Oh My, Oh My, OH MY!

After the gloomy groups that were featured last week, I thought I’d cheer you up with a picture of this happy family.  Their names were written on the margin of the negative from the Simmon’s Studio collection.  

They are Marvin and Kathryn Colster along with their two children, Jerry and Jane.  

Marvin Colster was a life-long resident of Johnson County born  to John Frederick and May (Gardner) Colster on June 30, 1914. He was raised northeast of Holden. Both he and Kathryn attended Centerview High School.

Kathryn was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Dudley who lived just south of Centerview.  She married Marvin on October 7, 1939 in Warrensburg at the home of the Rev. J.C. Hollyman.  They made their home on the Porter Murray farm, 9 miles northeast of Holden.  

Marvin was a bulk agent for DX Sunray and was a member of the Elks Lodge and Moose Lodge.  He was a deacon and elder in the Presbyterian Church.  Kathryn was a member of the staff of the farm bureau in the courthouse.

Their son Jerry Marvin Colster, was born August 25, 1941.  I’m not sure about the birthdate of the daughter, Jane Elizabeth (Nolte).

After Marvin’s death on October 25, 1973, Kathryn married Frank Wells, a former state representative. He passed away and she married Lyle Jacoby.  Lyle and Kathryn spent their final years at Country Club Care Center in Warrensburg.

The cute little boy, Jerry, was in the Missouri National Guard for a while serving with the 635th Aviation Battalion in Warrensburg.  I was in the 635th at the same time and thought Jerry was an intelligent and very funny fellow.

They Didn't Want to Be There

In this day and age, when someone has their picture taken, they usually smile.  It's not uncommon, though, to see people looking stern in older photographs.  Here are some images found in the Simmon's Studio collection where the family members don't just look stern.  They look just plain mad.  

Here is an attractive picture to hang over the fireplace.  The father and daughter look as if they are about to attack someone, and the mother looks like she'd be glad to see them do it.

The mom looks happy in this picture.

But the little girls definitely didn't want to be there.

If someone has any information about the people in either of these pictures, please leave a message in the comment section.

Thanks to Joann Cross who left this comment on Facebook about last week's picture: 

 I have the brochure which contains this pic. This is the Junior Dept., Sunday School, First Baptist Church. The brochure (with other pics) shows the overcrowding conditions of the church; therefore, action was taken to build the educational building connected to the Church. This was in the early 1950's with Dr. Earl Harding as the Pastor. (I was a member of Young Married People's class and we met at Sweeney-Phillips.) Overcrowding conditions is a GOOD church attendance problem!!!

Are You In This Picture?

I like group photographs from the Simmon's Studio collection because there's a good chance of someone recognizing themselves and telling me what the shot is all about.  Take this elementary class, for instance.

What a great looking group of kids. That's quite an extensive row of adults behind them, though - more than is usual for a school class.  Can anybody tell me who they are and the story behind this picture?

Family shots are harder to find out about.  When you get a row of just three or four people, there's much less chance of anyone recognizing themselves in the picture.

Here's one that I call "Dad Mom Son" although I'm not positive that that is their relationship.  It just seems more likely than "Three Random Strangers."

If anyone has any information about either picture, please leave a comment.

Photograph Discovered of World's Handsomest Man

Sixty-nine years ago, 21-year-old Buddy Baker looked in the mirror and said to himself, "Am I ever good looking.  I need a picture of this."  So he went to Simmon's Studio and had this picture taken.

We're fortunate to have this image of perfect male beauty preserved for future generations, but had this photograph not been taken, other images of Buddy Baker exist that are just as thrilling.

For example, here's one I took today of the same man.

Buddy has volunteered to be the grounds keeper at the Historical Society.  In addition to mowing the grass for the entire campus, he's cleaning up the lot around the old Davis Store.  That includes moving the mounds of broken bricks that have been heaped up against the store for several years now.  He's dug out about 12 feet along the north wall.

He doesn't have much further to go.