AMOS HASTINGS BARKER FAMILY REUNION, 1896

This is one of the copies of family photos that Aunt Dot gave to
me when my sister and I visited her last week. It shows a
Barker Family Reunion at "Gibsons Grove at Norway Lake in
1896 ". A Google Search found that Gibson Grove is at Lake
Pennesseewassee in Norway, Oxford County, Maine which is
the area my Barker family ancestors hail from.

At the center of the first picture sit my great-great grandparents
Amos Hastings Barker and Betsy Jane (Moore) Barker while
gathered about them are their children and grandchildren.
The second image is of a letter sent to my Aunt Dorothy by a
Judy Barker who identifies the people in the photo as follows:

"First row children only L. to R. Everett Smith, Fannie and
Natalie Barker (Arthur's girls) Eva Smith (twin to Everett)
Merton Wyman,, Asa Smith, Oneal Mills.

Second row L to R. Fred and Leila Skinner, Amos Sr. holding
Bessie and Ella Skinner, Mable Wyman in back, Amy Mills in
front, Betsy Jane Barker holding Ervin Mills, Melinda and
Edwin Smith dau Alice between them, Arthur Barker.

Third Row L. to R. Earl Barker his sister Charlotte, Dora and
John Wyman, Olivia and Amos Barker jr. Mary and Zenas
Mills, Florence and Eben Barker, Gipsy wife of Arthur Barker.
John Barker was not in the picture."

Arthur's wife's first name is listed here as Gipsy but I've found
it on the 1900 and 1910 Federal Census images at Ancestry.com
as Gypsey. Interestingly enough, the transcription of the 1900
census gives her the name "Gregory"!

My great grandmother Charlotte didn't marry her cousin
Frank Barker (son of Nathaniel S. Barker)until two years after
this reunion but even if he were present it seems only Amos
and Betsy's immediate family posed for the picture.

Amos Hastings Barker Sr. died 5 Nov 1907 at age 79.
Betsy Jane Moore Barker died 12 Mar 1924 at age 83.

So at the time of the reunion they were 68 and 54 years old
respectively.

It's great to be able to put faces with names, and thanks to
my Aunt Dot, I can do that now with many of my Barker
relatives!

ADDENDUM: I've been looking at this picture a bit more since
posting it and the two top hats (one belonging to Arthur Barker
and the other to Eben Barker) has me wondering about their
owners' occupations. It would seem they might have been men of
means if those ahts are any indication. And at first I thought
that John Wyman in the back row was smiling but on a closer look
it's just the way his mustache frames the mouth.