Twins: Bessie and Odessa Borden
Files
Dublin Core
Title
Twins: Bessie and Odessa Borden
Subject
Hollar, Odessa Bell (Borden) (1905-1971)
Clark, Bessie Rebecca (Borden) (1905-1980)
Description
Bessie and Odessa Borden, twin sisters, are posed together in matching clothes.
We do not know which is which.
Odessa Bell and her twin sister, Bessie, were daughters of Taylor Ulysses (1876-1935) and Melissa “Lizzie” Mae (Richman) (1880-1968) Borden. Their father was a farmer in the Stonewall District of Shenandoah County and the girls appeared with their family in both the 1910 and 1920 censuses.
ODESSA:
Odessa married Elmer Laco Hollar, Sr. (1904-1972) and they spent most of their lives together in Toms Brook.
The 1940 census found Odessa with three young sons: Elmer L., George U., and Melvin L. Hollar. A fourth son, Harold Edward Hollar, was born a few years later. Odessa and her sons lived with Ida F. Borden on North Main Street in Toms Brook. Her husband was not listed.
Ten years later, Elmer and Odessa were still living with Ida Borden on the west side of Route 11. Elmer worked as a carpenter and only his son, Melvin, was still there, with his wife and baby.
BESSIE:
Bessie married Jeptha Glenn Clark (1904-1986) in 1925 in Shenandoah County. The couple had a son, Guy William Clark (1926-1979) just over a year later. Early in their marriage, they lived in rural Edinburg with Bessie’s in-laws. The Clark family worked a poultry farm for many years and in both the 1930 and 1940 census, Bessie’s husband helped farm.
By 1950, they lived on their own, still in rural Edinburg. Bessie worked as a waitress in a diner while her husband worked in a feed store. Their grown son, daughter-in-law and 2-year old granddaughter lived with them.
When Bessie died several years later, she was a retired textile plant worker.
The name, "Borden", is written on the glass plate of this image.
We do not know which is which.
Odessa Bell and her twin sister, Bessie, were daughters of Taylor Ulysses (1876-1935) and Melissa “Lizzie” Mae (Richman) (1880-1968) Borden. Their father was a farmer in the Stonewall District of Shenandoah County and the girls appeared with their family in both the 1910 and 1920 censuses.
ODESSA:
Odessa married Elmer Laco Hollar, Sr. (1904-1972) and they spent most of their lives together in Toms Brook.
The 1940 census found Odessa with three young sons: Elmer L., George U., and Melvin L. Hollar. A fourth son, Harold Edward Hollar, was born a few years later. Odessa and her sons lived with Ida F. Borden on North Main Street in Toms Brook. Her husband was not listed.
Ten years later, Elmer and Odessa were still living with Ida Borden on the west side of Route 11. Elmer worked as a carpenter and only his son, Melvin, was still there, with his wife and baby.
BESSIE:
Bessie married Jeptha Glenn Clark (1904-1986) in 1925 in Shenandoah County. The couple had a son, Guy William Clark (1926-1979) just over a year later. Early in their marriage, they lived in rural Edinburg with Bessie’s in-laws. The Clark family worked a poultry farm for many years and in both the 1930 and 1940 census, Bessie’s husband helped farm.
By 1950, they lived on their own, still in rural Edinburg. Bessie worked as a waitress in a diner while her husband worked in a feed store. Their grown son, daughter-in-law and 2-year old granddaughter lived with them.
When Bessie died several years later, she was a retired textile plant worker.
The name, "Borden", is written on the glass plate of this image.
Creator
Morrison Studio
Source
Morrison Studio Collection - Shenandoah County Historical Society
Publisher
Shenandoah County Library
Date
Labelled "Nov 1921" on box of plates.
Contributor
Identified in 2010 by Fay Hiner who has the same photograph at home. Bessie and Odessa Borden were her mother's sisters.
Additional biographical information was compiled from public records.
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT - NON-COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTED
Identifier
012729
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Glass Negative
Collection
Citation
Morrison Studio, “Twins: Bessie and Odessa Borden,” Shenandoah County Library Archives, accessed December 26, 2024, https://archives.countylib.org/items/show/41833.
Comments