Churchill, Cialone, Clancy, & Clark(2)

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 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.

Miriam M. Clark (1913-1977) circa 1935.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Miriam Clark, ME Eye & Ear Infirmary, #473.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Miriam Clark as a student nurse at 79 Bramhall and residing at 804 Congress. 79 Bramhall was the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary address. Miriam does not appear in the 1936 City Directory, so she appears to have graduated in 1935.
• There was a Miriam M. Clark, born on 11 March 1913 to Wallace and Melvinia (Kingston) Clark in Portland, Cumberland County, Maine.
• Miriam M. Clark of Portland married Joseph W. Finney on 6 August 1935 in Exeter, New Hampshire.
• Finally, the 1931 Deering High School (Portland, ME) yearbook shows Miriam M. Clark, vice-president of the Junior Red Cross. That photo and this photo appear to be of the same person.

I am confident this is a photo of Miriam M. Clark (1913-1977) about 1935.

• • Family Search identifies Miriam M. Clark as ID KNXD-X5Y. I am confident this is Miriam about 1935, shortly before she married. I have uploaded one photo of her to her Family Search profile.
  • Twenty-four Ancestry trees list Miriam Melvenia Clark.

Confirmed by a granddaughter to be a photo of Miriam (“Mim”).

Rachael Clark, circa 1936

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Rachael Clark, ME Gen. Hospital, Portland #914 .”

A review of Portland City Directories from 1935 through 1938 failed to yield a Rachael Clark. A further study of the 1937 Portland City Directory produced four individuals with the Clark surname who were either nurses or nursing students. They were Bernice, Marion E., Charlotte N., and Bessie M. Clark.

The 1940 US Census found a 24-year-old Bernice Clark, a nurse at the Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital in Greenville, Piscataquis County, Maine. This appears to be Bernice E. Clark, the daughter of Joseph and Emily Clark of Greenville, Maine.

Consequently, I do not believe I can identify Rachael Clark, who was likely a student at Maine General Hospital in Portland, Maine, about 1936.

I have added a photo of her to Dead Fred.

Joan, Barbara, & John Clancy of Portland, Maine, circa 1936

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Frederick Clancy, 70 Waterville St., Portland #460.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1940 Census lists Fred Clancy living at 70 Waterville with his wife Margaret and four children. Frederick Jr. is only one year old and is too young to have been in this photo. The other children in the 1940 Census are Joan (age 10), Barbara (age 9), and John J. (age 6). John appears to be about one. So, this appears to be a photo of the three of them about 1935, which is consistent with the photo ID number (#460).

I was unable to find Joan, Barbara, or John Clancy in Family Search. Additionally, I was unable to find any of the three in Ancestry Public Trees.

Further research found Frederick Joseph Clancy, Jr. was born 5 October 1938 to Frederick J. and Margaret L. (Tierney) Clancy. Again, I have been unsuccessful in finding Frederick Junior in either Family Search or in Ancestry Family Trees.

I have uploaded two photos of Joan, Barbara, and John Clancy to Dead Fred.

Mary J. (D’Amato) Churchill (1895-1998), circa 1937

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. Mary J Churchill, 65 Rosemont Ave, Portland #943.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mary J Churchill, the wife of Howard L. Churchill, living at 65 Rosemont Avenue.
• The 1940 US Census lists Mary J. Churchill, born about 1897 in Massachusetts, is living at 115 Mabel Street with her son, James, and daughter, Helen. Howard is a lodger at another location.

Family Search identifies Mary Amanda Jeannotte D’Amato, wife of Howard Lawrence Churchill and mother of James and Helen Churchill, as id LJJX-YSY. Additionally, 20 Ancestry Trees list Mary J. D’Amato.

I am quite sure this is Mary about 1937. I have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search profile. I have also uploaded a third photo of Mary to my Flickr photostream.

Corp. Dominick Cialone (1916-1997), circa 1943

The envelope this negative was in says, “Corp. Dominick Cialone.” Unlike most photos in this collection, there is no address and no number (which helps date pictures).

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• I was unable to find a Dominick Cialone associated with Maine during the 1930s or 40s.
• Dominick Joseph Cialone registered with the Social Security Administration in November 1936. In his application, he indicates his parents are Antonio and Mary (Constantino) Cialone.
• Dominick Joseph Cialone, born 3 February 1916 in Clinton, Massachusetts, registered for the draft in October 1940. He and his mother lived at 12 Wood Street in Shrewsbury, MA.
• Dominick J. Cialone enlisted on 12 March 1941. I believe this photo is of him about 1943, possibly before he shipped out.

I did not find Dominick Cialone, born 3 February 1916, in Family Search; however, he is found in eight Ancestry Trees.

I have added his photo to Dead Fred.

Conclusion

I had:

• • Two successful identifications that I posted to Family Search.
  • Four identifications I am confident about that I posted to Dead Fred.
  • One person that I failed to identify adequately. I did post her photo to Dead Fred.

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.

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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.