Sepia Saturday

Sepia Saturday

Saturday, January 8, 2011

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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13 comments:

neetzy said...

What a wonderful find Larry! What an intimate insight into Mattie's life!

CadillaC said...

I added to watch :)
All the things which you show are wonderful. really it's magic. I am waiting to next post :)
Greetings.

Marilyn & Jeff said...

I really enjoyed this post, the book is such a treasure. I have my grandmother's and my mother's autograph books. One day I will 'sepia Saturday' them. I love all the different messages/verses written these books.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating stuff - I have an entry in an autograph book which took me a while to work out:
YY UR
YY UB
ICUR
YY 4 Me
I wonder if that was something commonly written in those days too? Or perhaps just a UK thing? Jo

Alan Burnett said...

Wonderful post Larry and what a find. Looking forward to more images from its' pages. (And, in case I haven't said it yet) Happy New Year my friend.

Bruno Laliberté said...

that is a gem, and i much like what Bertha had to say here. sound advice!!
:)~
HUGZ

Kristin said...

Bertha's advice reminds me of something my aunt barbara would have written. I look forward to more finds from the autograph book in the future.

Unknown said...

What a find, to think it sat aside unopened and unstudied just awaiting opening! It is spectacular to see; I have my autograph book from elementary school days and enjoy looking it over; I think that tradition lived on in the east..Looks like the cover to yours is metal? I can't wait to see more of the verses...

Kat Mortensen said...

My goodness, Larry; I am in great envy of this find of yours! I only wish that I could discover some such treasure of MY great-grandmother's. You are very fortunate to have it.
The verses remind me of a pre-printed little autograph poem book I had when I was a kid at school. I remember one section with puns like:

"I fell off the cliff." by Eileen Dover
"Jump off of the cliff." by Hugo First

Thanks for sharing your discovery!

Kat

Christine H. said...

This is a wonderful find and I really like the inscriptions. The young ladies would have been so amazed to know that we were reading them a century later.

Far Side of Fifty said...

I believe that these were commonly given as Christmas Gifts..what a treasure you have Larry! :)

Nancy said...

What a treasure! Imagine - holding something that was held by your great-grandmother more than 100 years ago! Thanks for sharing (and making some of us just slightly envious of) your find!

Cucipata said...

It is great when we find great treasures from our ancestors that gives us insights into their lives. Then I look at the future and it is comforting to know that two hundred years from now future generations will have plenty of stuff to sort through, for better or for worse...