The Mystery Photo That Uncovered a Family Tragedy

 

Have you ever found a beautiful photograph in the family collection and wondered, 'Who is this person?' That's exactly what happened to me with this stunning portrait of a young woman. She looks to be in her early twenties and the portrait looks to have been taken around 1930. And while members of both my Schickler and Christensen families were living in New York City at the time, we haven’t been able to place this young woman in either family.

Photograph of Unidentified Woman. Hankins Family papers, privately held by Patty Hankins of Bethesda, Maryland.

On a recent visit to my Aunt Betsey’s, she wondered if the mystery photo could be a portrait of Lester’s fiancée, the opera singer, who died of meningitis the day after my grandparents got married, which is why Uncle Chris couldn’t walk my grandmother down the aisle at her wedding! [1] Apparently my grandmother's parents weren't able to attend the wedding. 

This was a family story I’d never heard. The only marriage I knew of for Lester was his 1941 marriage to S. Margret Kirchner.[2] Suddenly, I had a research challenge - could I figure out if there was any truth to the story? And was the photograph of Lester’s fiancée?

Schickler-Christensen marriage, 2 April 1932, Ozone Park, New York;  The Marriage Service, booklet (Philadelphia: The United  Lutheran Publication House), 13th page including the cover page;  Hankins Family Papers, privately held by Patty Hankins, Bethesda, Maryland.

Before I get to all the details and documents – let me back up and explain who everyone is.  My grandparents, William John Schickler and Helen Elizabeth Christensen, were married on 2 April 1932 at St. James Lutheran Church in Ozone Park, Queens, New York.[3] Lester Arthur Christensen was Helen’s paternal first cousin. Their fathers, Chris and Hans were brothers.[4]

And as to the identity of Lester’s fiancée? I had no clue. And let me tell you, trying to find a death record for an opera singer who died about 3 April 1932, probably somewhere in New York City, is a bit challenging to say the least. Searching various historic newspaper websites for “opera”, “meningitis”, April 1932, and New York City didn’t turn up anything.

So, time to start doing some serious genealogical research. Fortunately, I found a newspaper announcement of an engagement that put me on the right track. On 13 June 1930, Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Buchanan of 88 Decatur Street announced the engagement of their daughter Jessie May to Lester Christensen, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Christen Christensen of 1152 Dean Street. The wedding was to take place in February. [5]

Jessie was just twenty years old when she got engaged.[6] She had graduated from Froebel Academy, where she served as senior class president and sang a solo during the graduation ceremonies.[7] Between her 1926 graduation and her engagement in 1930, Jessie, a soprano, sang at social and church events.[8] In 1928, she sang “June is in my Heart” by Graham Vaughan at a musical program that accompanied an evening entertainment at the Church of St. Matthew.[9]

“Society,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), 28 August 1930, page 8, columns 2-3,  photograph of Mrs. Lester Christensen; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/58063841/ : accessed 1 September 2025). 

Something happened in the summer of 1930 to move the wedding up from February 1931 to 22 August 1930 when Jessie and Lester were married at the Tompkins Avenue Congregational Church in Brooklyn.[10] Following the wedding, they took a honeymoon in Canada.[11]  Jessie’s parents appear to have accompanied them on their trip.[12]

After their marriage, Jessie and Lester planned to live at 1212 Ocean Avenue.[13] Jessie continued singing after her marriage, including at a Strawberry Fete put on by the Alter Guild of  St. Simon’s Protestant Episcopal Church in Brooklyn.[14]

Tragically, Jessie and Lester did not live happily ever after. She died of meningitis (epidemic meningococcus) at 4:30 AM on 3 April 1932 at Lester’s parents’ home at 1152 Dean Street in Brooklyn. She had been ill for twenty-six days. Mitral stenosis, which Jessie had suffered from for 18 years, was listed as contributing to her death. She was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Brooklyn on April 6.[15]

So how do the facts compare with the family story? Jessie was Lester’s wife, not his fiancée. She was a singer, but we don’t know if she sang opera. She did die of meningitis the morning after my grandparents got married. Given that Jessie was ill for several weeks, and died at the home of her father-in-law Christen Christensen, it is very likely he didn’t attend his niece’s wedding. Since there are no known photographs from my grandparents’ wedding, we don’t know who, if anyone, walked her down the aisle.

And back to the original question – who is the beautiful young woman in the photograph? I still don’t know. I tried comparing the mystery photo with the image of Jessie from the newspaper, but there just weren’t enough details. So, I asked Google Gemini to create a realistic photograph of Jessie based on the newspaper photo. Lining up and comparing the three images – I don’t think they are all images of the same woman. But what do you think?

Left image: Photograph of Unidentified Woman. Hankins Family papers.

Center image: AI Generated image based on newspaper photograph of Jessie (Buchanan) Christensen; Generated by Google Gemini, 11 September 2025. 

