My Lee Cousins

This week, I'd like to share another rare family photo, and introduce you to a few of my cousins, the Lees.

This photo was taken about 1897, and shows the 4 Lee children at bath time.  Gertrude Beulah Lee is on the far left.  Donald Willis Lee is in the tub, Robert Nelson Lee is standing straight, and Rowland Vance Lee is the one leaning over on the right.

The Lees are an interesting line of the tree.  Their mother was Marie Elizabeth Nelson, aunt to my great-grandmother Mary Alice Nelson.  Marie and her husband, Clarence Willis Lee, were stage actors, who moved out to Hollywood during the early days of film.  Rowland became a successful director, and has his own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.  You can read about his film history here.

Robert was a writer (mostly screenplays), and he was nominated for a Best Writing Oscar in 1931 for his work on the screen adaptation of "Little Caesar," starring Edward G. Robinson and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. 

Donald was also a screenplay writer, though he didn't garner as much success as his brother Robert.  IMDB has him mistakenly listed as deceased in 1934.  Perhaps his screenwriting career died at that time, but he lived until 1978.

Gertrude married Guy Oran Koepp in 1924, and they had several children.

My knowledge of their lives is pretty sparse, and I'd really like to know more about my Lee Cousins.  Hopefully, some of their descendants will find this blog someday.  Don't be afraid to say hello!