Photos Without Families

A beautiful woman in white, elegantly holding a fan, gazes dreamily away from the camera - as if lost in thought. This was Eugenie Forster, captured in a moment of quiet introspection. She dedicated this photograph to a good friend in September 1896, in Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Two children, carefully posed, looking straight into the camera that feels almost timeless. Their photograph had surfaced in Germany, which made me wonder - did Harry and Bessie Ronne have German roots? As I began tracing their story, a different path emerged. Their father, John Ronne, was not German but Danish, born in 1849 on the island of Bornholm.

This lost photograph, taken in Vienna, found its way to me through an online shop in Germany. As so often, the real clues were on the back: a few handwritten names: Marie Hoheisel née Perzina with Emmi and Kurt.

I can’t resist old photos of my namesakes! It’s always a special treat for me to research their stories and discover how they lived. This photo of Gretchen Stapf found its way to me in Germany. Gretchen is a sweet nickname for Grete or Margret, and many adults in my childhood used to call me Gretchen—so piecing together little Gretchen’s story feels extra special. 

Harry Charles Johnson was born on November 19, 1891, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Henry Johnson and Caroline “Carrie” née Nonnast. Henry and Carrie, devoted members of the local German Lutheran church, First Saint John, had him christened there on December 13, 1891.