Published: December 08, 2009 07:00 pm      

Editor's note on Dec. 2 historical photo

Readers responded to a request for information on the Traverse Area Historical Society archive photo that appeared in the Dec. 2 Community section. The photograph was of a young woman pulling down a glass jar from a shelf lined with canned goods.

Alice McNeil, Irene Walters, Leonard Popa and Thomas Popa all identified the young woman in the photograph as their sister, Mary Popa. The siblings noted that Mary Popa was the fourth of 13 children born to Thomas and Katherine (Novak) Popa. The photograph was taken at the family farm in Cedar.

"Mother worked like a horse," said Leonard Popa, who noted that his mother was a highly organized and resourceful woman who put up canned food for the entire family.

Thomas Popa, the 10th child in the family, said his mother kept well-stocked shelves of canned goods in those pre-freezer days. He lives on the 120-acre family farm on Popa Valley Road.

Traverse Area Historical Society archive photos that appear in the Community section can be found online at www.gtherald.com/history.