Tim Mattingly's Old Family Letters
I have included the following copies of family letters of interest that were also sent to me
from Tim Mattingly. These letters state various names, dates, and additional Sanders family history.
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*Fanny Fern Nicholeson's old family letter stating our Native American Indian connection, dated Nov. 9, 1958.
*Ida McGriff to Mrs. Hueston dated August 2, 1942.
*Mrs. Josephine Edwards for Mrs. Elizabeth Cunnington to Mrs. Hueston dated October 1945.
*Susan J. George to E. B. Hamlin dated October 22, 1978.
*Winnie to Cuba dated August 11, 1942.
*Louise Hamlin to Tim Mattingly dated July 13, 1993.
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Below is the Emailed letter to me from cousin Tim Mattingly.
From: "Tim Mattingly" gtm.3@insightbb.com
To: harmonyt39@yahoo.com
Subject: Sanders
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004
Melody,
I am the one that has the family letter, and Matilda Sanders daughter, Amy Ann Gravatt,
told by her younger sister and my father, Abedinago was part indian.
I have not been able to find anything about him except what is in the letter.
The letter rambles on, and it doesn't have to much about the Sanders line.
It does say a few things though, but it is mainly about the Gravatt and Terry line.
On the first page it says that George Washington Terry came from Ireland.
We know that was way off, but back then no one had any way to find out.
I've scanned the letter and here it is.
Keep in touch.
Tim Mattingly
Click on the following URL to reply:gtm.3@insightbb.com
===========================================================================Link by: TIM MATINGLY - gtm.3@insightbb.com
http://www.stardate.bc.ca/ivan/sub_pages/sanders_most_wanted.htm
ABEDINAGO SANDERS: b.1776 Guilford Co., NC. d.? m. 11 Aug1807 Wilkes Co., NC.
Amy COOK (d/o Abram COOK & Elizabeth CASS)
(13) children. Wilkes/Guilford Co. area Rockcastle Co., KY, Wayne Co., IN.
Had at least 3 children in NC, 3 children in KY, and some in IN.
Old family letter says "...father was full Indian, Willard or Woolard and
mother was 1/2 breed, Mary Wild Goose..." Who were Abedinago parents?
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My name is Tim Mattingly
This letter was written by my great grandmothers sister.
My great grandmother was Florence Vietta Terry and she married John William Mattingly.
Florence had two sisters: Ora May Terry and Fannie Fern Terry.
Fern Fanny Terry wrote this letter, long hand, on Nov.9,1958, 2 months after she turned 70.
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LETTER BY: FANNIE FERN NICHOLESON
A history of my Ancestors, by Fannie Fern Nicholeson
[She married Marion Nicholeson on Jan.21,1903]
Thinking this may be of interest to my children, I will wright down what I can remember of
my mother's and father's History.
My father, Washington Terry, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on Price Hill. His father, Robert Terry came from Ireland and settled on this land [we are fairly sure Washington Terrys parents and grand- parents were born in America]. My father was a twin. His twin brother's name was T. Jefferson.
They built a church and a grave yard and they are aburied there [Chaple Hill cemetery in Centerville, IN]. This was consificated by the city when it was no longer used for church purposes.
My father was married twice, he had two daughters, Annie and Alice. Alice married Dave Holler [Jan.4,1874] and is buired in Dunkard Cemetery at Hagerstown [Indiana]. She had one child, stillborn. My father was born about 1837 [Oct.12,1829]. He had two half sisters,
Elisa Kirkpatrick and Mary Fetz Patrick. His brother, Jeff lived in California and had an adopted son was very weathly dealer in imported articles like fine paintings and china. One Brother was drowned. He lived to be 93 and is buired at Centerville, Ind.
My mother Amy Ann, was born in or near what is now called Losantsville, Ind. June 9, 1849.
Her mother was Matilda Gravat and was born in Pennsylvania [her marriage to Absolum Francis Gravatt on May 27,1842, in Delaware Co., IN, shows her as Matilda Sanders from NC].
Her mother was Sanders, I don't know her first name. Her grandmother was 1/2 breed indian named Mary Wild Goose.
Her grandfather was full bred indian. His name has since had different interpretain as few people could write then probably was caused by spelling the name different. It is now called Willard or Woolard.
These facts were taken from a family Bible which was in the possession of Stella Woolard whose home and contents were destroyed by fire.
My Mother had 2 brothers, William and George. Her brother, William lived and died at Santa Rosa California. Her brother George lived at Indiana. Him and his wife Rosa had the post office. He was an invaled and was in a wheel chair for years. Her sister Mandy lived Bentonville, Ind. She had several children but only raised three, Tena [looks like "Tena" or "Lena"], Roe, and John. She later moved to Muncie [Indiana]. She is buired in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. She was married to John Bell.
One sister was married to Dr. Campbell and lived at Hagerstown, Ind. One was married to Walter Gray. They are relatives of the Lawyers Gray, but I don't know just how her daughter married a Hole. The father of Dewey Hole.
My Mothers father was born Frances Gravatte in France [the Gravatts came from Monmouth Co., NJ, where Francies was born].
