Wednesday's Portrait: Earl Mason Mendenhall

 Today's Portrait:

Photo from Findagrave.com

Earl Mason Mendenhall (1925-1961)- Deputy police officer in Ventura County, California. 

On 15 Jul 1961, he was transporting an mentally ill prisoner. For whatever reason, the prisoner was not handcuffed and was sitting in the front passenger seat when he reached over, grabbed the steering wheel, causing the car to run into a concrete bridge pillar. Mendenhall died while the prisoner escaped. 

Wednesday's Portrait: Quaker Girl's Club, 1874

Today's Portrait:

I came upon this one through a Google search for the name Libbie Mendenhall. I was actually searching for someone who was born in the 1940's so this wouldn't have been her at all, but it's still a neat picture! 

This portait is from 1874- the Club Girls of Friend's School, Providence, RI. 

Girls mentioned:

Libbie Mendenhall

Abbie Dockray

Ada Underhill

Eva Johnson

Ada Hazard 

Hattie Webb

Cassie Southwick

Ella Baily

Wednesday's Portrait: Dabuliewicz/Ellert/Ruski Family Portrait

 Today's Portrait: 

Spring 1906

When I came upon this gem, oh man, was I one happy family historian! 

The baby on the man's lap to the left, that's my great-grandmother Josephine Jeckering (married name). 

You can read all about her family abandonment, adoption, etc in a different post here.

The best way to describe this picture in a post like this-- 

Stanley Ellert (1849-1930) & Pauline Yocavich (1854-1937) married. They are the two older couple in the front/bottom row. They had 3 children: Stephania, Joseph and Mary (all pictured in the back row consecutively). 

Stephania Ellert married Josef Dabuliewicz (pictured below her, next to her mother). He is holding their daughter Josephine. 

Mary Ellert married John James Ruski (pictured below her, beside her father). He is holding their son Michael.

Who else thinks that Stephania and Mary look like twins?! :) 

Wednesday's Portrait- Ada Anita Mendenhall (1903-1995)

 Today's Portrait: 

How adorable is this picture?! 

This is Ada Anita Mendenhall (1903-1995), daughter of Murrill Alphonso Mendenhall (1877-1961) & Eva M. Smith (1875-1939).

Ada is my 6th cousin, 4x removed

Wednesday's Portrait- Louella Munn (1872-1958) & Friends

Today's Portrait: 

picture taken before 1950, not sure of exact date
Dayton, Ohio

This is such a cute picture- It really makes me question- where were they off to? Lunch? Church? Shopping? I want to say lunch and shopping- my 2nd great-grandmother Louella (far left) is holding what looks like a large shopping bag. 

Left to Right: 
Louella Ida "Ella" Munn Mendenhall (1872-1958), Ermel Phillips (friend), and Ada Mae Munn Fess (1871-1950) (Louella's older sister)

Wednesday's Portrait- Irene Rich (1901-1986)

Today's Portrait: 

This is Irene Rich, a dancer in the 1920s- not to be confused with Irene Rich, the Silent Film Actress.

This Irene Rich was born Ermel Amy Rich

Born: 14 Oct 1901 in New London, Indiana

DIed: 02 Nov 1986 in Indianapolis, Indiana, age 85

She was the daughter of Lindley Murry Rich (1864-1941) & 

Ruth Ella Hobson (1868-1910)

She is also my 5th cousin, 4x removed

Wednesday's Portrait- John C. Fremont High School, LA, CA, 1950

Today's Portrait: 

Junior Aggies Summer

Yearbook photo from John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles, California, 1950

15th person listed is Charles Mendenhall (1933-2006)- my 6th cousin, 3x removed. (It's hard to count 15 in because of how uneven the "lines" are in the photo)

Wednesday's Portrait: Wedding Portrait of Walter & Jane Smith

Today's Portrait: 

Walter Morse Smith (1920-1985) & Jane Anita Archer (1925-2014)

Married 19 Jun 1948 in San Diego, California 

Walter & Jane are my Husband's grandparents.

Wednesday's Portrait: Benjamin C. Mendenhall 1831-1886, Civil War

Photo courtesy of Fold3

This picture is from Fold3 Civil War pictures. One of the men pictured is Benjamin C. Mendenhall, although I'm not sure which one he is. Either way, it's an amazing picture! 

Benjamin C. Mendenhall

born: 14 Jun 1831 in Miami County, Ohio

died: 27 Jan 1886 in Rose Hill, Illinois, age 54

Benjamin enlisted 12 Aug 1862 and was in the 97th Illinois Infantry, Company E.

Benjamin is my 1st cousin, 6x removed.

