Today is a travel day for me, so I have to take an easy way out.  However, Mary Dillon posted a few photos on Facebook that I would like to share with you today.  I don’t think she would object.  Mary is the author of two books, one on Wittenberg and one on Altenburg, that are wonderful resources for me when I am researching stories for this blog.  Mary is a Wittenberg native who has the maiden name, Mueller.

Both of the photos I will show are connected to Robert Nennert.  His story was told a while ago in a post titled, Uncle Bob’s River Job.  Robert was a man who spent much of his life working on the Mississippi River.  First, we have this photograph that does not include Robert, but it does include part of his family.

The picture shows Robert’s second wife, Martha (Horn) Nennert with four children.  These are almost certainly the four children that were born to Martha.  The photo was likely taken in the early 1900’s.  Mary says the photo was taken on the front porch of their Wittenberg home.  My best guess is that Aurel is the boy on the left, and Carl is the boy on the right.  Elsie and Alma are the two girls.  Elsie is the older girl.  I’ll let you choose which one she is.

Robert’s absence from this picture may be a result of him being on the river.  River men often spend extended periods of time away from home.  Dale Roth, whose story was told in the post, Preacher on the River, is often away from his family these days as a result of his job on the river.

Next, we have this photograph which does include Robert.

Robert is the man in the middle wearing the hat and coat.  He is pictured with his crew aboard the boat, Horatio F. Wright.  I love seeing photos illustrating men at their occupations.  I am sure these men experienced good, hard work on board that boat, but I also imagine that they had plenty of fun.

Thanks go out to Mary Dillon for these photographs.  Now, I must move on to my next destination.  I will be heading to visit my sister, who recently experienced the horrors of Hurricane Irma.  I will likely not be able to post a blog for a few days.