Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt shows a number of
people focusing their attention on one dapper gentleman with hat and cane in
hand. His expression is seemingly one of annoyance. But isn’t he well-dressed?
Among my old photos is one of my maternal grandfather’s cousin Lee McDonald
dressed similarly in light pants and dark sport coat.
 |
| Lee Roy McDaniel or McDonald 15 Nov 1871 Virginia - 30 Jan 1973 Indiana |
The timing of the prompt photo inspired me to go ahead
and update Lee’s line in the “Genealogy Do-Over” way, complete with proper
citations and all that. Unfortunately, this Do-Over is Not-Done, thanks to
absence in census records, conflicting records, and confusing names. In the
state of Virginia, the family was known as McDaniel. Lee’s parents were Grattan
McDaniel and Melvina Davis, sister of my great-grandfather Walter Davis. In both 1880 and 1900, they were McDaniel. But in
1920 Indiana, they were the McDonalds. Why, I don’t know. And why Indiana, I
don’t know. But all the living children had relocated to Indiana as early as
1907, judging by a marriage record for Lee’s brother Thomas.
As adults, three of the McDaniel brothers – er, uh
McDonald brothers – were professional painters: Lee, Grover, and Bernard. Lee
was employed at the Polk Sanitary Milk Company. (Sanitary? Isn't all milk "sanitary"? I didn't know a company needed to make a point of saying it.)
 |
| The Polk Sanitary Milk Company 1925 courtesy Indiana Historical Society |
I don’t know how a milk company
kept a full-time painter busy unless they needed those oversized milk bottles
kept clean with fresh paint. The company was a large enterprise, frequently expanding,
so there’s that too.
Lee retired from Polk’s in 1956, right about the time the
company fell on hard times and closed. No use in crying over - well, you know.
 |
| (posted on Findagrave) |
To see how others were inspired by hats and canes and well-dressed folk, please visit Sepia Saturday.
Wendy
© 2017, Wendy Mathias.
All rights reserved.
