I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REWRITTING THIS PAGE TO ADD MORE PICTURES THAT I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN SCANNING. IF YOU ARE RELATED, PLEASE SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO ADD HERE. IT IS NICE TO SEE THE FAMILY RESEMBLANCES.
To include your pictures send to my email.
Make sure to explain who is in the pictures.
This family photo is probably the only one that remains of John Samuel Stephens with all of his children except his youngest daughter. I believe it was taken around 1920. If anyone knows for sure let me know. This must have been about the time that, John, was able to get his children back together.
After his first wife passed away in 1910 or 1911, he was unable to care for the children, who went to live with other families. John was able to gather all of them together again, with the help of his second wife, Adie, except the youngest daughter. Our family descends from Charley.
Charley searched for his baby sister all of his life. He told how the last time he saw her she was wrapped in a blanket being taken away by a young couple. It was agreed that they would bring her back after John was able to get work to care for the children. The family moved away and Charley was devastated. If he knew the name of the couple, who took his baby sister, he never told me. Looking back now, I wish I had ask him. Some genealogists have listed the child as being a daughter named Frankie and dying the year she was born. I have found a death certificate for an infant son named Frank, who died at 9 months of age in 1911. The death certificate lists both parents names and does not mention the mother having passed away. I do not know if this means that Edith was still living. I have not, as yet, found Edith's death certificate. I also have not found a birth record, for the baby girl, that my grandfather always spoke of. At one time I had thought her name could be Frankie, because of finding that name as a child of theirs. Now that I have found the death certificate, of the infant son, I continue on my search for the daughter of John and Edith, born possibly around the end of 1911. I guess anything is possible. The story continues to change.
Left to Right top row; Adie, holding Bessie's baby Steve, John, Bessie, Bertha, bottom row; Jim, Ed and Charley.
click to view larger image
Charley married Flossie Duke on June 27, 1926. He had been married prior to her, however, his first wife passed away in childbirth. He talked his wife, Flossie, into naming their first born daughter, after his first wife, Melissa. She agreed, but, chose to call her daughter by her middle name which she had named after herself. Melissa, went by Dimple most of her life, until she about seventy years of age, when she decided to use her first name. It was hard for anyone who had know her to call her Melissa. She had been Dimple for so long and most people related that name to the happy, smiling person she was. After she started using the name, Melissa, her personality seemed to change. Eventually she developed dementia, forgetting ever using the name Dimple. The story of her illness is another story and will be on the reading room site when it is uploaded.
Charley and Flossie had five children, raising three to adulthood. They lost their third child Charles Junior in 1931, who they called CJ, when he was about a year and half old. Grandma often spoke of CJ, her red headed baby. I was also given the initials CJ, though my mother stopped my grandmother when she would call me CJ. They also lost their last child, who was their second daughter in 1937. She also lived until she was about a year a half old and also had the beautiful red hair. My grandmother told me that both children died from dysentery, which is what many children died from in those years. They didn't have the medicines that we have now or hospitals close by. My grandmother said that grandpa took the death of Juan (pronounced Ja-one) very hard. Her full name was Zelma Juan, but, grandma decided to call both of her daughters by their middle names. Before Juan's death, grandma said, Juan was a daddy's girl, always laughing and trying to do something to get her daddy to smile. He would return from work always ready to scoop the baby into his arms laughing. After her death he seemed to be a very unfriendly person towards children, enough that most people ventured to say he hated children. Actually, he preferred to spend much of his time alone. There was only a select few, who were able to get close enough, to know the real man. He had lost so many loved ones in his life that he was afraid to get close to anyone for fear of the pain. Thankfully, I was one of the select few, who got close enough to him to hear his stories.
Their children, Melissa, Wesley and Ebert, gave them thirteen grand-children, who have gone on to multiply into a very large family.
click to view larger image
After his first wife passed away in 1910 or 1911, he was unable to care for the children, who went to live with other families. John was able to gather all of them together again, with the help of his second wife, Adie, except the youngest daughter. Our family descends from Charley.
Charley searched for his baby sister all of his life. He told how the last time he saw her she was wrapped in a blanket being taken away by a young couple. It was agreed that they would bring her back after John was able to get work to care for the children. The family moved away and Charley was devastated. If he knew the name of the couple, who took his baby sister, he never told me. Looking back now, I wish I had ask him. Some genealogists have listed the child as being a daughter named Frankie and dying the year she was born. I have found a death certificate for an infant son named Frank, who died at 9 months of age in 1911. The death certificate lists both parents names and does not mention the mother having passed away. I do not know if this means that Edith was still living. I have not, as yet, found Edith's death certificate. I also have not found a birth record, for the baby girl, that my grandfather always spoke of. At one time I had thought her name could be Frankie, because of finding that name as a child of theirs. Now that I have found the death certificate, of the infant son, I continue on my search for the daughter of John and Edith, born possibly around the end of 1911. I guess anything is possible. The story continues to change.
