A group of people dressed in their "Sunday Best" photographed on a hay wagon in the countryside.
Note the woman in the white blouse who appears to be wearing a crown. Possibly in Comanche County, Kansas.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
These photos are from the collection of J.M. & Minerva (Metzker) Cline and were printed from the original glass negatives by their grandson, Russell Fay Cline. They were kindly provided for use on this site by Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
My guess is that the ones showing the gyp hills, if that's what they are, were taken near the Biddle/Gregg ranch, and that the one of the cattle with barns in the background was of that ranch. Frank Metzker, Minerva's father, worked on the C.F. Biddle ranch. Lula Gregg was Minerva's sister.
J.M. "Jim" Cline was a carpenter who lived in Evansville, IN, before moving to Comanche County, Kansas. I think it is probable that most or all of the photos are from those two places. I further speculate that the houses were ones built or worked on by J.M. "Jim" Cline, as this is the only reason I can imagine for him having the photos of houses he didn't live in.
- Comments by Jerry Ferrin, 19 November 2006, from an e-mail to Phyllis Scherich.
A group of people dressed in their "Sunday Best" photographed on a hay wagon in the countryside.
Note the woman in the white blouse who appears to be wearing a crown. Possibly in Comanche County, Kansas.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
A group of people dressed in their "Sunday Best" photographed on a hay wagon in the countryside.
Note the woman in the white blouse who appears to be wearing a crown. Possibly in Comanche County, Kansas.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
"This photograph appears to me to have a landscape similar to the southeastern part of Comanche county, Kansas. My interpretation of the photo is that it was a "Sunday outing", more specifically a "hayride" and that the woman wearing a 'crown' (I've looked at it closely at high resolution and am confident it isn't a photographic flaw, but was something she was wearing) was the 'Queen of May' or something similar. What's your opinion? Is the landscape consistent with what you know of that land? Is that how you'd 'read' the hayride photo? Also, that isn't the sun behind the people on the wagon, as they are sidelit, not backlit. I suspect the "sun" was created in the darkroom or was some sort of photographic flaw in the image." -- Jerry Ferrin, e-mail to Phyllis Scherich, 17 November 2006."They used to do some Sunday outings to an area south of the Biddle Ranch to Big Gyp cave. Perhaps that was their destination in this area. The area on the Biddle Ranch doesn't have the gyp-capped hills. It does look like she is the queen of something!" -- Phyllis Scherich, e-mail to Jerry Ferrin, 18 November 2006.
A group of people dressed in their "Sunday Best" on horses and in buggies in the countryside.
"This is the photo with what looks like gyp hills in the background. Perhaps this could be southeastern Comanche County?"
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
"Looks like a house in the progress of being built. I assume this is Comanche County. There's a tiny house or school or something in the background at the right edge of the house." Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Minerva Cline with Seven Children
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
A group of people on a porch, possibly in Comanche County, Kansas
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Three men branding a calf
Comanche County? Don't know who or where. To me, they look a little dressed up, perhaps they set up this photo for "show."
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
"In the picture 'Three Men Branding a Calf' - notice that the one man only has one arm. That is probably Philo Gregg -- Lula (Metzker) Gregg's husband! He was one-armed!" - Comment by Phyllis Scherich, e-mail to Jerry Ferrin, 18 November 2006.
Cattle in a pasture, possibly in Comanche County, Kansas.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
I have no clue whatsoever where this house is. Could be Indiana, could be Kansas, or who knows. But it sure is "quite a house."
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Edith Cline, photo probably taken in Evansville, Indiana
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Minerva Cline, with (I assume) Leta and Kenneth Cline, probably in Evansville, Indiana
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Leta, Kenneth and Fred Cline, probably in Evansville, Indiana
"Dad's handwritten note says this is Leta, Kenneth and Fred Cline. I don't know what relation Fred is."
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Back: Hueston and Leta Cline. Front: Kenneth, Allen and Edith Cline, Comanche County, Kansas.
Allen was the first child of J.M. and Minerva Cline to be born in Kansas.
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Three kids with pups, probably Kenneth, Leta and Edith Cline.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
(Probably) Hueston, Edith, Leta and Kenneth Cline.
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Man in carriage in front of a house (location unknown).
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Four children in a carriage.
Probably Kenneth, Edith, Hueston and Leta Cline, Comanche County Kansas.
Photo and comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Cliff scene, possibly in southeastern Comanche County, Kansas.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
John and Julius
Dad (J.R. Cline) had a handwritten note with this photo, that this was "John" and "Julius."
(I assume some relation to the Clines.) Then, Dad wrote "Otto" to the side of the note, so I'm not sure who's who.
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Minerva (Metzker) Cline with a baby.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Minerva (Metzker) Cline with a baby.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Allen Cline
Allen was the first child of J.M. and Minerva Cline to be born in Kansas.
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Two Girls, possibly in Comanche County, Kansas.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
View of a town.
Photo courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Train Shop, probably the Howell Railroad Shop in Evansville, Indiana.
J.M. Cline worked at the Howell Railroad Shop in Evansville, Indiana after he married Minerva Metzker.
Note the L & N Railroad cars.
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Train Yard, probably the Howell Railroad Shop in Evansville, Indiana.
J.M. Cline worked at the Howell Railroad Shop in Evansville, Indiana after he married Minerva Metzker.
Note the L & N Railroad cars.
Photo & comment courtesy of Rhonda (Cline) Nickel.
Birth Order Listing of the Children of
James Marion & Minerva Frances (Metzker) Cline1. Hueston Cline
2. Owen Cline (deceased as a baby)
3. Leta Hazel (Cline) Thompson
4. James Kenneth Cline
5. Edith Marguerite (Cline) Martin
6. Allen Leighton Cline
7. Frances Georgia (Cline) Burkhall
8. Frederick Lee Roy Cline
9. Raymond Everett Cline
10. James Russell Cline
11. Jessie (Cline) Robertson
Also see:
James Marion & Minerva Frances (Metzker) Cline
"Mrs. J.M. Cline Has Made Many Hundreds of Beautiful Quilts", news clipping, 31 Dec 1964.
Russell Fay Cline, son of J.R. & Gloria (Wilson) Cline, grandson of J.M. & Minerva (Metzker) Cline.
Rhonda (Cline) Nickel, daughter of J.R. & Gloria (Wilson) Cline, grand-daughter of J.M. & Minerva (Metzker) Cline.
Lula Agnes (Metzker) Gregg, sister of Minerva (Metzker) Cline, maternal aunt of the children of J.M. & Minerva (Metzker) Cline.
S.Sgt. Ira Leighton Metzker, USAAF, first cousin of the children of J.M. & Minerva (Metzker) Cline.
Iris (Brasher) Metzker, aunt of the children of J.M. & Minerva (Metzker) Cline.
Dorothy Virginia Gregg, first cousin of the children of J.M. & Minerva (Metzker) Cline.
Thanks to Rhonda (Cline) Nickel for the above obituaries and information.
This website is being created by Jerry Ferrin with the able assistance of many Contributors. Your comments, suggestions and contributions of historical information and photographs to this site are welcome. Please sign the Guest Book. This page was created 10 November 2006.