Ella McKinnon to Annie Carlisle Oct 24, 1902

Mapleton Minn

Oct 18^th 1902

My dear Cousin

I have been slow in answering your letter I know but when I tell you my reasons for not writing sooner I am sure you will excuse me this time. When I received your letter I was just getting ready to go down in Ill for a visit. I had not been down before in 18 years so I thought I would like to go once more and I had just a lovely visit only I could not stay very long. not as long as I would have liked. I was only gone 4 weeks and had two too with Elizabeth and at Deettes old home

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and what was as good as all the rest Uncle Henry was there too so I had a splendid visit with him too, He said he would like to visit your mother but did not dare to try to go so far he says he is getting old and clumsy and he would have to change cars so much he did not dare try to go he looks so much like Grandpa & Uncle Prentice used too do you remember how he used to look? he used to have such a thin face now it is full and he wears a full beard where he always used to wear just a chin whisker. I had a good visit with Uncle George too. he has not changed very much in the last 20 years as I see. They have sold out and were talking of going to Washington near Seattle or Tacoma

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to make a new home. I think it is such a foolish move as old as they are but Aunt Ann is bound to get away from Waukegan she says she is not particular where she goes if it is only away from Waukegan. Uncle George wants to go where it is warmer. I did not see Cousin George & Eunice though I felt bad about that but it was nasty wet weather all the time I was there so I did not have a chance to go very much but I got out to the old home and saw Julia but Mary was gone away from there she lives out near Sioux City. Iowa. moved out there 4 years ago.

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I had a nice visit but I was glad to get home I got tired doing nothing.

Uncle Henry said that Uncle Wirts health was awful poor this summer he was not right down sick but was not well he was out on his farm but had to give up work. I tried to coax Uncle Henry to visit me this winter but he would not promise but I just believe I shall see him this fall yet. out here I mean. He acted as if he could hardly leave me to go any where else they all thought it was because I looked like mother used to they all told me I did

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When I went to Uncle George’s he was not in and when he came in I said “ How do you do Uncle George”. he looked at me for a minute or two then he said “Well if it isn’t MaryEtte right ??” so you all know pretty well how I look. Elizabeth says she thinks I have both sides of the house to much to say I look like any one she always thinks I look so much like Aunt Augusta fathers sister

My but of all the apples I saw while I was down there tress was just loaded every where you went and they were laying on the ground nothing

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but at the same time a person could not buy a bushel for less than 50 cts a bushel. we don’t have very many around here so I thought maybe I could something for almost nothing and sent them home but I could buy them as cheap out here as there & not have to pay for the shipping either. but our corn and grain are far ahead of that down there. and our cattle are generally larger and nicer than there. I think theirs are mostly the Jersey or part Jersey cattle but I did not see very many pigs down there it looked funny to see the farmers with lots of corn and only a few Hogs

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Well I guess I have old you all I can think of if I could see you I could talk you blind I guess. I wish you lived out here so we could run back and forth when ever we felt like it I never fell as if I should like to go back east to live. I love the prairie.

Tell your mother I will try and write to her soon. I meant to do so before but I lost her address for a long time then when I ran across it I was having so much to do I neglected to write but it was not intended. I hope this will find you all feeling better than your letter left you. We are all well and enjoying ourselves

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as well as we can with having to work hard all the time but work will not hurt us if it is not too hard.

Well with love and Best wishes for you all

I remain as ever

Your Cousin

Ella L McKinnon

Mapleton

Minn

It seems that George Wisner did leave Illinois for the west.

The mystery of Julia and Mary continues. I am still not certain how Mary fits in but I am fairly certain that George and Julia are either siblings or half siblings. I found Merien Wisner age 2, living with M Hammond on the 1860 census, which leads me to believe she was a half sibling of George. I don't know if that would make Julia and Mary sisters of half-sisters. In 1860 George and Julia were living with William Abner Wisner. William Abner Wisner still eludes my on the 1870 census, as does Mary. In 1870 both George & Julia were living with their grandparents, William & Elizabeth Wisner.

I looked on the 1880 census for Julia's in Lake Co, IL and the only two that matched birth date and place info were:

Julia Cambell, b abt 1855 IL, wife of E.D.G. in Waukegan. I did not find a Mary/Merien Cambell/Campbell to match the dates I have for Merien Wisner.

Julia Gonyo, b abt 1854 IL, wife of Phinnis in Libertyville. In later census' his name is Philip and one year the name was spelled Goneau. In 1900 they are listed with four sons, Bert, Russie, Percy and daughter Jessie. There was also Mary Gonyo, b abt 1857 IL, wife of Alexander in Benton. They had a son William. I have not located them on any other census so far.

Certainly not conclusive, I have a lot of follow up to do here but I thought I would get the Gonyo name recorded here in hopes it leads someone researching the family here.

For more see:
Carlisle - Wisner Letters
Family of William Wisner
Descendants of Maryetta Wisner
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner


McKinnon, Ella Hall (Mapleton, Minnesota) to “My dear Cousin” [Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 18 October 1902. Digital Images 1-8. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, Apr – Dec 1902, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]