Thursday, July 23, 2009

A photo brick wall, Clifford-Webster style


This photo came to me via some Lashbrook relatives. It was suggested that the young lady in the back is Letta Amelia Clifford, future bride of Wallace Henry Lashbrook. The young man to her left is unknown. The couple in the front might be John Wesley Webster and his wife, Lorinda H. Bemis.

Family tradition is that Letta was “adopted” by John and Lorinda. Letta (or Lettie) was living with the Websters by 1870 in Floyd Township, Floyd County, Iowa. Also living in the house hold was "Georguit" age 7 (who could be the young man in the photo).

Lettie's maiden name is given as Webster on the death certificate of her daughter, Elizabeth Mae Stringer. On the death certificate of her daughter Etta A. Jensen, Lettie's name is given as Lettie Clifford. Lettie's name is given as Lettie A. Webster on the birth certificate of her daughter, Linnie Ruth, and as Lettie Clifford Webster on the death certificate of her daughter, Linnie Ruth.
These references to the name Webster surely seem to support the family tradition.

The photo is one of several I have in my collection that I have not been able to verify the names of the parties. I have only one other photo of Letta, when she is much older. I have compared the photos of course, and feel it is the same woman, noting, I am no expert in such comparisons.

A photo brick wall of sorts. Don’t you love a good mystery?? Needless to say, if you can help, please write!


*Photo courtesy of Ruth Stringer Beck, deceased.
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2 comments:

Greta Koehl said...

You might be doing this already, but one method I have tried is to post some of my "mystery" photos on my Facebook page for cousins to look at - got a couple of IDs and several guesses.

Carol said...

Thanks for that great idea Greta, no cousins on this line on Facebook, but, I have other mystery photos.