He is buried in Dunkard Cemetery in Hagerstown, I saw his tombstone with his name on it [I have a photo of the stone].
He was called Francis Gravat. I don't know anything about him expect that my mother was married in Evansville,
Ohio in the governors House.
Washington Terry and Amy Ann Gravatte were married Aug.3,1869 by Rev. Knoles Shaw in Warren Co.,OH] The governors wife gave her 12 silver teaspoons for her wedding gift. She had 12 silvers dollars melted and made them. My father got a job at Cambridge, Ind
and they moved to Falmouth, Ind. I think all of us children were born there.
They lived in a log cabin untill my father could build a house. There were six children.
Florence Vietta Nitingale who married John Mattingly and had two children, Gurney [my grandfather] and Edna. She is buried in Beech Grove Cemetery, Muncie, Ind. Walter Clinton-five children, Murieb, Dorothy, Dores, Walter and Edward.
Ora May who was married to Edger A. Lamb. She had two Adpoted children, Harry Gordon and Betty June.
She is buried in Elm Ridge Cemetery, Muncie, Ind. Albert Fay married to Daisy Alden [second wife] and had 2 children Don and Adah.
He is buried in California.
George William married to Winnew. They have four children George, Gerald, Kenneth and Charles. He is buired in Leursvlle, Ind.
[I don't know what town she ment]
Fannie Fern married to Marion Nicholson Jan.21,1903 and have eight children
John Norris, Lyle Terry, Mary Kathleen, Amy May, Alice Louise, Edgar Victor, Robert Wayne and Martha Jane.
Finished it - Signed by
Fannie Fern Nicholson Nov. 9, 1958
[was added later]
PS Fannie Fern Nicholson died Nov.27, 1969
(age 86 Written by Elsie Nicholson, her daughter in law)
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LETTER BY: IDA MCGRIFF
Written to Mrs. Hueston
[Dated August 2, 1942]
August 2, 1942- IDA MCGRIFF -Clark Lake, Michigan
Letter from: Ida McGriff
To: Mrs. Hueston
Dear Mrs. Hueston:
It was quite a surprise to me to receive a letter from someone I had never heard of and find it was a relative not so far removed, as my father and your grandfather were own cousins. I do know a great lot of the Sanders Family but perhaps as much as anyone now living that you could get in touch with. I have one Aunt living, all that's left of my grandparents family, and she is quite a bit older than I am and has been an invalid for over a year due to breaking her hip and I imagine her memory would not be so good. Although when I last saw her, about three years ago, she gave me some information about the early history. I knew they were from the Carolina's but did not know which and she said from North Carolina.
I had been told by someone, I cannot remember who, that my grandmother was born in Kentucky; that the family had started to Indiana and for some cause stopped for a year in Kentucky and that she was born there.
I know I did not invent that idea buy my Aunt says it's a mistake, that she was born in North Carolina. I know she was born March 7, 1823, KY.
As for the Great Grandfather Sanders, I don't think that I ever heard his given name but I do know he was a schoolteacher and had poor health and although they had nine children, all I can remember hearing of, I think he was a comparatively young man when he died. All I know of the Great Grandmother was her name was Cook for my Mother said she came to see me when I was a baby and turned me over to look at the back of my neck and said, "Oh yes, she has the Cook mark all right." What that mark was I never did know.
I've always been told the Sanders were Scotch and of course Sanders is a Scotch name. I do not know if the Scotch extended to the Cooks or not. Great Grandmother Sanders must have died not long after my birth for I never knew anymore of her.
Now since I am an old women myself there are so many things I would like to know about my ancestors that I might have known if I had asked my parents or my Grandmother. My Father started with his Mother's side of the house but he did not live to be quite 39 years old therefore he did not get so very far for it. Takes a long time to gather data for that kind of work. What he did write has disappeared in the years past. Perhaps you would like to know what little I know of each one of the family.
Aunt Jennie was the oldest and was married at 15 before they left the South. I have forgotten her first husband's name but know they had one son who was killed in the Civil War. I've heard Aunt Jennie say he was under General Logan. Her husband died with cholera at the time when it swept the country as an epidemic. She then married George Leeke and so far as I can remember had 3 daughters, all dead I am sure.
Aunt Betsey married James Sisk and they had one child, a son.
They lived in Jay County and after he died she married a man named Rona. I am not sure I have it spelled correctly.
Matilda Gravatt I never saw but once. When I was a small child she was at our home. I think staying the night. I remember her very well for she gave me a braid of her hair. It was very long and wound the braid and laid it away with other keepsakes and since I came to Michigan I looked for it and it, I guess, had been destroyed by moths as it was nothing but dust. I do not where she lived or if she had any children.
My Grandmother had ten children, my Father being the oldest and Aunt Elizabeth Cunnington of Muncie the youngest, and the only one living. If you would like to get in touch with her the address is 2912 S. Pershing Drive, Muncie, IN. As to the men of the Sanders family, Uncle Merril was killed in the Mexican War. He was never married.
