After a bit of a hiatus to welcome the newest Hopkins into the fold (Lyra Róisín is 3 weeks old today!), I’m slowly getting back to some family history. My wife and I printed out a bunch of our old family photos last month and have started a wall of ancestors in our living room. One always stands out to me, so I want to share it here:

Another gem shared by our cousin Virginia Murphy, this photo shows Catherine (Lundy) Hopkins and some of her kids, probably taken just after the turn of the 20th century. From the limited writing on the back, here’s what we know about who is in the photo:

The back row: Margaret Veronica Hopkins, Daniel Aloysius Hopkins [?], [unknown], Joseph Vincent Hopkins, [unknown], and Leo Aloysius Hopkins.

Front row: Elizabeth (Lizzie) Heisler Hopkins [?], Catherine Lundy Hopkins, and Mary Elizabeth Hopkins.

The question marks and unknown women are not listed on the back of the photo.

Notably missing are father William Henry Hopkins, oldest brother William, and our Francis Xavier. William Sr. died in 1892, and this was likely taken after then, which explains his absence. But I have no info on why the other boys wouldn’t be in this photo.

As for timeline, Lizzie Heisler married Dan, standing behind her, in 1906. I don’t see a ring on her hand, so it’s possible this was taken shortly before that time. Virginia estimates 19-teens based on dress and relative ages of the people in the photo. Anybody spot any clues that may point to another guess?

One thing that stands out about this photo every time I walk by it in our living room is the warmth on the faces that seems so absent in most photos I come across from this time period, especially group shots like this one. You could never take away the joy from the Hoppy clan!

I leave you with the following questions:

Who are the two unidentified women in the back row of the photo?

Where was this photo taken?

When is your best guess as to the date of this photo?