Orva? Is that you?

8 Responses to “Orva? Is that you?”

1. charlie
   August 25th, 2011 19:30
   1

   I think not as the lady is not Sabra, unless it is Orva’s first wife Rae. I hope someone out there in Whippleland can shed light on this. Is it one of Orva’s brothers and sister in laws?

2. Charlie Whipple
   August 26th, 2011 10:48
   2

   Yoo-hoo, is anyone out there in cyberspace? If this picture is of Orva, it would have been made around 1890. I think their clothes look like styles from an earlier Victorian time period, but I am no expert on this. Could this be Orva’s older brother or maybe the lady could be one of Orva’s sisters with her husband.

3. Cal Hill
   August 26th, 2011 10:54
   3

   My Mom has a copy of this photo, and we were always told that it was Orva and his first wife. It’s possible that it’s a wedding photo, since it’s so obviously a formal portrait. I hadn’t known the name of Orva’s first wife until recent postings on Whippleworld, so I’m going to guess that this must be Rae. That is Orva, so who else could it be? Note that if you look closely, you can see that they’re posed in front of a backdrop, which is a dead giveaway that this was taken at a photographer’s studio. In fact, although I can’t make it out, you can faintly see the studio’s imprint in the dark border below the photo. Can you read what it says on the original, John?

4. John
   August 26th, 2011 12:55
   4

   You’re right, it says E.K. Porter Photographer. No city mentioned in his logo which is unfortunate. I have a feeling this was taken in Iowa. If we were good detectives we’d Google E.K. Porter and see if it’s possible to come up with what city he had his studio in and compare that to where we think they were around 1890.

   It suppose it could be a brother because he had several but it sure looks an awful lot like him. Maybe they’re wearing older clothes. If this is Orva and Rae they were probably teachers together at this point. He’s handsome as hell and she’s a babe. If she had lived none of us would be who were are. I don’t think any of us know much about her but Charlie remembered enough and filled me in that she even existed.

5. charlie
   August 26th, 2011 13:42
   5

   They say he was calling her name when he died.

6. Ray Smith
   August 27th, 2011 13:12
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   Now there are two pictures vying for “which is Rae Atkin.” I too think this is Orva, and as I indicated in the other picture, he was 29 1/2 when he married Rae. I think he looks about that age. Orva had a very receeding hairline, the mustache is like that in other pictures I’ve seen of him. I also agree with Cal that this is a formal posed picture. It seemed to be common in those days for the man to be seated while the woman stood. Her hand on his shoulder must also be significant. I also think that the picture was taken here in Texas, and probably in san Marcos or San Antonio. The date was probably 1887 or 88.

   looking at the picture of William Whipple and his family which appeared in a post some time ago, this person looks more like Orva to me than any of his brothers.

   At any rate, she is a knockout and indicates that Orva appreciated good looking women. Rae is buried in the San Marcos/Buda area according to Uncle Howard and other stuff I’ve read about family history.

7. Charlie Whipple
   August 29th, 2011 09:29
   7

   Baba married uncle Ernest, Orva’s youngest brother, sometime around 1937. Uncle Ernest’s daughter, Claudia, had a daughter named Ethel Rae.Was this just a coincidence that she was named Rae also?

8. John Whipple Sr.
   August 30th, 2011 01:40
   8

   Back in the time we had or could get information to unravel suspected relationships and such and marital standards of the times were virtually unknown which made the Stella Dallas daily soap opera radio show so popular and last from 1937 to 1955 that was the time from when I was born to the time I got married. No wonder I did not know anything, I was even forbidding to listen to Stella Dallas!

   I could not even spell “Hanky Panky”. Should I say more?

   click here