Postcard from Ulys to George Arnold

This postcard was sent from Ulys Hicks (my great-grandfather) to his brother-in-law George Arnold.

The postmark on the front of the card (the receiving post office, apparently) 

Feb 13, 1912 Caldren, Arkansas

"2/10 - 1912 looks like you would write once in a while. This is not my work but it is the gin where I work. let us hear from you. U.F.H."

Postmarked Judsonia, Arkansas, Feb 10, 1912

Addressed to Mr. G.N.Arnold, Caldren, Ark.

UFH is Ulysses Fillmore Hicks

G N Arnold is George Ned Arnold

Abner Rhoades

Postcard from Abner Rhoades to Annie Arnold

"When this you see remember me, though many a mile apart we may be"

Abner Rhoades

(Ma Arnold's half sister's son)

Postmarked Alton, Missouri 

January 12, 1910 

Addressed to Annie Arnold, Caldren, Ark.

Annie Arnold was my great-grandmother. "Ma Arnold" was Annie's mother. So Annie and Abner were first cousins.

This is Abner's mother, Margaret Carter Rhoades "and some of hers"

Aunt Margaret had 17 grandsons. I don't know which ones these are. Comparing other photos, I think the one on the right is Hardy Ford. The other one is probably one of his brothers - John or Herbert. (I don't have any pictures of them.) They would be the sons of Margaret's daughter Rosa.

Abner Rhoades had six sons. I don't know which ones these are.

Ulys Hicks and Will Anderson

Ulysses Hicks was my great-grandfather.

I don't know who Will Anderson is, or whether or not he is related to us.

This is a postcard he sent to my great-grandmother, Annie Arnold, before they were married. It's postmarked 1909.

"I promised this to someone. Was it you?"

Addressed to -

Miss B. A. Arnold

Caldren, Ark.

(Annie's full name was Bertha Ann)

I can't tell where the December 13 postmark is from.

The second postmark was Dec 15, 1909 

Caldren, Arkansas

I don't know who wrote the notes in blue ink on the back of the card. Probably Cleffie (Ulys and Annie's daughter, my grandmother)

This is Ulys and Annie when they were young.

This is what they looked like when I knew them.

More About Mary Dunn

Remember this lady from yesterday's post?

This is Mary Elizabeth Carter Dunn. 

She was a sister of my great-great-grandmother Adaline Carter Arnold. 

Here is a picture of Mary when she was younger.

She married Lewis Calvin "Luke" Dunn in 1875.

They had 9 children: William, Boston, Lewis, Berton, Arthur, Vergie (died age 1), Ira, Lillie, and Charles Dewey (died in infancy).

I have a group picture that contains several of Mary's children when they were grown --

In this photo are siblings Adaline, Margaret, John, and Ellen. Mary had died in 1920, before this picture was taken. The other people in the picture are all offspring of the Carter siblings. There were 11 Carter siblings. (Kinda makes you thankful for birth-control, huh?)

 

 

The only other picture I have of Mary's children is this one:

John Martin Carter (Mary's half-brother) and Boston Dunn (Mary's son). To tell the truth, I'm not absolutely certain which is which. I think the one on the right is Boston. Here is a crop from the group photo above for comparison.

Boston Dunn (left) and John Martin Carter (right)

Lillie Dunn and Mary Dunn

 

Written on the front of the postcard: "Aunt Mary Dunn and cousin Lillie Dunn."

Also on the right edge, partially cut off, it says "[L]ook so slouchy"

Mary Dunn was a sister of my great-great-grandmother Adaline Arnold. (So Annie and Lillie were first cousins.) 

PHOTO: Adaline Arnold

"hello Annie, this is my picture but sure isn't mamma only just in the face but when you look at my picture you are looking at Lillie. I will send you a piece of my dress I had on it looks like white in the picture but it isn't"

It is addressed to Mrs. Annie Hicks, Banner, Ark.

Annie Arnold (from yesterday's post) had married Ulysses Hicks by this time, and had moved from Caldren to Banner, Arkansas.

PHOTO: Ulysses and Annie Hicks

This picture was taken in 1910, soon after they were married.

Lillie Dunn

Addressed to Miss Annie Arnold, Caldren, Ark.

There's no stamp on it, so I don't know if it was mailed or not.

Annie Arnold was my great-grandmother -- she later married Ulysses Hicks. They were married in 1910, so this would have been earlier than that. The card is from Lillie Dunn, Annie's cousin. Annie's mother (Adaline) and Lillie's mother (Mary Elizabeth) were sisters.

