Joseph Best in his civil war uniform. He belonged to the GAR in Chariton, IA. This photo is courtesy of the Iowa Achives in Des Moines.

Best Family, October 24, 1904 50th anniversary celebration. this is the celebration that Elizabeth Creighton Alexander Best wrote a Reminisce of the Early Days article that is in one of your Iowa papers. Elizabeth is in the first row that is seated….the 4th person from the left. Her husband Joseph is the 3rd person from the left. Next to them, again left (1st and 2nd person) is James and Alice Alexander (Elizabeth’s brother and sister in law)
Some of the other people identified in the photo are: (Top row far right) fair haired young man: William Best (my grandpa). This picture, if taken in 1904 is two years before he married my grandmother, Esta Burrell. Going left from William is Clyde Best, Mary Best, a young man identified as “Cousin Joe Best” Mildred Best (Beamon) and my great- great grandmother, Bessie Mae Hartley Best. My great-grandfather, Frank Perry Best is directly below Bessie to the right. Next to him is Hazel Badger Best and her husband, Joseph Best (my grandfather’s brother). That is all thus far that we can read of the writing on the back of the photo.