Today, I remember my mother, who passed away last fall. I miss her love of art, music, and poetry. She wrote the following poem many years ago and remember her as I recite it out loud.
Dancing Trees
By Sylvia Matson
‘Have you ever seen trees dance?’
My grandma asked me
As I snuggled on her lap
One lovely summer day.
‘Trees are big and strong.
Their roots run deep in the soil,’
I laughed and said. ‘Trees can’t dance.
I’m sure, grandma, you’re wrong.’
‘Oh, my darling grandchild,
You’re looking the wrong way.
Instead of looking down, dear one,
Look up high today.
‘See how the leaves and
Branches reach up toward the sky?
They seem to twist and sway
As the breezes wander by.
‘Sometimes you hear the
Rustle of leaves high in the air.
They sound almost like
Pretty skirts, ladies used to wear.
‘Next time you walk
Among the trees,
Look up. Then you’ll agree.
Grandma was right.
A good week for my Photo Identification Project. Three individuals were identified but one person had a common name and couldn’t be distinguished from eight different people.
Family Search
“Harriett (Reed) Shaw, 164 Oak Street, Bath, ME” – A quick check on Ancestry found that Harriet E Reed married John Shaw on 5 October 1898. She is person ID G3VG-WH7 on Family Search. The 1900 Census shows them living at 143 Oak Street, Bath. Also, the 1900 Census indicates that Harriet was born in August 1875. Finally, the 1910 Census indicates that John and Harriet live at 164 Oak Street. So, I identify this photo as “Harriett (Reed) Shaw, taken by Holmes Studio in Bath, Maine, sometime after 1900.” Her Family Search ID is G3VG-WH7.
“Etta Crowley” – There are were three photos of Etta Crowley.
“Etta Crowley – Mother later married Mr. Spear” – There are two photos done by E. J. Poisson, a Leading Photographer, in Westbrook, Maine, of Etta as a young girl.
The third photo in this group is “Etta Crowley,” which was taken at Marshall Studio in Westbrook, Maine, when Etta was a young woman. The 1900 Census finds Etta Crowley living with her mother, Helen Crowley, at the home of Lester Hoss on Cottage Avenue in Westbrook. Etta was born in 11 Feb 1892. I judge the two photos are of an eight or nine-year-old girl, so I dated the two photos circa 1898.
Helen (Reynolds) Crowley (Etta’s mother) married Benjamin F. Spear on 25 Jan 1902 in Portland, Maine, which helps establish for a certainty that the photo is of Etta Crowley, the daughter of Helen Crowley. A further review of Etta Crowley on Family Search indicates her ID is LRMS-YB8
“Mrs. Effie Griffiths – Durham, N. H.” – The photo is of a woman in her mid-30s to mid-40s. A Google search for “Effie Griffiths” and Durham, N.H. yielded 10 results. The top one was M. Effie Griffiths, born 2 Dec 1860 and died 21 Sep 1945. She is buried in the Griffith’s Cemetery in Durham, Strafford County, New Hampshire. It appears she was the only Effie Griffiths in Durham during the 1900 Census. On Family Search, she is Mary Effie Furber – LZXB-MG1.
Annie Williams
“Annie Williams of Bath” – The photo is of a woman in her 30s who was taken at the Longfellow Gallery in Portland, ME. My review of the Portland City Directories indicates that the Longfellow Gallery existed in Portland between 1900 and 1912 (No entries for the Gallery in 1898 or earlier nor in the 1914 City Directories or later), so I’ll date the photo circa 1906.
Possible Candidates:
Annie M Williams, born ca. 1853, lived in Bath Ward 3 during the 1910 Census.
Annie Williams, born ca. 1870, wife of Harry Williams, living in Bath, Ward 1 during the 1910 Census.
Annie Williams, born ca. 1871, was the wife of Edward Williams and lived in South Portland during the 1910 Census.
Annie Williams, born September 1872, daughter of William A Williams, living in Portland during the 1900 Census.
Annie A. Williams (born ca. 1873) married James Sawyer on 24 Dec 1903. She was 18.
Annie K Williams was born ca. 1873 and lived in Portland, Ward 2, during the 1910 Census.
Annie Laura Williams (born ca. 1873) married Fred Everett Walker on 22 October 1902. She was 29.
Annie N Williams, born ca. 1873, was the wife of Robert Williams and lived in Portland, Ward 3, during the 1910 Census.
Annie E Williams, born Nov 1879, lived in Bath, Ward 1, during the 1900 Census.
Annie M Williams, born May 1897, daughter of Daniel F Williams, living in Portland, Ward 1
The woman looks younger than 47 to me, so I’m confident it is not Annie M. Williams, born ca. 1853. And the woman appears to me to be older than 15, so it couldn’t be Annie M Williams, born May 1897. That leaves eight candidates born between 1870 and 1879, any of whom could be this Annie Williams.
