Jones, Jordan, Joyal, Kaler, & Munro

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.

Margaret B Jones, circa 1936

The envelope this negative was in says, “Margaret Jones ℅ Mrs. E. W. Jones, 390 Cumberland Ave, #916.”

Margaret B Jones, circa 1936

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1937 Portland City Directory indicates that 390 Cumberland was home to Cumberland Ave Market Grocery, Leonidas Nicholas, Lawrence L Dow, and My Lunch.
• The 1940 US Census lists 51-year0old Everett W Jones, his 46-year-old wife, Margaret, and his daughter, 23-year-old Margaret Jones, living at 20 Eastwalk in Cape Elizabeth. Everet was the proprietor at a Poultry Farm. Daughter, Margaret V., was a 23-year-old Private Nurse. In 1935 they lived in Portland.
• The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Everett W Jones as the proprietor of the Kenmore Café at 106 Oak and 147 Commercial.
• The 1930 US Census lists 41-year-old Everett W Jones, his 35-year-old wife, Margaret, and his 13-year-old daughter Margaret B in Hartford, Connecticut.
• My review of Ancestry family trees suggests that this is Margaret B Jones, born about 1917 in Maine, the daughter of Everett Wilbur Jones and Margaret Jacques.

Ancestry has two public trees that refer to Margaret B Jones. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Margaret, so I have added her photo to Dead Fred. 

Althea Jordan, nurse, circa 1936

This negative envelope says, “Miss Althea Jordan, ME Gen. Hospital #238.”

Althea Jordan, circa 1936

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Althea Jordan as a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).
• The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Althea as a supervisor at 22 Arsenal.
• The 1938 Portland City Directory indicates Althea married Thurlow D Poland.
• A review of Ancestry family trees suggests this is Althea Mae Jordan, born 28 October 1914 in New Hampshire and who married Thurlow D Poland on 29 May 1937.

I believe this to be a photo of Althea about 1936, when she graduated from nursing school.

Ancestry has 29 public trees that refer to Althea. Family Search has a profile for Althea, so I  have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search profile: GHYK-2Q2.

Nurse Bertha Joyal, circa 1936

This negative envelope says, “Miss Bertha Joyal, Children’s Hospital #760.”

Nurse Bertha Joyal, circa 1936

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• There were three Bertha Joyal’s listed in the 1930 US Census.
  • New Hampshire’s Bertha A Joyal, the 21-year-old daughter of Thomas and Delvina Joyal.
  • Rhode Island’s Bertha Joyal, the 28-year-old wife of Paul Joyal.
  • Rhode Island’s Bertha Joyal, the 38-year-old daughter of Joseph & Elizabeth Joyal.
• There were four Bertha Joyal’s listed in the 1940 US Census.
  • New Hampshire’s Bertha A Joyal, the 31-year-old daughter of Thomas and Cleoma Joyal. Bertha works as a Nurse.
  • Rhode Island’s Bertha Joyal, the 38-year-old wife of Paul Joyal.
  • Rhode Island’s Bertha Joyal, the 36-year-old daughter of Joseph Joyal.
  • Massachusetts’ Bertha B Joyal, the 29-year-old maid in the James T Cronk household in Granby, Hampshire County.
• Nurse Bertha Joyal appears in the 1934 and 1936 Biddeford City Directories living and working at Webber Hospital.
• There was a Bertha E. Joyal who lived in Somersworth, NH, in 1936 and was a student.

I believe that the Bertha Joyal in this photograph is the daughter of Thomas and Delvina Joyal of Somersworth, NH taken about 1935.

Ancestry has NO public trees that refer to Bertha; however, Family Search has a profile for Bertha A Joyal, the daughter of Thomas and Marie Elmire Delvina (Couture) Joyal. So, I have uploaded two photos of her to her Family Search profile, L16K-SLZ.

Rosalind May Kaler (Student Nurse), circa 1937.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Rosalind Kaler, State St. Hospital #862.”

Rosalind May Kaler (Student Nurse), circa 1937.

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Rosalind Kalor, a student nurse at 62 State (State Street Hospital) and residing at 52 State. Rosalind does not appear in the 1937 Directory.
• Maine Marriage Index indicates that Rosalind M Kaler married John Newbig on 10 April 1937. She was from Waldoboro, Maine.
• Maine Birth Records indicate Rosalind M Kaler was born 20 Feb 1913 in Waldoboro, Lincoln County, Maine.

This photo is of Rosalind E Kaler, the daughter of Walter E. and Mary (Cheney) Kaler, about 1937 before she married John Newbig.

Ancestry has 25 public trees that refer to Rosalind May Kaler. Family Search has a profile for Rosalind M. Kaler, born 20 February 1913, so I uploaded her photo to profile KT49-1RJ Family Search Memories. 

Confirmed to be Rosalind by a granddaughter.

Elsie (née Munro) Jones and her two sons, Hollis, Jr. and Gordon, circa 1936

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. H.W. Jones, 26 Brentwood St #808.”

Elsie (née Munro) Jones and her two sons, Hollis, Jr. and Gordon, circa 1936

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Hollis W and his wife Elsie N, Jones residing at 26 Brentwood.
• The 1940 US Census lists Elsie N Jones living at 26 Brentwood with her two sons, 14-year-old Hollis Jr., and nine-year-old Gordon.

This is a photo of Elsie with her two boys about 1936 when Elsie was about 39, Hollis was about 10, and Gordon was about five years old.

Elsie Munro, the wife of Hollis W Jones, is found in ten Ancestry public trees. She also has a Family Search Profile, G99J-MHP. I have uploaded this photo to Elsie’s Family Search Memories.

Ancestry has two public trees that refer to Hollis Willard Jones, born 1925. Although his parents do, Hollis, Jr. does not appear to have a Family Search profile. Gordon does not appear in any Ancestry Public Trees, nor does he have a Family Search profile.

Conclusion

I fully identified all seven of the individuals in these photos. Four of them have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories. Two individuals did not have Family Search profiles; however, the photo was with their mother, which I did post to Family Search. Finally, I identified one individual that did not have a Family Search profile but did appear in Ancestry trees, so I posted her image 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.