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| SPARKS Family Photo Page Ten |
| This WONDERFUL picture is of the Samuel Sparks family "at work". I am guessing at some of the identifications, here, so if you can tell me any different, I'd be grateful. L-R: likely Hired Man (or COULD be Archie McLean, but the moustache is not bushy enough), likely Archie, likely Charles, Bertha, George (up on the stack of hay), Sam sr, Emily (in the doorway), Unknown, likely Art, Sam jr (aka Bill). You can see the homestead in the left background. Given the look of Bertha, and the fact that she is even THERE, I'd put this picture at about 1895 or 1896. Bertha gave birth to my grandmother in June of 1897, so I'd say this was taken before. |
| Another wonderful pic taken across the way from the homestead. Even with a much larger copy, it is very difficult to identify the persons in the picture. I believe the woman in white in the middle is Bertha. I could guess that the woman in the hat to her left is Mary Ann - it does look like her in the larger view - however there is a figure in black on the far left - in the buggy - one would presume that to be Mary Ann.. Sam (always easy to tell) is right behind the woman who may be Mary Ann. It is possible that the little girl with the embarrassingly large bow on her head is my grandmother, Bertha McLean Matheson. The poor man behind ehr has been caught wiping his brow with his hankie. Given the dressy nature of the clothes of most of them, I wondered if there had been a wedding, or a church service. |
| Another wonderful photo. I believe I can identify the women on the lower right. Emily, Bertha jr, Mary Ann, Alice Mole Sparks, Martha Mole Sparks. George is to the left of "Emma", and Sam is carrying a long stick and standing behind the little boy at left in the grass. I believe the children on the grass belong to Bertha and Archie. The little boy might be George McLean, the little girl may be Mary Jessie, the boy beside her might be Willie, and the boy on the right may be Sam. Charles - who is a bit younger than Bertha may be that young man second right of Sam. I'm going to guess the date of this picture as C 1910. |
| This is a picture of the homestead before it was the homestead. I believe it was an Inn at some point. The man full front is Sam, I would think the woman in the buggy is Mary Ann. The man far right looks quite a bit like Sam's brother, John. I believe that the girl on the wagon at left is Bertha. She appears to be holding a baby, and seems to have a small person leaning on her. The person right of her seems to be female, but likely too old to be Emily - although it does look like her. She is also holding a baby. I have no idea who the young boys are - although it's possible they are Sam's kids. This may be C1880 |
| I think that man with his hands on his hips might be Sam, but he appears to be missing his trademark beard. Isn't this a lovely shot of building a town. |