Second Post on Monday - Pictures

My sister Ramey (Pat) has been in contact with our cousin Chris Isbell for months, regarding old photographs in the collections of our relatives. He has recently emailed her copies of some of the pictures, and Pat has very kindly forwarded copies to me. Various people had labeled the original photos with the names of the people they understood were depicted. Of course, Pat and I know our Grandma and Grandpa Ramey (above), and can see that the toddler between them is our dad, Gordy Ramey. He looks just like Daddy did in teenage photos and in adulthood. Pat's grandson Reed (Daddy's great-grandson, and big Reed's great-great-grandson) bears a remarkable resemblance to this picture of Gordy as a child.

Both Reed Ramey and Vettie Isbell Ramey (pictured above) were born in or around 1890, and this photo was made around 1912, so they were around 20 to 22 years old. My reason for thinking the picture was made in 1912 is that Gordy looks to be about a year to a year-and-a-half old, and he was born in 1911. (Note: This may not be correct, about their age. Their parents had to sign for them to marry, as they were under age, and I think that was in 1909. So they were probably younger in this photo than I said. Maybe 19 or 20.)

The picture at left is our grandfather, Reed Ramey (on the right), and probably one of Vettie's brothers on the left. Whoever owns the original has marked it as "Bud" (Milton Isbell), one of Vettie's brothers, and Reed. I think the brother looks more like our great-uncle Andrew, Vettie's next-to-youngest brother. Bud was much older, and this fellow looks as young as Reed, if not younger.












The original of the photo at right was marked simply "Gordy Ramey," but Pat and I agree that neither of the boys looks like Gordy, and that their clothing appears to be from an earlier generation than his. It may be that these are two of Reed's brothers. Pat points out that the little guy has Indian beads, and perhaps an additional Indian artifact, around his neck; this supports the family story that our great-grandmother Eliza Jane was an Indian (Paw Paw/Reed himself told me she was, when I was a child).




We have no idea of the identity of the three ladies below. They could be sisters of either Vettie or Reed, as Reed and Vettie's daughter Betty Lou looked a little like the one on the left; and the one in the center looks somewhat like our great-aunt, Ella Ramey Hope.

I hope that Pat, or both she and I, can get prints of these photographs. If so, I'm sure we will get multiples and distribute them. I have very strange reactions looking at them, as if I ought to be able to reach in and touch these dear people. The little boy with the Indian beads looks a tiny bit like Douglas, and I want to know who it is. The boys could possibly turn out to be Gordy (big boy) and Douglas (little one), but I would be extremely surprised.