When Ben Fisher Reappeared

 
I had to scan some pictures today, so I thought I'd add one more little piece to some family history. You might recall that a year ago I ran across a picture of Benjamin Smith Fisher when he was young. I believe him to be 13 or 14 in this picture, taken about 1897, just before he ran away. He was my grandmother's brother. She was oldest, Ben was next, then Lew and Charley.

So from 1897 on, no one knew what had happened to Ben. His parents died, and both of his brothers died. Only Emily, my grandmother, was left.

In 1955, out of the blue, we received three photographs and some gifts from Ben. He had settled in Montana, working at the Anaconda Copper Company mines. I believe he herded sheep on their land.

His wife, Clara, wrote this on the back of the picture of Ben on Snowball. You can see the Anaconda smokestacks behind them.

Dear Emily,
Here is a picture of Ben on the Snowball. She is pure white. But was a little dirty when the picture was taken making her look gray. Hope you have a good time on your vacation. We are very busy now but won't be when we get back in the valley.
Ben & Clara

He sent one more picture of himself with three children identified only as Clara's nieces. The front one looks like a boy to me. I don't think Ben had any children, but I'm not positive.



Oddly enough, yesterday was his birthday. He would have turned 136. I did not know that until just now. He died the year before Granny, so she, the oldest of the siblings, lived the longest. Ben is buried in Idaho. All the rest of the family is in Spencer, New York. I believe he wrote to Granny a few more times. We knew he retired to Idaho. I know I wrote a couple of childish letters, but never got any back.

Here's the gift he sent me. He also sent salt and pepper shakers, and earrings for Mom and Granny, all made from copper. We never had any idea how he found out where Emily was, or how he know she had a living daughter and granddaughter.



In other news: It was a wacky day. I couldn't sleep last night. Finally thought it must be close to when I needed to get up and clear the driveway. Nope, it was 2 am. Lay down again, and at 3:30 gave up and went out to run the snowblower. When I came in at 4:30 I still was wide awake, so I watched a Perry Mason episode, and finally fell asleep. Naturally, then I slept the morning away. I did manage to do a little editing and formatting and housecleaning this afternoon.

See Startling Family Resemblance

Startling Family Resemblence

 
Have you ever found an old photograph and been so startled by it you just could hardly breathe?

That happened to me quite recently. Although I'm not letting myself get bitten by the genealogy bug yet (because I know I'll become totally infected and incapacitated to do much else), I have dabbled a bit on a website called findagrave. The value of what you can find on it sort of depends on whether a particular cemetery has an enthusiastic volunteer to add data and pictures. But the cemetery where a lot of my mother's side is buried is quite well represented.

Now, let me first explain that I had no idea what this family member looked like before he was 72 years old. He ran away from home when he was 14 (in 1897) and was never heard from again until 1958. The family member is the oldest of my grandmother's brothers. She (Emily Marguerite Fisher) was oldest, then Ben, Lew, and Charlie. This family picture, taken in 1907 does not include Ben, because he'd been gone for ten years, and it's the oldest family photo I have. (Click the link if you want to read my thoughts on why I think it's remarkable).

So I was cruising findagrave, I think to verify some death dates, and there was a link to Benjamin Smith Fisher's gravesite, with a thumbnail picture- way too small to see details. I clicked it. I'm guessing it had to have been taken just before he ran off. I can believe this boy was about 14 in the picture. But I have to tell you, seeing this took my breath away.

Here's why. You've seen this next picture before, but not your whole life, as I have. This is the formal portrait of my uncle Jacques (Merrill Fisher Rowe), who was killed at age 26. Jacques was Granny's firstborn, my mother's older brother. Wow! Can you say family resemblance?

Here's the thing... it's like looking backwards into a long telescoping mirror. I've always been told I look like Jacques. When Granny started losing it, she began calling me Jacques (just say Jack- Granny liked the odd spelling).

The next picture I'll show you is one I don't like much. It was my 8th grade school picture, and my mouth was all swollen because I'd had braces put on my teeth the day before, but I was usually grinning with my mouth open, so this picture looks the most like the two above.

Now let's back up a few years. I've promised in the past to hunt up these shots, but today I am delivering. The first one is Jacques on the left and me on the right.



Ditto at slightly older ages.



I really, really wish we could go back one more generation. Granny and Ben's mother (Catherine Louisa Hall Fisher) looked not at all like these pictures. I know I have one poor picture of Granny's father. I may have a couple of better ones. I have two snapshots of Ben that he sent when he suddenly got in touch with the family after almost 60 years. I can possibly compare how those two looked when they were older. So now I'm wondering if Ben, Jacques, and I look like Charles Alfred Fisher.

Having this picture of Ben means a lot to me.

	See On Mom's Dresser
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