Thomas Bennett Reeves, was born in 1853 and named after his grandfather on his mother's sideas well as picking up the full family name of our first Reeves imigrant. He was the owner/operator of "Wallpaper & Paint Store " on Fourth and Maint Streets in Camden, NJ (see photo on Reeves Home Page). His is a story line which includes marriages to the two beautiful Smith sisters. Jessie was first on the scene and her union (believed to occurred inCamden, NJ) with Thomas around 1880, yielded one Walter Armstrong Reeves, my great Uncle, in 1881(see following tintype). Thomas contracted Tuberculosis around 1880 and was advised to move to Colorado for the sake of his health. He took his wife of a year and moved to Colorado Springs, the birth of Walter took place. Jessie Smith Reeves died when Walter was an infant of 1 to 2 years of age; and at that time Thomas married Jessie's Sister, Caroline "Carrie as her friends addressed her. The marriage of Thomas and Carrie produced one Jessie Reeves in 1886, named after her mothers sister, and who was to be my grandmother, Jessie R. Snyder. Ten years after Jessie's birth, Thomas passed on in 1893 and was buried in Colorado Springs, leaving the widow Carrie with two children, one of them her nephew. The Story of the Thomas Bennett Reeves family takes a twist of the times with Carrie's marriage to Samuel Mahar which became a vital, adoptive influence in my life, but more of that on the Mahar page.
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Following are taken from the sisters' "AUTOGRAPH" books.
Sister Carrie
Sculptors of life are we, as we stand
With our lives uncarved before us;
Waiting the hour when, at God's command
Our life dream passes o're us,
Let us carve it then on the yielding stones
With many a sharp insision:-
It's heavenly beauty shall be our own-
Out lives, that angle vision.
Your Brother
Thos. B. Reeves
July 25th, 1884 Camden N.J.
Dear Sister
If waters should between us roll.
And distant be our lot
for Sister sake if not for love.
I ask forget me not
Jessie M. Reeves
Camden NJ.
Sept 19th 1880
Dear Sister,
What shall Ido with all the days & hours
That must be counted, ere I see
Thy face?
Words by your Sister Carrie
Decatur, Ill., Dec. 23. 1879
Standing is Thomas Bennett Reeves and sitting left to right is Sara Ann Bennett Reeves the proud grandmother, Jessie Smith Reeves, and Walter Reeves. Photo believed to be taken somewhere in Colorado about 1881-1882. (It is most likely daguerrotype, a larger and of lesser quality of same pose was found in the collection of metal backed photos).
Thomas Bennett Reeves -- age 30
Jessie Smith Reeves -- age 22
Sara Ann Bennett Reeves -- age 51
Walter Armstrong Reeves -- age 1
Walter Armstrong Reeves -- about age 5
Jessie Reeves -- about age 1
Young Walter standing next to his little sister Jessie Reeves, named after his mother. It appears to be Jessie's christening dress and the photo was taken in Colorado Springs, CO about 1887 and developed on a cardboard backing.
A young Jessie Reeves in her mother's good graces and embrace. This was most likely taken about 1889 by the appearant age of Jessie.