Right image: “Society,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), 28 August 1930, page 8, columns 2-3,  photograph of Mrs. Lester Christensen.

Even if I haven’t solved the mystery of who is in the photo, I’ve potentially learned some new details about my grandparents’ wedding and have brought Lester and Jessie’s story back into the family history.

           

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[1] Conversation between Patty Hankins and Elizabeth (Schickler) Buchanan, August 2025.

[2] “Marriage Licenses Issued in Borough,” Brooklyn Eagle (New York), 7 May 1941, page 21, column 7, Lester A. Christensen; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/52662796/ : accessed 9 September 2025).

[3]  Schickler-Christensen marriage, 2 April 1932, Ozone Park, New York; The Marriage Service, booklet (Philadelphia: The United Lutheran Publication House), 13th page including the cover page; Hankins Family Papers, privately held by Patty Hankins, Bethesda, Maryland.

[4] For Hans and Chris being brothers, see Denmark, Maribo, Radsted,  Church Records, Volume 6 (1860-1889), Births, page 27, number 6, 3 May 1867, Hans Christensen; digital image, “Kirkeboger 1779-1920,”  FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-994W-XC75 : accessed 27 January 2023), image 30 of 452, and Denmark, Maribo, Radsted Sogn, Baptisms, 24 Nov 1878, Christen Christensen; digital image, “Denmark, Church Records, 1812-1924,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/7674024:61607 : accessed 26 May 2023). For Hans as Helen’s father, see Department of Health, Certificate and Record of Birth, New York, New York, no. 20004, Helen Elizabeth Christiansen, 15 June 1908; digital image, "Historical Vital Records," New York City Municipal Archive, NYC Department of Records & Information Services (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/1985873  : accessed 12 January 2023) image B-K-1908-0020004. For Chris as Lester’s father, see Department of Health, Certificate and Record of Birth, New York, New York, no. 20422, Lester Arthur Christensen, 23 August 1905; digital image, "Historical Vital Records," New York City Municipal Archive, NYC Department of Records & Information Services (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/1641396  : accessed 3 September 2025) image B-K-1905-0020422.

 [5] “Miss Jessie Buchanan and Lester Christensen to Wed,” The Brooklyn Daily Times (New York), 13 June 1930, page 7, column 4; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/558925791/ : accessed 1 September 2025.)

[6] Department of Health, Certificate and Record of Marriage, New York, New York, no. 11529, 22 August 1930, Lester A Christiansen and Jessie M Buchanan; digital image, "Historical Vital Records," New York City Municipal Archive, NYC Department of Records & Information Services (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/9630689 : accessed 7 September 2025) image M-K-1930-0011529.

[7] “Froebel Academy Graduates Class,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), page 4, column 4; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/685992040/ : accessed 3 September 2025).

[8] “Chiropean Reception - Luncheon and Program Next Thursday,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), 16 December 1928, page 25, column 5; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/59894450/ : accessed 3 September 2025). “Woman’s Guild Holds Meeting,” The Chat (Brooklyn, New York), 20 April 1929, page 38, column 5; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/576967002/ : accessed 3 September 2025). “Congregational Women Aid Hospital Patients Party,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), page 5, column 6; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/686004751/ : accessed 3 September 2025).

[9] “ ‘The Players’ Present Two One-Act Plays”, The Chat (Brooklyn, New York), 26 June 1928, page 9, column 7, paragraph 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/576277282 : accessed 3 September 2025).

[10] Department of Health, Certificate and Record of Marriage, New York, New York, no. 11529, 22 August 1930, Lester A Christiansen and Jessie M Buchanan; digital image, "Historical Vital Records," New York City Municipal Archive, NYC Department of Records & Information Services (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/9630689 : accessed 7 September 2025) image M-K-1930-0011529.

[11] “Miss Jessie Buchanan Wed to Lester Christensen,” The Brooklyn Daily Times (New York), 23 August 1930, page 60, column 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/560444430/ : accessed 1 September 2025).

[12]  “Naples Notes and Personals,” Geneva Daily Times (New York), 9 September 1930, page 8, column 6, Mr. and Mrs. George T. Morey; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/1186935222/ : accessed 1 September 2025).

[13]  “Society,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), 28 August 1930, page 8, columns 2-3, photograph of Mrs. Lester Christensen; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/58063841/ : accessed 1 September 2025).

[14] “Flatbush Churches Conduct Annual Strawberry Fete,”  Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York), 11 June 1931, page 28, column 6; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/58262633/ : accessed 4 September 2025).

[15] Department of Health, Standard Certificate of Death, New York, New York, no. 7684, 3 April 1932, Jessie Mary Christensen; digital image, "Historical Vital Records," New York City Municipal Archive, NYC Department of Records & Information Services (https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/6130765 : accessed 7 September 2025) image D-K-1932-007684.