This is one of my favorite family photos. My grandmother gave it to me years ago when I first started doing family history research (she was the family historian up until that point). This represents 4 generations of women in my family. The young girl is my grandmother - Allie Catherine Reiser. The woman standing behind her is her mother - Mary Brafford Fox. Standing next to Mary his her mother - Ella Catherine Charles. Sitting in front of Ella is her mother, Letitia Charles.
When I first saw the photo, I thought Letitia looks like a stern/harsh woman. This opinion was also fed by my grandmother's story's about what a disciplinarian her grandmother was.
After doing research for a few years, I found out that Letitia grew up in Quaker society in North Carolina and had a child (Ella) out of wedlock in 1850. She was taken to court where she refused to name the father. The next census, she's living with a family in Kentucky. Ella is not listed in the household. Where is she? 10 years later, Letitia's living with Ella and her husband.
All of this made me rethink my opinion of Letitia. Now when I look at the photo, I see a strong woman.
Click here for the image details page or here for the full-sized version (1430 x 2000).
