(née Smith, Watkins) (later Turner)

Ethel Wight Collection – Part 137
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 typically contain the name of the person 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.

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Gladys Stinson (née Watkins) (later Turner), circa 1934.

The envelope this negative was in says, “Miss Gladys Stinson, 64 Bramhall St., #271.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1933 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Gladys D Stinson, a clerk at 532 Congress, residing at 64 Bramhall. [Do not confuse with Gladys P Stinson, residing at 440 Cottage in South Portland.]
• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Mrs. Gladys L Stinson, a clerk at 532 Congress and residing at 359 Congress. [Do not confuse with Gladys P Stinson, residing at 40 Alder, apt 5K.
• The 1936 Portland City Directory only lists Gladys P Stinson.
• Maine, U.S. Marriage Index, 1892-1996 lists Gladys I Stinson marrying J. S. Turner on 9 June 1935.
• The Portland Press Herald, 9 June 1935, Page 20, ran an article showing Miss Gladys I Stinson of 359 Congress would become the bride of J Stanton Turner of 32 Bolton Street. Miss Stinson is a native of London, England. There is a photo of the bride in the newspaper, and it is clearly the same woman as in this photo.
• The Portland Evening Express, dated 31 October 1934, on page 2, reported the following: “Gladys I Stinson of Portland was divorced from Carl F. Stinson, of South Portland, with custody of a child.”
• The 1940 US Census reported that J. Stanton and Gladys Turner lived in Portland. Gladys was born c. 1906 in England and had a 10-year-old son. Her mother was Hilda E Watkins, who also lived in the household.

I am quite sure this is a photo of Gladys Irene Stinson (née Watkins) (Later Turner) about 1934. Gladys was born on 7 April 1906 in England.

Ancestry has 11 public trees that refer to Gladys, and Family Search has profile G77C-5YB for her. I have uploaded a photo of Gladys to her Family Search Memories.

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Miss Marie Stevens, Student Nurse at St. Barnabas Hospital, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Marie Stevens, St. Barnabas Hospital #678.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1934 Deering High School yearbook shows Marie E Stevens. Her senior photo is clearly of the same young girl as this photo portrays. Marie was a member of the Junior Red Cross all four years.
• The 1930 US Census identifies Marie E Stevens, the 13-year-old daughter of Perley E and Grace E Stevens. They lived at 110 Brentwood, which is less than a mile from St. Barnabas Hospital.

I am confident this photo is of Marie E Stevens, daughter of Perley and Grace Stevens, taken about 1935.

Ancestry has six public trees that refer to Marie; Family Search has profile L1TY-51V for Marie E Stevens. I have uploaded a photo of her to her Family Search Memories.

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Marjorie Stevens, Student Nurse, St. Barnabas Hospital, circa 1935.

This negative envelope says, “Miss Marjorie Stevens, St. Barnabas Hospital #677.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1930 US Census lists Marjorie E K Stevens as the 13-year-old Maine-born granddaughter of Julia M Knapp living at 110 Woodfords Street, which was about 1/3 of a mile from St. Barnabas Hospital.
• The 1933 Dearing High School Yearbook photo clearly shows that this is the same young woman, Marjorie Stevens, as in this 1835 photo.

I am confident this is a photo of Marjorie Elaine Stevens, born on 17 September 1916 to Harry and Ella Mae (Knapp) Stevens.

Ancestry has 13 public trees that refer to Marjorie; Family Search has profile 94YM-MGV for her. I have uploaded a photo of Marjorie to her Family Search Memories.

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Kathryn Rose Stelle (née Smith), circa 1934.

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. Kathryn Stelle, Myles Standish Apt – Shefly St, apt 48 #175.”

Why I believe this to be the individual.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory lists Kathryn R Stelle living at 11 Shepley, Apt 48. She is the wife of Nelson Stelle.
• The 1940 US Census lists Nelson and his 72-year-old wife, Katheryn R Stelle, living in Old Orchard Beach. Both were born in New York.
• Ancestry Family Trees suggest this is Kathryn Rose Stelle (née Smith), born about 1868 in New York and lived in Old Orchard Beach with her husband Nelson in 1940.

Ancestry has one public tree that refers to Kathryn Rose Smith (later Stelle). Family Search does not appear to have a profile for Kathryn. I uploaded a photo of Kathryn to Dead Fred. I uploaded a second photo of Kathryn to my Flickr photostream.

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William & Evelyn Stevens, circa 1935 (ages 4 & 1).

This negative envelope says, “Mrs. A. C. Stevens, 80 Cumberland Ave #721.”

Why I believe this to be these individuals.

• The 1935 Portland City Directory does not list an A. C. Stevens. However, it does list a William B Stevens living at 80 Cumberland Ave. William B Stevens’ wife is identified as Annie C.
• The 1940 US Census lists William B and Annie C Stevens living at 23 Washington Ave. With them is their eight-year-old son, William, and five-year-old daughter, Evelyn.
• Ancestry Family Trees suggest William was born on 11 June 1931, in Portland, Maine; Evelyn was born on 16 Jun 1934, also in Portland.

This photo was taken about 1935 when William was about four and Evelyn Ann was about one.

William Arthur Stevens (1931-2005) is found in six Ancestry public trees, and Evelyn Ann Stevens (1934-2008) is also in six Ancestry public trees. Family Search does not appear to have a profile for either, so I uploaded this photo of them to Dead Fred.

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Conclusion

• I identified all six individuals. Three have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their images to their Family Search Memories. Three did not have Family Search profiles, so I uploaded their photos to Dead Fred.

I will love to hear your reaction if any of these photos are of your family member. 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 higher quality than those linked here.

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

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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.