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Stitching Together an Identification

By Maureen A. Taylor

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Last June, I wrote about a photo owned by Candace Fountoulakis that was surrounded by a cross-stitch pattern. At the time I published the photo, Candace thought the couple was from either her Watts or Boohler side of the family, but now she’s not sure. This photo changed her mind:

MaryJaneHill edit.jpg

This photo was in her mother’s collection and is captioned: “Aunt Mary Jane Hill.” The young woman wears a beautiful dress with dark trim on the bodice. Her small waist is highlighted by a belt. She leans on a chair for support. This pose and the dress style were common in the 1866-1868 period. The line line border was also common on card photographs in the late 1860s.

Now Candace thinks this woman is the sister of the woman in the first image:

The image above was also taken in the 1860s, making it possible for the two women to be of the same generation.

Candace knows a lot about the Hill family. They were a pioneer family in Gallia County, Ohio, and intermarried with the Watts family.

Additional research needs to be done before confirming that these two women are sisters, including:

  • If this is Mary Jane’s sister, it’s important to verify the birth date and parentage of this woman.
  • Who’s the man in the photo?
  • Are there any other pictures of him in the family?

Since both images were in Candace’s family, it’s clear that there is some connection to her. All that’s left is to put the pieces together.

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