Monday, December 12, 2016

Mailbox Monday~Letters from Mattie-Part 2


Martha "Mattie" Victoria (Bradford) Baker
and Granddaughter
Mary (Baker) Hudson
About 1921
©Cheri Hudson Passey

In Mailbox Monday-Part 1 , I explained how my father rescued letters written by my Great Great Grandmother, Martha "Mattie" Victoria (Bradford) Baker ( 1862-1947)  from the trash when her daughter Kathryn (Kate) Louise (Baker) Ryan (1898-1987) died.

17 Feb. 1925
Envelope of Letter from Mattie Baker sent to Kate Ryan
©Cheri Hudson Passey

Letter number 2 has information that corresponds with one of the empty envelopes found with the letters. It is postmarked Feb. 18, 1925.
The address on it is: Mrs. J P Ryan
                                       Wadesboro
                                            N.C.
As with the other letters, there is not date on this one. All spellings, punctuation and grammar are copied as written by Mattie.

17 Feb. 1925 Letter
Mattie Bradford to Kate Ryan pg.1
©Cheri Hudson Passey
      Tuesday nite                                                                           
My Dear child you must 
excuse me if I did not 
write to you last week for 
I sure thought I did but
to tell the truth I hardly
know sometimes whether
I am on my head or feet
for your Pa has been sick
 for most 3 weeks
the Doc says its flu. he
has an awghful cough cant
hardly sleep any at night
for coughing and of corse
I cant you know
                
                  2
17 Feb. 1925 Letter
 Mattie Baker to Kate Ryan
pg. 2
©Cheri Hudson Passey
he will not give up and go to                
bed but he is lying down part
of the time he is so worried a
bout the horse or I think that
he would stay in bed the
horse dont seem to be much
better Dr. Moss was out here
to day he is still treating her
and oh we had another sudden
death in the Family poor old
Scott we found him dead in
his bed last friday morning 
when he did not come for his
breakfast at 9 oclock I told your
Pa to go see what was the matter
the poor old thing had been dead
so long until he was cold and stiff
of corse Ida and Miss Kate was
chief morners, you might know
Annie is still at Ruth's said she
was coming home Sunday I hope
she will for I never want her 
to take Mary away any more
                    3
17 Feb. 1925
Letter from Mattie Baker to Kate Ryan
pg. 3
©Cheri Hudson Passey
and keep her this long from
home as long as I live and
there is not a day that pass 
that your Pa don't say I wish
Annie would bring the baby
home. I got your letter to
day and the money and as
soon as Father gets able to go 
up town he will pay on the
cards they are paid up to the
17 of Feb. which is today
Geo a is better but still not
able to go to school he wrote to
you the other day I speck you
got it by now. how is didy and
I hope you all are well. love for everyone from Mother

Top of page 1:
Meta is right sick again today.


The people mentioned in this letter are daughters Annie Dargan (Baker) Parish (1895-1929) -who was still single, Emma Ruth (Baker) Early, and Armida "Meta" Edna (Baker) Harris (1887-1926). Pa or Father, husband Arthur Wellington Baker (1857-1940), and Grandchildren, Mary Ann (Baker) Hudson (1920-2009) and George Albertus Baker, Jr. (1910-1949) who Mattie calls Geo. a.

Scott, the man found dead was an "inmate" at the Sumter County Poorhouse which was managed by my Great Great Grandfather, Arthur Baker sometime after 1920 and before 1925 when the letter was written. Those who mourned him Miss Kate and Ida were also living in the Poor House. 

I am not sure who "didy" is. It seems to be someone living with daughter Kate. A nickname for her husband James "Jimmy" Patrick Ryan (1893-1950) or another family member? 

Once again, we see some of the day to day life of my Great Great Grandmother and how much she loved her family. Her love for her grandchildren shines through as she doesn't want them away from her for too long! 
Never hearing much about daughter Meta, it was good to see that she was mentioned in this letter. She seems to have been sick for quite some time before she passed away a year later. 


Letter number three will be posted in a couple of weeks as Mailbox Monday~Letters from Mattie continues.



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 Together we can find our people.
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