing Theme of the Week: Generations

Question

This week's photo sharing theme: Generations.

To participate, simply:

1. Choose a family photo that fits this week's theme.
2. Add it to this week's free-space gallery.
3. Reply with an answer below to let us know which photo you're sharing. If you want to include the photo but don't know how, click here.

The photo you share might be featured on the WikiTree home page and in our social media channels as next week's Family History Photo of the Week.

If you use a social network (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) you might want to share your photo there as well. This can be a great way to involve more family members. Many people love seeing old family photos. Be sure to add #52weeksofphotos and #wikitree to your post.

Also see: Profile Accuracy Theme of the Week: Brick Wall.

Answer 1

This photo includes my grandmother Nettie Myrtle Smith about age 8, her brother Vernon, her parents Charles and Melissa, her grandparents Ira and Annie. Also included are Charles Smiths siblings and wives and the beginnings of each family.  If you look close you can even see the cat.  I never met any of the people in this photo but it is one of my favorites. I love the depiction of everyday life in their home. I believe it was taken when they lived in Franklin, Nebraska. Ira and Charles had a furniture store there.  They made the furniture. 

Comments

How do I add the photo and not just a link?

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Here are some instructions for posting a picture. I hope to see yours.

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Thanks for the help Joyce, I had to switch from my ipad to my computer to get it to work.

Answer 2

This is a photo taken in McAlester, Oklahoma in 1953 of four generations of my husband's family. I have always felt that he was very fortunate to be able to get to know his great grandmother Clara Hill Alexander, on the left. My husband is holding his baby brother, his grandmother is behind him, and his mother is in the back. I also have been lucky to be a part of this family, and his sister and I are best friends. 

Comments

Alexis, This is such a nice photo. I sometimes envy those who were able to know this many generations of their family. I can tell by their dress and the foliage this was probably taken in the warm season about three and a half years before I was born... in McAlester.

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Thank you Luther for your great comment. I knew your family lived in Eastern Oklahoma, but I did not know you were born in McAlester. How long did you in the area?

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Alexis, you have a wonderful photo collection! And you have a wonderful family on both sides. Thank you for sharing them -- your family and your photos with us.

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Thank you Robin for your lovely comment. With my parents deceased when I married my husband, I truly became part of his family.

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I can relate. Both my parents died within a year of my marriage to my husband and his family 'adopted' me. My mother-in-law treats me as another of her daughters. It's wonderful.

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I love the photo. He was very lucky. I was lucky I got to know 3 of my great grandmothers. They were super sweet, strong women. It is always good when you merry into a wonderful family.

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Alexis what a magnificent photo with four generations of your husband family

What a treasure to own

I love your husband holding his little baby brother.

Your husbands mother look beautiful

And his grandmother and great grandfather look so sweet

Thank you for sharing this wonderful photo

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Stacie thank you for your sweet comment. Stacie, how fabulous that you got to know three wonderful great grandmothers.

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Susan, my husband’s grandmother was like you, She only had nice things to say; she was so very kind to everyone. Also, she was a great cook!

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Outstanding photo Alexis...very sharp focus for 1953!  Thanks for posting!

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Scott, thank you for your comment, and luckily you don’t have to repair this photo.

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I'm keeping my eye on your photos!

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Alexis.....I took an interest in Clara and her descendants and noticed their Meriwether Lewis connection, which led me to restudy the Lewis and Clark Expedition, as last year we started our 'Cousin Frank's' Lewis branch on WikiTree.  Frank's ancestors passed down information about a connection to Thomas Jefferson which is checking out and might finally result in a connection to the tree.

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John, I did not know Clara because she died before I met my husband, but I knew her sister, Virginia, very well. She had her mind, and she loved to talk about the past. One time I was driving her from Oklahoma City to Enid; she started naming every little town we would be going though in order. I had made the trip a hundred times, and I realized she was sharper than I was. Wish I remembered her stories.

Answer 3

Since I have participated in this challenge the last 2 years I used my favorite generation photos already.

But here is a photo of people spanning 5 generations  This was taken a day before my grandmother's 100 birthday party.

My grandmother, Oma M Allison-Rammel (1895-1995), is seated in the chair with her favorite teddy bear.

Standing is my daughter, Brenda Marie Sims (1964) and her son, Jamie William Sims (1987) ... my son, Jeffery Dale Sims (1972) ... my other son, Gregory John Sims (1967) and his 2 daughters, Haily Lynn Sims (1988) and Kristen Marie Sims-Hoefert (1989).

