After my MaMaw, Mable C. Keithley-Harmon passed away, I inherited her photos. A copy of this photographs was in the bottom of the box. It was in terrible condition. It had faded terribly over the last 100 years and since it was not in an album it had a lot of abrasions. The edge had become brittle and were beginning to break off. Even with all of this, the worst part of it was that at some point the photo had completely broken in half down the middle and MaMaw taped it back together with duct tape. No one in the middle of the portrait could even be seen. I was so upset that such a wonderful treasure had been destroyed beyond repair. After a few months of genealogical research on the internet, Dale McKinney contacted me about my Keithley family. We corresponded back and forth for quite a while and when I mentioned to him about the photo, he told me that he thought he may have a similar copy. I was so thrilled. I sent him a scan of the one I had confirming that we indeed had the same photograph! Not only that, but he had recently had his restored! He was kind enough to send me a copy of the photo. I felt like a child at Christmas when I opened up that package :-) It holds center stage amid my heritage wall and remains one of my favorite family heirlooms.
Thank you, Dale. Your kindness will never be forgotten.
This photograph of John Yenawine Keithley and his descendants was taken either in 1901 or 1902. . In the back row from left to right is my great grandmother, Mary Jane "Mollie" Edwards-Keithley holding either her son, Baby John or daughter, Margaret Keithley (Baby John died about 4 months old in 1901. Margaret was born in May of 1902); Portrait of Effie Keithley-McKinney. Effie died several years prior to this photo being taken. Next is Pansy Easter Keithley-Maxwell and Francis Tucker "Fannie" Keithley-Weeden holding her daughter Maggie Weeden. In the front row from left to right is my great grandfather, James David "J.D." Keithley, Jesse James Keithley, John Yenawine Keithley, Thomas McKinney, Margaret Francis "Maggie" Brubeck-Keithley, Golda "Goldie" McKinney-Blotz, Altha M. Keithley-McKinney holding her daughter, Pansy Francis McKinney.
