Some Ancestors’ Portraits

Many in our family have copies of the following four portraits. This is thanks to our dear brother, Charles Howard Whalen. Charlie made copies of these and other photos and made sure our dad and siblings each had a framed set. Charlie was devoted to family history, and we are ever-grateful to him.

The existence of these portraits was known for many years, but our family lost track of their location after the death of our grandmother Leta Clarke Whalen. They were finally located in 1992 by Sarah Stoddard Kimmett Burnham. She found them among the possessions of her mother, Leta’s daughter, Gladys Whalen Stoddard. Gladys had written notes on the back of each portrait and it is thanks to her that we can identify these ancestors.  Sarah generously gave the portraits to Charlie and so the dissemination of these pictures began. The text next to each portrait is a transcription of Gladys’s notes, exactly as she wrote them.

Sarah Drucilla Green Whalen, mother of Mary Ellen Stratton, Emogene Whalen, Lyda McMahon, Florence Adel Sutton, Katie (died at age 16), Charles Clark Whalen, Sadie Sprague. G.S. Sept 17, 1971

 Sarah Whalen’s parents were early settlers in Green Settlement. She once told me it was trees there and wolves howled there & they had to take grist to Rome to have it ground. These pictures were in Leta Whalen’s attic All except that of Julia Maxon were in elaborate frames & covered with glass. A dealer wanted the frames and James Grinnell removed the frames and I asked for the pictures.

Thomas Whalen, husband of Sarah Green Whalen & father of her 7 children. He was born in County Queens Ireland. He came to this country with 2 brothers. They landed in Boston- His brother Mike settled in Little Falls, NY and his daughters & granddaughters some times visited here. One daughter of Mike was named Ella Cogovan, one was married to a man named Arnold & his daughter came here once. She was about 17 years old. G. S. Sept 13, 1971. The third brother separated from Thomas & Mike & they never heard from him.

I think Libby Maxon Clark, mother of Leta Clark Whalen, died a young woman. Picture was in Leta Whalen’s attic.

I think this Julia Maxon, mother of Libby Clark grandmother of Leta Clark Whalen. At the death of Libby she took Leta and raised her. Picture was in Leta Whalen’s attic.