Obviously missing and causing the generation gap are my mother, Ruth Ann Rammel-Sims (1918-2006 and myself, William "Bill" Dale Sims (1941).

Comments

Great photo, grandmothers and great grandmothers are the best.

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Yeah,  and Oma is actually the Great-Great Grandmother of the 3 youngest in the photo.

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Yep!  Teddies for the young and then teddies for the old.  Hey! where's my teddy bear...my daughter has it!  Thanks for sharing Bill!

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Too bad you and your mom didn't make the picture.That's classic.

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I do have some 5 generation photos .. but used most of them in the challenges the last few years.  Here is one with all 5 generations present.

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Absolutely brilliant, it is hard enough to have 3 or 4 generations but to get 5 is brilliant

Answer 4

The Jones Family, taken around 1904, presumably in Walworth County, Wisconsin. My great-great-grandfather, Leroy Jones, is the boy in the front row in front of the one in the beret; his parents, Joseph & Grace, are the man in the light jacket in the upper right & the woman near him; his paternal grandparents, Jay & Elizabeth, are the woman in black & the man behind her in the upper left. All the others are relatives, of course.

Comments

Wonderful photo. Finding photos is my favorite part of family history.

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Lucky you Thomas to have such a great old photo of the whole family.  Thanks for sharing.

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whenever I see such reallly old pictures I study the people's faces and try to figure out who they were,what kind of character they had and what their life was like and in some faces you can read more than in others. I'm lucky that I can still ask my mum (88 years old) who's who and she really still knows so many people in our village (in Germany), most of whom have already passed away

Answer 5

This photo shows shows four Lewerenz generations - always the eldest son - in 1961:

My great grandfather, Gustav Lewerenz (1874-1963) - my grandfather, Martin Lewerenz (1897-1965) - my father, Heinz Gustav August Lewerenz (1925 - 1999) - and myself, Dieter Martin Lewerenz. The photo was taken in the garden of the Lewernz home in Leezen, Kreis Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Deutschland.

Comments

Wow, great photo, and good looking men a real treasure to have.

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Nice masculine photo of the generations!  Thanks for sharing Dieter!

Answer 6

This photo is of Helen Van Vliet with one of her granddaughters, Adele (Patten) Woods and four of her great-granddaughters, Adele, Myriam, Julia, and Nannie Woods. (The woman standing hidden is unknown).

This photo was probably taken in the 1920s in San Diego, California, when Helen would have been in her 80s. She was my husband's gr-gr-grandmother, but unfortunately he never got to know any of these women.

Comments

What a treasure for him to have. Thank you for sharing.

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Robin what a wonderful photo of generation I absolutely love this old photo thank you for sharing

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The scent of San Diego bougainvillea seems to come out of this photo Robin!  The young girl in the back looks like she could be a sister to the others?  Thanks for sharing!

Answer 7

This is a copy of a photo of my grandmother, her father - George Henry Hobert Treat (1866-1917), his mother-  Delia R. (Broadwell) Treat (1843-1929)., and her mother - Ruth (Lee) Broadwell (1820-1910).  Ruth would have been about 72 in this picture, a bit older than I am now.

Comments

Wonderful photo. They are a good looking group.

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Great shot s.!  Have this one enlarged and hang it on the wall!  Thanks for sharing!

Answer 8

I looked through my picture collection without finding a good photo for "generations." Then I noticed that my dish soap bottle said "Seventh Generation." I wondered if I could find a seventh-generation ancestor with an interesting story, so I looked through my ancestor collection.  For most of my 4-great grandparents, the story was "born, married, had children, died." But here is the wedding of Samuel Beers, who was a 45-year-old widower with 2 grown sons when he married 48-year-old Eleanor Holcombe. Eleanor's brother George recorded in his diary:

28 January 1836--Today sister Eleanor was married to Mr. Samuel Beers for his second wife by Elder M. Jones about three o'clock. Brother Sylvester and family and Asenath Newton and son and the widow Wylie and family attended and the said Elder's wife Mrs. Jones was present. Brother Sylvester and family stayed all night.

You may notice that Samuel's sons were not present. The party could not have lasted very long, because the newlyweds would have had to leave before dark. (Horses do not have headlights.) It gets dark early in January. But there was probably time for a piece of cake, which the bride probably had baked herself.