Final Note
If you are related to any of these individuals or can help confirm the identities of them, I’d love to hear from you. Please use the form below.
In case you missed it, FamilyTreeDNA is offering Mother’s Day Sales on it’s Family Finder and mtDNA tests.
“Family Ancestry” is their Family Finder test that tests autosomal DNA and can be taken by anyone. “Maternal Ancestry” is a mitochondrial DNA test that can be taken by anyone but looks at potential maternal ancestors.
Very good week for my Photo Identification Project. Four individuals were identified, however, one was not.
Family Search
“Katie Farrington – Who married Starrett of Warren, Maine.”
There is a Katie Ella Farrington (of Gardner) who married Henry Vaill Starrett (of Warren) on January 1, 1901, in Gardner. Katie was 36 at the time of the marriage. I believe this photo to be of Katie, probably in 1900. See photo at Family Search.
“Edith H Lane.” No studio, date, or location information. However, this appears to be the Edith H Lane, born June 1871 of Simeon and Mary Lane who lived in Brownfield, Oxford County, Maine. She married Frederick W. Jameson on 28 December 1914. This appears to be a photo of this Edith H Lane. See her photo at Family Search.
“Miss Mills – Nurse” was taken at Hanson Studio, 12 Monument Square in Portland, Maine.
A look at the 1899 Portland City Directory discovered a Miss Inez L. Mills that was a nurse at 597 Congress, boarded the same place. I saw no other nurses with the Mills surname. It appears that Miss Mills was a nurse in Portland from 1898 to 1905. The 1920 Census finds the 47-year-old Inez living in Portland at 684 Congress Street and working as a registered nurse for the Red Cross. The 1880 Census finds Inez living with her parents Melvin J. and Abby Mills in Belgrade, Kennebec County, Maine. Finding no other “Miss Mills” that was a nurse in the Portland area, I am confident this is Inez L. Mills. Inez Luella Mills (1872-1944). See her photo at Family Search.
“Agnes Perry” – The photo is that of a young woman taken at Merrill Studio, Rockland, Maine. There is no date nor any other information. A search for “Agnes Perry” Rockland Maine provided a link to Agnes Mae (Perry) Radley on Find-a-Grave. It said This Agnes was born 2 Aug 1891 in Rockland, Knox County Maine. She married Franklin Leroy Radley in 1912. A search for her on Family Search found her with her parents in Rockland during the 1900 and boarding at 58 Camden Street in Rockland during the 1910 Census. A wider search indicated no other Agnes Perry’s in Maine during this period, so I’m sure this is the correct Agnes Perry. Agnes Mae (Perry) Radley, (1891-1963). See her photo at Family Search.
Unidentified
The last photo I looked at this week was of a woman standing. No name, no date, the only identifying items is that the photo was taken at Corson Studio in Madison, Maine. I posted a copy of the photo to the Madison Maine Historical Society Facebook page and asked if anyone can recognize the person.
Final Note
If you are related to any of these individuals or can help identify or confirm their identities, I would love to hear from you. Please use the form below.
This week for Montran Monday[i], I found an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer dated 22 July 1917.
Article transcription:
ANNUAL CONCERT AT OCEAN CITY
Musical Feast to Be Given at Yacht Club July 27 With Noted Quartette
Plan for Dance Thursday Next for Benefit of Hahnemann Base Hospital Fund
OCEAN CITY, N. J., July 21—The…
[Eight paragraphs then]
“Mrs. M. W. Montran and daughter, Miss Ruth, of West Philadelphia, were guests this week of W. Ward Beam, and wife at their apartments here.”
Source:
Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, July 22, 1917, Page six. Found via Genealogy Bank.
Analysis
This is clearly Maude Winter Montran (1875-1931) and her daughter Ruth Grace Montran.
Maude lived in Philadelphia in 1910 and in San Francisco in 1920. As such it makes sense that Maude and Ruth would visit friends or family before the move. Alternately, Maude’s other daughter, Thelma, was married in 1916 or 1917. Ocean City was a great place for marriages and Maude and Ruth could have been in New Jersey for Thelma’s wedding and then stayed with the Beams.
Future Actions
Research Thelma’s wedding date & location.
Research Mr. & Mrs. W. Ward Beam. Are they related?
ENDNOTES
[i] Montran Monday – My grandmother’s father was John Montran. She used the surname, as a young child and again when she began in show business. The name is uncommon and most of the Montrans I see in the newspapers are my grandmother during her early vaudeville career. However, with the constant flow of newly digitized material, I often learn of new articles which contain the Montran name. I pay attention to the finding and try to determine a possible relationship of any Montrans to Donna’s father, John Montran.
‘Trees are big and strong.
‘See how the leaves and
