Archive for the ‘Wordless Wednesday’ Category

by Sherry Stocking Kline
7 May 2010

Mayfield, Kansas Blacksmith Shop - Otto Breneman Blacksmith

The Mayfield Blacksmith Shop…

This is a photograph of Otto Breneman and his father, Constantine Breneman, standing in front of Otto’s blacksmith shop.  The blacksmith shop was located  in Mayfield, Kansas (about 10 miles west of Wellington, Kansas) till at least sometime in the 1930′s when Otto passed away.

Otto’s mother was Salinda Breneman, and he was married to Nancy Virginia Hoyt, daughter of Joseph and Wilhemina (Dewein) Hoyt, and they had a daughter, Bernice Breneman.

According to information in the book “Mayfield: Then & Now”, Otto  served as mayor of Mayfield from 1927 to 1929.

Otto was my great uncle, and he passed away before I was born, (his Tombstone photo can be found here).  If the shop or the home was there when I was small I don’t recall it.  I wish I had taken an “after” photograph so you could see what it looks like today, but there is a nice white ranch style home there, with a large grassy area in front of it.

This photograph comes from Otto’s daughter, Bernice Breneman Thomas’ collection of photographs, now in her son’s, Orlan Thomas’ collection, and can also be found on Page 71 of the “Mayfield: Then & Now” book.  Orlan and his wife recently came to visit and loaned me his genealogy and photograph collection to scan, and nearly 200 scans later, I have many more photographs that he is allowing me to share digitally with other family members.

Ask a Lot of Different Questions…

Looking at this photograph reminds me that until I began working with a friend on the book “Mayfield: Then & Now” and began asking questions of everyone, including my mom and other family members I had no idea that some of our Breneman family lived in the Mayfield area, let alone owned a blacksmith shop.

According to a cousin that I visited with recently, her father told her that Constantine served as a blacksmith in the Union Army when he was a soldier in the Civil War.  So, if there is a moral to this story, ask your older generation (as many as possible) and even your siblings and your cousins, a lot of different questions a lot of different ways…

Other Related Posts:

Tombstone Tuesday: Otto and Nancy Breneman

Constantine Breneman and His Buggy Horse Photograph of Ott’s father, Constantine driving a buggy with his beautiful buggy horse.

Constantine Breneman’s Buggy Horse - Photograph of Constantine’s Buggy Horse

My Poem to My Ancestors

Salinda E. (Rose) Breneman - Photograph of Ott’s mother,  Salinda, and her tombstone. Ott’s parent’s, Salinda and Constantine, divorced in later life.

Too Young to Die – Photo of  Ott Breneman and his siblings, and a photograph of Albert’s tombstone. Albert was killed in a Motorcycle Accident.

Photograph of May Breneman Jones Willey - Sister of Ott Breneman.

by Sherry Stocking Kline
28 Apr 2010

A while back I posted photographs of my Great-Grandpa Constantine Breneman and his beautiful buggy horse.  Being a horse crazy girl growing up, oh how I wanted to know that horse’s name.

Constantine "Tom" Breneman & Dolly

It was evident that Great-grandpa was proud of her.

Yes, her!  This past weekend we had a small family gathering on the Breneman side complete with stacks of photographs, family trees, and research books.  We had a great time exchanging information and stories and then lo and behold my cousin had the above photograph with the caption, “Constantine Breneman and Dolly.   Isn’t she a beauty?!

And as I write this, I think “Oh, dear, do you suppose Dolly is the dog underneath the horse??”

I hope not.  And surely, if the dog was the focus of the photograph, Great-Grandpa Breneman would have been shown seated with it instead!

Related Links:

Constantine Breneman & His Buggy Horse “Dolly”

Constantine Breneman’s Horse “Dolly” Pulling a Buggy

Constantine Breneman & Family Members

Constantine Breneman’s Son, Albert Breneman’s tombstone & a photograph of Constantine’s Children

by Sherry Stocking Kline
21 April 2010

Berniece Breneman Thomas - Mayfield, Kansas

Berniece’s parents were Otto and Nancy Breneman. Ott was the Mayfield blacksmith, along with his father, Constantine “Tom” Breneman, and Nancy taught piano lessons.

