Great Grandma Wheeler......

It is just one of those things that lay in the room of family history. It really is still looking like the junk room but I found something new on Friday. 

I do remember that it was up there amongst much material but I had not picked it up to read it.  I thought it looked like the autograph books of my era that the girls had friends write sweet things. I figured it was my mom's.

When I picked it up and read the date of 1889 I was very surprised and excited. This belong to some older person  and the woman was a 26 year old girl by the name of Mattie.  She was my Great grandmother on my mom's side.

Martha (Mattie) Selena Mobley born in January 1876. It is her album made of learned sayings that children memorized and probably practice writing with pen and ink. The writings are in verse and are from friends and also family members.







Mattie Selena Mobley was the daughter of Hezikiah Mobley and Frances Orilda Gilbert. She was born in 1876 and died in 1941.

She was married to Cyrus Henry Wheeler,  ( b. 1872, d. 1948) in 1894. She became Mattie Wheeler.

So let me get back to this album. It is going to take two weeks to post everything that I want to share. I really am still in the research phase of this as I am trying to find identities to some of the writers.

Friend Mattie,
When you get old and can not see,                                 
put on your specks and think of me.
     Rebecca Heater 10/11/90

Dear Mattie,
"Be courteous to all,
But intimate with few.
and let those few be,
Well tried before you
give them your confidence."
1890-6-2      Sincerely yours, Bertha Meaus
               

 This is  one of the earliest writings which would have been when she was 22 years old.  She must have cherished the book as there are additions in 1893 and on into 1914.

Dear Friend,            Jan. 4, 1917
When in some far and distant land,
you view the writing of my hand,
Just turn your thoughts to me Your Friend,
Ellen Gilbert

This is an interesting one as Mattie was related to Gilbert's.  It probably was actually her first cousin.

I have more to share with this as I have found a son Elva's writing and my grandfather Brown, her son in law has written in the book.  More to come next posting.

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