Here we have two cutie-patooties, brother and sister, Thelma and Frank Franz. Thelma was born on August 9, 1901, to John H and Emma G Frantz in Alamota, Lane County, Kansas. John and Emma had an older son, Vernon, who was three years older than Thelma, Francis, who was 5 years younger than her, and Ross, who was 4 years younger than Francis. The baby of the family was Irene Grace, who was 11 years younger than Francis and 19 years younger than Vernon.

Thelma married Richard Davis on 8-21-1923 in Utica, Kansas. She and Richard had one child, a daughter named Lois. By the 1930 census, Thelma and Richard had divorced. She and Lois lived with her mother until she remarried in 1947 to Hugh Rivenburg of Tribune, Kansas. Thelma and Hugh were together 32 years until his death in 1979. Thelma herself lived In Dighton until her death in November of 1986.

While Francis looks like he could have been female, he looks all boy to me. It was not uncommon for boys to have long hair. Born in 1906 our Frank grew up to marry Edith Angeline Davis on October 1, 1928. Frank and Edith farmed the Western Kansas land making a living for them and their two daughters, Shirley and Frances. Frank died on August 2, 1963, at the age of 57 years old. Shirley continued to live in the Dighton area until moving to Wichita to be near Shirley and Fran. She passed away on May 3, 2001.

I just love this photo of Thelma and Frank. While they both look like they wanted to be doing anything else, it’s a great photo of them both. I would imagine that this photograph was taken about 1908 or 1909. I love the bows in Thelma’s hair. Most of the time, in photos like this, you’ll see young girls’ hair in braids or tied back so that her hair is down, which thrills me. I’m unsure what she might have in her hands, perhaps a flower basket. It reminds me of the May Day baskets I made as a child. Her dress is simple, with bows, stockings, and shoes all matching.

Frank, too, appears to have some sort of clip or bow in his hair to keep it out of his face. He has a style that is more tunic or jacket than dress with knickers underneath. Stockings and dress shoes complete his ensemble.

Since I joined the Anderson-Belden clan in 1992, I did not know Thelma or Frank and don’t know any family stories about them. But I’m very thankful that we have this photo to remember them with.