This was originally posted on my genealogy blog. It’s a photo postcard that I rescued from the Antique Mall in El Paso, Illinois.
Imprint: Northway’s Studios, Effingham, Illinois
The back reads:
Freda Blanche Evans
8 months old
weight 22-1/2 lb.
A quick census search reveals a “Freda B Evans” age 15, daughter of George and Nellie, in Sumpter, Cumberland, Illinois in the 1930 census. Cumberland is a neighboring county to Effingham. Since “Freda” didn’t show up in my search for 1920 census, I searched for her father, George, and found him with a daughter “Blanche” age 5, in Sumpter, Cumberland, Illinois.
It is quite possible this photo belongs to this family. And if that’s the case, than this photo was likely taken around 1915.
Sources
1. 1920 U.S. census, population schedule, Sumpter, Cumberland, Illinois, enumeration district (ED) 10, sheet 2A, p. 3, dwelling 26, family 26; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com ); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623.
2. 1930 U.S. census, population schedule, Sumpter, Cumberland, Illinois, enumeration district (ED) 18-9, sheet 6B, p. 12, dwelling 148, family 151; digital image, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com ); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623.
I tried the family trees at Ancestry without luck. I checked the SSDI, on the chance she remained single all her life, but there wasn’t a good match. Attempting to trace Freda’s direct descendants would involve searching for a marriage license, in order to follow her married name. Fortunately, Freda seems to have some brothers, who will be easier to trace as males usually don’t have that pesky habit of changing their surnames. I did a quick search for Lester C. and Rona Roy, the two younger brothers listed in 1930, and I did’t come up with any strong candidates in either the the SSDI or on Intellius. Looking at 1920, there are a few more hints. Freda (listed as “Balanch” F and indexed as Balanch H)has a listed age of 5 and 9/12, which puts her birth about April 1914 (and dates the photo about autumn 1914). Lester, who was listed as 11 in 1930, is 1 and 1/12 in 1920, so was born about December 1918. That should help the SSDI search, but still no luck. He may have died young, or he may still be living but does not show up at Intellius. This census gives us two new brothers to search. “Arigal” (?!), age 16 and Ralph H, age 12. There are also more Evans families as neighbors that could be traced as possible relatives.
The SSDI shows a Raplph Evans, born 2 March 1907 (who would have not yet had his 13th birthday in Jan 1920 when the census taker came). He died in April 1958. He obtained his SS number in Illinois. This could be Freda’s brother. Unfortunately no last residence is given, which makes an obit search challenging. This family isn’t easy.
Great detective work, Cathi. Gets us a little closer to reuniting this photo with family.
Hi!
Great work my friend! This kind of thing you do haven’t been done by many.
See you around.