Besides constantly begging and pleading with people who are Manning connected and those who have Manning connected historical pictures and history to get these items to me to scan and preserve digitally and archive, I spend some time scouring the Internet for Manning history that people are selling. Almost always the sellers failed to document the old item/picture such as what family it came from, where it was purchased, and writing down any background they could find, etc.
I see tons of Manning picture postcards and also lots of Lyden/Blocker studio pictures out there but most have no identification or information, sadly the same problem I run into with all of the family collections I work on and scan.
BUT occasionally there is a name on back and the studio name on front...such is the case with this picture below that I just received from the seller and scanned.
I generally won't pay much more than $5 or $6 for a known Manning picture and seldom will purchase it if I already have that postcard image scanned - UNLESS there is historical information and names on back that I don't have. Seldom do I find a Manning picture postcard that I don't have multiple scans of already.

If there is a name and/or information on back and a Manning studio listed on front then I may pay a little more for it if I don't have that particular subject matter, otherwise I would just be buying a piece of paper with image, and no information as to location or identification - historically worthless!!!

When I noticed the name on back of this recent purchase, it didn't ring a bell but all it took was a word search within the text of hundreds of thousands of files and sure enough I found Charles' wife mentioned in an obituary which gives me some clues as to where the probably lived - possibly in the Irwin area.

Besides finding Sedgwick as a last name I also found it as a first name in a different obituary.
Anymore, I can just about search for any name or word and something will come up in my database - it may not have any connections to that person/topic but my database is so large that just about anything can pop up during a search.

If anyone has more information or pictures for the Sedgwick family, please e-mail me.

Charlie Sedgwick

"Uncle Charlie Sedgwick" photo by Lyden Studio While this obituary is not about the Sedgwick family, at the end it mentions Mrs. Charles Sedgwick (highlighted in yellow), so based on the burial in Irwin, it gives an idea that the Sedgwick may have lived south of Manning or in Irwin. There were also some members of the Wilfong family who lived in Manning, so along with the Lyden studio name, this all connects the Sedgwick family to Manning's history.

February 12, 1891
Elizabeth Tibbott, now deceased and was born in Ebensburg, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. May 20, 1851. She united with the Church of Christ at the age of 15, and was a member of that denomination during, life. She came to Iowa with her parents in 1868 and moved to Shelby County in 1861. She was united in marriage with Andrew H. Wilfong June 30, 1875, and at the time of her death was 39 years, 9 months and 13 days of age. She was a faithful wife and devoted mother and a true and devout Christian. She leaves a loving husband and a daughter. Ethel, just budding into womanhood, and a son, William, about 12 years of age; also a brother, William Tibbott, who came from Kansas City, where he resides, several days before his sister died, and a sister, Henrietta Tibbott, of Colorado, who was unable to be present. Mrs. Wilfong's remains were laid to rest in the Irwin Cemetery on Monday, February 9, by kind and loving hands. The last sad rites were performed in the Christian Church in Irwin by the Rev. S.P. Waldren of Defiance.
The families of Messrs. F.M. Robinson and A.H. Wilfong have the sympathy of this entire neighborhood in their sad bereavement by the loss of their beloved companions and mothers.
They have gone across the river,
And stand on Canaan's shore!
Our Savior came and took them
And gently led them o'er!
Twas oh! so hard to break the chain
And lose the friends we love.
But then, we know we'll meet again
In Christ's bright home above!
And sweet amid our sorrows,
We hear the voice of God
In accents soft and tender say:
Beloved pass near the rod!
And seek to gain the strength we need,
We look across the line.
And meekly bow our heads and say:
Not our will, Lord, but thine
And so, a long and fond farewell
We bid dear ones to you;
And leave thee sheltered in God's care
Till he shall call us, too!

CARD OF THANKS.
To the many friends and neighbors who so freely rendered their assistance during our recent sad affliction, in the death of an affectionate wife and mother, by your untiring constancy in helping us to care for her during her brief illness; by your careful and loving tenderness shown in preparing her for the tomb; for the kind words of consolation and sympathy, and to those kind friends, who during the raging storm, took upon themselves the work of laying her so carefully, tenderly and lovingly away, words cannot express our gratitude to you. Also to the friends who expressed their love and fidelity to her by so gracefully and fittingly draping the church and to the choir for the music furnished and to Mrs. Charles Sedgwick for the box of flowers we extend our heartfelt thanks. May God bless you all.
F.M. ROBINSON AND FAMILY.

CARD OF THANKS.
To the kind friends who so kindly aided us during the illness, death and burial of our affectionate wife and mother, words can not express our heartfelt thanks but we know that the rewards of good deeds will reward each and every one for the words of sympathy spoken to us and the many acts of kindness shown our loved one.
A.H. WILFONG and FAMILY

Back to Dave Kusel's main page