Snookie's Story on Memory Monday

Welcome to another addition of Memory Monday.  This one picture has caused me to wonder, to question, to ask, and to research for many many hours.  Why?  The person on the far left, behind the dog had a nick name of Snookie.  When I was young my Mother, who's the little one here in this picture talked about a person named Snookie, a cousin that lived with them for awhile.  Doing the family tree for my Mothers side of the family years ago didn't answer the question who was Snookie.  Everyone in the above photo has past...well, I really don't know if Snookie is still alive or not.  But, since all others are gone; to no one to ask.

I have in my possession a child's oak roll top desk that I remember my Mother saying belonged to Snookie.  Left to right Aunt Viola who died very young, behind her Uncle Harold (nickname Whitie),  my Grandmother who died when my Mother was still young and in school, Aunt Millie, My Grandpa who died when I was very young, and Aunt Muriel.  These are The Barrows who lived in Chillicothe, Ohio near The Mead Paper Mill.

Only one of my cousins remembers hearing the name Snookie in her growing up years.  When I discovered this picture Snookie got a real name, Mildred Armstrong.  My Dad remembers hearing that name, but didn't whom she was.  My one cousin who remembered hearing the name of Snookie and Mildred Armstrong thought she was a friend, not a family member.  That theory seems to be supported in the only documentation I've yet to find, the 1940 census when a Mildred Armstrong is listed as living with the above family; she's listed as a boarder.  It still puzzled me though because of my memories from Mom and in her handwriting on the back of the picture it says cousin.

Yesterday, the mystery was solved.  She is a cousin a Watson's cousin.  Grandma in the above picture's maiden name was Watson.  One of her sisters, Bertie is Mildred's mother.  Bertie was apparently married several times, Mildred hasn't been found in any census living with her parents.  That part of the memory still remains a mystery.  But, at long last I can know whom the owner of my antique child's roll top desk is.  In this picture, I think you can see family resemblance too...look at Mildred Armstrong and then at my Aunt Millie(Mildred).....hum...

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