Ethel Wight Collection – Part 58

Hatch, Hatt (née Webber), Hay, Hayes, and Henkel

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. 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.

Mary Virginia Hay, circa 1937.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Mary Hay, 28 Adams St #1061.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Miss Mary Hay,

  The 1934 and 1936 Portland City Directories list Mrs. Mary V Hay as living at 28 Adams. There are four other Mary Hay’s listed, Mary, Mary C, Mary K, and Mary P.

• The 1930 US Census lists Mary Hay L Hay, the head of the house living at 28 Adams Street, and her 14-year-old daughter, Mary Hay, also residing at the same address.
• This young woman in this photo is Mary V Hay, daughter of Mary L Hay, about 1937 when she was about 21 years old.

Family Search identifies Mary Virginia Hay, daughter of William Bernard and Mary Virginia (Houston) Hay, as ID GHGS-1T5. There are Eight trees at Ancestry that refer to Mary Virginia Hay, the daughter of Mary L Hay

I uploaded a photo of her to her Family Search Memories. I also uploaded one additional photo of Mary to my Flickr photostream. 

Violet L. Hatch, circa 1936

This negative envelope says, “Miss Violet Hatch, Me Gen. Hospital #239.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Violet L. Hatch, circa 1936

  The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Violet Hatch as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).

• The 1937 Portland City Directory does not list Violet Hatch.
• The 1938 Portland City Directory lists Violet Hatch as a nurse working and residing at 5 Walker.
• The 1940 US Census lists 28-year-old Violet Hatch, born in Canada, as a registered nurse at Deaconess Hospital in Boston. In 1935 she lived in Eustis, Maine.
• The 1930 US Census lists 18-year-old Violet Hatch living in Eustis, Franklin County, Maine, with her parents, Herman A and Hannah Q Hatch, and seven siblings.
• This is a photo of Violet about 1936, probably when she graduated from nursing school

Family Search identifies Violet L Hatch, daughter of Herman Alexander and Hanna Isabella (Gray) Hatch, as ID GQKV-NMH. Violet Hatch is also found in eight Ancestry trees.

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

Bessie I Hatt (Née Webber), Circa 1934

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Bessie Hatt, 277 Woodfords St. #118.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Bessie I Hatt (Née Webber), Circa 1934

  The 1930 US Census lists 35-year-old Bessie I Hatt as a servant in the Charles Winton household at 277 Woodfords Street. Bessie was married and born in Maine. Her father was born in Pennsylvania, and her mother in Maryland.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Bessie I Hatt as a maid working and living at 275 Woodford.
• A Miss Bessie Wilcox (aka Bessie Webber), born about 1893 in London, Maine, married Garfield Hatt on 7 or 18 Nov 1920. Bessie Wilcox’s father was Mark Webber, and her mother was Addie Webber.
• This appears to be a photo of Bessie Irene Webber, born April 1892 in Lubec, Maine, to Mark L and Advilla (Moore) Webber, about 1934, when she was about 42 years old.

Do not confuse with: Bessie Hatt, née Crowley

The 1930 Census lists a Bessie Hatt, the 42-year-old wife of Clarence Hatt, living in Machias, Washington County, Maine.  Bessie M Crowley married Clarence M. Hatt on 26 December 1916 in East Machias.

Do not confuse with: Bessie Hatt, Née Cox

Also, in the 1930 Census, there was a 38-year-old Bessie M. Hatt, who married Joseph A Hatt and lived in Wesley, Washington County, Maine. Bessie M. Cox, born about 1891, married Joseph A. Hatt on 18 July 1914.

Family Search identifies Bessie I Webber, daughter of Mark Leslie and Addie Viller Moores) Webber as ID LKM7-XX9. Bessie Irene Webber is found in 34 Ancestry trees.

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

Jannette Henkel, circa 1936.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Harold J Henkel, 12 Clifton St #832.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Jannette Henkel, circa 1936.

  The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Harold J Henkel living at 12 Clifton with his spouse Mabelle B Henkel.

• The 1940 Census lists Harold and Mabelle Henkel living at 55 Alba with their five-year-old daughter, Jannette.
• This photo is very likely of Jannette about 1936.

Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Jannette Henkel; however, her father is identified as Person L4RW-QB2. I didn’t find Jannette in any Ancestry Family trees either; however, her father, Harold Jones Henkel, is found in 16 public Ancestry trees.

I have uploaded one photo of Jannette to Dead Fred. 

Lester Davies Hayes, Jr., Circa 1936

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Lester Hayes, 36 Pine St. #885.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Lester Davies Hayes, Jr., Circa 1936

  The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Lester D Hayes and his wife Audrey living at 36 Pine.

• The 1940 US Census lists Lester D Hayes and his wife Audrey living in Lakewood, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Their two sons, Davies (age 8) and Douglas (age six mos.), live with them. The Hayes lived in Lewiston in 1935, and Davies was born in Maine. Lester was 36, and Audrey was 30 years old.
• Lester Davies Hayes and Audrey Geraldine Waterman married on 14 August 1931 in Maine. Lester and Audrey both lived in Auburn, ME.
• The US Military Registers indicate that Lester Davies Hayes Jr. was born on 30 March 1932.
• Based upon the Ethel Wight Studio number (#885), this photo was likely taken about 1935 when Lester Davies Hayes was about four years old.

Family Search appears to identify Lester Davies Hayes, Jr. as ID LYFG-WXM. Ancestry does not seem to have a profile for Lester Davies Hayes, Jr.; however, his father, Lester Owen Davies (adopted Hayes), appears in 22 trees.

I have uploaded his photo to his Family Search Memories.

Conclusion

• This week I was able to identify all five people. Four of them had Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their photos there.
• One person did not have a Family Search profile, so I posted that photo to Dead Fred.
• For all of the Ethel Wight Collection analysis, 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.