Today, we have the pleasure of showing you the oldest photograph that The Romeo Observer used in its paper! Here it is! Ta-da!
Even though the newspaper had been using photos since the turn of the century, we only have physical copies that date back to as early as 1946.
Until another is discovered, the picture of the Abram and Sarah Brewer family reunion taken in December 1946 will remain as the oldest one the archives has that was used in The Romeo Observer.
In the December 19, 1946 issue of that particular paper, the adult children of the late Abram and Sarah Brewer pose for a photo was that taken at a family reunion held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Abram Nelson Brewer on December 8 in Romeo. Abram (or A.N. and man standing in the middle) was a well-respected member of the Board of Supervisors in Bruce Township at that time.
This was significant because it was the first time that have been together in 35 years! To be fair, two of them - Addison (man standing on the left) and Bessie (woman sitting on the right) - were from California, San Francisco and Palo Alto specifically. The rest lived in Michigan with A.N. in Romeo, Peter (man standing on the right) in Lakeville, and Jessie (woman sitting on the left) in Pontiac. In addition, this was of the surviving siblings since a sister Anna died in 1930.
While it's not clear if they had anymore reunions after this one, this was probably one of the last photographs they took together since A.N. would die in 1950.
This is why family reunions are important.
To learn more about the Brewer family, you contact the Romeo Community Archives at rca@romemodistrictlibrary.org.
Source: The Romeo Observer, December 19, 1946, p.I-1; The Romeo Observer, April 6, 1950, p.I-1 and p.I-4; and Ancestry