July 4th, 1927

1927, Fourth of July, somewhere at a Lake in Minnesota.  So many are wearing hats!  And the clothes...  I think that's one of the fascinating things about old photos.   The girl in front is holding an American flag.  Relatives, for sure.  Makes you wonder how we're all related, though.  I think the tallest man in the back, right, is my grandfather Robert Pape.  I think the man in the back on the left is Joshua Laidley.  **I could make many more assumptions about the folks in here, next to Joshua is probably his wife, Susie.  Near my Grandfather should be Louella, as he married her two+ years after this photo was taken.

In 1927, the Fourth of July was on a Monday.  I looked it up, wondering if they're all dressed up so because it fell on a Sunday.  But nope, I guess it was the thing to do when you're having a get-together, getting all gussied up in your finery!

If this is a duplicate posting, my apologies!

**7/29/2017 Update:  I just learned that this photo was taken at Maple Lake, Polk County, MN

• "Maple Lake is a natural lake, and is the westernmost significant lake in the Red River Valley of Northwestern Minnesota. The lake appears on 19th century historic maps of the area, and developed as a summer home and resort community as early as 1910."

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

In a letter from Myrtle (my grandmother) to my parents dated 6/27/1996, she writes:

          I often wondered about her [Harold's mother].  She came from the same place in Sweden where Mom [Anna Kringsberg Liden] came from.  Harold and I went to church with Mom on Sunday, and Rev. Lundell, the minister, came right over and said "You must be Mom's youngest brother, I'd know you any place."  Mom said, "Oh no, that's Myrtle's boyfriend."   In our wedding picture so many people commented about Harold and I looked so much alike.   I've never said this to anyone before but I have thought of it often, just a thought, I don't think his mom really knew who his father was as the names on his birth certificate and baptism certificate were different. I just haven't wanted to check into his family.  His mom was a Hendrickson, tho.

          Several of the kids have wanted to check on our family history and I've kind of discouraged it.  "Why not let sleeping dogs lie?"

Pretty much sums up how both sides of my family felt about family history and events.

I'm sure other families have these kinds of "skeletons in the closet"!!

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

In a letter from Myrtle (my grandmother) to my parents dated 6/27/1996, she writes:
          I often wondered about her [Harold's mother].  She came from the same place in Sweden where Mom [Anna Kringsberg Liden] came from.  Harold and I went to church with Mom on Sunday, and Rev. Lundell, the minister, came right over and said "You must be Mom's youngest brother, I'd know you any place."  Mom said, "Oh no, that's Myrtle's boyfriend."   In our wedding picture so many people commented about Harold and I looked so much alike.   I've never said this to anyone before but I have thought of it often, just a thought, I don't think his mom really knew who his father was as the names on his birth certificate and baptism certificate were different. I just haven't wanted to check into his family.  His mom was a Hendrickson, tho.

          Several of the kids have wanted to check on our family history and I've kind of discouraged it.  "Why not let sleeping dogs lie?"

Pretty much sums up how both sides of my family felt about family history and events.