Identifying the Klein sisters and others in the family photos on my dad’s side of the family is very difficult. It’s particularly difficult when sisters look very similar. So maybe you can help me?
To remind you, this is my dad’s Aunt Elizabeth.
Here is a photo of my grandmother:
Although my grandmother kept her long hair to a much later date than Elizabeth did, the picture of Elizabeth above with short hair was taken later. So I don’t want you to be swayed by the hair.
Which woman do you think is in the following photograph?
OK, here’s another one.
The above photo is the Van Gessel children again. Which woman is this? Here she is in a close-up.
The man appears to be a friend of Peter’s. How do I know that? See below.
This photo of the two men with the boy was taken at the same picnic as the previous picture.
Now here are the two women together, but unfortunately, Grandma is looking down so you can’t see her face.
For fun, here is another Van Gessel photo.
That’s Grandma with her brother-in-law Peter Van Gessel. The photo is around 1921.
The Family Kalamazoo 
The Klein girls look a lot alike. Is that last photo set in Kalamazoo?
No, it’s Chicago. Apparently Elmhurst didn’t have buildings like that in those days, so it was definitely Chicago.
That’s tough! I think they look more like your great-aunt than your grandmother, but they look so much alike that it is hard to tell. Something in the expression makes me think it is Elizabeth?
Amy, interesting! I was trying to do it with height, but hard when the woman/women in the photos are sitting down! Then I thought maybe Grandma’s eyebrows were more arched and Elizabeth’s straighter. Haha, getting desperate!
My maternal grandmother came from a large family with lots of girls–which compounds the problem of trying to identify who is who on old photos.
Ugh, so difficult. I mean, in person they are easy to recognize, I’m sure, but in photographs where you only get a certain angle, terrible.
The picture of the Van Gessel children – do you know the names? Is the boy Peter Frank and one of the sisters Josephine?
Karen, do you know the family? Yes, there was Colleta, Peter, Josephine, Elizabeth, Grace, Robert (who died as a toddler), and Laurence.
I am part of the family! I was Karen Van Gessel until I married. Peter was my grandfather. The only sister I was introduced to was Josephine, who we all called Aunt Jo. So neat to have more family photos from long ago! We are the last Van Gessels I believe in Illinois.
Sending you an email!
ok! 🙂