Elaine Marguerite Kroetch was adopted by the Bell family when her mother died (she was age 8). Since her younger sister was also adopted (by the Dahlquist family) and her brothers Fred (who lived with his Aunt Wea) and Frank (who lived for a time with his Aunt Thelma) were sent to live with family, even at the young age of 8 Elaine insisted that she and her siblings see each other often. And they did. They always told stories of the mischief they got into as kids.
As a result, they were close all of their lives and so were their children ("the cousins"). Although only Frank and Elaine lived in Washington state as adults (Norma lived in San Diego and Fred lived in Dayton Ohio), they spoke on the phone often and visited often. Fred died first (lung cancer), then Frank (cardiac arrest), then Norma, then Elaine.
Although her mother's family didn't like our grandfather and therefore obtained an order from a (family friend) judge to keep him from the children, they did see my grandfather as adults. My dad (Frank) and Fred saw him often. The girls still held a grudge against him.
In the far past, we had paintings of family members - most usually these were reserved for the well off. The era of modern photography began with the daguerreotype, in 1839. Since the advent of photo...
The Eisenhower Years - A Time of Optimism and Growth
After the Great Depression and World War II, everyone was ready to take a breath and have fun. Population boomed, families moved to the suburbs, television (by the end of the decade) would be in most...
Historical and old photos of landscapes offer a unique glimpse into the past and provide us with valuable insights into the ways in which our world has changed over time.
These photographs often capture iconic natural landmarks and breathtaking scenery that still exists today, providing us with an opportunity to see how these places looked many decades or even centurie...
Ain't they cute? Look at these cute baby photos taken over the past 150 years.
From birth to 3 months, babies learn to smile, raise their heads and chests, and track objects and grip them. From 4 to 6 months, they can roll over, babble (no real words yet), sit up, laugh, and gr...
I am researching Tasker, Jones, Bowen, Rees of Wales; Kroetch, Chartrand of Canada; and Boggs, Ferguson, Smith, of West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. Also Steeples of Kansas. And on my mother's New England roots - well, too numerous to name since she descends from Mayflower passengers as well as Dutch East India captains who arrived with their families before the Mayflower landed further north than was planned. :) I'm a Founder of AncientFaces and support the community answering questions & helping members make connections to the past (thus my official title of Founder & Content and Community Director). For me, it's been a labor of love for over 20 years. I truly believe with all of my heart that everyone should be remembered for generations to come.
I am 2nd generation San Jose and have seen a lot of changes in the area while growing up. We used to be known as the "Valley of Heart's Delight" (because the Valley was covered with orchards and there were many canneries to process the food grown here, which shipped all over the US) - now we have adopted the nickname "Capital of Silicon Valley" and Apple, Ebay, Adobe, Netflix, Facebook, and many more tech companies are within a few miles of my current home in Campbell (including AncientFaces). From a small town of 25,000, we have grown to 1 million plus. And when you add in all of the communities surrounding us (for instance, Saratoga, where I attended high school, living a block from our current Mayor), we are truly one of the big cities in the US. I am so very proud of my hometown. For more information see Kathy - Founder & Content and Community Director
I am the youngest daughter of Elaine and Granville Gillett NOT spelled Gillette. I raised my four daughters by my self. I have three grandsons and one grandaughter.