Looking Back (Part II)

The large family portrait of the last post must have been taken around 1912-13.  The woman holding the baby on the left side (when looking straight at the portrait) is Carrie Vorhies. She is the wife of Eugene Vorhies, brother to Great-Grandma Estella Smith.  Viola was born June 5, 1912.  How old does the baby look to you?  I am thinking she looks younger than six months.  On January 1, 1913, Estella and Hiram had their 5th child.  The baby was named Myrtice Averil. She died a week later on January 7, 1913.  As I was looking at the baby trying to approximate an age, I looked more closely at Estella. Notice the difference in her waistline between the family picture of Hiram and her with the oldest two children, and with the large family picture.  I am wondering if she is pregnant with Myrtice. Could this portrait's date be almost determined as late 1912?

Clifford "Dale" Smith was born November 23, 1914. His big brother, Merroll, would have been one day shy of 12 years old. I wonder if they liked their birthdays being so close.

Leah Olive Smith was their last born child. She arrived on January 22, 1917.  She was only about four years older than my mom (oldest child of Nina, Leah's oldest sister).

By 1929 when Hiram died, all of the older children were married. However, Dale and Leah were only 15 and 12 at the time.

Growing up I could never remember the names of my paternal grandfather's siblings. My paternal grandmother was an only child so that was easy. I didn't know too much about my maternal grandfather's family, but I sure didn't have any problems with my maternal grandmother's family. Grandma Nina's siblings were very much a part of my childhood. I intend to write about each of my grandmother's siblings starting with her brother Merroll and progressing to the youngest, Leah.