What an adorable photograph this is of my mom’s first cousin, Berniece Breneman, who married a Thomas.  The two little girls played together whenever my mom went to Mayfield to take her piano lesson from Berniece’s mother, Nancy Breneman.

Other Related Posts:

Berniec’s Grandfather Constantine Breneman photographed with family members

Otto and Nancy’s Tombstone in the Milan Cemetery

Berniece’s Grandfather Breneman’s Buggy Horse

Berniece’s Grandfather Breneman and His Buggy Horse

Berniece’s Grandmother Salinda Breneman & her Tombstone

Photograph of Berniece’s Father, Otto, with His Brother and Sisters and his brother Albert’s tombstone.

by Sherry Stocking Kline
14 April 2010

I love this wonderful old photograph of the family, and am so glad that someone snapped a photo of their get-together.

And like many photographs, I wonder, was this just an ordinary family gathering?  A funeral?  Someone’s wedding?

I may never know, but the question itself reminds me to make an extra note on the back of my photos or in my scrapbooks!

L – R: Ira, baby Paul, & Dee (Hoover) Breneman, Constantine Breneman, Carrie (Breneman) Jones & Children, Rose, Daryl, and toddler Dorothy.

by Sherry Stocking Kline
07 April 2010

I love this cool photograph of one of my mother’s favorite cousins, Kenneth Jones, fishing!   It looks like he is fishing on a fairly large lake, perhaps even Lake Superior itself.

He also fished and hunted for agates (he was an avid and knowledgeable rock hound!) on many of the lakes in Minnesota near their home in the outskirts of Duluth, Minnesota.

Kenneth Jones - Fishing

Thanks to Kenneth, and those fun vacation days of hunting agates along the shores of Lake Superior and another beautiful Minnesota lake, I’m still a bit of a rock hound!

We’ve lost touch with Kenneth and Lois’s children, and would love to re-connect with them, so if by chance one of them (or their children) find this blog, I hope you will stop and say ‘hello’ and leave your e-mail address!

Other Related Posts:

Kenneth’s Mother – May Breneman Jones

Kenneth Jones Toddler photo taken in Wichita, Kansas.

Kenneth Jones in front of his Kingman Kansas High School.

Kenneth’s Grandfather, Constantine “Tom” Breneman and his buggy horse photograph.

Kenneth’s Grandmother, Salinda E. (Rose) Breneman, photo and tombstone photo.

by Sherry Stocking Kline
24 March 2010

I enjoy finding and looking at these old photographs, especially when they have names on the backs so we know who they are, and can figure out how they ‘fit’ in!

Abraham Dorsey "Doss" Rose

Abraham Dorsey “Doss” Rose is my great-grandmother, Salinda Rose Breneman’s brother, and she and “Doss” are the children of Eden and Elsie (Ames) Rose.

1900 United States Federal Census

Roll T623_941; Page 2B; Enumeration District 182
Home in 1900: Omaha, Thurston, Nebraska

Abraham Rose – 51
Alfreda Rose – 42
Abraham Rose – 26
Carrie Rose – 18
Bessie Rose – 14
Richard Rose – 4
Myrtle E. Rose – 6 – photograph here.
Silas Rose – 3
Ira – Breneman – 26 (his sister Salinda’s Son)

1860 United States Federal Census

Doss’s Parents & Family
Roll M653_31; Page 1002;
Home in 1860: Grandview, Louisa, Iowa

Edan Rose – 38
Eley (Elsie) Rose – 32
Abram Rose – 13
Salinda Rose – 7
Absolam Rose – 3

Civil War Info:

11th Iowa Infantry
Union
Company A
Soldier’s Rank In: Pvt.
Soldier’s Rank Out: Pvt.
Alternate Name: Dorsey/Rose
Film Number: M541 Roll 23
http://www.itd.nps.gov/swss.soldiers.cfm

Other Related Posts:

Photograph of Myrtle Rose, daughter of A. D. Rose,  and her McBride cousin.

