Another mystery solved
On a sunny Saturday, July 7, 1956, John George and Marian Rollins entered First Baptist Church in Washington and left as man and wife, riding in the back seat of a new 1956 Ford convertible.
Driving the car in this week’s Mystery Photo was John’s brother, Joe, and seated next to him was Marian’s maid of honor, Wilma Winters.
The newlyweds headed for South Carolina and soon after to Evergreen Park, Ill., where they still reside, married now 58 years.
John George taught school at Evergreen Park. “He was a biology teacher, wrestling coach, administrator, athletic director and dean of students – he did just about everything at Evergreen for 36 years,” Marian said by telephone.
John graduated from Trinity High School in 1949, and Marian graduated from Washington High School in 1954.
The couple have two sons, and “my four granddaughters were really tickled to see that photo,” Marian said.
We were contacted by other members of the George family after the photo was published last Monday, and we learned what a large family it is.
John was one of 15 children of Martha and Elias George.
“There were 13 boys and two girls, and nobody was going to date me because they were afraid of my brothers,” Helen George said with a laugh.
The Georges get together in Washington for a reunion every year. “We get back at least once a year, for the reunions, and we are very much in touch with Washington,” Marian said.
A couple of readers called to correct us on our assumption that the convertible is a 1955 Ford. John’s brother Mike George correctly identified it as a 1956 model, “orange and white,” and that the car in front of it is a 1953 Dodge.
Although the Georges could not recall who took their photo, a possible identification emerged. Valarie Schnore was a neighbor of Leonard Wishtart and helped organize an exhibit of his photos two years ago when he was a resident of the Washington County Health Center. Wishtart was a carpenter and operated a shop on Jefferson Avenue, but he was also an avid photographer from age 11. He did commercial work for the Observer Publishing Co. and others and was a member of Washington Camera Club. According to Schnore, his family sold his belongings and the contents of his home recently when he was moved from the health center to another facility.
It’s possible that the negatives found at a flea market by Wheeling photographer and writer Jim Thornton may have belonged to Wishtart, but for now that still remains just a puzzling possibility.
Look for another Mystery Photo in next Monday’s Observer-Reporter.