Left to Right top row; Adie, holding Bessie's baby Steve, John, Bessie, Bertha, bottom row; Jim, Ed and Charley.
click to view larger image
Charley married Flossie Duke on June 27, 1926. He had been married prior to her, however, his first wife passed away in childbirth. He talked his wife, Flossie, into naming their first born daughter, after his first wife, Melissa. She agreed, but, chose to call her daughter by her middle name which she had named after herself. Melissa, went by Dimple most of her life, until she about seventy years of age, when she decided to use her first name. It was hard for anyone who had know her to call her Melissa. She had been Dimple for so long and most people related that name to the happy, smiling person she was. After she started using the name, Melissa, her personality seemed to change. Eventually she developed dementia, forgetting ever using the name Dimple. The story of her illness is another story and will be on the reading room site when it is uploaded.
Charley and Flossie had five children, raising three to adulthood. They lost their third child Charles Junior in 1931, who they called CJ, when he was about a year and half old. Grandma often spoke of CJ, her red headed baby. I was also given the initials CJ, though my mother stopped my grandmother when she would call me CJ. They also lost their last child, who was their second daughter in 1937. She also lived until she was about a year a half old and also had the beautiful red hair. My grandmother told me that both children died from dysentery, which is what many children died from in those years. They didn't have the medicines that we have now or hospitals close by. My grandmother said that grandpa took the death of Juan (pronounced Ja-one) very hard. Her full name was Zelma Juan, but, grandma decided to call both of her daughters by their middle names. Before Juan's death, grandma said, Juan was a daddy's girl, always laughing and trying to do something to get her daddy to smile. He would return from work always ready to scoop the baby into his arms laughing. After her death he seemed to be a very unfriendly person towards children, enough that most people ventured to say he hated children. Actually, he preferred to spend much of his time alone. There was only a select few, who were able to get close enough, to know the real man. He had lost so many loved ones in his life that he was afraid to get close to anyone for fear of the pain. Thankfully, I was one of the select few, who got close enough to him to hear his stories.
Their children, Melissa, Wesley and Ebert, gave them thirteen grand-children, who have gone on to multiply into a very large family.
click to view larger image
On photos that I did not know, I copied what it said on the backs of them. If anyone sees an error please email me to let me know. I will correct as needed. If anyone is in the photos that are not identified, please let me know who they are if you know. Thanks and enjoy my photo pages. They are not in any particular order.
Depending on the speed of your connection, some of the large photos may take longer to load.
Remember to refresh your page if you haven't been here in a awhile.
I update different family photo pages every week and sometimes daily.
Presently, I am redoing some of the pages and photo styles.
If you have photos you would like to add, please let me know.
I include all descendants of the Stephens family.
Also if you have a website make sure to send me the URL for the family's online site.
My grandfather carried his mother's photo for as long as I can remember. It was an old tin type photo. Some of the family ask him if they could have copies of it, so he took it to a photo shop and had copies made. This picture is one of those copies. I have attempted to fill in the lines to better get a view of what she looked like and see if people in the family resemble her. Below is one of the touched up photos.
Edith Chatman is the spelling on hers and John's marriage license. I have seen it spelled Chapman. When doing genealogy I do notice that some of her brothers and sisters chose one spelling while others chose the different one. The only logical reason would be that most of the family did not read and write so the census taken and others would write it down however they thought it was suppose to be spelled. When the children grew up some kept one way of spelling it and some took the other. Often they would use both spellings in their lifetime.
Stephens family probably about 1920. John and second wife Addie with John's children Bessie, Bertha, James, John and Charley.
Addie is holding Bessie's baby Steve, who, I was told, died as a baby.
John and Addie Snider Stephens with daughter Bertha Stephens Followell Snider.
Addie Snider Stephens
(Snider is not her maiden name, it is a surname of a previous marriage.)
Addie Snider Stephens.
Snider was her first married name.
John and Addie Snider Stephens
John and Addie Stephens
I love this old picture. It reminds me of an old movie.
Flossie Duke Stephens and oldest son on Wesley in 1946.
Left to right; Charley Stephens, Flossie (Duke) Stephens, and unknown.
In Missouri. Just before moving to California.
Melissa, Flossie, Charlie, Wesley and Ebert is the smallest one, in front.
Check out those hats.
Melissa Dimple Stephens. Was called by her middle name Dimple by everyone except her family. Her family called her Sister.
Stephens Family 1940. Charley and Flossie with Wesley, Ebert and Dimple.
Sister and brother Dimple and Wesley Stephens.
Melissa Dimple Stephens age 16 in 1944.
1945 Left to right;Ebert, Charley, Flossie, Wesley, Melissa Dimple and John Daniel(Melissa's husband)
Melissa (Stephens)Daniel, Flossie (Duke) Stephens, Ebert Stephens. Melissa holding neice Bonnie Stephens. Ebert holding nephew Wesley Stephens Jr.
Charley Stephens 1958. Taken in Madera, California.
Charley and Flossie (Duke) Stephens with two of their Chihuahuas. In the 1950s and 1960s they raised tiny Chihuahuas.
Charley and Flossie Stephens with one of their Chihuahuas.
