What's Your Name?

What I know: This adorable image came from the Pat Sides Jennings collection, so it is likely a Mariencheck or Durling ancestor. It was taken at Genelli Studios in St. Louis, Missouri, which was open from about 1894 to 1900. Typically, the above information would be enough to run a report – Who was 2 to 4 years old between 1894 and 1900 in those two families? Unfortunately, only one person’s vital statistics match the above description: Louisa Mariencheck. Louisa, the sister of J. Philip Mariencheck, was born in Memphis in 1891. Sadly, she died only one year later. So this is not her. So we look to the other Louisa Mariencheck. Ah yes … there was more than one! Born in September of 1858 to Philip and Sophia Mariencheck, “elder Louisa” was baby Louisa’s aunt. In 1881 she married Daniel Cleary in Memphis; they had a son, William, in 1883. Although no death record has been found, we presume Daniel died sometime before 1888. For in 1888, Louisa married Adam Schmidt. Not long after, the family moved to the St. Louis, Missouri area. Where the trail goes cold. So far, we’ve found no records of additional children in the Schmidt household. Or is that Smith? To further complicate the search, it’s possible (if not probable) that the family changed the spelling of their surname from “Schmidt” to “Smith.” This change was common in the years surrounding both world wars to avoid discrimination against Germans. Do you know who this is?