Olga and William

Up until recently I was not sure who were the lady and gentleman in the picture above. Since then, I am fairly certain of who they are. The couple most likely were Olga Dargatz and William George Bienert. Here is my reasoning.

• First, the picture was found among the Mary M. Dargatz collection. The same woman above appeared in several other photos from the collection. Mary Dargatz’s parents were Herman Dargatz and Amelia Klukas who immigrated to Canada in 1895. Herman and Amelia made their home in Millet, Alberta, Canada and had a large bunch of children. Their eldest daughter was named Olga (Mary’s older sister). Six daughters made it to adulthood.

• Second, the picture is labeled Bienert. Two of the Dargatz sisters married a Bienert. Olga married William George Bienert in 1919 in Alberta, Canada. Elizabeth, in her second marriage, married Henry John Bienert.

• Third, I have several pictures of Elizabeth Dargatz labeled as such by Mary. I know what Elizabeth Dargatz looks like and the woman in the above picture is not her. That leaves Olga as the possible unknown woman.

• Fourth, the background in the picture does not look like Alberta. However, it does look like Oregon based on the foliage. If you look really closely, you will notice the paved streets with a neat curb. In 1922, Olga and William immigrated from Canada to Portland, Oregon. Around the same time. Olga’s sisters Elizabeth and Mary also immigrated to the Portland area.

Given all these elements. I theorize that the couple pictured are Olga Dargatz and William George Bienert. Could I be wrong? Absolutely. I have to say that the picture reminds me a little of Bonnie and Clyde.

If you can identify the couple in the picture, please contact me.

Thank you for reading.

Jenny Findsen