This has been a good week for my Kinnick Research. I had been updating some recent Kinnick lines on WikiTree, when a cousin in California began sending photo images scanned from her grandmother’s photo album, covering largely the first three or decades of the Twentieth Century. It turned out, eventually, the photos number a couple of hundred. What a little treasure chest!
[A Big Thank You to Rose Shapley (daughter of Jeanette, grand daughter of Gertrude, great grand daughter of Nettie) for sharing these photos and many others!!!]
As is frequently the case, many of the photo images are of only marginal interest to me, but among them are a couple dozen, perhaps, that will get further attention. And, then, there is one set of four that I found breath-taking. While the image quality is only fair, the content simply takes my breath away. I want to fly in six different directions, but must take my time, review coolly what I have before me, and proceed cautiously with what I do next. [My daughter, Annette, has provided edited images that I will use in a post on my Ancestor Blog - link to follow]
Part of my excitement in first seeing this first photo was that I have few Kinnick family images from this period - the Depression, perhaps. On second look, I realized these were the groups of cousins who, in my early and middle years my mother referred to as “The Kinnick Cousins” as if some mystical group. From the 1950s through, perhaps, the 1990s, members of this group, with their spouses, met regularly, without their children, for a dinner meeting, several times a year. Virtually all continued to live within a 25-30 mile radius of Coon Rapids, and, Bayard, Iowa, throughout that time. Here is the first image I saw:
The date struck me first, the number of people struck me next, the span of the family represented grew on me as I looked at it more. Also, I noted an error or two, right away, in the ‘caption’ - so that drew me in further
A second image was related and useful. This included the primary adults, taken the same day/time:
In addition, the second image on that first photo, was “the Kinnick Men”:
And last, not least, perhaps the best, was a photo image of all the children, only - wow!:
And, I was especially taken aback by the young lady on the left - my mother, Eileen, just past 12 years old, along side her ‘best friend’ Ila Jean. The oldest is Margaret at 17. “The Twins” - Geneva and Genevieve - are in front, age 4, along with the youngest, Shirley, 2, and Buzz, age 3. There are 18 children in the photo.
The families:
Paul, 39, Dorothy, 43, Leo, 14, Eileen, 12, Buzz, 3
Lucile, 37, Wilson Herron, 41, Margaret, 17, Wilbur, 15, Don, 14, Duane, 12, Pauline, 10, Wilson, Jr. (Ping), 8, Naomi, 6, Geneva, 4, Genevieve, 4, Shirley, 2
Robert, 34, Edna, 36, Lyle, 14, Ila Jean, 12, Gretchen, 11, Betty, 9, Burdette, 7
These three families were complete in 1931.
Gertrude, 29, and Everett Brideson, 32, would also have their two children in the 1930s. John and Jeanette.
Just one of these four are still living, John Brideson, now 85.
Nettie was the matriarch of the family. Her husband, Lon Kinnick, had died in 1923. Her given name was Margaret Jeanette Williams, but always known as Nettie. As I was growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, the Kinnick Williams (or Williams Kinnick) Picnic was a June Tradition. This included her brothers and sisters and their families as well, of course. In a bit reduced format, this annual gathering in June continues…but everyone who qualifies, or wants to attend, is welcome. I get a phone call every year. Herron girl descendants generally organize and Uncle Buzzy is always involved. It is held at the Aquatic Center Community Building in Coon Rapids, Iowa, each year.
I’ll post links to additional related stories as they are produced. I love to hear comments and questions.
Families are Forever!! ;-)