29 January 1836- Took my double sleigh and brother Sylvester and his wife went with me and my wife home to our new brother Beers and took dinner and we returned home this evening. Brother Beers lives to the west part of town about 7 miles.

So the bride got right down to the business of cooking dinner for company. She probably washed the dishes, too, even without a bottle of dish soap.

Comments

What a good story. I love it when I can find a good story. I wish I had more family that wrote in diaries or journals. If I they did no one kept them.

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George kept a diary for years. It's full of information about his neighbors. Excerpts from it are available online.

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And we have a 'winner'!  So creative Joyce!  I'm likin' it and thanks for posting it!

Answer 9

I earlier shared a photo of 4 generation on my father's side.  Now I will share a photo of 3 generations on my mother's side.  This picture was taken in November  1959. and shows my Nana (Wilda (Pilcher) Brown Brown-61410), and my mother (Freda (Pilcher) Gunn Pilcher-358).  My sister (Gillian (Gunn) Clissold Gunn-1272) and I (Janet Gunn Gunn-471) are near the back of the car.  My cousin (Anita Irwin Irwin-1790) is standing next to my Nana.

My parents, my sister and I had left England(by ship, the Empress of Scotland) to move to Vancouver, Canada, in 1956.  The summer of 1959 we moved to New York, USA, and in November, 1959, my mother, my sister and I sailed (HMS Carinthia)  back to England to visit family.  My Nana had recently had a stroke, and moved from her own house to my Aunty Margaret's house, and we were staying there too (the small house was VERY crowded).

The car is my Aunt and Uncle's 1950 Riley, which they bought new when they married in 1950, and were still driving for daily transportation until at least 1977.

Comments

Good story and good photo. I love that your aunt and uncle kept the car for so long.

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So everyone get out of the way so I can see this collectible old Riley!  Looks like everyone is ready to go for a ride!  Thanks for sharing.

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I don't think I have any pictures featuring the Riley.  .

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Buy it today Janet!  $180k!

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Ha! I grew up in a house full of vintage cars and motorcycles.  When I was 6 months old I survived (no person was hurt, but the car was) the crash of a c 1929 1750 SS  Alfa.  When my father died I had to dispose of 8 vintage cars and 40 vintage and/or racing motorcycles (I kept one car, a 1959 Berkeley, and one motorcycle, a c1978 Yamaha TZ250, and my sister kept the 1971 Datsun 240Z)

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When I first saw the picture, I thought the car was a Mercedes judging from the round roof line and domed wheel covers. I have never heard of a Riley. You girls are cute in your matching skirts.

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Here is information about Riley cars

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riley_Motor

Like most other British car companies, they were absorbed into British Leyland

Answer 10

"Grandma Felter's Birthday"  15 Dec 1908.  Fortunately my grandmother identified all but one of the people, on the back. 

Comments

It is good to be able to identify the people in old photos. I have several that we can't identify some or all of the people. My grandmother passed several years ago and she did not write on the back of her photos.

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What a wonderful photo, a real family heirloom, we have a similar one and know very few of the people in it.

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Great family photo Mark...with a little photoshop we might be able to see those two in the pictures on the wall!  I agree Gillian...a family heirloom for sure!  Thanks for sharing.

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That's impressive, everyone is dressed to the nines. I'm assuming that's grandmother Felters smiling in the center. Happy Birthday, Ms. Felter.

Answer 11

This photo has a story with a twist. This is 5 generations: Ida Irene Kennedy (I will be working on her profile and the other 4 as well, Kennedy-12052) 1868-1954, Iva Beatrice Cunningham 1889-1963, Annie Mae Huffman 1909-2008, Deloris Jean Haney 1930- 2011, and Harry M Steinfeldt Jr. Ida was my 2x great grandfather's wife. Ida first married William Riley Cunningham after he died she married William Green Huffman in 1904. She was William's (William is my 2x great grandfather) 4th wife. Ida's daughter Iva, who is sitting next to her in the photo, was from Ida's 1st marriage. Iva married Joseph Allen Huffman in 1905. Joseph is William Green Huffman's son from his 2nd wife Nancy, yes Iva and Joseph were step brother and sister. I have not been able to find out who met first. Did William and Ida meet and introduce Iva and Joseph, did Iva and Joseph meet and introduce William and Ida, or were their families friends for years?

