This is my great grandfather, Henry Hoyt Fackler, standing in front of the Chevrolet he won from the American Legion in Colony, Kansas in about 1931. Imagine winning a car during the Great Depression and how exciting that must have been. What did he do to win it? Did he catch the biggest fish? Win a prize for best painting? Enter a raffle? Unfortunately, I don't know. He does not look nearly as excited in this picture as he should though.
Here he is again in about 1938.
Henry Hoyt Fackler was born in Pennsylvania in 1878, but moved to Kansas at some point before he married Etta Mildred Day in 1899. I don't know much about him except that he had a store and that he and Etta had five children. Henry died in 1946.
Here's an earlier photo (circa 1900) of Henry Hoyt and Etta.
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Great history. So glad you have these photos in your possession.
ReplyDeleteHe has the kind of face - calm, steady, measured - on which excitement wouldn't sit all that well. Or maybe he was just posing in front of the car.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, maybe local press of the time would reveal how he won the car. I'm really looking forward to the scary photo next week :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend Christine.
I dig the tie in the head and shoulders portrait!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Henry was still in shock at winning the car! Look forward to your scary photo! Jo
ReplyDeletePerhaps Henry was not keep on publicity and someone forced him to be photographed with the car.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he was hoping for a better color? lol it's probably his very proud look from back in the day! Nice pictures and story!
ReplyDeleteOh I agree one would expect much more emotion, but he appears to be a staid individual. Quite the prize. Perhaps it was a raffle?
ReplyDeleteOn you blog the link pictures of previous posters are staying on the comment box?? I see Bob Scotney's photo here????
I think he kept his emotions inside and he was actually jumping for joy and turning summersaults over winning the car, he just didn't show it.
ReplyDeletePat,
ReplyDeleteI can't see any photos in the comment box now, which is good because I wouldn't have known what to do about it. Google must have fixed it and set Bob free. Thanks for letting me know.
Maybe his stern look is him contemplating how he'll afford the petrol, given that it was in the depression.
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ReplyDelete"Meet the Facklers" sounds hollywoodian.
ReplyDeleteAn American Legionnaire sounds militaristic.
Overjoyed during the Great Depression sounds inconsiderate.
So he kept his calm, in a non-busterkeatonesque way.
If we knew ALL the juicy details about our related ancestors, all the way down to (maybe) some cannibals a zillion years ago - our minds would blow. :)
Perhaps he was in shock. But I do see the excitement in his eyes. Wonderful photos and story!
ReplyDeleteQuite the prize, and he didn't even have to be an audience member on Oprah!! I wonder how the neighbors felt about him getting a new car when times were hard for so many people- envious, happy, resentful? Perhaps he couldn't even keep the car and had to sell it for need of cash...
ReplyDeleteHe looks like the kind of man who contained his excitement within. He was probably clenching his hands together behind his back to stop them trembling!
ReplyDeleteWow, he won a car. I'm imagining he was a very reserved person in public but inside was jumping up and down.
ReplyDeleteA friend's husband once hit a hole-in-one and won a Corvette. I don't know if a photo was taken of him standing next to it, but I know as soon as he got it my friend took the keys.
they make quite the handsome couple!!
ReplyDeletemen of that generation tended to appear stoic. he must have been really happy, and yet, paying for gas was an extra expense... maybe it just collected dust in the backyard!!
:D~
HUGZ
Very cool! What great genes you have!
ReplyDeleteTattered and Lost's friend's husband won a Corvette for hitting a hole in one! My mother hit a hole in one and all she got was a certificate. No fair!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited for your great grandfather even if he isn't.
Barbara
It is a wonderful collection of photos of the couple.
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