William Lucas Hankins family c 1898

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This photograph of my grandfather Francis William Hankins and his parents, William Lucas Hankins and Mary Jane Kellam likely dates from about 1898. My grandfather was born in September 1897, and he doesn't look much more than a year old in this photo. 

The photograph was taken by photographer F.L. Tournier of Auburn, Cayuga County, New York. Fred L. Tournier seems to had a long career as a photographer. He had a studio in Auburn between 1884-1903. He later worked in both Johnstown, Fulton County, and in Albany. [1] 

I provided the identification of William, Mary Jane and Francis based on other individual photographs of the three of them. 




William Lucas Hankins, son of Lucas Wurtz Hankins (1831-1910) and Mary Ellen Ross (1835-1914) was born 11 October 1872 in Manchester, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Mary Jane Kellam, daughter of John Ross Kellam (1830-1903) and Frances Maria Shafer (1846-1924) was born 2 September 1874 at Hankins, Sullivan County, New York. 

William and Mary Jane were married on 10 August 1896 at Newburgh, Orange County, New York. They had three children, Francis William (1897-1983), Helen Maye (March - September 1900) and Howard Ray (March - October 1900). 

William Lucas Hankins died on 24 June 1930 in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York. Mary Jane (Kellam) Hankins died on 26 September 1944 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Francis William Hankins was born 8 September 1897 in Auburn. He married Evelyn Clara Call (1895-1962), daughter of Charles Joslin Call (1859-1939) and Elizabeth Ann Coe (1862-1956), on 31 December 1920 at her parents home in Stafford, Genesee County, New York. Francis and Evelyn had three children, Ralph William (1927-1997), Elizabeth Ann (1929-2020), and Philip Charles (1931-2006). Francis died on 9 October 1983 in Norristown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. 



[1] "U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995", Ancestry, search for Fred L. Tournier, photographer, New York, (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/?name=Fred+L_Tournier&count=50&keyword=photographer&name_x=1&residence=_New+YOrk : accessed 9 March 2026). 

Location: Auburn, NY 13021, USA

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