"hello all of you. Annie this is Lillie and is just like me. I got your card the day I turned 15 years old. I was proud of my pictures you sent me and I will write to you in a few days. Odus is sick tonight. I would send you a nice Xmas card if it wasn't for sending you my picture. I have got some nice Xmas cards to send. Tell Aunt Adaline I will ans [answer?] her card before long. So long. Your loving cousin Lillie. Love to all."

Drilling a Well

"Drilling a well at the Beecher Woodham farm near Banner, Ar. 

Annie Hicks is the woman with a cap on her head. Ruby and Irene are sitting at her right and Cleffie is the baby sitting on the ground in front of her knees. 

Picture taken by U. F. Hicks 1918"

* * *

Annie Hicks was my great-grandmother. Cleffie was my grandmother. Ruby and Irene were her sisters. I don't recognize anyone else in the picture, so I don't know if they were any of our relatives or not. The picture was taken by my great-grandfather (Annie's husband) Ulysses Hicks. He was a professional photographer. Most likely, he was also one of the ones involved in digging the well.

Postcard from Maggie

I have no earthly idea who these people are. The postcard is addressed to "Mrs Adlin Arnold, Caldren, Ark". That would be my great-great-grandmother Adaline Arnold. It is postmarked June (or July) 22, 1910, Allen, Texas. 

Here is my best effort at transcribing the text:

"FRONT: This picture was taken at Galveston TX we had just come out of the Gulf bathing

BACK: These pictures are not very good but it will give you some idea how we all look the children's hair was wet and doesn't take good [ans son = answer soon?] Maggie."

Cleo Ford

Cleo Ford was one of the Michigan Ford relatives. He was the son of Charles Ford and Effie Harvey, who lived in Hartford. 

"112 N. Maple Street. Cleo Ford was killed July 16, 1913. The tree blew down later. Tree marked. H went in July 16, 1913, 15 to 7:00 P.M."

I don't know whose handwriting this is.

I don't know why all these Garrison signatures are on this card.

The Hartford Day Spring Wednesday, July 23, 1913

Cleo Ford Is Electrocuted and Body Falls Lifeless From Tree

Hartford Young Man, Aged 19, Is Killed By Heavily Charged Electric Light Wire

FAMILY WITNESSES TRAGEDY Youth Had Climbed Maple Tree to Inspect Dead Limbs and Encountered Live Wire

Climbing into a maple tree to inspect the damage being done to the tree by electric light wires, Cleo Ford, aged 19, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ford, met instant death by electrocution in front of the family home on Maple street at seven o'clock last Wednesday evening. His body fell to the ground, a distance of eighteen feet, and his head was badly crushed by the fall. Physicians were hurriedly summoned, but they declared that he met death from the electric shock, being dead before his body struck the ground. The only mark upon the body was where the wire burned the hand which grasped it. His death, which is the first fatality from electricity since the establishment of the local electric lighting plant fourteen years ago, was one of the most distressing accidents that has occurred in Hartford in several years. It was witnessed by his parents, who were sitting on the lawn at the home and who had just cautioned him to avoid the deadly electric wires. The young man and his father had spent the day in a fishing trip. Returning in the evening the family had gathered on the lawn for the evening hour. Some apparently dead limbs were noticed in the maple tree in front of the home, through which the electric light wires passed, and Cleo climbed the tree to determine whether the wires were doing the damage. As he reached the branches, he was cautioned by the father not to touch the heavily charged wires. The words of caution had scarcely been uttered when the young man fell lifeless from the tree. It is estimated that more than 2, 000 volts of electricity passed through his body, the electric light plant having just been started for the night, when an unusually heavy voltage is carried. His parents and his brother, Otho Ford, who is at home from Chicago recovering from a broken ankle which he sustained in a recent accident, were prostrated by the tragedy, having been eye witnesses to the young man's electrocution. His ascent of the tree and the fall of his lifeless body was also witnessed by a number of neighbors who were sitting on the porches of their homes or standing in their dooryards.

Cleo W. Ford was born in Hartford August 18, 1894, and spent his entire life in this village. He was a bright and promising young man, of pleasing personality and jovial disposition which won for him the friendship of the young people of the village and established his popularity in the social circles in which he moved. Besides his parents, who are well known residents of the village, he leaves one brother, Otho, a grandfather, William Ford of South Haven, who is 82 years of age and with whom the young man was a favorite, as well as a number of other relatives in this section. The bereaved family have the sympathy of the entire community. Funeral services for the young man were held at the M. E. church Saturday afternoon, Rev. F. L. Niles officiating and interment was made at Maple Hill. The funeral was largely attended, and a wealth of floral tributes attested the esteem in which the unfortunate young victim of the tragedy was held and the respect and sympathy for the sorrowing family. One especially elaborate floral piece was a tribute from the young men of the village who were Cleo's companions in life.

