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Springtime of 1955..ish

Cousin Petra sent me this photo and it is so terrific, I felt it merited a blog posting.  Although the photo is undated, Petra thinks it is from around 1955.  Thanks to Petra, we know all of the people in the photo:

Back row: Father Laurence, Irma Manning, Alice Stevens, Genie Lynch, Jean Marie Manning

Front row: Edward (Buzz) Manning, Eleanor "Lillie" Motie Keating (seated), Petra Manning Steele, in the very  front holding a chicken Mary Manning (Emily Skafish's mom!).

Date and place.  Although we do not know the exact date, from the ages of everyone present, we think it is 1954 or 1955.  We also think it is springtime.  Springtime in Chicago often includes coats, but little Mary is holding a chicken and Petra remembers that one year they got chickens in their Easter baskets (I'm guessing you only do that once!)  

The photo is taken in front of Irma and Ed Manning's home in Chesterton, Indiana.  Eleanor was widowed in late 1944 and moved to Indiana with Irma and her family a few years later.  

I love to see Irma with all of her children.  Buzz looks full of energy and Petra holding onto her grandmother's arm is just adorable.  I'd never met Mary, but I love how cute she is and how she is proudly holding the baby chick in her arms.  I do remember Jean Marie and it's fun to see her as a teen!

Alice Stevens was one of the five children of Mary Keating Motie and George Motie.  She was a "double cousin" with our grandpa as they shared the same four grandparents.  Alice and her son Edward Allen, lived in New York, but she must have been in Chicagoland for a visit.  Eugenia (Genie) Lynch was another cousin of Grandpa's.  She was the daughter of the oldest Motie daughter, Margaret.  Genie was born in Iowa but came to the Chicago area around 1900.  By 1930, she is living in Oak Park and lived there until her death in 1980 when she was almost 100 years old.  According to the 1930 and 1940 Census, Genie was a music teacher.  She lived with cousins at different times, including Margaret Burke and Mary Ward.

Alice and Genie were visiting their Aunt Lillie and cousins Irma and Laurence.  Petra tells me that Laurence used to visit their home every Thursday, so perhaps this was a Thursday visit or perhaps he made a special trip to see the visiting cousin from New York.

 Of course the final mystery of this photo is who is taking the photo.  I am guessing it was either Alice's son Allen or Irma's husband Ed Manning.   In any case, I love this photo and I hope you do, too!

Comments

  1. Jane KeatingAugust 29, 2023 at 11:40 AM

    What a wonderful photograph Petra has shared! I remember visiting our Aunt Irma, Uncle Edward and cousins Jean, Petra, Edward/Buzz and Mary. I must have been 6 or 7, so year was 1954 or 1955. I think the family came, Pa/John, Mom/Doris and their 10 children. Kathleen, second eldest/oldest daughter and I stayed for a few extra days after the family returned to Elgin. Big outdoors. Vague recollection of going to a fair across the road. A specific memory for me was being chased by a chicken and a peck on the leg. Mary's chicken? I grin at these thoughts. Before we left Aunt Irma gave me a sweet tea set to take home. Fond memories of a very special time with family we didn't often get to see.

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