Dating this photo
This is a photo of my great grandmother and grandfather and 9 of their 10 children. Great grandfather George Charley Cooper and great grandmother Sarah (Sally) McLendon Duvall Cooper are seated in front. The tall man on the right end is my great-uncle George Merrimon Cooper, and the woman next to him is my grandmother Rachel Cooper Osborne.
I assume this picture was taken at their home outside of Lubbock, Texas. There is a rural school system south of Lubbock that is named for my great-grandfather–he was a member of the school board in that area, advocated consolidation of several small schools, and evidently served with distinction. I do know that education was very important to him–most of his daughters had college educations and he had been a teacher as well. Sally had been one of students.
When I started trying to date this picture, I noticed that there was a young man on the left side of the picture. I knew that there were only two brothers in this family and one of them had died young. I grew up knowing Uncle George, so the other young man must be the other brother known as John D. His middle name was Duvall and he was the youngest of the clan. I knew from talking to another member of this family, my great-aunt Marge (Margaret Cooper Crabtree) that John D. had died in 1931 when he developed peritonitis after an appendectomy. So this photo had to be before 1931.
Another member of the family, Nannie Rush, died early as well. She died in December 1929. Since there were 9 “children” in this picture, 7 daughters, I thought it was possible that Nannie Rush might not be there. But if she didn’t die until December, and even in Lubbock, the weather and lack of coats made me know this photo wasn’t taken in the winter. I thought that probably Nannie Rush was in the photo. And then I remembered that my dad was born in September 1929.
When I started looking harder at my grandmother, I decided she indeed appears pregnant with what can only be my dad. The one brother that was younger than him wasn’t born until 1935, 4 years after John D’s death. Grandmother Rachel is standing by her brother, George M., for whom my dad worked much of his life. These are the two of this group that I knew the best, though I was able to establish a very close relationship with Aunt Marge late in her life.
I’m pretty sure that somewhere I have an identification of all of these persons. I probably got the picture from Aunt Marge and she told me who was who. She was just older than John D., so she was probably just starting college at Texas Tech. John D. was in college when he died–he was studying to be a Presbyterian minister. He’s the only child enumerated at home on the 1930 census.
1930 Lubbock County, Texas Census for George C. Cooper Household
I wish I knew the occasion for this photo–in December of 1929, George C. and Sally would celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary. October 1929 would be George C.’s 70th birthday. But I believe this photo was taken prior to my dad’s birth in September. Perhaps it was Aunt Mary and Uncle Newt’s wedding–they were married 2 June 1929. George M. and Rachel would have traveled about 250 miles from their homes in Perryton. Oldest daughter Anna and her family lived in Amarillo. Aunt Bettie and Uncle Wes lived in Midland. Most of the rest of the family lived in Lubbock–I need to dig out the identification to see which daughter is missing.
I was glad to have enough information to date this photo–looks like summer from the dress and the trees. The family configuration and my grandmother’s pregnancy were all clues as to the date and place.