PHOTO: Cleo Ford

PHOTO: Ford family - Effie, Charles, Cleo, Otho Simeon, Otho Horace

(Otho Simeon was Otho Horace’s son, whom Charles and Effie adopted. There’s another whole story about that, but I’ll save it for another day.)

This Is Our House

This card is signed "Wilsie" and it says "This is our house"

Wilsie McMurtry was one of the cousins from New York, on the Ford side of the family. (My great-grandma Thomas' relatives.)

Here is another postcard from Wilsie. It was actually sent through the mail to my great-aunt Renue. 

I think the postmark date is 1915.

The best translation I can come up with is this:

"This is the building where Mr Sunday spoke in when is [??] Williams birth day and are you going it have a party your kindly let me know when how is John Jefferson Wilsie"

Addressed to:

Miss Renew Thomas

Bangor

Mich

Postmarked Paterson, New Jersey

Postage 1 cent

Ruth M. Davis

Remember this picture from a few days ago?

This is Cecelia Ford McMurtry and her granddaughter Ruth M. Davis. The note on the back of the picture was written by Cecelia's son Elmer McMurtry. These are the Ford cousins from New York.

I have another photo of Ruth M. Davis

The two people marked in this picture are Minnie and Frank Davis, Ruth's parents.

Who is this little girl?

"South Haven August 10

Dear Sister received your card that you said you received from me. I didn't write you one but was going to because Audie has his vacation next week we go to Kalamazoo then we are coming back to your house will let you know when we will come. My little girl has been sick but she better now [?]. With love to you all Alice [Audrey?]"

* * *

Honestly, I don't know who this little girl is, nor who wrote the note on the back of the picture. I think the signature says Alice. And the note mentions Audie (I think), who was the son of Alice Ford Miller. If Audie was old enough to have a vacation, though, he would not have had a sister young enough to be the one in this picture. His youngest sister would have been Dora, who was just 6 years younger than himself. The signature has what appears to be another name after Alice -- looks like Audrey. But the only Audrey in the family -- Alice's granddaughter -- never married, so would not have had a little girl... 

Oh, wait! Alice's daughter Dora had a daughter named Audrey. Dora died when Audrey was 2 years old. So it's entirely possible that Alice raised Audrey. So maybe the little girl in the picture is Alice's granddaughter.

PHOTO: Alice Miller and granddaughter Audrey

PHOTO: In this picture, Alice Miller is back row right. Audrey is front row 2nd from right (dark hair, hand on her cheek). I wonder if she is the baby in the picture on the postcard above.

(The rest of the children in the picture are Alice's grandchildren.)

A Two-fer for today

In this photo, the man standing is labeled Cliff Girard. The woman in front of him (flowered hat), labeled "Hattie" would be Cliff's wife. But the same woman in the other photo is labeled "Alice." Hattie was Alice's daughter. So I don't know for sure who the lady in the flowered hat is -- could be Alice or Hattie. Alice would have been 74 years old at the time, Hattie would have been 48. And, frankly, from these photos it's hard to discern her age. All the other people seated are in their 60s or early 70s. Clifford is 50. (I'm basing those ages on the little boy -- Roger -- who looks to be about 5 years old at the time this picture was taken. He was born in 1922. Roger was a grandson of Charlie Thomas.)

"Lady from N.Y." would be Minnie McMurtry Davis.

"Man from NY" would be Frank Davis, Minnie's husband.

Minnie was a sister of Elmer and Wilsie McMurtry (see previous posts)

The Ford Siblings

 "Mother Thomas - Nancy, cousin Minnie Davis, Charlie Ford, aunt Alice Miller, aunt Kate"

Nancy, Charlie, Alice, and Kate are siblings -- children of William Ford. They all lived in Michigan.

Minnie Davis is William Ford's niece, who lived in New York. She is a sister to Elmer and Wilsie (see previous posts).

The Cousins from New York

This is Cecelia Ford McMurtry (left). She is the sister of William Ford -- my great-great-grandfather.

William Ford was the father of Nancy Thomas (my great-grandmother), Alice Ford Miller, Kate Ford Adams, Charles Ford, Stephen Ford, and Effie Ford Smith. All of these lived in Van Buren County, Michigan during the years my father was growing up. Many of the Fords and Thomases had migrated from New York to Michigan in the 1800s. Cecelia was among the Fords that stayed in New York. She married James McMurtry, and was the mother of Elmer and Wilsie -- the "cousins from New York" who wrote on the backs of some of the photo cards in my collection. She also had a daughter named Minnie, who married Frank Davis -- they were the parents of Ruth M Davis. She is the young woman on the right in the photo above.

The back of this photo was apparently written by Elmer McMurtry (by comparing the handwriting from other postcards).