We first saw an example of a Bradley photo back in June of this year. This photo card from the studio shows three of the Zenefski children around 1895/1896.
Benjamin, Emily and John were three of the ten children of John Joseph Zenefski and Catherine Jedwabny. John (the father) was born in Germany and, at the time of his death in 1931, had been a resident of Menasha for over 50 years. He was a 45 year employee at the Menasha Wooden Ware.
I know little of Ben and Emily's lives after this, but the younger of the two boys pictured, John Frank Zenefski, was born November 12, 1893 and died February 13, 1976 in Menasha. John married Celia Ann Pozolinski and together they had five sons and five daughters before her death in 1941. He was employed by Gear Dairy for 28 years and retired in 1956. At the time of his death, he had 39 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
To my knowledge, John wasn't a civic leader or a captain of industry, but a Joe Average who forged a life in our hometown, going to work each day and raising his children. He was a father and a husband and a grandfather. He was a face of Menasha.
The Zenefski children in the photo are older siblings of my great grandmother, Louise Zenefski Gullickson. Great fun to read about their family.
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