Here we have a post-1900 image of a lovely lady named Ella Seall. This name is written on the back, but also in one corner on the back, in pencil it says ESM. Perhaps Ella married someone whose name began with an M. Ella is wearing a beautiful dress of white with 3/4 sleeves and a few ruffles across the bodice and around the skirt. I believe this to be from 1900-1910 based on the beautiful Edwardian styling of the pigeon-breast blouse. Her hair is styled in the poufy bouffant of the Gibson Girl, and she is wearing eye glasses. Perhaps this was her graduation photo or a “coming out” portrait before the debutante ball.
The photographer was F. Martin of Circleville, OH.
Who Were They? 
Could that “M” be an “N”?
I found an Ella Jeannette Seall (b. 18 Feb 1883) who married a John F. Nave (b. 1862) on 07 Nov 1918 in Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio. John was 56 and she was 35.
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I will have to go back and look, but yes it might be a fancy N.
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It is an N
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Ah! :)
Time to “dig around somemore!”
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She is lovely and her dress seems to have many lines to the trims, it has real personality:)
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What a nice image. I’m fascinated with the pince-nez glasses that became popular during Teddy Roosevelt’s time. Both men and women used them, but they have a certain charm on girls.
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Ella died in 1965 and is buried in the Otterbein Cemetery, Westerville, Franklin County, Ohio according to “Find A Grave” which has a picture of her gravestone. The gravestone says “Ella Seall Nave 1883 – 1965” Her husband John F. is buried next to her – his gravestone says, “John F Nave 1861 – 1945”.
The US Census records for 1920 and 1930 show no offspring for this couple that married rather late. It also shows John was a teacher and an only child.
Ella had an older brother John and sister Lillie. John had two daughters – making finding an offspring more challenging. :)
Westerville is a northern suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Circleville is a (slightly further away) southern suburb of the same city and is 40 miles from Westerville.
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Well, Ella’s sister, Lillie Helen Seall died of Parkinson’s Disease on 02 Dec 1927. She was single and had no apparent offspring.
Ella’s brother John married a Minnie Leota Smith and they had two daughters:
Lucy Yates Seall (b. 24 Feb 1909 d. 26 Sep 1998 at age 89 in Circleville, Pickaway, OH)
Mary S. Seall (b. 08 Jun 1910 d. 04 Aug 1988 at the age of 78 in Circleville, Pickaway, OH)
..both of which appear to have been single and had no apparent offspring.
Lucy was a teacher also. A picture of her in her classroom can be found here:
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/image.php?img=1143
Others have found photos of the Seall’s and have gone looking:
http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/thread.aspx?mv=flat&m=374&p=surnames.seal
I think this one is at a dead end.
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Well then we shall cherish her photograph for the glimpse of her serene countenance it provides.
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