On February 6th, I sent a message to relatives on a text string where we share birthday and anniversary wishes. My text noted that 6 Feb 1887 was the birthdate of Maurice Francois Schoof, my mother’s step-father who we knew growing up as Papa. He was a noted photographer in Shreveport, Louisiana with a long standing exhibit of his work at the Caddo Parish Fairgrounds Museum. Louisiana State University – Shreveport has archived some of his work, available for viewing at the university’s library.[1] Some of his steady work was taking student pictures for annual yearbooks.
Kenneth Noble Ash, my sister Pat’s elder son, responded to the text. He informed us that some years ago during a business call to Homer High School in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, he ran across some of Papa Schoof ’s work. One hallway in the school displays photos of seniors graduated each year. Ken found the 1939 group and located the portrait of his grandmother Christelle Smith. “Schoof Photography” appeared in the bottom right hand corner of the picture! Christelle later married Ben Lewis Ash. Their son Ben Ellis Ash and my sister Pat (Carole Patricia Willis Ash) are Ken’s parents.
Upon returning to Shreveport, Ken called his other grandmother, Charlotte (Chadock) Willis, and asked if she knew anything about Papa taking student photos in Homer. “Of course,” she replied. “I was his assistant!” Ken was astounded. One grandmother and his (step) great grandfather took the senior portrait of his other grandmother! A small world.
This was all news to me. Mom (Charlotte) once told me that Papa hoped she would take over his photography business one day. She already helped develop and retouch portraits. However, I never knew she worked with him in anything other than a casual capacity. She was 16 or 17 at the time. Having skipped a grade, she had graduated high school so was available to work full time. For whatever reason, she did not pursue photography but went to business school and worked as an administrative assistant for a bank in Shreveport.
BUT WAIT, as they used to say in the Ginzu knives commercials. THERE IS MORE. Not only did one grandmother help photograph the other when they were teenagers, the two young women were unknowingly related by marriage!
Back in 1812 in Davidson County, Tennessee, Christelle Smith’s GGG Aunt Elizabeth McCasland married Charlotte Chadock’s GGG Uncle Jonas Shivers. Elizabeth was the sister of Christelle’s GG Grandfather John McCasland Jr., and Jonas was the brother of Charlotte’s GG Grandmother Lydia (Shivers) Cole.
Christelle’s and Charlotte’s children Ben Ash and Pat Willis were, therefore, already related by marriage before they wed in 1963. What a small world, indeed!
The following chart illustrates this surprising relationship:
[1] LSUS Collection 656 – Photographer Maurice Schoof ’s Negatives and Photographs