Ellsworth's Photo Album

Ellsworth E. Greenley's photo album.

This photo album is an amazing documentation of Greenley history.  It has been in the safe keeping of my Aunt Mary for over 50 years.  Her father-in-law, Ansel Greenley, handed it to her and asked her to keep it safe, as it belonged to his father. As I look at the pictures taken in the late 1800s to the early 1900s, it looks as if the Greenleys weren't poor farmers.  From the clothing, quality of the photo album and other clues, it looks as if they were very successful farmers.

As the photo album belonged to Ellsworth Greenley, there are not many pictures of him, rather pictures of his parents, his children, his siblings and other extended family. I am presenting the pictures starting with pictures of Ellsworth, then his parents, his children, then his siblings.  At the end are pictures of other extended family.

William Greenley (1838 - 1927) married Adlander Ann Radford (1843 - 1925)

(Adlander had six siblings – there are pictures of some of them and their children)  Unfortantely, there are no pictures of William’s siblings, but there are few pictures of Ellsworth’s cousins from that side.  There are also a few pictures from Ellsworth’s wife (Mary Ellen Brown) family.

William and Adlander had seven children:

Ellsworth Elmer Greenley (1864–1918) married Mary Ellen Brown (1867 -1938)

(They had four children: Ansel, Joe, Matt and Eva)

Elliott Eugene Greenley (1866–1928) married Nellie Montgomery

(They had one child, Ethel)

Emma Ellen Greenley (1868–1936) married Arthur Wallace

(They had three children: Lewis, Neva and Harold)

Ervin Edwin Greenley (1870–1955) married Emilia (Milly) Still

(No children)

Duella Eliza Greenley (1872–1949) married Thomas Wilfred Cook

(They had 4 children: Delbert, Edith, Donald, Hazel)

Alvin Watson Greenley (1874–1960) married Jennie King

(They had two children: Kenneth and Velma)

John Wilmer Greenley (1876–1955) married Mamie Campbell

(The had one child, Edwin)

Ellsworth Greenley and Mary Ellen (Brown) Wedding picture
2 Dec. 1890

Mary Ellen (Brown) Greenley was six feet tall! Hard to imagine a woman that tall during that era. Photographs of her parents are further down this page.

Ellsworth and children - Jayne's farm

It is hard to see the people in this picture, but I liked seeing the carriage and horses. I looked up the Jayne family in the census records. The Jayne family lived next to Ellsworth's brother, Elliot in Buchanan County, Iowa. There are other pictures labeled "taken at Jayne's farm", so apparently the families were close friends.

"Old Greenley home, Cottage Hill" ( Dubuque County, Iowa)

William Greenley was brought to Iowa from England as an infant, by his parents, John and Alley Greenley. I am presuming this the home he was raised in Cottage Hill, Iowa.

"Grandpa Greenley home Epworth"

According to census records, William Greenley raised his family in the Cottage Hill area. In the 1900 cenus, he and Adlaner had moved to Epworth.

Grandpa and Grandma Greenley with daughter Emma

The picture of William and Adlaner Greenley with their daughter Emma probably was taken around 1890. They look fairly young compared to some of the other photos.  In 1890, Emma wasn't married at age 22. William would have been 52 years old, and Adlaner 47 years old.

Grandma Greenley with Emma and Neva Wallace

This picture of Adlaner with her daughter Emma (Greenley) Wallace and granddaughter Neva.  Neva was born in 1899. If Neva was eight at the time of the picture, then it was taken around 1907

Grandpa and Grandma Greenley with son Ervin

Joseph Brown (1830 - 1911)

Hannah Jane Glew (1836 - 1905)

Hannah Jane and Joseph were Mary (Brown) Greenley's parents. Imprinted in the matte of these pictures "Greenley Photography". You can't see it in the photos. I like to think Joseph passed down the tall gene to the Greenleys! Hannah and Joseph had three children. George, (I wrote about him in a previous post. He was the one who died in Deadwood, South Dakota) Mathew, and Mary.





The following pictures are of Ellsworth and Mary's children:
Ansel Ray Greenley (1892 - 1969) 
Joseph Elmer Greenley (1895 - 1987)
Matthew William Greenley (1901 - 1973)
Eva Jane Greenley (1906 - 1973)

Ansel Ray Greenley 

Ansel and Joseph 

Ansel and Joe

Ansel, Joe, and Matt 

Eva Jane Greenley 

The next set of pictures are of Ellsworth's siblings:

Duella (Greenley) and her hsuband Thomas Wilfred Cook.
(Married Feb. 1894)

Wilfred Cook and Ervin Greenley
(Wilfred was married to Ervin sister, Duella)

Ervin Greenley (1870 - 1955)

Ervin and Millie (Still) Greenley
married 1904

Alvin W. Greenley and John W. Greenley
Interesting studio picture.  John was listed as a photographer in the 1900 census.

Alvin W. Greenley

John W. Greenley

Elliot Greenley and wife Nellie with their daughter Ethel.
Ethel was born in 1895, so this picture was probably taken around 1900.

Ethel Greenley (1895 - 1956)

The next set of pictures are of extended family. 

Sam Radford (Either Adlander's brother or father - both were named Sam.)

Vine Radford - I think this is one of Adlaner's sisters.
"Vine" must have been a nickname.

Aunt Susan Platt and family.  This was Adlaner's sister

Minnie Glew (1865 - 1937)
Minnie was a cousin (Joseph Glew was her uncle)

Aunt Pollie Stuart - I am not sure exactly who this is, but the Stuarts were connected to the Glew family.

John White and Aley Dickinson
Aley's mother was Ann (Greenley) Dickinson, William's sister.
Aley died in 1890 at the age of 26. I am not sure who John White is.