A Specktown, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania family welcomes a new birth in the early 1940s. The photograph was taken on the front porch of the Riegle-Dietrich homestead. The new baby was Judy [Troutman] Kleinbauer.
The identifications are as follows:
On Porch Steps (standing): Kathryn [Dietrich] Gasbarro; Melva Sitlinger, the grandmother of Lucy; Lizzie Riegle ; Bertha [Riegle] Sitlinger, the great-grandmother of Lucy.
Front Row on Porch (standing): Paul “Silas” Troutman; Judy [Troutman] Kleinbauer, held by her father; Lucy [Sitlinger] Troutman; Helen [Hoffman] Dietrich.
Back Row on Porch (standing): Norman Gasbarro Sr.; William E. Dietrich.
There is an unanswered question about Lizzie Riegle, who died on 31 October 1942, as to whether she is actually the third person from the left on the porch steps. Lizzie was the mother of Helen [Hoffman] Dietrich and lived with the Dietrich’s at the homestead until her death. If the birth took place near the end of 1942, then it is not possible that Lizzie Riegle would be in the photo. But if the birth took place at the end of 1941, then it is very likely Lizzie Riegle.
If this person on the steps is not Lizzie Riegle, it could possibly be Jennie [Hawk] Riegle, the wife of Edward Riegle, at the time the only surviving brother of Bertha [Reigle] Sitlinger. Therefore, Jennie would have been the only surviving sister-in-law of Bertha [Riegle] Sitlinger on the Riegle side. Another brother, Norman Riegle, had died on 11 November 1942, and his wife, Lydia [Helt] Riegle, had died on 21 May 1942. Edward Riegle, could be the person taking the picture. Jennie [Hawk] Riegle did not die until 1 February 1954 and Edward Riegle did not die until 1 March 1960.
Another possibility is that the unidentified woman could be a relative on Paul ‘Silas” Troutman‘s side of the family. But this is less likely because with the deaths of the other Riegle family members occurring so close to Judy’s birth, it would have been more of a possibility that she is a Riegle relative.
And, what of the appearance of both Kathryn [Dietrich] Gasbarro and Norman Gasbarro Sr. on this occasion? The records indicate that they were married in Lansdowne, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on 23 August 1942. If the photograph was taken in late 1942, then they were already married and were possibly there for the occasion of Lizzie’s funeral as well as the birth of Judy. If the photograph was taken in late 1941, they were not married.
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.
The original photograph is from my personal collection.