Here is a photo that I took in 2016. My Grandpa, Milo Ross, had this photo in his collection. We do not know if he picked up at a flea market or knew anyone linked with it. I have tried to do some research on it over time. Initially, nobody could read or decipher the signature.
Here is what we could read
“To my Friend
“Bro. Fred P. Robison. P.M.
“[Illegible] – 33
“D.D.G.M. 1915-1940
Bro. is short for Brother, the term used for all masons. P.M. means past master, a former presiding officer of his lodge, indicating rank in service.
The 33 after the signature denotes he received the 33 degree in the Scottish Rite, an optional side group that Masons can join. The 33 is a significant honor within that organization, but doesn’t really denote rank or authority in most cases.
The D.D.G.M. usually refers to District Deputy Grand Master, a regional officer of the Grand Lodge of the state. They usually oversee several lodges in an area on behalf of the governing grand lodge.
Later, Dad uncovered this tag on the back.
W Harr Walker 6-1-40
This really gave us what we needed to determine who this guy was!
Bellefonte, Central, Pennsylvania is not a large town.
W. Harrison Walker was a lawyer in Bellefonte and served as the town’s Burgess (now known as Mayor) in 1923. He specialized in general law, collections, and estate settlements. An old business directory lists him with the following references: First National Bank of Bellefonte, First National Bank of State College, First National Bank of Howard, The Pennsylvania Match Co, Montgomery & Co, M. Fauble & Son, and Joseph Bros & Co.
Here is more detail about William Harrison Walker. Born 30 August 1874 in Selone, Clinton, Pennsylvania and died 29 October 1951 in Bellafonte, Pennsylvania. Married Caroline E Hoffman (1875 – 1907) 26 March 1891 in Uniontown, Fayette, Pennsylvania. Married Charlotte Robb (1885 – 1971) 30 August 1912 in Greensburg, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania.
I first wrote of the Donaldson house at 629 8th Street in Ogden, Utah in 2017, and followed up with another post in 2021. I continue to work through photos from Dave and Betty Donaldson and found some new ones I wanted to share.
This first one is fun as not only does it have a car parked beside the home, but you can see a woman through the passenger window. I am not sure who the face belongs, but it could be my Grandmother Gladys Maxine Donaldson Ross. You can also see some snow on the ground behind and no homes visible across the street.
This one, is really one of many photos, in front of the home includes the beautiful Wasatch Mountains in the background.
And this one is in the front yard and also clips the north facing northeast corner of the house with David Delos Donaldson holding a child. Not sure who the child is, but it adds another glimpse of the neighborhood. In the 2017 post, I didn’t really get a street photo. Maybe I need to stop and get a fresh photo from that angle.
Is it Dena, Dora, Gladys, or Maxine? I don’t think it is Dave, but sometimes the boys dressed like girls too.
This next one is fun as it shows how deep the snow got in December 1933. The whole family his bundled up, but some also appear in dresses.
Date written on back: 1 December 1933
This next photo is definitely an earlier time based on the car. I don’t know who is on the porch, I think it might be Dave.
This last one doesn’t add much, but a fun photo of the front of the car with the twins.
We are all getting older, one day at a time. Children are a gift to help you not forget your continual aging. Lillian filled the bill this year with this card!
If their getting older, bigger, wiser was not enough, they put it in writing to remind us. Smart Aleck!
That poem seemed to fit as I work through more photos that belonged to my Great Grandparents. These photos found their way to my (Great) Uncle Dave and (Great) Aunt Betty. I scanned and worked through these photos, in some cases over 100 years later. I wonder what thoughts or emotions my own family’s photos might evoke in 100 years. The little minutes add up.
Young David Delos Donaldson
David Donaldson was born in 1894. If this photo were taken at 18 years old, then it would be 1912.
David Donaldson
Delos Donaldson and unknown woman
Unknown woman and Delos Donaldson
These are the two same women from the separate photos above, probably the same day. No clue if related or some other occasion.
