I went through the box of photos again that my Grandma Freda Fleming WAIT left my Dad. I’ve been through them several times, but not since really digging into my tree last Fall. They were always just neat old photos of a bunch of people I didn’t know. This time, their faces seemed more alive to me. I actually recognized some people… “oh! that’s Vernie and his family”… “hey! I didn’t know I had a photo of Elvie!”…

Here’s one that really jumped out at me today, so I added her to my family tree

Maude Marie Vossler (1898-1979) was the first wife of my great grandfather Frederick Hiram Waits’ brother, Edwin William Waits (1892-1963). Apparently, they had 4 children although I only have 2 of them in my tree so far: Alma L & Violet E Waits.

At one point, I was even communicating with Bev, the granddaughter of Marie’s brother. So this morning, I added these photos to my tree and sent another email to Bev telling her that they were there and offering to mail her the original photo. I figure that Marie’s photo belongs with her family, and not the family of her ex-husband. Ya know?

This gives me renewed hope that the more I dig into my tree, the more faces I’ll recognize and be able to identify. There are a lot of people in these cabinet cards and various turn of the century photos that really deserve to be remembered.

Scott and I went on a little road trip to the former town of Ruby, where my ancestors homesteaded in 1863. I wanted to see what it was like now and try to imagine what it was like back then. I’d driven through once and thought I remembered seeing an old post office, but it’s either been torn down or I just imagined it. Ruby’s not quite the ghost town I’d expected!

New Coop House next door to Town Hall

Leaving Ruby