Solving Mysteries

One of the things that I love about genealogy is solving mysteries.  It is so satisfying when everything suddenly falls into place.  That is what happened with this picture.  I have looked at it for years and years.  No one ever knew who it was.  On the back (in faded pencil) it seemed like it said Uncle Ord.  I couldn’t figure out who Uncle Ord could be.  I finally came to the conclusion that he was a friend to someone in the family.  This winter, when we had the box of pictures out again it suddenly came to me.  I knew who it was!  It is Orlando K. Taylor, the brother to my great great grandpa, Cornelius Corwin Taylor!  Orlando Taylor was born  in 1867 in Illinois.  Here is a picture of him as a child.  I don’t know his death date, or if he ever married.  I guess those are the new mysteries to solve!

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This is where it all started……

I have loved genealogy ever since I was a young girl.  This picture was in an old photo album that my parents had.  I loved this picture!  It intrigued me.  I have always loved old things.  I learned how to do heirloom sewing so that  I could re-create things like her dress.  And look at her bottle!  Wouldn’t you love to have one like that in your possession?  I do not know this baby’s name, but she helped get me started in my quest for knowing my roots.  The album that her picture is in belonged to my great great grandmother Elizabeth Ellen Ribelin.  She married Cornelius Corwin Taylor, and they lived in Morgan County, Illinois.  There are lots of neat old pictures in there which I will share over time, but I really hope that someday I will learn the name of this little girl.

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