How’s this for a fun family photo? We just found it — or rather, my mother found it. It’s in rough shape but is still fascinating.
The lady on the right is my Grandma Goble, or Ollie as she was known to the family. She’s standing next to a friend. They are holding a wolf’s pelt!
To the left is a young man, who is my Great Uncle Garland. The inscription on the back says, “Garland, Mrs. Dow, Ollie, Thanksgiving 1923, Montana.”
We aren’t sure who Mrs. Dow is. She stands in contrast to Ollie, who either has her eyes closed or is looking down at the pelt. Mrs. Dow is obviously a stylish one, wearing what appears to be an upscale dress and fashionable hat. She has her arm around Ollie, so odds are they were close. If she dressed like that regularly then it’s doubtful she was a neighbor — my grandparents homesteaded on a very inhospitable piece of dirt in Montana and their neighbors were all trying to scratch out a living.
My Dad would have been just 1-year old when this photo was taken. Ollie died a few years later, so not even my Dad knew her well.
So, yes, I come from pioneering stock. Who apparently killed the occasional wolf.