Wednesday's Portrait: Charity Ann "Carrie" Mendenhall 1855-1950

Charity Ann "Carrie" Mendenhall Atkinson

Born: 21 May 1855 in Webster, Indiana

Died: 1950 in Webster, Indiana

How adorable is this picture?! Family playing with the kiddos-
Not exactly sure which one is Carrie, but she is supposedly in this picture along with Edna, Janet, & Herschel 

(got the picture off of Ancestry.com)

Wednesday's Portrait: Anna Viola Morgan

A couple of days ago, I came across a picture of a distant cousin of mine and I instantly started laughing because she looks just like an actress on a show I watch.

This is Anna Viola Morgan (1917-1988):

Does she look familiar? She may, if you watch the show Riverdale! If you don't, the character's name is Ethel Muggs, portrayed by actress Shannon Purser.

How cute are those chubby cheeks, curls and bow?! :)

Do you have any doppelgangers in your tree?! 

Wednesday's Portrait: Mr. and Mrs. French and their car

Today's Portrait: My Great Grandmother and her Second Husband

I don't know when this picture was taken, but I think it's such a neat picture! On the left is my great grandmother- Ruby Mae Henderson Seaver French (1901-1990) and her second husband- Mr. French. I don't know anything about Mr. French, except his last name. 

Wednesday's Portrait: Gerhard Cletus Jeckering

Today's Portrait: Gerhard Cletus Jeckering (1900-1967)
                           ~My Great Grandfather

~Working as a tool maker at the Ohio Machine Tool Company in Kenton, Ohio

Wednesday's Portrait: Dorothy Mabel Reed

Today's Portrait: 

Dr. Dorothy Mabel Mendenhall ('nee: Reed)

b. 22 Sep 1874 Columbus, Ohio

d. 31 Jul 1964 Madison, Wisconsin

I love this picture because of the woman behind it! Dorothy was a wife, mother and a doctor! She proved that Hodgkin's disease was not a form of tuberculosis and discovered the blood cell disorder characteristic of the disease. What a profound life for a woman of her time!!!

Wednesday's Portrait: Gravestone of Aaron & Christena Mendenhall

Today's Portrait: 

Gravestone of Aaron Mendenhall & Christena (Spielman) Mendenhall

My 4th Great Grandparents

Buried in Mendenhall Cemetery in Darke County, Ohio

Wednesday's Portrait: My Grand Aunt- Rita Irene

Last week, my grand aunt passed away, so in remembrance of her, today's portrait is a picture of her! 

Today's Portrait: Rita Irene Schock ('nee Jeckering)
                   b. 10 Mar 1928
                   d. 21 Jan 2015

Wednesday's Portrait: Mendenhall Sisters

Today's Portrait: 

Sisters: 
Bonnie Maree Mendenhall (1908-1913) (Left) &
Flora Adaline Mendenhall (1911-2005) (Right)

This is an interesting picture that I found on Ancestry.com. Bonnie and Flora were are my 5th cousins, 4x removed. 

I'm curious about this picture because I'm sure Bonnie died not long after this photo was taken! She only lived to be 4 years old (pictured on the left). I can imagine this is the same year that Bonnie had to have died. 

The picture looks like the sisters are sitting on a rock wall by the ocean- they lived in Los Angeles, so that could be pier behind them to the left! 

Wednesday's Portrait: Jeckering Groceries

Today's Portrait: Jeckering Groceries, Flour & Feed

One of my distant cousins gave me this picture and I absolutely cherish it! I was beyond excited when I saw it and it will forever be one of my favorite family history pictures! 

The reason I was so excited for this picture is because I've been researching my family tree for a long time. My 3rd great grandfather- Gerhard Jeckering (1829-1898) immigrated to America from Germany. He came to America as a carpenter but opened this grocery store- (I'm still researching what year the store opened). The only picture I ever had before this one was inside of the store from a newspaper. The building is no longer there- either it was torn down or it was destroyed in the Great Dayton Flood- I'm not sure which one. I never knew what it actually looked like. For some reason, I always pictured it A LOT smaller. Gerhard and his wife had 7 children. They all lived in the apartment above the store. I pictured it dark and cramped and pictured them poor- for some reason. I can see here that that wasn't a small apartment at all! It was fairly big! Good for them! :) 

If anyone has any suggestions on how to find out what happened to the building, could you leave it in the comment section below? :) Thanks!

Wednesday's Portrait: Leonard L. Mendenhall (1926-1992)

Today's Portrait: Classroom Portrait- 

Leonard L. Mendenhall (1926-1992)- Tall blonde in the middle of back row 
(My 6th Cousin, 3x Removed)

I wish I knew more about this picture- I'm guessing it dates around 1936 or so because Leonard looks about 10, 11 years old. 

Wednesday's Portrait: Happy New Year!

I didn't have anything planned for today so I found a cool old picture on Google- from 1958-- Check it out :)

New Years- 1958

- This makes me laugh because my dad would have been only 8 years old and my mom only one year old!!!