Ella McKinnon to Annie Hall January 17, 1922

Mapleton Minn Jan 17th (22)

Dear Cousin Anna,
I do not think I have written you about Elizabeth’s illness. she had a slight shock of paralysis about the 1st of Oct. but rallied and seemed about as usual again was down town & did some Christmas shopping and was quite spry until the 8th of Jan. Effie wrote me that as they were getting supper she was stricken again this time in her right side (the other was in the left and completely paralyzed even her speech she could not talk but on the 11th when Effie wrote she had taken a little nourishment & seemed some brighter & could make them understand

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what she wanted but could not talk as I understand the letter she seemed to be suffering some in her left side Effie said but we are all in hopes she does not have to suffer long at least but she is getting old like the rest of us she is 74 today so we cannot expect her to rally like a younger person would.

Oh Anna I do not suppose you remember any thing about an old schoolmate of ours you used to go to school with her but not very much but we used to come and see you when you lived on the Edwards place her name was Aleena A Porter. a few years ago we wrote to each other then dropped it again but at Christmas time this year I ran

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across her old letter & sat down and wrote to her again. she was just a little bit older than we were she will be 67 in June & we will be in August. a couple of years ago she fell and broke her right hip and has never walked since & does not expect to she says goes in a wheel chair when she goes any where I would like to see her so well. I believe I could talk her nearly blind or dumb on or the other it so long since you have heard of her or thot of her I suppose you will hardly remember her but I thot you might possibly I was so pleased to hear from her.

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We have had such a fine winter until lately it is not bad now or we have hardly any snow but it will be cold for a day or two then it will warm up some then a little bit of snow then cold again tonight there is a cold N.E. wind & looks like a storm of some kind.

Well I can not think of any more news as I know of only I have not told you anything of my husbands death it is just 5 months yesterday & yet it seems as if I ought to see him moving around here some where he did not suffer so very much until the last few weeks then he did a good deal until the last week. I do not think he had much pain at all but was conscious until the last about 15 hrs.

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he seemed to be in a kind of stupor but knew me until those hours I asked him if he knew me and he says “yes it is Mama” he got to calling me that for the last 2 or 3 months he always seemed to know me but sometimes he would ask if I was his wife or how I came to be taking so much care of him he did not seem to want any one else to do anything for him & I am thankful I was always able to take care of him although he did not need so very much as he could always wait on himself until the last week. but I could not leave him alone long he had

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kind of funny spells come over him & was liable to fall any where when they came on so it was not safe to leave him alone then he got a notion of wandering away & could not find his way home again. he knew when he got there but not the way to go nor the places he passed. I guess you will get tired of my subject but I believe I could write or talk about him for 24 hours if any one would listen to me. so I guess I had better ring off now.

I am feeling just fine this winter do all my own work & have Walter my youngest son with me he is on the mail route so is at home
Your with lots of love
From Cousin Ella


Jacob McKinnon died August 16, 1921, Mapleton, Blue Earth County, MN. I found it odd that Ella didn't write to Annie about his death earlier. The last letter in the file was from 1918; had they dropped their correspondence again for a time or were the letters simply not saved?

Ella talks more about Aleena in her next letter.

For more see:
Carlisle - Wisner Letters
Family of William Wisner
Descendants of Maryetta Wisner
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Margie's Ancestors - McKinnon Pictures



McKinnon, Ella Hall (Mapleton, Minnesota) to “Dear Cousin Anna” [Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 17 January 1922. Digital Images 1-6. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1921 – 1922, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Memories on Monday - Uncle Oscar

I was able to join scanfest yesterday and I not only had a great time meeting some people and reconnecting with others but I scanned and tagged 31 photos!

I was able to finish a small album of pictures that John's sister, Marie, had given me. All of the pictures were reprints that she had had made up for me. I have no idea who some of the people are but this picture was a real treasure for me. I believe that this is the only picture I have of Uncle Oscar.

Oscar and Mary (Nardozzi) Mere,
date and location unknown

I grew up far from extended family so meeting John's family was overwhelming for me. In those early days John's Uncle Oscar was quite kind to me, I think he understood that I simply could not process a dozen or more people talking at once. There aren't very many smokers in John's family so Oscar and I would often slip off for a smoke and a little peace and quiet. We never talked about anything particularly important but I always looked forward to seeing Oscar when there was a family gathering. Oscar became the kindly uncle I never had growing up. So today I am fondly remembering my time spent chatting with Uncle Oscar.

Ella McKinnon to Annie Carlisle Aug 18, 1918

Mapleton, Minn
Aug 18th 1918

My dear Cousin,
Please excuse a lead pencil as I can write faster & Better with it.

Yes Anna I am certainly busy these days. besides my housework I have knit about 3 pairs of sox for for the Red Cross in a little over a year and this summer I have done all of my housework all alone a good deal of the time since about the middle of May at least Hermie the youngest girl is helping Myrtle this summer as she has a little baby boy not quite 3 months old yet and that makes her _ so could not get along alone very well but it keeps me busy. Ella

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is at work at a store here in town so she is only home at meal time and they have to be on time so it makes me jump on wash day at least. My husband is not able to help me any or least I do not let him unless he peels potatoes or something like that.

Yes Anna two of my boys are soldiers Neil and Walter the two youngest boys. Neil the oldest of the two was at Paris Island S. C . since last March. he joined the Marines so he was on both land & water until last March. he was home then for 10 days then was sent to the Non Commissioned Officers school at Paris Island then was made Corporal and lately was made Company Commander but last week had orders to get ready for oversea so he may be on the water going to France now I do not know just where he is. Walter has been at Camp Grant. Ill. But he has had his orders to send his things home and has his overseas equipment given him so as to be ready. They only had about 24 hours notice either one of them they have both liked their work but Neil especially felt as if he was not doing much it is about 15 months since he enlisted but Walter was in

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Class 1 of the draft so has not been gone from home 2 months yet. I have written and received letters from them both nearly every week since they went away but now I cannot get them so often I suppose.

Thanks Anna for you kind wishes and if I feel as I do just now I will likely see quite a few more as I am well and feeling good most of the time for my age at least.

We have had so much rain I wish you could have had a part of it We have had to much but everything has done well but not many apples this year garden good Ever yours Cousin Ella

Myrtle's son was Gordon Birchard Cumming, her third child.

Tragically, Hermie died 22 September 1918 at the age of 22. I have not yet discovered her cause of death.

For more see:
Carlisle - Wisner Letters
Family of William Wisner
Descendants of Maryetta Wisner
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Margie's Ancestors - McKinnon Pictures



McKinnon, Ella Hall (Mapleton, Minnesota) to “My dear Cousin” [Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 18 August 1918. Digital Images 1-2. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1918 – 1919, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]