"Traveling artists" used to go from town to town and village to village, looking for people to sketch. Before photography, this was the only way to "snap a picture" and preserve a memory. And to save time, a pre-sketched "body" was already on a canvass. The artist would then paint the faces onto them. The portrait above is of my great-grandfather when he was a boy. If he was six, then this would be from 1876.
Thomas Lucine Grace, my great-grandfather
Edna Gertrude Poindexter (Grace), daughter Ruby Grace, Thomas Lucine Grace
Thomas and Edna are Mother's paternal grandparents - my great-grandparents. Ruby would be Mother's aunt. Ruby lived in Abbeville.
Tom Grace and his wife Edna Poindexter had six children. In order of birth:
Ruby married Thomas Newton Phillips (cousin Gary Fleming's grandparents)
Victor " " Dorothy Barnett
Jeanette " " Charlie Hayes
Homer " " Mary Lou________?
Frank " " Stacia Chance (recently deceased, last of Daughter of Confederacy in AL.)
Paul " " Madie Barnett
my great-great-grandparents, William T. Poindexter (1847-1907) and Nancy Jane "Jennie" Gilmore Poindexter (1852-1932), with their children
The young lady seated in the middle, I believe, is my great-grandmother, Edna Gertrude Poindexter. She most resembles Edna in the photo above this one. However, Tim Grace, Mother's cousin, thinks Edna is bottom-left. Tim also provided names for others in the family portrait: Minnie, bottom-right; Henry, top-middle; and Jennie, top-right. I would appreciate any help in confirming what info we have and filling in the blanks.
Notice the young boy (Henry), top center. Mom thinks that her grandson Miles Espy, Jr. closely resembles him.
2 comments:
your great-grandfather looks like someone who might've once said, "this town's not big enough for the two of us."
The two photos do highly resemble each other, but would have hard time saying they are one and the same….could be.
Ruby Grace was my aunt by marriage, & as you say was married to Thomas Newton Phillips, my daddy’s brother. Thomas Newton, I believe, deceased before I came on the scene. However, I did know Aunt Ruby, and boy, she was a sport model!!
Of course, I remember very well---Victor & Dorothy……Jeannette & Charlie……Paul & Madie……Homer, but never knew his wife……& didn’t know Frank real well, & like you said, he died last year or so.
In addition to Gary’s mother and other brothers, Ruby also had another daughter, Edna, who married Jack Bryan. Edna & Jack had a double wedding with my sister, Rosanna & Charles Hayes. They married at our house & I was only 7-8 yrs. old, if that much.
You have some good stuff here & I will certainly be checking all the articles & pics out!
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