Photo Friday – Nanos, Naples, Woodrow, & Woudt

Catherine Nanos (m. Hadjutanis) Viola Nanos (m. Imhoff), & Bernice Woudt (née Dunn) (m. Kerwin)

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.

 Catherine Nanos (m. Imhoff), circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Catherine Nanos, 47 Middle St #147.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Catherine Nanos (m. Imhoff), circa 1934.

  The 1934 Portland City Directory lists James A (Harriet) Nanos living at 47 Middle St. Also at that address is Viola Nanos, an inspector at 120 Center.

• Neither James, Harriet, Catherine, or Viola appear in any proceeding or subsequent Portland City Directories. Nor do they appear in the 1930 or 1940 US Census records in Maine.
• The 1930 US Census does list James Nanos, his wife Harriet, 15-year-old daughter Catherine, and 14-year-old daughter Viola living in Detroit, Michigan.
• Catherine Nanos married Eugene Imhoff on the 27^th day of October 1937.
• Maine Birth Records indicate that Catherine was born on 28 November 1915 in Lewiston, ME.

This photo portrays Catherine Nanos (1915-1993) circa 1934, when she was about 18 years old.

Ancestry has three public trees that refer to Catherine N Nanos. Family Search has profile LYG3-1N7 for Catherine Imhoff [née Nanos], who was married to Eugene Imhoff. I have uploaded two photos of Catherine to her Family Search Memories.

Either Margaret or Elsie R Woodrow, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Margaret Woodrow, Me Gen. Hospital #919.”

What I found:

• 

  Either Margaret or Elsie R Woodrow, circa 1935.

  The 1935 Portland City Directory does not list Margaret Woodrow; however, it does list Elsie Woodrow, a student nurse at 22 Arsenal (Maine General Hospital).

• The 1937 Portland City Directory lists Elsie R. Woodrow, a graduate nurse living at 180 Grant, apt 2.
• New Hampshire Marriage records indicate that Elsie R Woodrow married Arthur Fortin on 5 August 1939. Her parents were Ezra H and Lena M (Pilbro) Woodrow.
• The 1940 US Census lists Elsie Forton, wife of Arthur, living in Colebrook, New Hampshire. She was working as a nurse in private care and had lived in Portland, Maine, in 1935.
• Further research revealed that Elsie’s mother’s middle name is May.

I believe this photo is probably Elsie Woodrow. However, I am uncomfortable with making that identification because the photo package indicates “Margaret Woodrow,” and I can find no records showing there was a Margaret Woodrow who was a nurse at Maine General Hospital in 1935.

I have not identified the individual in this photo sufficiently to upload to either Family Search or Dead Fred, so I only include the individual’s image here.

Viola Nanos (m. Hadjiyanis), circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Viola Nanos, 47 Middle St. #148 – DSCN4398P.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Viola Nanos (m. Hadjiyanis), circa 1934.

  The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Viola Nanos, an inspector at 120 Center living at 47 Middle St. Also at that address are James A and Harriet Nanos.

• Neither James, Harriet, Catherine, or Viola appear in any proceeding or subsequent Portland City Directories. Nor do they appear in the 1930 or 1940 US Census records in Maine.
• The 1930 US Census does list James Nanos, his wife Harriet, 15-year-old daughter Catherine, and 14-year-old daughter Viola living in Detroit, Michigan.
• The 1940 US Census lists James Nanos, his wife Harriet, and his 23-year-old, Rhode Island born daughter Viola.
• Michigan Marriage records indicate Viola married Anastasios Hadjiyanis in Detroit on 16 May 1948.

I am sure this photo is of Viola Nanos circa 1934.

Ancestry has one public tree that refers to Viola Nanos, daughter of Dimitrious James and Harriet (Cardasis) Nanos. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Viola. Her obituary appears in the Detroit Free Press dated 8 January 2017. I uploaded a photo of Viola photo to Dead Fred and a second photo of her to my Flickr photostream. 

Unknown Child (probably) related to Maria Naples of Portland, ME.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Maria Naples, 28 May St #415.”

What I found about this photo envelope:

• 

  Unknown Child (probably) related to Maria Naples of Portland, ME.

  No Maria Naples is listed in the 1935 Portland City Directory.

• The 1934 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Alice M Hoyt living at 28 May Street.
• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Gabriel Porciello living at 28 May Street.
• The 1936 Portland City Directory lists Gabriel Leo M Jenks living at 28 May Street.
• The 1940 US Census lists Mary Jane Naples, the six-year-old daughter of Frank J & Margaret M Naples, living in Portland, Maine. Margaret’s middle name is Mary; however, Mary Jane appears to be a twin to Katherine J Naples.
• Ancestry Family Trees suggest that Frank J Naples was the son of Vincenzo and Maria (Mary) Napolitano. He had a sister, Maria Santa Napolitano, and a sister Maria “Mary” Concetta Napolitano.

Being unable to associate any Naples with 28 May Street, Portland, or to associate a Mrs. Marie Naples with a child, I am unable to identify the child in this photo. However, I suspect the child is somehow related to the Napolitano family of Portland, Maine. I have not identified the individual in this photos sufficiently to upload to either Family Search or Dead Fred, so I only include the individual’s photo here. 

Bernice Woudt (née Dunn) (later Kerwin), circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Bernice I Woudt, 363 Cumberland Ave #338.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• 

  Bernice Woudt (née Dunn) (later Kerwin), circa 1935.

  The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Bernice I Woudt, an elevator operator at 22 Monument Square, residing at the rear at 363 Cumberland Ave.

• Bernice I Woudt (née Dunn) and Mansur Orange Kerwin married on 12 May 1938 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Bernice was 44 years old and the daughter of William Smith and Cora Lynn (Barter) Dunn.

This photo is of Bernice Irene Woult (née Dunn) (later Kerwin) about 1935.

Ancestry has nine public trees that refer to Bernice Irene Dunn. Family Search has profile L2YM-GLG for Bernice Irene Dunn. I uploaded a photo of Bernice to her Family Search Memories.

Conclusion

• I fully identified three of five Two of them have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories
• One individual did not have a Family Search profile but did appear in Ancestry trees, so I posted one photo of her to Dead Fred and a second photo to my Flickr Photostream.
• I did not identify two individuals, so their photos are here only.

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.

Due to software limitations, the images uploaded to Family Search, Dead Fred, and Flickr have a higher image quality than the images linked here.

For all postings of the Ethel Wight Collection, please see here.

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.