Category Archives: Genealogy research

The Mysterious Small Portrait

October 7, 2025Genealogy research, Photographs, Thingsancestor, Found items, portraitDona

This framed portrait of a man in old-fashioned clothes was in the china cabinet my parents inherited from my dad’s mother. I think, however, the small portrait was from my mom’s side of the family — I vaguely remember it being at my Grandma Green’s house somewhere.

Portrait of a man wearing clothes from early 1800s

It’s been sitting on an antique secretary in our guest room for years and for years I have wondered who he was. At some point I accidently scratched a small hole in the backing and numbers appeared which intrigued me even further — maybe someone had written information about the man on the back of the photo. I planned, some day, to remove the backing to see what was written there, but doing that involved pulling back dozens of sharp bits of metal so I put it off indefinitely.

The other day I decided to get to the bottom of the mystery of the man in the portrait so I disassembled the frame by prying back the metal bits holding the photo and backing in place. What I assumed was a date written on the back of the photo was instead a series of calculations on (both sides of) an oval piece of card behind the photo. There was also another piece of card before that. Only then did I get to the photo which turned out to not be a photo at all, but an intricate drawing.

Nowhere in the writing on the paper behind the photo indicated who the man was but based on what I know about my mother’s side of the family I was able to make an educated guess that the image is not of any of my grandmother’s family. My grandmother’s family were all from a poorer part of Germany (now Poland) and they became farmers and wood workers when they moved to Northern Wisconsin. My grandfather’s family, on the other hand, were mostly college educated and from Scotland and England. In addition, the man in the portrait has a nose that resembles my grandfather’s — long and narrow with a bit of a ball on the end.

The style of clothing in the portrait, according to Google AI, could be from the regency period — 1830s. The man in the portrait looks like he is maybe in his thirties or forties so based on my family trees it could be a Tyler or a McCornack.

One other clue that I had not noticed until this morning is the decoration on the frame hanger. It seems to be of a thistle, rose, and three leaf clover. Since the Tylers came from England, I’m going to make a guess that the portrait of of a Tyler (or DeWolf) but after that I have no idea. After all, it could have simply been something someone thought nice enough to hang on their wall.

Letter from Aunt Phyllis to Grandma and Grandpa

April 2, 2024Family, Genealogy research, ThingsAuntie Phyllis, Found items, letterDona

Aunt (or Auntie) Phyllis was Grandma Green’s older sister. She married late in life at age 55, living with her father and stepmother until at least 1950. Her husband-to-be, George Lahey, was a widower with three grown children. I probably met her when I was a child, but I have no recollection of it. She was always good about recognizing her grand- nieces and nephews for their accomplishments, usually with a card, embroidered hankie, and a small cash gift. I’ve happened upon many letters from Auntie Phyllis, but unfortunately threw them away before realizing what a treasure of information they would have been.

In this letter dated April 14, 1959, she announces her upcoming wedding and after-wedding travel plans.

April 14, – 11:30 a.m.

Dear Lois and All,

Just wanted to let you know that I am being married on April 24th at 10: a.m. in Madison, Wis. George’s son James and his wife, Welcome, are going to be our attendants. We want just a simple affair. We plan to leave right after the ceremony and are planning to go to Elgin and Chicago. We want to stay in a motel near Elgin. Would you know of any that is nice near Elgin? Please let me know the name of it. Then on Saturday we will come in to see your folks and would like you and Walter to drive us into Chicago to go to the Merchandise Mart where I can order a few of my summer clothes for the store*. I wish I didn’t have the store.

I have a blue wool suit, white hat and gloves and patent shoes for my wardrobe for the wedding.

Welcome wants to have a wedding breakfast but I told her not to do any fussing.

This afternoon George and I are going to get our marriage licenses. Would like to keep the notice out of the paper until after the marriage because some people are just looking for them.

This A.M. we went to sign our wills. Will tell you about it when I see you.

Next week will be a busy week at our house. We will have a farm boy with us for the week. Reid was at this farm boy’s house last week and Reid enjoyed it very much. Little Donnie says that the farm boy will have to sleep with me. He’s a rascal.

Heard over the radio that a man in a blue and white station wagon stopped a girl on her bike to give her a ride. She refused to to and then reported this incident to police. All police are on the alert as that color station wagon is involved in the murder of the boy from Milwaukee.

There is a fugitive from justice hiding near Grandma Krueger’s home too.

Well I must close, for now.

Please let me know as soon as possible about the motels.

Envelope is enclosed for you.

Love to all from all,

Phyllis.

PS Had a letter from June telling of her Dad’s illness. Too bad.
Phyliss Koeser April 14, 1959

*Auntie Phyllis co-owned a store called The Economy Store in Two Rivers, Wisconsin for 8 years along with a Martha Gensman. The letter in this post was sent in an envelope with a return address of the store.

Raymond Tyler’s tragic life

March 25, 2024Family, Genealogy researchDona

Raymond Tyler was born in Sioux City, Iowa on Christmas Day in 1912. He was the son of my mother’s father’s Uncle Ralph and his wife Mabel. It seems he had a happy childhood based on the few photos I have of him. His life after childhood was filled with tragedy. He lost his brother, father and mother before he turned 20. Then lost his wife after ten years of marriage.

Raymond had a brother named Robert who was born within two years of of Raymond’s birth and is listed on the 1920 census but is missing from the 1925 census, even though his mother, father and brother are listed. There is no grave for him at the cemetery where his parents are buried, but if he died earlier perhaps they buried him somewhere else. I could not find an obituary for him either. It seems Robert died between ages 7 and 12.

Raymond’s father, Ralph, was a firefighter and on March 20, 1929 died suddenly of pneumonia in the lobby of the state capital where he was lobbying for some legislation for Iowa firefighters. He was only 44 years old. Raymond was 16 years old.

In 1932 Raymond lost his mother to a ruptured duodenal ulcer. She was 39, Raymond was 19. At the time Raymond and his mother lived in a duplex.

Raymond married Willetta Mae Iwen on January 28, 1938. They lived in a boarding house in Sioux City. Raymond was unemployed at the time of the 1940 census, except for 12 weeks working in a tavern. He was actively looking for work. His 1940 draft card lists him living at a different address. It also lists his mother-in-law as a point of contact. Usually it was a spouse. He’s also listed as working for a C. Hutchins at 816 Fourth St.

On August 17, 1948 Willetta died of tuberculosis at the Iowa State Sanatorium. She was just over 31 years old. Raymond was 36.

In 1950 Raymond was a lodger at a different home. He was not working, had not worked in a while, and was not looking for employment. He was 38.

In 1960 Raymond lived in a house (possibly his in-law’s home) and died of the effects of several years of alcoholism on August 2, 1960. He was 47 years old.