Photo in about 1905.

Rosalie Allan Collins was correspondent with a Maurice Gordon Gunn in or about 1901 who addressed her as "Aunt Dossie". He was an artist who prepared beautifully illustrated, watercolor postcards and note cards of which we have some. That he is a child of John Donald Gunn and Leila Collins is supported by three coincidences:
1. He refers to Rosalie Collins as "Aunt Dossie", a known nickname.
2. His surname is Gunn.
3. His first name Maurice is same as dearly loved teacher Maurice Kirby of Leila Collins and her two sisters while he accompanied their family as a teacher during a multi-year trek during the Civil War, following Leila's father John Dillard Collins, a surgeon in the Confederate Army.

Maurice also wrote to first cousin Rosalie Furman in Cranford, N.J. in about 1910.

From handwritten notes of first cousin Lucy Furman, Maurice Gordon Gunn was born in 1884?, married in 1912? Mary Chase ---, had one adopted daughter Rosalie Cornelia Gunn.

1910 US census, Illinois, Cook County, Chicago, 21st Ward, North State Street
Maurice G. Gunn, lodger, 21, single, b/fb/mb:IN, portrait artist

1920 US census, New Jersey, Hudson Co., Weehawken Township, First Street, January 22, 1920
Maurice Gunn, head, rents, 34, b:KY, fb:Canada, mb:KY, landscape artist
Mary Gunn, wife, 35, b:KS, fb:RI, mb:OH
Ella (or Eva) Whittaker,mother-in-law, 65, b:OH, fb/mb:VT

1930 US census, New Jersey, Bergen Co., Ridgefield Borough, 1008 De Scott?? Ave.:
Maurice Gunn, 45, 30 at 1st marriage, b:KY, fb:English-Canada, mb:LA, Painting Contractor
Mary Gunn, 46, 20 at 1st marriage, b:KS, fb:RI, mb:Ohio
Rosalie Gunn, 10, b:NY, fb:KY, mb:KS
[Maurice owns home; worth $22,000]

1900 US census (see entry for mother, reports born Mar 1885, not 1889.

Letter from Maurice Gunn, about 7 years old, to Mary ??, with address and date at end of letter in different handwriting: 113 Line St., Evansville, Ind., March 6th, 1892. Mary is probably Mary French Ellis, a roommate of Rosalie Allan Furman (class of 1895) while attending Bryn Mawr College
-------start letter--------------

Dear Mary,

You must excuse the pencil for I am a very poor scribe even with a pencil and a pen is beyond me entirely. You sent me such a beautiful letter that I will try to learn to write well so taht I can answer it. I wish I could see you and Rosalie and Jesse [Rose?] and the big dog you have. I send you another horse; his name is Bucephalus.

I will start to Kindergarten tomorrow and in September I will go to school and try to learn fast so I can go to college when I am big. Ma would like to go to Bryn Mawr with you and Rosalie.

Donald and Allan send their love to you & Rosalie.

Your true friend,
Maurice Gunn

---------end letter---------------

TRAINING AS AN ARTIST
1902-1904, 1908-1910 Evenings, 1905-1908 days, Art Institute of Chicago with John H. Vanderpoel, Frederick W. Freer, Thomas W. Stevens and Karl A. Buehr, 1906 Art Institute of Chicago, Alphonse Mucha
HONORS
1904-1908 Multiple Honorable Mentions, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
1908 Second Oil Prize, Art Students’ League of Chicago annual
OTHER
He exhibited with the Society of Western Artists in the 1907-1908 exhibition (see Cincinnati Art Museum library for a catalogue)
[Information courtesy of Illinois Historical Art Project, via email Sep 2005 . He is included in their list of Illinois artists at http://www.illinoisart.org/artists_listF_J.html]

• Married: abt 1915

1. Rosalie Cornelia GUNN b: abt 1920 in New York
2. son of a GUNN b: after 1930? in NJ?