(Not so) Wordless Wednesday: Bruhns Family Photo

One of the daily blogging prompts that we genealogy bloggers sometimes use is "Wordless Wednesday," where we can show off a photo that might tell a story all on it's own. Yeah, I have a hard time being "wordless." So, this is a (Not so) Wordless Wednesday!

This is such a cool picture! It's of my great great grandparents, John and Christina (Schlichtmann) Bruhns, and their large, extended family. According to my cousin, Vikki, our Great Aunt Rae said that it was taken Easter 1922. We think it was taken at the Bruhns family farm outside of Tracy, California.

John and Christina Bruhns in the center of their large family

 One of the things I love about this photo is that it reminds me of the big Easter picnics we used to have when I was a kid: first out on Alden Lane in Livermore, California, then at the Koster ranch south of Tracy and finally a few miles from the Koster place, out at the end of Bird Road. Our Easter picnics were legendary. We generally had anywhere between 50-80 people -- family and friends -- in attendance. We played games, flew kites and ate lots of great food. And, of course, we hunted Easter Eggs. At some point, we even started hiding and hunting Easter Beers (for the adults, of course)!

It looks like the Bruhns family were all having fun together that Easter!

UPDATE: My cousin, Vikki, shared with me the list of all the people in the photo. Our Great Aunt Rae remembered it like this:  Tillie Bruhns, Mrs. Fred Harns, Mrs. Linne, John Krohn, G.Ma von Sosten, A. Sophie Krohn, Emma von Sosten, John von Sosten, Mamma (Johanna Madsen), Olive Baily, G. Pa Bruhns, Tina Arada, G. Ma Bruhns, Anna Krohn, Amanda Coglin, Uncle Johnny, Lily Schlichtmann, Fred von Sosten, Fred Spiekerman, Cy Arada, Tina Bruhns von Sosten, ??? , Irma von Sosten, Helen Hansen, Donna Madsen, Thelma von Sosten, Lloyd Madsen, Dorothy Arada, Charlotte and Mark Coglin, Lars Hansen Madsen w/ Rae Madsen on lap, Carl von Sosten.