Hello from Linda. the family ancestry detective! 

Over the past several years I have been fortunate enough to have inherited several wonderful family heirlooms from both my father and mother's side of the family.  I have also been fortunate enough to have been able to take photos/scan collections belonging to Aunt Susan and Uncle Bill.

​

Recently I spent a Sunday afternoon with Cousin Clare who was delighted to hear that the written family trees she gave me were both solving mysteries and adding on more family members that I was unaware of.

​

Over a wonderful lunch, of cheese rolls and salads, we talked about family members that have long ago passed such as Great Aunt Evelyn. After our Grandma's passing in February of 1998, her sister Evelyn moved in with Aunt Nora and Uncle Bill. As she was the oldest of the Cook siblings, it seemed that she would have the most memory and loads of stories to tell about her parents, the San Francisco relatives from her father Great Grandpa Cook's side and growing up in Cloverdale.

​

Yet she never said a word and thus any stories she would have are now gone forever!

​

Our grandma Barbara Bruemmer probably would have shared a lot more as would Eleanor but no one took the time to ask or write it down. Our parents were busy with their lives, jobs and raising a family and for all of the cousins -busy with school life and perhaps not so interested in hearing about family ancestry.

​

That is why I am so proud to be the family historian. One family member told me that since doing the ancestry it seems to have brought some of the Bruemmer siblings closer together.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Part of my Sunday lunch with Clare was to receive a small collection of family heirlooms she wished to give me.

​

But the most special thing I received among the items was the photo below.

​

        THE HOLMES COOK CHILDREN PHOTO

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of you have seen the above enhanced and colorized photo (as posted) on Facebook and in one of my blog postings. I reconfirmed with Clare if the photo she wanted to give me was the original photo and indeed it is! Below is the photo soon to be hung on a wall in the dinning area.

​

​

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

When I look at this photo, I think about the history and how incredible it is to know that our great great grandfather, Frederick Holmes Cook and his wife Catherine had this hanging in their home!  This photos is such a special piece of our family heritage.

 

Reading from left to right are: Catherine, Great Grandpa Charles, Mary Ann, Frederick (The Corp Policeman later shot in the line of duty), and Jeannette. Two other children Harry and John would come later.

As I understand it, after their parents Frederick and Catherine Cook passed away, the photo was then handed down to the two oldest daughters, Jeanette and Catherine Cook who were both widows living together in San Francisco.

After they died, it went to Charles, and upon his death it was in possession of Nell and upon her death, the photo went to Clare. Touching the outer edges of the frame is as close as we will ever get to the spirit of our great great grandparents!

​

I am so proud and honored to have been chosen by Clare to receive this very special gift!

​

 

​

​

​

 

 

​

​
 

​

​

​

​

​