This article was published in the March 2000 edition of Soul Search, the journal of The Sole Society. 

This group family portrait was taken between 1910 and 1920 and shows the George Washington Solley family. George and his wife, Amy Thomas, are shown seated. George was born June 20, 1864, died January 27, 1920. He was the son of Isaac Solley (dates unknown) and Hannah Wood (dates unknown).

The identities from left to right are Sherman, Roscoe, Lois, James, Leo, Isaac, Pearl, Beatrice, George Washington, Zoe, Amy Thomas, and Blair.

All of the persons in the photos are now deceased. Beatrice, the youngest, died in 1994 and was laid to rest with many of her siblings in the cemetery at the Greenville Church, outside of the town of Curwensville, PA. They were raised in that church which is the Church of the Brethren, a Mennonite sect.

The family members were country folk and enjoyed storytelling and what they called "rhyming." Poems were written about their doings and about larger issues as well. Roscoe, Lois and Beatrice were notorious for this. Younger family members learned to duck away at family picnics and gatherings if they did not want to listen to some of the lengthier stanzas. Now, of course, we all wish we had paid more attention. Fortunately, Uncle Roscoe wrote many of the poems down and printed them at his own expense.

The family has numerous descendants who live primarily in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

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