David certainly appears older in this photo than the prior one. His 20s or 30s?
“Delas, Dena, Ms. Berry, Alvin, and g”
I can recognize Dena and David on the left, along with David’s mother Mary. I would have been guessing on Alvin, but his age and size appear to match. Who is Ms. Berry? There are so many Berry/Barry/Beery ladies in Ogden in 1920, even within a mile and half of the house, that I cannot make any identification. The Donaldson family in 1920 were living at 2270 Ogden Ave, Ogden, Utah. I have written a biography about my Great Grandparents, David Delos Donaldson and Berendena Van Leeuwen.
David Delos Donaldson holding little girl
This photo has a couple of interesting pieces. I don’t immediately recognize the little girl as one of David’s children. The family lived in Ogden. The mountains seem to line up. But I generally think it is early 1920s. Interesting note, I appreciate that the baby clothing between boys and girls were somewhat interchangeable. Perhaps this is actually David William Donaldson and the same day as this photo:
Donaldson Children about 1930
Berendena Van Leeuwen Donaldson holding child
This photo is interesting to me as I don’t see Dena as quite as young as when her first kids were born in 1920. I cannot tell if it is a boy or girl she is holding, but if it is David/Dave, then this could be around 1929-1930. Dena was born in 1898, so 1930 would put her at 32 years old.
Milo Ross and unknown girl
Berendena Van Leeuwen Donaldson with the three Ross grandchildren, Milo, Caroline, and Judy
Milo was born in 1943, Judy in 1946, and Caroline in 1948. This photo seems it could have taken place in 1950 to 1951.
Milo Ross
I don’t know whose car it is, or the make and model. The plate says 1949. I don’t know if plates had to be replaced every year, or if they were longer time increments. If they are only one year, then this would appear to place the photo and the one above in 1949 or 1950.
Dena and Gladys Donaldson – 1940
This photo is interesting. It had 1940 written on it, so my Grandma turned 19 that year. She married in 1942. Doing an AI search, it showed one of the locations near Grotto Geyser. The small piece of the sign to the right appears to begin with the letter G. Here is a modern shot from Google Maps from 2013. It really does not look like the Grotto Geyser features have changed much in 85 years.
2013 picture of Grotto Geyser
Gladys Maxine Donaldson Ross
This photo was a fun photo of Grandma. Her teeth in the picture are different than I remember. Going back through all the photos I have of her and Grandpa, I don’t have many pictures of her full-toothed smile. Having her tongue in her teeth distorts how her teeth look.
28 June 1939 – Napa, California
This photo is interesting in that the back says it was taken 28 June 1939 in Napa, California. The only explanation for the photo must be while they were in California for the 1939 World Fair. Here is a photo from that occasion.
Dave, Delos, and Dena Donaldson
Kate Collins and Dena Donaldson
Here is another fun photo. Berendena Van Leeuwen Donaldson and Catharina Johanna Van Leeuwen Collins are sisters. Dena was born in 1898, Kate in 1902. Dena passed away in 1959 and spent the last 4 years of her life in a wheelchair, so this is before that. You can see she is standing on the right and holding on to the side of the image. Guessing, this is probably early to middle 1950s.
In honor of Dad’s 82nd birthday, I am sharing these photos.
After Dad’s first wife, Vicki, passed away, most of her photos and other documents were scanned. Found in those documents were these two class pictures for Dad. These are for his 1952 and 1953 class years. Since he graduated in 1961, these are likely his 3rd and 4th grade pictures. He attended Plain City Elementary in Plain City, Utah.
Back (l-r): Gary Butler, Frances Rochell, (unknown teacher behind Frances), Linda Knight, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown, Kenneth Clark, unknown, Kenneth Wayment; Middle: unknown, Kent Hodson, Elaine Rogers, Connie Poulsen, Kay East, Carole Carver, May Endow, unknown; Front: Dean Allred, Fred Coy, unknown, Ernest Hansen, Leon Taylor, Milo Ross, unknown, unknown.
