The varied lives of a group of Jones Springs friends born in the 1870s and 1880s

A colorized version of an old Jones Springs photo that Andrew James shared a few years ago is probably from about 1900-1905.

From left are Tennessee Bartgis, Jacob “Wesley” Stuckey, Vernie Bartgis, Annie Stuckey, Clarence Roland "Raleigh" Murphy, Howard Homer, Bessie Murphy. In the window is Robert Bartgis.

Tennessee, Vernie, and Robert Bartgis were siblings. So were Raleigh and Bessie Murphy; and Wesley and Annie Stuckey. Howard Homer was a first cousin of Wesley and Annie Stuckey.

All the people in this photo were born with seven years of one another, between 1877 and 1884.

The oldest, Wesley, is also the tallest, with the mustache. He probably would have been about 23 to 28 years old here.

The youngest, Bessie, is at the far right. She would have been about 15 to 20 years of age.

Everyone in this photo married between 1901 and 1913. Wesley was the first to marry, in 1901. He and his wife, Mollie Kitchen, had no children. Mollie’s younger brother Clayton lived with them for decades on Washington Street in Shepherdstown and then in Arden.

Two of the people in this photo didn’t make it to their 40th birthdays.

Raleigh Murphy, who …