A Face in the Crowd
Have you ever wondered if your ancestors try to find you as much as you try to find them? I had a moment of serendipitous genealogy this week.
The Tampico Area Historical Society shared this photo in their Facebook group:
When I read that the photo was taken in 1922, I paused. My great-great grandmother Dessie and her daughter Wilma lived in Tampico from 1917 until 1922. The group of children appeared to be in a possible class photo, with a teacher standing in the background. Wilma Dulaney was a first grader in 1922, so there was a chance she could be in this group.
I zoomed in and began to examine each face. When I reached the young girl in the back row on the far right, I smiled. I recognized her immediately. Sweet little Wilma, with her shoulder-length curls. I had seen other photos of Wilma around this age, which made it easier to identify her.
But… I wanted more evidence to confirm it was true. I sent the photo to Wilma’s son and asked his opinion. He agreed that it was likely her as well.
People began to comment on the photo with the names of possible people in it… and it reminded me of a school record I’d found during a visit to the Tampico Area Historical Society.
This attendance register lists the students of Pauline Clement for the school year that began on August 29, 1921. I compared the list of possible names from the photo comments with the attendance register and… success! They matched.
It brought me so much joy to have this moment of serendipity. The longer I research, the more I discover that some ancestors will help you unearth their stories in the most unique ways.
Local historical societies can be full of treasures like this photograph and school register, thanks to the generosity of people like you. So if you have old pictures or other ephemera, consider donating them to your local historical society.
Join me in Tampico for a free event
I’ll be a guest speaker at the Tampico Area Historical Society on Tuesday, May 28 at 6 pm, sharing how their materials helped me solve a 100-year-old family mystery. It’s free and open to the public, so I hope to see you there!