This is believed to be the earliest known photograph of a Confirmation at the Simeon Lutheran Church, Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. It is of the class of 1895.
The class members have been identified as follows:
Front Row (seated): Sallie [Reigle] Hartman; A. Lizzie [Kohler] Fidler; L. Selara [Miller] Klinger; Lizzie Kissinger; Carrie Bush; Kate Saltzer; Carrie [Folk] Wetzel; Hannah Saltzer; Bertha [Riegle] Sitlinger; Carrie Bowman; Hattie Good.
Middle Row (standing): Ursula Klinger; Annie [Coleman] Schaeffer; Charles Ritzman; Charles Miller; James Kauderman; George Kemble; Wilson Hartman; John E. Miller; Oscar Clark; J. Fred Coleman; Rev. Oscar E. Pfleuger.
Back Row (standing on riser): R. Harvey Schwalm; Frank Klinger; Calvin Miller; William Klinger; David Bush; D. Milton Kissinger; Charles Kissinger; George Ritzman; George Hepler; David W. Kissinger.
Because of the very poor quality of the only surviving copy, including water damage to the right side, attempts to digitally enhance this photograph have not been successful beyond what is seen here.
Corrections should be submitted as comments to this blog post.