Caswell, Cederstrom, Celli, Chamberlain, and Champagne

Photo Friday
Ethel Wight Collection
By Don Taylor

This week for Photo Friday, I identify the people in five more envelopes from the Ethel Wight Studio Collection[i]. The envelopes contain the names who paid for the photos, not necessarily of the individual portrayed in the image. As such, it is vital to analyze the pictures and information to identify the individual therein.[ii] Ultimately, my goal is to reunite the photos with family members who may have never seen the image.

Ethel Cederstrom (1911-___) circa 1937, age 25

Ethel Cederstrom (1911-___) circa 1937, age 25.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Ethel Cederstrom, 549 Cumberland Ave, Portland, #389.”

• The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Ethel G. Cederstrom as a clerk at 586 Congress, residing at 529 Cumberland Ave, Apt. 2.
• Ethel Glenny Cederstrom was born 19 August 1911 to Rudolf and Alida Cederstrom.
• In the 1940 Census, she is married to Laurence Hawkins, and her mother, Alida Cederstrom is living with them.
• The 1930 Census shows 51-year-old Gertrude Cederstrom (head) living with her two daughters, Ethel and Verna Cederstrom, ages 18 and 13, respectively.
• The 1920 Census shows 51-year-old Rudolph Pederstrom (head) living with his wife Alida, son Rudolph (Jr.), and two daughters Ethel and Verna Pederstrom.

I believe this is Ethel Glinny Cederstrom about 1937, before she married Laurance Hawkins on 4 October 1937 when she was about 25 or 26 years old.

Ethel did not have a profile on Family Search; however, her father, Rudolph Cederstrom, has a profile, GCYX-FZB. Her mother, Elida (or Alida), has a profile GCYX-892. So, I created GZHP-T45 as the daughter of Rudolph and Elida Cederstrom. I uploaded two photos of Ethel to her Family Search profile and a third photo to my Flickr Photostream. I did not find any Ancestry Trees that included Ethel Glinny Cederstrom.

Hortense Caswell (1916-1980), circa 1937, age 21.

Hortense Caswell (1916-1980), circa 1937, age 21.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Hortense Caswell – St. Barnabas Hospital, Portland, #564.”

• The 1936 and 1937 Portland City Directories list Hortense Caswell as a Student Nurse at 231 Woodford and residing at 20 Norwood.
• The 1938 Portland City directory lists Hortense as a nurse at 19 Dow, Apt. 5, and residing at the same place.
• The 1930 Census lists Hortense A. Caswell, the 14-year-old daughter of Claude E. and Alice M. Caswell living in Gray, Cumberland County, Maine.

This photo was probably taken about 1937, as she graduated from St. Barnabas Hospital when she was about 21 years old.

Family Search identifies Hortense A. Caswell as ID: LTBG-GLN. I am quite sure this is her about 1937. I have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search profile. I have also uploaded one additional image to my Flickr Photostream. Hortense Caswell is found in five Acestry Trees.

A niece confirmed this photo is of “Auntie Hon.” (She disliked the name “Hortense.)

Marjorie Chamberlain, circa 1937

Marjorie Chamberlain, circa 1937

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss M. Chamberlain, State St. Hospital, Portland #838.”

• The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Marjorie Chamberlain, a student nurse at 62 State, residing at 52 State Street.
• The 1935 Portland City Directory does not list a Marjorie Chamberlain.
• Page 208 of the 1936 Portland City Directory, where I would expect “Chamberlain” to be listed, is missing from the Ancestry City Directories.
• Pages 192 and 193, where I would expect “Chamberlain” to be, are missing from the 1938 Portland City Directory.
• Marjorie Chamberlain is not listed in the 1939 Portland City Directory.

The 1940 Census

There was a 23-year-old Marjorie T. Chamberlain, who was a school teacher in Westborough, Worcester, MA.

There was a 25-year-old Marjorie Chamberlain who was a school teacher in Windsor, Shelby County, Illinois.

