Favorite Photo - Christmas Dinner, 1916 - Week 4 of #52Ancestors

Last year, the theme for week 2 was Favorite Photo and I had no problems deciding what to write about - the photo of the six Joslin siblings taken in 1904 at Robert Call and Charlotte Joslin's Golden Wedding anniversary celebration. 

A year later - when Favorite Photo was announced as theme for week 4 I had a much harder time deciding on which photo to share. I've spent more hours than I can count digitizing and sharing family photos in the past year. So oftentimes my favorite photo is probably the most recent one I've researched. 

But as I thought about the theme for this week - I kept coming back to a photograph in my Grandmother Evelyn Clara Call's photo album from college covering the years 1915-1919. The photo was taken on Christmas Day, 1916 and shows a scene that anyone who ever attending a family gathering with a meal is familiar with - the kids table!

In the album, the photo is labeled Irving, Floyd, Laura, Albert, James , Evelyn

From other photographs, I recognized the room as being at Prospect Farm, Stafford, Genesee County, New York - the farm purchased by Evelyn's grandfather Robert Call in 1879, and where her parents Charles Joslin Call and Elizabeth Ann Coe lived from 1913 on. 

I was quickly able to identify three of people in the photograph as the younger three children of Charles Joslin Call (1859-1939) and Elizabeth Ann Coe (1862-1956).

Irving is Irving Joslyn Call (1900-1995)
Evelyn is my grandmother Evelyn Clara Call (1895-1962)
And the young man at the front on the right side of the table is Robert Vincent Call (1892-1961). 

The combination of names - Floyd, Albert and James - are unique in the extended family as the sons of Frank Lincoln Walkey (1867-1961) and his wife Carrie Evelyn Coe (1864-1948)  Carrie was Elizabeth Ann Coe's younger sister. In 1916, the Walkley family lived in Le Roy, Genesee County, New York (about 5 miles from Stafford). 

Floyd is Floyd Frank Walkley (1900-1981)
Albert is Albert Coe Walkley (1896-1983)
James is James Harry Walkley (1903-1985)
And based on other family photographs, I believe the young man at the rear on the right side of the table is Fred Rosman Walkley (1895-1981). If this isn't Fred Rosaman Walkley, it is his brother Clarence Williard Walkley (1898-1983) 
Update: I've heard from a descendent of Fred Rosman Walkley - he' thinks it is Fred in the photo. 

Which just left Laura, and a little research identified her as another of my grandmother's cousins, the daughter of Ezra Frank Coe (1853-1942) and Sarah Frances Ward (1856-1941). Ezra was Elizabeth Ann Coe's older brother. I'm not sure exactly where Ezra's family was living in 1916, in 1910 they were in Le Roy, in 1920 they were in Batavia, Genesee County (about 6 miles from Stafford). 

Laura is Laura Frances Coe (1901-1964)

Once I had identified the cousins at the table, I wondered which cousins weren't there and was there something that would distinguish them from the ones at the table. 

Charles and Elizabeth Call's older two children aren't at the table. 

Charles Arthur Call (1885-1962) married Bertha May Hotchkiss (1882-1946) in 1909. In 1916, Arthur, his wife and two daughters lived in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Edith Alberta Call (1889-1989) married Malvern Smith Jones (1884-1937) in 1913. In 1915, Edith, her husband and their son were living in Batavia, and were in Genesee County in 1917. 

One of Frank and Carrie Walkley's sons isn't in the photo. Both Fred and Clarence were living with their parents in 1915 in Le Roy. Neither were married by 1916. Perhaps the one not in the photo was the photographer. 

Ezra and Sarah Coe's two older children aren't at the table. 

Clara Evelyn Coe (1886-1972) married Ward Coe Bryant (1881-1975) in 1906. Clara, her husband and their three sons lived in Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts. 

Charles Albert Coe (1890-1978) married Estrella Monighan (1890-1956) in 1911. In 1917, Charles and his wife were living in Tompkins County, New York. 

Ezra, Elizabeth and Carrie were three of the five children of Albert Coe (1829-1907) and Deborah Prentice (1833-1910). Neither of their other children lived in the area. 

Mary Isadore Coe (1851-1924) married George W Sperry (1853-1933) in 1879. They lived in Illinois between 1910 and 1920. 

Clara Addie Coe (1864-1950) married James Daniel McEwen (1861-1901) in 1890. Clara and her two sons lived in Wichita, Sedgewick, Kansas. 

So as far as I can tell - three families gathered for Christmas dinner at Prospect Farm in 1916 - the families of Charles and Elizabeth Call, Ezra and Sarah Coe, and Frank and Carrie Walkley. 

For anyone who has ever been at a family gathering - where dinner is served and there isn't room in dining room for everyone to eat at the same table at the same time - you'll easily identify with all the cousins eating at the kids table!

Oh - and in case you are wondering who the older man standing in the next room that you can see through the open doorway - that's Evelyn's father and my great-grandfather Charles Joslin Call.