John Taylor and Jon Smith, 1941

This photo appeared in local papers with various captions. One caption read "Just between us and the kitten, son. . . Grizzled John Taylor of Lowell, who saw action, in the Civil War as a private in the Union Army's 12th Cavalry, helps his neighbor, 5-year old Jonny Smith, solve a serious problem involving a kitten. Taylor, as oldest member of the Lake County Old Settlers and Historical Association, will be an honored guest at the association's 66th annual meeting next Saturday at the Lake County fairgrounds." Another caption read "Youth's problems are serious ones, but age always understands. Almost a century old, a Hoosier patriarch gives close attention to eager questions of 5-year-old Jon Smith, worried about his cat. John Taylor, 98, of Lowell, Ind., is the quiet listener, caught in a fortunate photograph, reprinted by request, following the 1941 meeting of the Lake County Old Settler's and Historical Association. Mr. Taylor is a veteran of the 12th Cavalry in the Civil War." Emmet J. Barden, staff photographer of the Daily News, is credited for the photo.