Back (l-r): Carol Wheatley, Connie Poulsen, Austin McWilliams, Mr. Leslie Gerald Bundy, Kenneth Wayment, Kenneth Clark, unknown, Cleora Meyerhoffer, unknown, Gary Butler, Donna Mae Jensen; Middle: Elgie Post, Elayne Rogers, May Endow, unknown, Frances Rochell, Linda Knight, Carole Carver, Kay East, Deanna Slater; Front: Kent Hodson, Larry, Dean Allred, Fred Coy, Leon Taylor, Milo Ross, unknown, Jeff East, Ernest Hansen
Mr. Leslie Gerald “Jerry” Bundy (1929 – 1999)
Ms. Emma Walker Munson (1918 – 1992)
Dean Allred (1943 – alive)
Ilene Bingham (1943 – alive)
Gary Butler (1943 – alive)
Carole Carver (1943 – alive)
Kenneth Clark (1943 – alive)
Fred Coy (1943 – alive)
Jeff East (1943 – alive)
Kay East (1943 – alive)
Maye Endow (1943 – alive) married Bothwell
Ernest Walter Hansen (1943 – 2010)
John Kent Hodson (1943 – 2022)
Donna Mae Jensen (1943 – alive)
Linda Knight (1943 – alive) married Charlton
Austin McWilliams (1943 – alive)
Cleora Mae Meyerhoffer (1943 – 2013) married Oliver
Marvin Aslett and Milo Ross at 20 years service recognition party
Dad has these two photos sitting on his desk at home, they sat on his desk at work too. The one above is from the recognition party given for him and Mel Keyes in 1990. Dad still has the picture, one of the trucks on the cake, and the Traeger smoker. Circle A transferred Dad to AgExpress in about 2004 when AgExpress took over the Paul operations. Dad had roughly 34 years with Circle A Construction. I am posting this in honor of Mel and Dad for what is 55 years since they started for Circle A Construction!
This photo below is for a supervisor training get away some time in the 1990s. Dad could not remember the exact year.
Back (l-r): Jeff Herzinger, Jeff Mecham, Dave Dana, Ed Foreman, Milo Ross, Tom Schmidt, Lenny Aslett, Nick Stephens, Les Abbott; Middle: Jeff Stowell, Terry Vitek, Steve Aslett, Dale Keyes, Jay Simmons, DeLane Fetzer, Mel Keyes, Reece Garrow, Eli Calamantes: Front: Gradus Heeling, Sage Aslett, Boomer Bailey, Mike Ehrmantraut, Tom Ehrmantraut, Larry Aslett
I continue to work through the massive box/crate of photos and documents that were given to Dad after Aunt Betty Donaldson passed away. Much of it was garbage, some of it was interesting, but I have been getting to some really good stuff lately. One little such item was hit pocket album that belonged to my Great Grandmother, Berendena Van Leeuwen Donaldson. I pulled all the photos out and scanned them. But first, here is the pocket album.
The first photo in the album was that of her grandchildren. This photo was taken in 1951. The names and dates are on the back.
Back (l-r): Ed Telford, Jan Birch, John Telford, Richard Michaelson, Milo Ross; Front: Caroline Ross, Mary Telford, Judy Ross
Berendena went by Dena her whole life. But since her daughter was also named Dena, I usually go with her full name. The next picture is of her and the two Ross girl grandchildren.
Caroline Ross, Berendena Donaldson, Judy Ross
Then a picture of her and her husband, David Delos Donaldson.
Dena and David Donaldson
Then a picture of her daughter Dora.
Dora Mary Donaldson Michaelson
Then her son David “Dave” Donaldson.
David William Donaldson
Last picture was of her and all give of her children.
Dena Dorothy Birch, David William Donaldson, Dora Mary Michaelson, Maxine Telford, Dena Donaldson, Gladys Maxine Ross
Several of these photos were taken at 639 Wall Avenue in Ogden, Weber, Utah. This photo was not in her pocket album.
David Donaldson on porch of their home on Wall Ave
Sagacity 