James Hamilton Wansley & Sarah (Sallie) Ann Eavenson Wansley
Family Picture circa 1916
Author: Jim Wansley
Date: 2018-08-05
Overview
My name is Jim Allen Wansley. I am a great-grandson of James Hamilton and Sarah (Sallie) Ann Eavenson Wansley, the grandson of Marvin Belve and Lela Mae Rhodes Wansley and the eldest son of Eldridge Belve and Billie Joe James Wansley. Currently, I’m one of several members of the James Hamilton Wansley branch of the John and Mildred Wansley family tree that are launching and providing information for the Wansleyfamily.org website.
Ours is only one branch of a much, much larger family tree that began initially from a humble and fairly clearly defined beginning in the 1700s in colonial Virginia and spread to many other areas of the growing United States throughout the ensuing years. Unlike more common names, and due in part to the fortunate existence of certain records in colonial Virginia for John and Mildred Wansley, we are able to define our Wansley family tree origin and development to a greater extent than many others.
I’ve written this report regarding the James Hamilton Wansley Family picture taken in 1916. It is the second report I’ve submitted to our website. The picture provides a unique opportunity to connect visually with James Hamilton, his wife Sarah, their children and their children’s spouses, as well as with their grand-children born prior to August 1916.
The picture was taken, in all likelihood, at James and Sarah’s farm located outside Lindale Texas. Both James and Sarah were born in Elbert County Georgia. They arrived in East Texas in 1895 with their existing children and prospered, adding more children after their arrival.
Like so many family pictures that we look at many years later the people in this one might have gone unidentified by my generation, viewing it a hundred years after it was taken. By the time I received a copy of the picture from my uncle, Gaines Gartrell Wansley, he was unsure about most of those appearing in it. He was in poor health and failing mentally. However my cousin, Jim Baker Evans, had another copy with those appearing in it identified in writing. The written document identifying those present in the picture is an attachment to this report.
I have included in this report two images. The first is the picture with information regarding those in it. The second is the handwritten document identifying those appearing in the picture, written by Mary Adra Wansley Rodieck, a daughter of John Andrew Wansley. Adra does not appear to be in the picture. Even so she was present, though not yet available to be photographed. Fannie Newberry Wansley, her mother, does appear and is pregnant with Mary Adra at the time the picture is taken. She gave birth to Adra in August 1916.
There are several indications that allow us to conclude the picture was taken in the spring or summer of 1916. First, Adra’s mother is in late term pregnancy in the picture, based on her appearance and attire. Second, the children in the picture are dressed in warm weather attire. Third, Adra states that the picture was taken after the birth of Lela Mae Rhodes Wansley’s eldest child, which is her daughter Reba Mae. Reba Mae was born November 13, 1915 and prior to Adra’s birth in August 1916. In the picture Reba Mae is shown seated on her mother’s lap, sitting upright and holding her head erect, which indicates she is older than six weeks old at the time the picture was taken.
As a next step, I plan to provide a report for our website that will identify all the children and grandchildren of James Hamilton and Sarah Evanson Wansley, as well as their spouses and children. It will also include my generation, the great-grandchildren of James and Sarah Wansley and extend to their great-great-grandchildren.
Photo with names
Front Row, Seated on Bottom Step (three children)
Annie Estelle Duncan, daughter of Graves Duncan and Lucy Wansley Duncan
Ira Pauline (Susie) Wansley, daughter of John Andrew Wansley and Fannie Pearl Newberry Wansley
William (Billy) Smith, son of Wyatt Otis (Oat) Smith and Fannie Estelle Wansley Smith
Second Row, Seated on Second Step (one child, four adults)
Fred LaGrande Wansley, son of John Andrew Wansley and Fannie Pearl Newberry Wansley
John Andrew Wansley
Marvin Belve Wansley
Graves Duncan
Wyatt Otis (Oat) Smith
Third Row, Standing on Ground (four adults, one teenage girl)
Nora Ethel McCall Wansley, wife of Ira Eugene Wansley, and Ira Eugene Wansley
Lucy Jane Wansley Duncan, wife of Graves Duncan
Jewel Estelle Smith, daughter of Wyatt Otis (Oat) Smith and Fannie Estelle Wansley Smith
Fannie Estelle (Essie) Wansley Smith, wife of Wyatt Otis (Oat) Smith
Fourth Row, On Porch (four adults, three toddlers)
Lela Mae Rhodes Wansley, Marvin Wansley’s wife, holding daughter Reba Mae Wansley
James Hamilton Wansley & Sarah (Sallie) Ann Eavenson Wansley, Sarah holding Asa Inez Duncan, Graves and Lucy Wansley Duncan’s daughter
Fannie Pearl Newberry Wansley, wife of John Andrew Wansley, holding daughter Celestene Nora Wansley
Family Photo information source document
Below is the document written by Mary Adra Wansley Rodieck and provided to James (Jim) Baker Evans as mentioned above. This information was used to determine full names, relationships and the approximate date the picture was taken.
