During renovations to their 1915 farmhouse, located in Kneehill County just minutes from Monarch Hill, Lori and Doug Jacobson came across two photographs in between the walls after tearing some of the original plaster down.
The first photo found was the Rodseth family, and it was returned to the Vickers family who live here in Drumheller, grandchildren of Joakim and Ingelev Rodseth.
“The second photo only had the names Alice, Violet, Grace and their ages written on the back. Two were 17 and one 15. There was no date given and no surname, so we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to find the family,” said Lori Jacobson.
The Drumheller Mail decided to put the word out via Facebook to see if anyone had information. Kim Pliva was able to point out one girl as most likely being Alice DeBoer. Her daughter, Lois Beaton, still lives in Drumheller.
Upon first look, Lois Beaton studied the picture carefully.
“I’m fairly certain the far one on the left would have been my mother,” said Beaton.
She wasn’t sure who Violet was, but Beaton was sure the dark-haired girl on the right would have been her aunt Grace.
“My grandparents homesteaded where Lori and Doug now live. My mother was born in 1900, and grew up there as a kid, spending the summer in the area and they usually wintered down south in the States,” said Beaton.
Beaton said her grandfather professionally plastered walls, which would have explained why the farmhouse walls were done in that fashion. Beaton lived in the house herself for over 30 years.
Beaton said her aunt Grace would have been a few years older than her mother. Judging by the ages written on the back, which Beaton said matched her grandmother’s handwriting, her mother would have been 15 years old and her aunt 17 at the time the photo was taken.
“We are so pleased to return this photo to the family. We also found a letter in the wall, something written to Lois herself from her cousin in the States. It mentioned something about meeting a boy,” said Jacobson, teasing Beaton.
“Oh goodness, my past is catching up with me!” said Beaton, laughing at the old letter.
The only explanation Jacobson had as to why the photo was in the wall is she figures they fell off of a table or dresser from the room above and slid into a crack.
