Wedding Wednesday - Reath-Rodgers Wedding 1899

This is my first post about my wife’s mother’s family.  My mother-in-law found this great picture of her grandparent’s (Wallace Patrick Rogers and Margaret Reath) wedding from August 15, 1899.  The photo included a listing of everyone’s names and I thought it would be interesting if I could identify each of the people from the picture and provide a little bio of each.

In attendance, Back row (Left to right): John Rodgers, John Manly, Anna Reath, Bill Reath (boy), Frank Rodgers, Ella Rodgers, Bill Barton, Louie Lanz, Charlie Reath, Elliot Stewart
Middle Row: Ellen Stokes Rodgers (Groom's Mother), Joseph Rodgers (Groom's Father), Margaret Lanz Reath (Bride's Mother), Caroline Reath Stewart, Bessie Stewart, Millie Reath

Front Row: Margaret Reath Rodgers (Bride), Wallace Patrick Rodgers (Groom)

• John Rodgers (1871-1947) – Groom’s brother.  John was a carpenter and worked with their father.  In 1901, he married Catherine Gallagher.  Together, they had 6 children:  John F, Mary, Lulu, Agnes, Helen and Catherine.
• John Manly Jr – Usher.  Friend of groom.
• Anna Reath (1880-1954) – Bridesmaid and sister of bride.  In 1906, Anna married Thomas Smith.  Thomas worked for the government and the IRS.  The family relocated several times across the US.  Together, they had one child:  Mildred.
• Bill Reath – I don’t have any information on him.  The bride had a brother named William Reath, but he would have been 17 at the time of the wedding and this person pictured does not appear to be 17.
• Frank Rodgers (1879-1945) – Best man and groom’s brother.  In 1907, Frank married Emma Graneis.  Frank was the owner of Rodgers Engraving.  Together, they had one child:  Francis P. Rodgers Jr.
• Ella Rodgers (1882-1925) – Groom’s sister.  She married Edward Crowe.  Edward Crowe worked in a manufacturing plant in Utica.  Together, they had two children:  Edward and Roger.
• Bill Barton  - (unknown)
• Louis Lanz – Cousin of the bride. 
• Charlie Reath (1872-1939) – Brother of the bride.  In 1897, he married Amelia Griffiths.  He was a tailor.  They had one child: Andrew Reath.
• Elliot Stewart (1866-unknown) – Brother-in-law of the bride.  Elliot Stewart was from Ireland and had a fantastic singing voice.  He sang at many family weddings and funerals.  In 1895, he married Caroline Reath.  They had two children:  Bessie & Elliot Andrew Stewart.
• Ellen Stokes Rodgers (1844-1917) – Mother of the groom. 
• Joseph Rodgers (1843-1914) – Father of the groom.  He was a carpenter.  In 1868, he married Ellen Stokes.  They had 5 children:  Joseph, John, Wallace, Frank, and Ella.
• Margaret Lanz Reath (1847-1932) – Mother of the bride. Margaret Lanz Reath was born in Bavaria, Germany and arrived with her father, mother and brothers to the US in 1867.   She married Andrew Reath, who was born in Wurzburg, Bavaria.  He died in 1895.  They had 7 children:  Andrew J, Caroline, Charles, Margaret, Joseph, Anna and William.
• Caroline Reath Stewart (1870-unknown) – Sister of the bride.  Married to Elliot Stewart.
• Bessie Stewart (1896 – unknown).  Niece of the bride.  Daughter of Elliot Stewart and Caroline Reath Stewart.  She was about 3 or 4 years old at the time of the wedding.
• Millie Reath – Unknown.  From what I can tell she is not a sister of the bride and not a sister-in-law.  A mystery.
• Margaret Reath Rodgers (1874-1957) – Bride.  Born and raised in Utica.  She and Wallace Patrick Rodgers had two children:  Marguerite Rodgers Williams (1901-1979) and Dorothy Rodgers Purcell (1907-1990).
• Wallace Patrick Rodgers (1876-1947) – Groom.  Wallace worked as a photo engraver for over 50 years.  In the early part of his career he worked for the Utica Saturday Globe newspaper and then worked with his brother Frank at Rodgers Photo Engraving.

One last thing….don’t you love the guys moustaches and the ladies enormous hats in these old photos