Finally.
Sometimes I can answer my own questions!
While rummaging through a box of old high school stuff, I came across an envelope with a letter written in 1979 by my Great Aunt Eliza (Hopson) Wolfenbarger. Lo and behold, it contains the information related to the photo I've wondered about for so long. Evidently, at one time I knew the identities of all the people in the photo.
As stated in my earlier post, the standing couple is William Harrell Hopson and Mary Isabell (Rucker) Hopson, who married in 1883. The letter says that their first child was Preston Greenlee Hopson, born March 21, 1888. He is the baby in the 1888 tin type, which Aunt Eliza had tinted when she had the additional prints made. A second son, Samuel Hopson, was born and died in 1889 at nine months of age.
The seated couple is Thomas Dalton, stepfather of Mary R. Hopson, and his wife (Mary's mother) Minerva. Aunt Eliza says, "Minerva was a Jordan; her mother was a Harvey." This also means that the couple in the other tin type are not this same pair.
She also says, "Samuel Rucker never had his picture made; said it was a sin. He had a heart attack and passed away." See related post for the story of his death.
At the bottom of the note, Aunt Eliza admonishes me, "Put this in the frame behind the picture." I should have listened to her!
