Simmons, Hadley and Ada

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Hadley and Ada Simons Wedding November 18, 1913[1]

Notes

  1. Comment from Dr. Jacob V. Simons, Jr.: I had a copy of the group picture at Hadley and Ada's wedding, but didn't have all the identification from Aunt Betty. There are a couple of conspicuous absences from the group. Although Hadley's mother (Louisa) is there, his father (Maurice) is not, even though the data shows he was alive for another 14 years. Similarly, Uncle Jake (Jacob Van Vranken) isn't there, although the rest of his family is. He worked for the railroad for a while, but I'd have thought he'd have been able to coordinate his schedule to be there, because his family had a close relationship with Hadley. Hadley lived with Jake for some time (prior to his marriage), joined the Mason's with him, and named my father after him. I wish there was a way to know why those two aren't present.
  2. Comment from Dr. Jacob V. Simons, Jr.: I don't think it's literally the Simons family going to church. I'm fairly sure the buggy is being driven by Jacob Van Vranken (my grandfather's "Uncle Jake" and my father's and my namesake) and that it was taken in front of his house (later, the house that Ada Simons lived in). I think that the lady in the light dress in the back seat is either Jake's sister Elizabeth (Aunt Libby) or his sister Louisa (who married my great-grandfather Maurice). And if I'm right, the lady in black in the back seat may be Jake's mother, Lydia Stephens (known as Grandma Van). I can't tell about the two ladies in the front seat. The older one may be the other of Aunt Libby or Louisa Simons, but I can't tell. Jake's wife Elva (Zeh) died in 1893 and I doubt the picture is that old. Imagine how everyone would look after traveling 3-4 miles on dusty dirt roads.