I’d never seen this photo until about two years ago when I received it from my uncle. This is my paternal grandmother and her siblings (all except for Helen who was not yet born).
The four children are:
Elisabetha Anna Maria Klein, born 1891 in Budesheim, Germany, raised in Elmhurst, Illinois
Maria Anna Elisabetha Klein, born 1892 (often documented as 93) in Budesheim, Germany, raised in Elmhurst, Illinois
Anna Elisabetha Maria Klein, born 1893 in Budesheim, Germany, raised in Elmhurst, Illinois
Frank Anthony Klein, born 1896 in Chicago, Illnois, raised in Elmhurst, Illinois
I know that Elizabeth is the girl standing in back, the oldest and tallest. I know that Frank is in front. I had assumed that Grandma was next in height since she is child #2, and that that would mean that Anna is on our right.
But now I think I could be wrong.
Here’s a pic of adult Marie (my grandmother) with her three children (including my father on our right).
Now here’s a photo from the same general time period of Aunt Anna, her husband Martin, and their daughter Annamar.
I think that the face shapes and eye spacing would indicate that Anna is on our left and Marie on our right. That Anna is taller, in that case, than Marie is not inconsistent with their adult heights.
Therefore, I think it’s possible that my earlier identification of the sisters in this photo is a case of an assumption that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.
The Family Kalamazoo 
That’s a tough one, given the family resemblance. Faces change so much, and Anna’s head is at an angle in the more recent photo that makes it hard to compare. And they are both prepubescent in the old picture so it seems unlikely that the younger sister would be taller. You could be right, but I am not certain.
I’d like to know how common that is that a younger child is taller when they are only one year apart. Two of my cousins were a year apart and younger was bigger. I felt Anna’s triangular face shape was the same as a child and an adult. My grandmother’s was oval that rounded with weight. I need to ask my uncle if he knows.
I wasn’t saying you weren’t right—I just was playing devil’s advocate (it’s the damn lawyer in me). I hope your uncle can help!
🤣🤣🤣 yes yes. Thanks, Amy! Me too! Mom says Anna is the taller of the two in the photo so that helps!
I am going with your change in thought Luanne. Your grandmother Marie on the right. It is such a precious photo and I can’t get over how much all the children look so much alike. This is a tough one 🙂
Mom is here with me. She thinks the taller one on our left looks like Anna, too, so I am feeling more and more confident :)! Tragically, Elizabeth and Frank died very young–both as young adults.
I love reading your Mom is there with you…enjoy! 🙂
I think you’re right about the face shapes Luanne. Tough one though with children’s faces. Both the Big T and my youngest brother are taller than their slightly older brothers, over-taking them in height quite quickly, so maybe that is quite common.
When I read the children’s names I was thinking that the parents’ were probably so relieved to have a son, since they were running out of combinations of the same first names for another daughter. 😂
I am thinking it is more common than we think, too, Su. SOO funny your last comment. Hahaha. I guess so. My mother said she wondered how they kept them straight.
I had to read the names twice to make sure they were all the same, just in different order.
LOL! I know what you mean!
🙂
Our middle daughter is taller than either of her sisters; The Squire used to call them “Ohio” – round on the ends and high in the middle. (None of the girls were exactly round, but it was funny just the same.)
Now, about those names. They all have the same names, just in different order? It’s a good thing they didn’t a fourth daughter – or that Frank was a boy.
hahaha, actually they DID have a 4th daughter, much later. Her name was Helen Nevada Klein. Is that about as far away from her sisters’ names as possible?!
Ohio. That’s cute!
Wonderful pictures as always, Luanne…and the stories you record from them are priceless. I feel like I know your family so well…amazing.
Thanks, Sheila! I feel like I know yours, too, from your memoir!