The handwritten note on the back of the photo says “Spence’s Indiana Sister of Grandma’s Garee mother”. I would guess the photo dates from between 1880 and 1890 and was among my husband’s maternal grandmother’s things.
Who wrote the note?
After a bit of checking in my database I knew that the person who penned the note was referring to Rebecca Garee nee Hamilton’s mother Martha Ann Sparks. Unfortunately, all I knew about Martha was her full name and her husband’s name. I proceeded to find out more through the census but didn’t have much luck with that. Next, I decided to hunt for marriage records in Indiana for a Spence who married a Sparks estimating that their ages might be similar to Martha Ann’s. After browsing through the index I found one match. Amanda Sparks married a Peter T Spence in Wabash, Indiana on July 4, 1855. Could it be Martha’s sister?
I began searching for Peter T. Spence in Indiana who was married to an Amanda and found a listing in ancestry.com that included an article and a photo. When I compared the man in that photo with the photo I have, it looks like it could be same person.
I still needed more proof to know if Amanda might be my Martha’s sister. All the naming patterns of their children are similar. One of Amanda’s researchers on ancestry had her parents names and searching for them in census records I found she had a sister named Martha Ann born at the right time and in the right location. As I’ve continued to research I now feel confident that Amanda Spence who married Peter is my Martha Ann’s sister.
The warmth of the room with the fireplace, quilts, crocheted items and fabric on the floor all bring me in to wonder about these people and their lives. Now, I know their names.
In researching this I also found a photo of Amanda’s sister Jane. Seeing photos of the two sisters and their niece, Rebecca Garee, reveal their physical similarities.
Update: my mother-in-law told me that her brother wrote the note on the back of the photo.
Relative Storyboards 
Amanda is probably Peter Spence’s 2nd wife as he’s listed in the 1850 census married to “Jane, b. abt 1817 Kentucky.” Also living near a brother, William Spence.
You will get a few more hits on Peter T. Spence in Ancestry.com in the two Wabash County history books, pub. in 1884 and 1914. Peter was born in Delaware, settled in WabCo in 1848 and was a blacksmith. At the 1913 reunion of Old Settlers, Peter was said to be the oldest man in the county at age 96 (and noted to be “one of the happiest.”) Peter and Amada are buried in the LaFontaine IN Odd Fellows cemetery and have basic listings on findagrave.com. You may wish to contact “v_f” to supply fuller information, dates and your photos. You can also make a request to photograph their grave marker(s).
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Yes, Amanda was his second wife. He was quite a bit older than her. I saw the article that he was the oldest man in the town. I hadn’t yet checked findagrave but I saw that they are listed as being buried in La Fontaine. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I googled Peter Spence 1817 and found your page here. I have an original newspaper clipping of Peter Spence’s obituary with the same picture you have posted.
As far as I can tell, my husband’s family wasn’t related to the Spence’s. He may have been a friend of the Hutton family, who lived in the same area.
I see that you are searching for info on Peter’s wife’s sister though, but still it was interesting to find the same picture online that I have in my possession. His obit was quite long and detailed.
Oh, I just realized that I also have the obituary of his wife. Doesn’t mention a Martha though. Just said she was one of 11 children, 8 girls and 3 boys. Says she was “one of the real pioneers of Wabash county.”
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You have Amanda’s obituary? I would like to learn what it says or obtain a copy. Are you able to scan it and send it to me? My email is kayzie31@gmail.com
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