Sunday, September 07, 2008

Belle Curtis

Belle Curtis and her husband Thom Helgesen. This looks like it might be a wedding photograph. Does anyone know more details about this picture?

Minnie Belle Curtis married Thom Helgesen on 7 June 1905. She was the daughter of Oscar Benjamin Curtis and Esther Mary Thompson.

Curtis children

Clyde, Cora, Bell, and Bennie Curtis. This photo was originally obtained from Pearl Curtis who also noted that these children were "Fred's brothers and sisters." Fredrick Dubois Curtis was married to Leona Pearl Sherwood. So we can assume Pearl Curtis is the same person.

The four children in this photograph were the first four children born to Oscar Benjamin Curtis and Esther Mary Thompson. There was a total of nine children in the family, four girls and five boys:

1. Munson Clyde Curtis (1884-1949), standing on the right
2. Cora Lavantia Curtis (1885-1912), standing on the left
3. Minnie Belle Curtis (1887- ), seated on the right
4. Benjamin W. Curtis aka Bennie (1888- ), seated on the left
5. Mary L. Curtis (unknown dates)
6. Lyman Card Curtis (1890-1961)
7. Sherman James Curtis (1892-1970)
8. Fredrick Dubois Curtis (1894-1972)
9. Ruth Ester Curtis (1896-1896)

Haying on the Curtis farm in Big Timber, Montana

Haying on the Curtis farm in Big Timber, Montana. We do not know who the people are in this photo.

Looks like another Curtis family reunion

The Curtis family had several family reunions during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. This photo looks like it was taken at one of the reunions. Based on the information we have so far, from left to right is Oscar, Jetta, Lym, unknown child, Sherm and Belle, unknown woman 

Mary Lavantia Curtis

Known by many as Minnie Hobbs, her full name was Mary Lavantia Curtis Hobbs. She was the daughter of Benjamin Kingman Curtis and Sarah Lavantia Card.

Mary was born 1 February 1871 at Grand Rapids, Kent Co., Michigan. She married James Conroy Hobbs on 5 May 1893 in Logan, Cache Co., Utah. Mary and James had five children, three girls and two boys:

1. Phyllis Lovantia Hobbs (1895-1980)
2. Iris Ann Hobbs (1896-1952)
3. Ilah Rose Hobbs (1897-1959)
4. Horace James Hobbs (1898-1899)
5. Noble Curtis Hobbs (1901-19124)

Mary died 27 January 1958 in Ramona, San Diego Co., California and was buried 1 February 1958 at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California.

Does anyone have a picture of her headstone that we could add to this blog?

Big Timber, Montana - the Curtis farm

Hay stacks on the Curtis farm in Big Timber, Montana

Sherm family picnic

Sherm's family on a picnic. He always had to get the horses. Sherm is in the foreground.

Where was this picnic held? When? Who else is in the photo? Any idea who took the picture?

Oscar Benjamin Curtis


Oscar Benjamin Curtis in front of his store in Overton, Nevada, before Lake Mead. Oscar was also-known-as Joe.

What kind of store was this? When was the store in operation?

1955 family reunion photo

Based upon this picture, it looks like this family reunion was a big one, with descendants from several of Benjamin Kingman Curtis' children.

Left to right is: unknown, Betty Johansen, Norma May [Farley] Curtis, Oscar Curtis, Lavantia Curtis, Clyde Curtis, Grace Curtis (Sherm's wife), Belle, Sherm?, Fred Curtis, 4 unknowns, Ed ?, George Curtis.

We need to examine this photo more closely because the names and genders don't match up to the identifications so far. Plus we need to add how each are related and where they descend from in the BKC family.

1955 family reunion photo

This photo was taken at the 1955 Curtis family reunion picnic in southern California. Left to right is Belle, Orpha, Betty Johansen, unknown, and Lavantia Curtis.

  • Belle who?
  • Orpha is likely Orpha Curtis, daughter of William Rushmer Curtis and Ella May Canfield.
  • Betty Johansen was the daughter of Johan Roy Tolve Johansen.
  • Lavantia Curtis was the daughter of William Rushmer Curtis and Ella May Canfield.