Photograph of Salinda E. Rose Breneman, sister of A. D. Rose.

Click here to see the photograph of Salinda E. Rose and Constantine Breneman’s children on my Tombstone Tuesday post about Albert Breneman.

And as always, when I post family information I hope to connect with my not-yet-met cousins and share information and photographs.

If that’s you, then please leave your name and contact info in the comments!

by Sherry Stocking Kline
March 19th, 2010

My mom and I have been going through old, really old photographs recently, and we’ve found some wonderful gems, such as these two lovely young ladies.

One is my cousin, (and until I put her into my computerized family tree) I won’t try to tell you how closely related. The only downside with this photograph is that I’m not sure which one is cousin Myrtle Rose, and which one is her McBride cousin.

The back of the photograph says “Myrtle Rose and cousin McBride” then “Doss Rose’s daughter.” Through my research and visiting with Mom, we know that Doss is the nickname of Abraham Dorsey Rose.

So, if one of you who visits this site are a descendant of Doss, Alfreda Jane, or Myrtle Rose, please share with me which beautiful young lady is which!

Myrtle Rose and cousin "McBride"

Abraham Dorsey Rose is my great-grandmother, Salinda Rose Breneman’s brother, and they are the children of Eden/Edan  and Elsie/Elcy Rose.

According to the 1900 Census, Myrtle was six years old at that time, was born in Nebraska, and the family was living in the Omaha, Nebraska area.

by Sherry Stocking Kline
March 12th, 2010

Here is my almost Wordless Wednesday, a photograph of my Great-Aunt May Breneman Jones Willey in front of her son’s family’s home in Minnesota.

1959 - May Breneman Jones Willey - age 79

May’s parents were Constantine “Tom” and Salinda (Rose) Breneman. May’s first husband was Evan Jones, son of Willis W. and Martha Ellen (Smith) Jones. Willis W. and Martha Ellen originally came from Kentucky, and moved to the Midwest, living in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Evan and May’s son’s name was Kenneth Jones. Kenneth and his wife Lois had five children: Lawrence, Lynn, Patty, Charlie, and Kenny, and I hope one of the children, or even their children find this post, and will leave a message.

I have many happy memories of visiting Aunt May and their family in Minnesota, and we would love to re-connect with them.

by Sherry Stocking Kline
February 17, 2010

Kenneth Jones, son of Evan & May Breneman Jones, Kingman (KS) H. S.

Here is a photograph of my mom’s cousin, Kenneth Jones, son of Evan and May Breneman Jones, in front of the high school at Kingman, Kansas.

Kenneth and his wife Lois had five children and lived in Duluth, Minnesota on Morris Thomas Road.

Kenneth’s mother, May Breneman Jones Willey lived with them for awhile, and then went into a nursing home called Nopemming (sp?).

Kenneth, Lois, and my great-aunt May have all passed away, and sad to say, we have lost touch with their children, and though I’ve tried to locate them, the last name of Jones is making that difficult.

We visited them several times when I was growing up, and I have very fond memories of horse-back riding at the neighbors, picking wild strawberries, and going agate hunting along one of the many lakes with Kenneth and his family.

Kenneth’s father, Evan Jones, is buried in the Osborne Cemetery, Sumner County, Kansas, near Mayfield.

Sherry Stocking Kline
February 10, 2010

I just love this photo of my Uncle Daryl Jones, Sr, my mom’s older brother.

Daryl Jones, Sr. and his Horse Golden River

Here he is, all dressed up to go somewhere and he and his friend, whoever he (or she!)  might have been, stopped to take pictures.  I’m so glad that he had his camera with him that day.

I imagine his grandchildren and great-grandchildren don’t think about their grandfather as a dashing young man riding a beautiful and feisty horse.  My mother says that Golden River was a very spirited and beautiful horse, and that her parents didn’t want her to ride her.

So, of course she did.

Related posts:

Daryl Jones, Sr (friend of Sherman Rerick) Tombstone

Daryl Jones – Photograph with his Parents & some siblings

Daryl Jones – Fishing photo & story