Bessire Reunion, Magnolia, Iowa, Abt 1894

This picture of a Bessire reunion in Magnolia, Iowa, was secured by Thora Bessire (1916-1994) and then to my mother , Carole Ann Bessire, several years ago. The picture was labeled by Mary Delpha Bessire Ankeny (1888-1978) with additional names supplied by her daughter, Carol Maurine Ankeny Klindt (1915-1997) in a letter dated 5 November 1990.  Mary, was the grand-daughter of Eugene Bessire through his son Charles Edward (1857-1928) & Olive Austin Bessire (1857-1941).  

Carole Ankeny Klindt dated the picture as 1895 in Magnolia, Iowa.  It was known that the little baby in front was Lloyd Bessire. Lloyd Bessire was born 7 October 1893 and died 23 February 1895.  With this information, and the apparent setting of leaves on the trees, and the dress possibly indicating a warm day in Iowa, my mother calculated the photo to be 1894.

Unfortunately Charles Albert & Jessie Horne and family were not present—yes, that’s my direct ancestors-- for some reason missed the party! Why?

Here are the names as best as we know them from the Ankeny’s and with my mother’s clarifications and interjections and guesses in brackets.

 

Back Row Left to Right (14 people)

1.       Aunt Jane Dedrick, Olive Austin Bessire’s sister;

2.       Aunt Tina [Hattie Ann Riley Bessire, wife of Alcide Bessire]

3.       Aunt Tina’s sister [Mary Riley Larimore?]

4.       Mary Zelima Bessire McCrillis [wife of Jasper McCrillis]

5.       Jasper  McCrillis

6.       Aunt Jane, Uncle Alf’s wife. [Alfred’s wife was Clara Belle Shaw; why did they call her “Jane?”]

7.       Lizzie Scott Bessire [wife of Albert Bessire]

8.       Olive Austin Bessire [wife of Charles Edward Bessire]

9.       Alcide Bessire

10.   Unknown

11.   Alfred Bessire

12.   Charles Edward Bessire

13.   Arnold Bessire

14.   Albert Bessire

Middle Row, L. to R. (12 people)
1.   A Cousin
2.  Nettie Bessire Johnson [dau. of Charles E. & Olive Austin Bessire]
3.  Bertha Pearl Bessire, Uncle Alf’s daughter
4.  Some relation of Alsie Bessire [Emma Bessire?, dau. of Alcide and America Ann Murray Bessire]
5.  Unknown
6.  Grandmother Bessire [Mary Ann Emily Grimm Bessire, wife of Eugene]
7. Effie Bessire, oldest granddaughter [dau. of Alcide Bessire and America Ann Murray]
8.  Grandfather Bessire [Eugene Bessire]
9.  Blaine Bessire [son of Charles E. & Olive Austin Bessire]
10. Cousin of our Uncle Albert [George Wheeler Bessire? Son of Albert and Lizzie Scott Bessire?]
11. Uncle Jasper’s son [Clarence McCrillis? Age 12 in 1894]
12. Howard Bessire, Uncle Alf’s son [age14 in 1894]

Front Row, L. to R. (16 people, the far right person is faded out)

1.  Essie McCrillis [dau. of Jasper & Zelima Bessire McCrillis]
2.   Elva Bessire Brockway Miller [dau. of Charles E.  & Olive Austin Bessire]
3.   A cousin [Zellie?, Albert’s daughter? Age 10 in 1894]
4.  A cousin
5. Florence McCrillis [dau. of Jasper & Zelima Bessire McCrillis]
6.  Mary Bessire Ankeny [dau. of Charles E. & Olive Austin Bessire]
7.  Verna McCrillis [dau. of Jasper & Zelima Bessire McCrillis]
8.  Harry Bessire [son of Charles Edward & Olive Austin Bessire]
9.  Baby Lloyd Bessire [son of Charles E. & Olive Austin Bessire]
10.  Cousin [Alva Luther?, son of Alfred & Clara Belle Shaw, age 5 in 1894]
11. Uncle Albert’s boy [Orel?]
12. Otto Bessire-Uncle Alf’s son
13.  Bert Bessire [son of Charles E. & Olive Austin Bessire]
14.  Cousin Elmer-Uncle Albert’s son
15.  Cousin [Frederick Clyde?, Arnold’s son?]
16.  McCrillis cousin [Harvey McCrillis? Son of Jasper & Zelima Bessire McCrillis? Age 9 in 1894]

How You Can Help.  If you have any corrections or knowledge of the unknowns, please send them to my email address, pedigreepursuits@gmail.com1