Two weekends ago I visited my parents and was delightfully surprised by some old photographs they had uncovered in going through some of their possessions as they prepare to move into their new apartment in a continuing care community in Pennsylvania. The photograph above is one that I had never seen before and is one of only two or three photos I have of my paternal grandmother's only brother, my grand uncle Oscar Herbert Hasselbaum.
Oscar Hasselbaum was the only son of my great grandparents, Anton Hasselbaum (1857 - 1916) and Maria Johanna Richter (1859 - 1948). Anton and Maria had five daughters: Mary (1888 - 1914); Olga (1896 - ); my grandmother Huldah (1898 - 1983) and her twin sister Josephine (1898 - 1990); and Helena (1901 - 1982).
Oscar was born on August 8, 1889 in Providence, Rhode Island -- 125 years ago today! He died on March 16, 1974 in Springfield, Massachusetts at age 84.
As the photograph above shows, Oscar served during World War I. He is the man on the left in the photograph. The taller man on the right is unknown and the date and location of the camp are also unknown. Oscar was not quite 28 years old and living in Fresno, California when he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. He was married at the time and he was employed as an automobile electrician.
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Original photograph from the family collection.
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Copyright 2014, John D. Tew
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