Comments

Stacie......I enjoyed the story with a twist......from the look of those smiles they might know more than we do.  Looking deeper I have calculated Ida is a closer cousin to the girl with a peace sign, in the next post, than I am.  

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Okay!  Five generations all together in one little photo.  Amazing!  Thanks for sharing the story!

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John, that is so fun to know. We are all closer that we think, it really is a small world.

Answer 12

My wife, Kathleen, chose the photo of her mother Margaret (Swenson) Wagner, center, with 3 of her 7 children (Kathy behind, Sheila and James beside), 5 grandchildren (of many more) and 6 great grandchildren (in attendance).  From the age of the great grandchildren it would have been about 2006 in Surrey, B.C., probably on occasion of her birthday.  This May 4th will be her 94th birthday and she now has great great grandchildren.                                

Comments

I love the girl in front with the the peace sign and big smile. Almost everyone looks happy to be celebrating her birthday with a picture. I love big family gatherings.

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Thankyou Stacie......the girl with the peace sign is Kathy's grand daughter and because Kathy and I are, as we have discovered, distant cousins and none of my biological children are in this photo, all but five would also be my cousins......as far as we know so far.

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Great memories for all John...and so many on the porch!  Thanks for sharing!

Answer 13

I have chosen this photo of my husband's mother's christening party. Dorothy Mary was a 'little surprise' that arrived when her older sisters were 16 and 18. They are in the back row, centre and far left. Dorothy is on the right on her mother's lap (Mary Ann Butlin), the lady in the middle is her grandmother, Ann Maria Timpson. We don't know all the names but there is a relative who might and we are hoping to meet up with him very soon.

Comments

Gillian,  The sun is just coming up here on the West Coast, after an interesting night of WikiTree activity, when a pleasant surprise popped up......your post, 'little surprise'..... brightened the morning even more.  

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What a fine family you have Gillian!  And what a wonderful family photo to have in your album!  Thanks for posting it!

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I have one of those surprise siblings. I was 30 when he was born, and I have three kids and a nephew and niece older than my little brother. My dad and step mother had been married 11 years when she got pregnant. She was 43 and my dad was 52 when he was born. My oldest loves calling him uncle John even though she is 3 years older than him.

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What a lovely story Stacie, thanks for sharing.

Answer 14

Here's a pic of my maternal line...mother Marilyn, grandmother Jesse and great grandmother Ella Maude (Muzzy) with my brother Dennis, in 1944 Long Beach, California.

Comments

Scott, thank you for sharing such a great four generations photo. Your mother is gorgeous, and your grandmother looks like her. Your great grandmother looks so sweet and happy; muzzy is such a precious name for her.

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Great picture. I thought your mom and grandmother were sisters when I first looked at the photo. I love your great grandmothers smile, its almost like she has a secret.

Answer 15

Four generations of my ancestors,from left to right, Clay Lawson; his son Bruce (behind) Clay's father, Grant; Clay"s wife, Eva; Clay's son Ralph (and my father); Clay's daughter Esther holding her son Harold, and Esther's husband George Byrd. Taken in Hancock County, Tennessee in 1940.

Comments

I love this photo Bryan and I think it because of the men's hats!  I would keep an eye of Bruce tho! lol  Thanks for sharing it with us!

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I hadn't noticed! Thank you for pointing that out. My great-grandfather and grandfather 'always' wore their hats. My dad was a rebel... he wouldn't wear a hat.

Answer 16

Three generations, taken when I was seven, with my Mum and Grandma.

Answer 17

I only recently discovered this picture in my mom's photos and took a quick snapshot to send to some relatives. It shows (left to right) me, my dad, my great-grandfather, and my grandfather. 

 

Answer 18

I added 2 photos, one from my dad's side (https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Gilmore-1307-1) and one from my mom's (https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Meador-855).

Comments

Here are some instructions for posting a picture. I hope to see yours.

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The photos are already uploaded to the WikiTree servers, I don't intend to push up any redundant copies.

Answer 19

My great-grandma is holding me. Next to her is her aunt (My great-great-grandma's sister) 

Answer 20

Here are three generations in a photoshopped image: me, my father, and my grandfather, all at about the same age. I had this image on my room wall (printed in large); it was very interesting that if you walk along you have the feeling that they will follow you by their eyes. Try it by yourself moving your head from left to right! A bit strange.

Comments

Very cool Hermann...an excellent job and thanks for sharing it! Great idea!