Flossie (Duke) Stephens loved building anything with wood. Together her and Charley built a lot of houses and remodeled more. By 1954 she had four grandchildren and wanted to give them something special. The furniture in this photo was built and painted with her loving hands for each of her grandchildren. Each child received their own chest of drawers and their own personal chair. Also each house got a child size table and chairs. She said the table and chairs were "so the kids can eat good like adults". She said it would make it easier if their tables were small like them.
Flora Stephens. Says Florrie on backs of most photos of her. Wife of John Edward Stephens.
Says on back; Clara Belle Stephens 1946 Cape Girdeau, Missouri. Clara Belle is the daughter of John and Flora, pictured above.
Says on back; Clara Belle and baby Clara Francis Lange 1946.
Back of photo says; Johnie Stephens 1964 17 years old.
Charley Stephens 1972.
Richard Stephens. Says on back; This was him when was a boy.
Born April 19, 1941 Richard Stephens 1987 45 years old passed away Feb 1 ,1987.
Left to right; Ebert Stephens, Bertha (Stephens) Followell, I'm not sure who the baby is she is holding,
Charley Stephens, Ruby Followell, Devon Followell, Melissa Stephens.
This is from the newspaper. There is a mistake.
It should read Mr. and Mrs. John Daniel instead of Mr. and Mrs. John Davis.
Those are my parents.
Charley and Flossie (Duke)Stephens. Married 50 Years.
Charley and Flossie
Charley and Flossie
They had a wonderful day that day laughing and remembering their 50 years together.
Charley Stephens and sister Bertha (Stephens)Followell Snider in 1982. She came to visit him when she heard he had cancer. He passed away the following year. If anyone knows who has aunt Bertha's photos and research, please ask them to contact me. The last time I spoke with her she had been researching the family history and told me she had a lot of information on the family's American Indian background. She also said she was registered with the tribe. All of her children have passed away and Bertha passed away August 19, 1993 in Mount Vernon, Skagit, Washington. Her name when she passed away was Bertha Snider.
UPDATE I have been asking for help locating her grandchildren for quite some time now. I am happy to report that her great-granddaughter Kim and granddaughter Carol have contacted me. It was very exciting to find my cousins that had been lost to me. I am sure we will be able to help each other fill in our family history and stories.
Flossie (Duke) Stephens and Melissa Dimple (Stephens) Daniel 1996.
Carol (Daniel) League and Flossie (Duke) Stephens. Flossie was about 90 years old.
Melissa (Stephens) Daniel age 79.
1945. Left to Right; Wesley Stephens, John Daniel, Melissa Dimple(Stephens)Daniel and Ebert stephens.
Wesley Stephens age 19.
Wesley Stephens working in his appliance store,
Stephens Appliance in Atwater, CA in the 1950s.
Wesley Stephens and sister Melissa Dimple Stephens Daniel.
Taken in 1991 in front of Dimple's house in Merced, CA.
Wesley Stephens 1927-2001
Wesley Stephens March 17, 2001. About a month before he passed away.
He had lost a lot of weight due to having cancer.
March 31, 1948-June 22, 1981
Wesley Stephens Jr. Graduation
Oldest son of Wesley Stephens above and Berneice Evans Stephens
Debra Stephens 1957-1982.
Tim League and Roy Followell (went by Rusty).
Roy is the son of Bertha Stephens Followell Snider.
This picture was taken in Doyle, CA, when Rusty came to visit, Tim and Carol League, with Carol's mother Dimple Daniel.
Earl and Dora Followell.
Earl is the son of Bertha Stephens Followell Snider and brother of Roy above.
Left to right: Melissa Dimple Stephens Daniel, her cousin Earl Followell,
Earl's wife Dora and Melissa's husband John Daniel.
Wesley Stephens Jr. graduation.
Me and Jr.
Carolyn Daniel and Wesley Stephens Jr.
Charley Stephens standing in his rose garden.
He was very proud of the roses he planted all the way around his yard.
Wesley Stephens Jr. and Bonnie Stephens. Brother and sister.
Richard and Ruth Ann Stephens.
Son and daughter of John and Florrie Stephens.
4 Generations.
Bonnie Stephens Odgers, daughter of Wesley Stephens, seated on the right in the green sweater.
Seated in the white sweater is her mother Berneice, standing behind Bonnie is her daughter Cindy
and also standing is Cindy's daughter Michaela.
In photo below you can see Bonnie, Cindy and Michaela quite a few years earlier.
4 Generations; Flossie(Duke)Stephens holding great-great granddaugher Michaela with great-granddaughter Cindy mother
of Michaela standing behind them and granddaughter Bonnie Stephens Odgers, mother of Cindy on the phone.
Could have been a 5 generation picture if Bonnie's parent had been there. There were 5 generations
living at the time.
Mary Juan Stephens Case.
Known to many family members as Juan (Ja-One), Mary has been singing professionally for many years.
If you spent time in Las Vegas you may have seen her opening for various stars.
Billboard from Desert Valley Casino in Nevada, when Mary played there.
The following four photos are also of Mary Case.
Very proud of my cousin Mary.
Mary sings county and gospel music.
Mary also performs as a stand-up comedian.
Mary Stephens Case.
Picture taken in winter of 2008 near Spokane, Washington
Many more Stephens photos coming. I am scanning daily.
Back to the Home Page