Ella McKinnon to Annie Carlisle Sept. 6, 1901

No 1

Mapleton Minn

Sept 6^th 1901

Dear Cousin

I hope you are not beginning to think that I am a good while in writing again. I thought it would not do to write too soon or we would drop it again too soon.

We have had such a dry summer here that we have no garden stuff to eat only a few beets every thing else dried up and died even our potatoes some have what they want but we don’t have any and it makes it hard to cook if one don’t have potatoes in the fall we only

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had a few that we bought and had to pay $1.25 a bushel we only got ½ bush. but at the same time I would not exchange my farm home for all the city homes I don’t like it in town at all.

I have been back to the old home only once since I was married and that was 17 years ago this fall. I would like to go this fall but my husbands health is none of the best and don’t really want me to go but if I say I want to go very bad he will let me. he is 16 years older than I am.

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No 2

Herman & Emmit are both in Waukegan yet and always will be I guess. Uncle George is getting quite feeble too. I guess he must be getting pretty well towards 80. I don’t know whether he was next to Mother or not I have forgotten. Mother would have been 80 in Oct. if she was living.

Cousin George rented the farm and moved to Libertyville. I have not heard if he stayed or not he had quite a time finding a renter. They have only one girl she is 19 this month. Eunice got to be real fleshy when I saw her last.

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My hair is real grey to nearly half on top of my head. if I comb it right straight back it does not show very much.

Had you heard of Uncle Wirt’s wife’s death she died last Jan and I did not hear of it until a few weeks ago. Elizabeth wrote she had only heard of it either.

Uncle Henry was in Neb the last I ever heard of him and that was 5 or 6 years ago so he may be dead now for all I ever heard. I would like to hear from him and Uncle William in Kansas.

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No 3

Martha used to write to them all but now we none of us ever hear from them. I never had their address or I would write to some of them.

Julia and Mary Wisner married brothers and settled down right at home where they were both married before I was. Mary had 5 boys and Julie 3 boys the last I knew of them. then Susie (I don’t know if you remember her or not) died shortly after they moved out to Kansas. Uncle George’s oldest girl May married and went to Rhode Island. Providence I think it was

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Just a month ago today you wrote your letter to me.

Well I am tired to night so I will have to let this do for a letter this time.

We have not thrashed yet when we do I will let you know how our grain turned out it looked good and I think will turn out good.

Well I must say good night.

Give my best respects to Aunt Sarah Ann & Joseph & Same to yourself.

Ever your Coz,

Ella

Ella sates that it was a month ago today that Annie wrote to her. Was that the date on the letter or the date that Ella received it?

Herman and Emmit were Ella's only brothers.

Uncle George A Wisner was born in 1829 so he was only 72.

Marshall Wirt Wisner was married to Anna Laura Akin and she died 2 February 1901 in Eau Claire, WI.

I had not followed up on Uncle Henry S Wisner. Ella's letter led me to find him on the 1900 census in Table, Cherry Co, NB. He owned a farm with no mortgage and his occupation was listed as a stockman. Another Wisner descendant has told me that he died 26 May 1907 in Seymour, Eau Claire Co, IL. As far as I know he never married.

Uncle William Abner Wisner was living in Washington, KS in 1901 and would die there in 1905. Right after talking about Uncle William, Ella moves onto Julia and Mary. I believe they were the daughters of William and Muriam Hammond. Oh, how I wish she had given the surname of the brothers they married! William Abner Wisner's wives and children prior to his marriage to Susan Ellen Barto have been very trying to figure out. Susie was their daughter and I knew she died in Kansas so this may help me pin down a date.

Ella does confirm that George H Wisner is a cousin but not how he is related. He ended up with the farm of William and Elizabeth (Badgley) Wisner after their deaths.

May E Wisner I had no information on prior to this letter. At Ancestry.com I did a search of the 1900 census using her first name, year and place of birth and Providence, RI and got only one hit, May E Jackson, wife of Andrew T Jackson. Then I found a marriage date of 9 November 1898, Cook Co, IL at the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index.

Hopefully Ella will have more great tidbits to share.

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 “Dear Cousin” [Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 6 September 1901. Digital Images 1-6. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1901, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]