Cyrus Wheeler, b.1872 and Mattie (Mobley) Wheeler
My great grandfather and great grandmother on my mother's side.
On the back of the photo it is written that it was taken in front of the Morrow's house in Murray, Iowa. It was the neighbor's house to my Grandmother who was their daughter, Mabel Zella Wheeler. Mabel's wedding photo is to the side of this posting in the oval frame. I was so surprised to see that as she grew older that my grandmother had her mother's same body build and same facial features. The great grandfather looks like a couple of his grandsons.
Cyrus' parents, my great great grandparents, were George L. Wheeler, b. 1839 and Mary Jane Henry Wheeler.
Mattie Wheeler's parents , my other great great grandparents, were Hezekia and Orilida Mobley, m.1838.
I am going to make the assumption at this time that Wheeler is an English name as when I research it on the net I find it predominately a British name.
The great grandparents are all buried in Moon Cemetery in Mackburg, Iowa. That is another project for me. Since I just recently discovered the past year, this picture and it's information on it, I now want to get a more accurate sets of dates for births and deaths. The great grandparents dates I will get for sure.
This is the back of the photo above. There is a pencil writing that was by my grandmother as she called them her parents. The writing in pen must be my mom's writing and I really don't know when that was done. It is interesting that some of the dates of marriage are known and some birth dates too but all is a lot sparse.
This is an older photo of the Cyrus and and his sister Jess. It says it was taken in 1941. (as a footnote I was told that Mattie died of TB in 1941)
From the photograph back this was written out as the children. The woman in the above picture is my grandmother Mabel Zella Wheeler who added two married names of Brown then Brooks. The names of the children are numbered and I am assuming by date of birth order.
1. Weaver
2. Mabel
3. Collus
4. Lee
5. Gerald (died at birth)
6. Elva
7. Elga
Mabel Zella Wheeler Brown Brooks
There is so much more to this posting that I will cover as time goes on with this blog. The farm that Cyrus and Mattie owned has stayed in family ownerships through their son Lee, my great uncle and now has moved down to the next son Lee Junior and is being farmed by the next son Troy Wheeler. Macksburg, Iowa is nearby and the county seat of Winterset, Iowa in Madison county is not too far from there. All my bloggers are familiar with the movie the Bridges of Madison County. That area is North of that farm.
As relatives read this and see any need for corrections, I sure can make them. Ones facts are only as good as the original source. Any help in correcting and adding on to this new journey for me would be more than appreciated.
14 comments:
nice photos, and facts that you have been able to pull out. good luck as you keep putting it all together.
Wonderful photos! Have you managed to get a copy of the one your nephew (on your sidebar) is holding? That looks like a real treasure!
Fascinating to see how your family history develops through the photos. That lead-off photo is a real classic!
Brimming full of information Larry and all based on some really great vintage photographs. I love the way the stance of Cyrus and Mattie stays the same wherever they are photographed.
Museswings, I haven't got the copy yet. I know the older first cousin who has it or if he doesn't have it his sister in Colorado has it. Their mother, my aunt, who passed away was good at getting ownership of a lot of these really large family things and not share.
What a wonderful set of photos and how lucky you are to have so much information on the back as from there you will be able to do more research. i especially love the first photo, I look at it and wonder what their lives were like, what stories they have to tell.
Wow, if I could time travel to my ancestors' eras, I would continually shout at them to label all of their photos!! Those were some smart ancestors in your clan!
Interesting post. I must write on the backs of photos myself!
You certainly have gathered the information, that you thought you didn't know. We are planning some cemetery trips locally too to accompany Jerry's family history...those photos with the writing are extra "pricelss" I wonder if those first names are British, some I have never heard before like Colus...Very interesting.
You have done some great research, Larry. I love the photos. I am so impressed that you have a family farm that has been passed down for generations. That's a rare and wonderful thing.
Larry, you're making such great progress with your family history - and doing a fabulous job of sharing it with us. It's always so helpful to find writing on the backs of photos. I hope the rest of your photos prove as helpful! Cyrus and Mattie look like very down-to-earth people. I find it interesting that in the first photo he's in his overalls, she's a little more dressed up. Thanks for sharing.
It is amazing how much information can be gathered once you have several photos to work with. You are lucky to have all of these. Buildings and backgrounds are sometimes a help. Yes I found out genealogy is addicting. Good luck
QMM
Hi Larry, In that last photo of your Grandmother..who is in the wedding photo on the TV? It must have been someone important..because it is a large photo..I am thinking someone married in the late 1950's by the style of the dress..1955 to 1960..you could date the year of this photo by finding out who it was Grandchild? or Child? Just a thought.
You are piecing this side of your family together very nicely. Your Great Grandpa looks like a kind man:)
I never noticed that before Far Side but the wedding photo is of my second to the oldest brother who was married in 1963 to his then wife Janet. They had three children and Rex divorced and remarried having another two more children, two girls.
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