Wordless Wednesday - Ross family with Uncle Henry

George Henry Stotler, uncle Henry, with his sister Mary Stotler-Ross. Mary is holding her son John F. Ross Jr. Her children, George, Mary, Clara and Mason Ross are in the front row. Clara (Ross) Fowlie is my great grandmother and Mary (Stotler) Ross is my 2nd great grandmother.

John Ross Jr. was born in May 1899 and George Henry Stotler died in February 1902, so that is the time frame of this photo. This photo was probably taken during a visit by Uncle Henry to Calhoun County, Illinois. He was visiting from Mahomet, Illinois or Indianapolis, Indiana. He lived in Indianapolis at the time of the 1900 census. That would be about a 9+ hour, 570 mile trip by car in 2011, but in 1900 it's hard to imagine what it would have taken to make that trip.

Tombstone Tuesday - John Ross Jr. tombstone

This is the tombstone of John F. Ross Jr and his wife Lulu Grace (Scroggin) Ross located at Lake Creek Cemetery, Lake Creek Township, Calhoun County, Iowa.

The adjacent stone to the left is John's friend Edna Moeding. It is my understanding they were well acquainted in the last years of his life. She is also pictured in several of Clara (Ross) Fowlie's photos.I'm not going to speculate on the nature of their relationship, but I can only assume they must have been quite close for her to be buried adjacent to John.

John F. Ross Jr. was my great grand uncle and was Clara (Ross) Fowlie's brother.

Ross sibling Group Photos October 1974

This photo is of the Ross siblings from an October 1974 gathering at the Fowlie home on Black Hawk Lake, in Lake View.From left to right, Mason Hiram Ross (1892-1980), Mary Ada Ross-Gillespie (1894-1987), Helen Elizabeth Ross-Whitted (1903-1990), Ward Gillespie (1889-1978), Clara Bernice Fowlie (1897-1994), Edna L. Moeding (1912-2007), Frank Fowlie (1892-1977). I'm told that Edna was a friend of John Ross Jr., she is buried in an adjacent cemetery plot. Based on the black and white photo below, John is probably taking the color photo above.

Here is another view of the same group on the same day, probably taken by Edna. From left to right, Mary Ada Ross-Gillespie (1894-1987), Mason Hiram Ross (1892-1980), Helen Elizabeth Ross-Whitted (1903-1990), Ward Gillespie (1889-1978), Clara Bernice Fowlie (1897-1994), John Franklin Ross Jr. (1899-1976), Frank Brown Fowlie (1892-1977).

Here is a third image from the same day, from left to right, Mason Hiram Ross (1892-1980), Mary Ada Ross-Gillespie (1894-1987), Clara Bernice Fowlie (1897-1994), John Franklin Ross Jr. (1899-1976), Helen Elizabeth Ross-Whitted (1903-1990).

Clara Ross-Fowlie is my great grand mother and the others are her siblings. Clara's daughter married Elvis J. Brassfield and that is the connection to the Brassfield surname, the normal subject of this blog.

Wordless Wednesday - Mason Clara and John

This photo is captioned Mason, Clara, John 8/12/72. This photo is Clara (Ross) Fowlie (1897-1994) with two of her brothers, Mason Hiram Ross (1892-1980) and John Franklin Ross Jr.(1899-1976). Looking at the high res scan, I can tell you that the sign on the house says "Mason Ross". This is somewhere in Iowa, probably Calhoun County, does anyone remember where Mason lived in 1972? Update: I'm told that this house was on a farm northwest of Lake City possibly 3409 Harris Ave. in Jackson Township, Calhoun County, Iowa.

I have some tombstone photos from last weekend's trip to Lake Creek Cemetery and Rosehill Cemetery over on Flickr, but I'll be posting them in future "Tombstone Tuesday" posts.

Clara is my great grand mother and the others are great grand uncles. Clara's daughter married Elvis J. Brassfield and that is the connection to the Brassfield surname, the normal subject of this blog.