I’m dipping in and out of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, which is Amy Johnson Crow’s worthy effort to get us to share more of our family and genealogy stories. This week’s topic is “Favorite Photo,” but of course I had to choose two!
These aren’t just any family photos – they’re five-generation portraits of the same family line, captured nearly 40 years apart, with three people appearing in both! Together, they document seven generations of my family. I am incredibly lucky to have these!
The first portrait, taken around 1940 or 41 in Cherokee County, Georgia, captures what was probably a family reunion.
- Thomas Edward Pope (1861-1945), my 4th great-grandfather, then about 80 years old
- His daughter Mary Louella Pope Blanton (b. 1880)
- Her daughter Ollie Blanton Hill
- Ollie’s son JT Hill
- And baby Barbara Hill Dunn
It’s clear they were aware of how special gathering 5 generations together was, otherwise the living spouses likely would have been crowded in here.
Front row: Thomas Edward Pope, Mary Louella Pope Blanton
Fast forward to groovy 1980, and another five-generation portrait was taken, this time with:
- Ollie Blanton Hill (from the 1941 photo)
- Her son JT Hill (from the 1941 photo)
- His daughter Barbara Hill Dunn (the baby from 1941!)
- Her son Larry Dunn
- And me, baby Jennifer Dunn!
What makes these really special is how they show continuity, with my Granny (Ollie), Pawpaw (JT), and Grandmama (Barbara) all appearing in both photos.
Front row: Ollie Blanton Hill, and I, baby Jennifer Dunn
The math boggles my mind. My 4th great-grandfather Thomas Edward Pope, born in 1861, died just 35 years before I was born. Thanks to a line of eldest children having children relatively young, I even have memories of my 2nd great-grandmother Ollie (Granny to me), who passed when I was four. Hers was my first funeral, and I remember looking at the half-open casket at the viewing and asking my grandmama, “Are her legs already in Heaven?”
I’m so grateful to have these pictures and have such well-documented ancestry on that side of the family. The surnames change, but the photos preserve the family.
(Please note I hadn’t done much independent research on this family aside from collecting censuses. The dearly departed Cherokee County genealogist Mary Free had the Popes and descendants well covered and I’m drawing heavily from the meticulous pre-internet research she shared with me. I do know that the relationships are correct and these really are two 5 generation photos, but if I got anything wrong or you have anything to share about these fine folks, please let me know!)
Do you have a five generation photo? I’d love to see it!