I've got a cousin, Marilyn Bell, who lives in Hopkins, Minnesota and she just sent me a great old photo of the Adam and Nettie Bell family in front of their farmhouse west of Thompson, Iowa. Adam is our great grandfather.
Left to right: Nettie Bell (Adam's wife and the mother of his children) holding Henry, Carl, Alfred, Obert, Adam, Carrie, Emily and Anna. Adam was born in 1857 in Sogn, Norway and came to America when he was four years old. The original family name was Bjelde but an immigration official allegedly changed it to "an American name".
My grandfather, Carl Marville, is second from left, the tallest in the short pants. He was born on November 14, 1892. Here's a close-up:
So that's where I got my beanpole stature. Ha.
"I want to be good enough to be worthy of my family's love."
—Neil Young