There was a 27-year-old Marjorie Chamberlain who was a bookkeeper in Towanda, Pennsylvania.

There was a 27-year-old Marjorie Chamberlain who was a typist in Worcester, Massachusetts.

None of these Marjorie’s were in Maine during 1935 and none of them were nurses in 1940.

There was a Marjorie Louise Chamberlain who married Maurice Eldridge Boardman in Vermont in 1937. However, she was only 16 years old, too young to be this Marjorie.

So, I have been unsuccessful in determining the identity of the Marjorie Chamberlain, who was a student nurse at State Street Hospital in Portland, Maine, in 1937.

I have added her photo to Dead Fred.

Marion E Champagne, circa 1937, age 23.

Marion E Champagne, circa 1937, age 23.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Marion Champagne, Queens Hospital, Portland, #303.”

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Marion E. Champagne as a student nurse at 218 State, residing at 681 Congress Street.
• Page 208 of the 1936 Portland City Directory, where I would expect “Chamberlain” to be listed, is missing from the Ancestry City Directories.
• Marion is not listed in the 1937 Portland City Directory.
• Marion E Champagne does appear in the 1938 Waterville, Maine, City Directory working as a nurse and residing at 7 Pleasant. Also at 7 Pleasant are Catherine, Dorothy E., Joseph A (Minnie), and Maurice.
• The 1930 US Census enumerated Joseph A. Champagne living in Fairfield, Somerset County, Maine. With him is his wife Minnie, two sons, and four daughters, including 17-year-old Marian E. Champagne.

I am sure this is Marion Champagne, daughter of Joseph and Minnie, about 1936, when she was about 23 years old and graduating from nursing school.

Family Search identifies Marian as ID: G4QG-FKK. I have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search profile. Additionally, I have added one photo of her to my Flickr Photostream. Marian is found in six Ancestry Family Trees.

Michael Celli, circa 1935.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mr. Michael Celli, 14 Mayo St, Portland, #614.”

• Michael Celli does not appear in 1934, 35, 36, or 37 Portland City Directories.
• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Catherine, Mary, Thomas, and Martin Walsh living at 14 Mayo.
• The 1936 Portland City Directory again lists Walsh’s living at 14 Mayo
• Finally, the 1937 Portland City Directory lists Catherine Parks, Martin Walsh, John & Margaret Murphy, and Peter & Shoughan Mouradian living at 14 Mayo.

Michael Celli, circa 1935.

A review of the 1930 Census yielded five individuals named Michael Celli.

• • A 29-year-old from Italy, living in Leominster, Massachusetts.*
  • A 19-year-old born in New York and living in Brooklyn, New York.*
  • A 12-year-old living in New York.
  • A 10-year-old living in Michigan*
  • A one-year-old residing in New Jersey.*

Besides the four individuals marked above with an asterisk (*), there were two additional Michael Celli’s enumerated in the 1940 Census.

• • A 50-year-old, born in Italy, living in New Jersey.
  • A 43-year-old, born in Italy, residing In Ohio.
  • Also, none of the Michael Celli’s in the 1940 Census indicate they lived in Maine in 1935.
  • Additionally, none of the wives of the Michael Celli’s in the 1940 Census indicate they lived in Maine during 1935.

Because the man in the photo appears to be about 30 years old and because the photo was probably taken about 1936, it is most likely the Leominster, MA, Michael Celli. However, without supporting evidence, I can’t make that determination.

I have added his two photos to Dead Fred.

Conclusion

I had:

• • Three successful identifications where I could post images to Family Search.
  • I posted two partial identifications to Dead Fred.
  • For the first time, I had an identification on Family Search where the individual does not appear to be in any Ancestry trees.

Final Note

If any of these photos are of your family member, I would love to hear your reaction. Especially if this photo is of a loved one for whom you hadn’t seen this photograph before.

Endnotes

[i] The Wight Studio was in Portland, Maine. Many thanks to Ethel Wight’s family for access to and permission to use the collection of their great aunt.

[ii] These images were converted to positives using a lightbox, a Nikon camera and computer software.