Ethel Wight Collection – Part 44

Friedel, Frizzel, Gain, Gallagher, and Gallant

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.

Emily C. Frizzel, circa 1937

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Emily Frizzel, Maine General Hospital, Portland, #686.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Emily C. Frizzel, circa 1937

  The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Emily Frizzel as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital) and residing there.

• The 1940 US Census lists 23-year-old Emily C Frizzell as a registered nurse at 22 Arsenal. She was born in New Hampshire and lived in Coos, New Hampshire, in 1935.
• The 1930 US Census lists 13-year-old Emily C Frizzell as the daughter of Alpheus B and Catherine E Frizzell living in Coos County, New Hampshire.

This is a photo of Emily C. Frizzell about 1937, probably when she graduated from nursing school.

Family Search identifies Emily Carolyn Frizzell as ID L2XH-MJY. A photo of Emily confirms this is the same young woman. There are seventeen trees at Ancestry.Com that refer to Emily.

I have uploaded two photos of Emily to her Family Search Memories.

Margaret Frances Gallant, ca 1937

This negative envelope says, “Miss Frances Gallant, 196 Massachusetts Ave, Portland #702.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Margaret Frances Gallant, ca 1937

  The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Melvin J. & Theresa L. Gallant living at 196 Mass ave.

• The 1930 US Census lists Melvin J and Teresa C Gallant living at 142 Dresden Ave., Gardiner, Kennebec County, Maine. With them is their 9-year-old daughter, Magaret F. Gallant.
• Social Security Applications and Claims Index lists Margaret Frances Gallant, born 25 April 1920 in Gardiner, Maine, the daughter of Melvin J and Theresa L (Lashow) Gallant. She sighed her SSN card as Frances Gallant, suggesting she went by Frances. Margaret died on 3 May 2006.
• Sister Frances Gallant, born in 1920 and died in 2006, was buried at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland.

I am sure this is Margaret Frances Gallant about 1937 when she was about 17 years old.

Alternative Individuals?

• There is a Frances H. Gallant, born in 1929, who lived at 59 State Street in 1930. Her parents were Joseph and Lillian Gallant. She is too young to be the woman in this photo.
• There is a Frances J. Gallant, who was a clerk living at 24 High listed in the 1939 Portland City Directory. She appears in the 1838 Directory at the same address. The 1937 Directory lists Frances as a clerk at 530 Main, South Portland, and living at 528 Main. Page 364 is missing from the 1936 Portland City Directory at Ancestry.

Family Search does not have a profile for Frances Gallant, although her father, Joseph George Melvin Gallant, and mother, Teresa Lucy Lashow, appear as IDs KHVD-VM4 and KZRK-XRR, respectively. And there are four trees at Ancestry that refer to Margaret Frances Gallant (1920-2006).

I have uploaded two photos of her to Dead Fred. See https://www.deadfred.com/surnamePersR_05.php?ID=153190
https://www.deadfred.com/surnamePersR_05.php?ID=153192 

Joseph Gain, circa 1936

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mr. J. Gain, 254 Spring St., Portland #588.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Joseph Gain, circa 1936

  The 1936 Portland City Directory lists George J. and wife Mabel G. Gain living at 254 Spring. Also residing at that address is Joseph G. Gain.

• The 1930 US Census lists Joseph Gain, the 19-year-old son of George and Mabel Gain, living at 65 Grant Street. Joseph was born in Massachusetts.
• Joseph Gain, born 10 March 1912 in Massachusetts, appears in the Social Security Death Index.
• Joseph G. Gain married on 13 June 1936.

It appears that this is Joseph, probably just before he married in 1936. He would have been 24 years old.

Family Search identifies Joseph Gain, son of George Joseph and Mabel Genevieve (Libbey) Gain, as ID  LK5W-8V7. Nine family trees at Ancestry.Com refer to Joseph Gain, the son of George Joseph and Mabel Genevieve (Libbey) Gain.

I have uploaded two photos of Joseph to his Family Search Memories.

Francis J. Gallagher, circa 1936 (Infant)

The envelope this negative was in says, “Mrs. J. F. Gallagher, 8 Ponce St., Portland #680.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Francis J. Gallagher, circa 1936 (Infant)

  The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Joseph F. and his wife, Frances E., living at 8 Ponce.

• The 1940 US Census identifies Joseph F. and Frances E. Gallagher living at 8 Ponce. Living with them are their two children, five-year-old Francis J and their two-year-old daughter, Jannette. Janette would not have been born in 1936 when this photo was taken, so this must be Francis.

Family Search identifies Francis J. Gallagher, son of Joseph Frank and Frances E (Hall) Gallagher, as ID LTVH-LFM. I am sure this is Francis about 1936. Francis does not appear in any trees at Ancestry.Com; however, his parents appear in thirteen trees.

I have uploaded one photo of Francis to his Family Search Memories. I also uploaded two additional photos of Francis to my Flickr photostream.

Virginia Friedel, circa 1937 (age 7)

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Virginia Friedel, 128 Pearl St. Portland #810.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Virginia Friedel, circa 1937 (age 7)

  The 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939 Portland City Directories list Mrs. Agnes F. Friedel, a waitress at 8 Forest ave, living at 128 Pearl. The 1940 City directory reports Agnes residing at 128 Beal (error?).

• The 1937 directory also shows Oscar F (and Amber M) Ross living at 128 Pearl. Also at that address was Inez M Hodsdon (widow of Charles D)
• The 1940 US Census shows 68-year-old Inez Hodkins living at 128 Cumberland. Living with her is her 31-year-old daughter, Agnes Fredel, and her 10-year-old granddaughter, Virginia. Virginia was born in Massachusetts and Agnes in Maine.
• The 1910 US Census identifies Charles D. Hodsdon [Hobsdon] living in Portland with his wife, Inez M Hodsdon, and four-year-old daughter Agnes F. Hodsdon.
• 1947 Portland High School Yearbook appears to contain a photo of the same young woman.

I am sure this is Virginia Friedel, the daughter of Agnes Friedel née Hodsdon, about 1937 when Virginia was seven years old.

Family Search does not have a profile for Virginia Friedel. However, her mother, Agnes F. Hodsdon, appears as ID GC42-QHT. Likewise, no trees at Ancestry refer to Virginia. However, there are 12 trees on Ancestry that refer to Agnes Flora Hodsdon.

I have uploaded one photo of Virginia Friedel to Dead Fred.

Conclusion

• I fully identified all five individuals. Three had Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their photos to Family Search. Two did not have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded those photos to Dead Fred.

To see all of my Ethel Wight Collection analyses, please see here.

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.