Uncle Wyatt married and he had one son, John Sanders who was a lawyer in Muncie for many years. I never knew him but knew of his family all my life. They lived in a brick house at the corner of Jackson and High Street ever since I can remember, but of course he has been dead several years. Uncle Wyatt again married and had several children some of whom I knew when I was growing up but do not know what became of them.
Uncle James Sanders married my Mother's Aunt, her Father's sister and they moved to the west, either Missouri or Iowa, I believe it was Iowa. They had children but I do not know how many. They were back to Indiana just once that I know of and they seemed and looked prosperous. Think they must have been quite well to do. Of course I suppose Winnie told you more than I could of your own branch of the family.
I remember seeing Uncle Aaron just once. He was at our home. I think came from Church for dinner and I remember he and my Father walking down the road together. I presume they were going to my Grandfather's. I think for his day he was quite a well read man. I am sure he was a Justice of the Peace and understood the law pretty well. Your Grandfather's half-sister Betsy I knew very well and she was the salt of the earth. She was poor in this world's goods but rich in the things that make life worth living. I cannot remember if Scarber was a half or full sister to Betsey and Sarah, but I knew her real well and think she was a fine women.
Then Perry I knew very well. I did not know him very well when he lived in Indiana, but through Betsey got in touch with him occasionally then when they went to Florida we corresponded some and several times they would write and ask me to come and spend the winter with them and finally after I was all alone I did go and stayed nearly a year with them. His wife had asthma and died a few months after I came home. After two years he married again, and they had only been married a few weeks till he dropped dead.
He was a well respected citizen of the town of Tavares (?) where he lived. He had one son, Francis Sanders. His address is 307 E. Fern Street, Tampa, FL. The last I knew he was station agent and telegrapher at Tampa. We exchanged greetings at Christmas always.
Then there was "Uncle Billy" Sanders and Aunt Nellie. They never had any children, owned a farm southeast of Muncie. I never saw Aunt Nellie but Uncle Bill would come horse back about once a year when I was a child. Stop at our house a little while and go on to my Grandmother's, stay all night and then home. I always remember everyone that knew her saying what a fine person Aunt Nellie was.
I had known there was a James Sanders that was Perry's half brother but did not know what became of him. I remember Perry speaking of him when I was there but don't remember if he were living or n ot or if Perry knew.
I know this is not a history as you might like to have but then it's been so many years that I've been away from all of them and then there were more of my Grandfather's people and my Mothers the Rectors, that I came in contact with but I do hope you get something from what I've told you for I often I wish there was someone left I could ask about things that come to my mind.
Respectfully yours,
Ida McGriff
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Jennie Sanders-Leeke, Elizabeth (Betsey) Sanders-Sisk-Rona, Matilda Sanders-Gravatt, Margaret Sanders-Gray
(Ida's family)
John Merill Sanders
Wyatt Sanders
James Sanders
Aaron Sanders
William (Uncle Bill) Sanders
This is the Sanders family as I remember that are our ancestors. Here is a little of my imaginings and wonder.
I once read a book that told of the immigration of the a settlement of Scotch people to the Carolinas in I am sure it was in the year 1800.
Now I wonder if my Great Grandfather might have been one of that bunch and if he was married at the time.
Since my Grandmother was born in 1823 and I think she might have been about the third from the youngest he would almost have had to have been married then or soon after.
As I figure their ages, Aunt Jennie must have been born as early as 1801, or maybe a year or two earlier.
I am not sure but think Uncle Bill was the youngest and thought maybe Aunt Matilda might have been next and then Grandmother.
Ida McGriff
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LETTER BY: MRS. JOSEPHINE EDWARDS FOR MRS. ELIZABETH CUNNINGTON
Written to Mrs. Hueston
[Dated October 1945]
Oct. 1945- MRS. JOSEPHINE EDWARDS for MRS. ELIZABETH CUNNINGTON
2912 S. Pershing Drive, Muncie, IN
Letter from: Mrs. Joesephine Edwards
To: Mrs. Hueston
Dear Mrs. Hueston:
Your letter has lain unanswered for three years but my mother wants to tell you all she knows and I in turn would like to have as much of that Sanders tree as you've been able to gather. But as I'm a missionary to Africa, you'll have to write there, as that is my residence. Malomulo Mission Training School Nyasaland, Africa.
Mrs. Josephine Edwards Mother doesn't know if the family stopped in Kentucky, but I heard from another source that they stopped there. I don't know what connection it is, but my husband's grandfather's mother's name (maiden) was Sanders, and she lived in Hodgensville, KY and was a chum of Nancy Hanks.
Her father came on a wagon train from North Carolina and the rest came on to Indiana. I also looked up in a Surname Dictionary when I was in Minneapolis and I found out that the name Sanders is from French Ancentry and the original name was S'Andre, and came originally from Southern France. Huguenots, I understand.
Yes, Aaron's father's name was Abednego. His wife's name was Amy Cook. Wyatt married another women after his first wife died, and raised a big family. Valentine Sanders was one of the children. His only child by his first wife was John Sanders.
My mother went to Wyatt's house when his first wife died and stayed there till he was married again. John became a lawyer and lived across from the post office here in Muncie.
In the Carolina's, Margaret's father (Abednego) had Negro slaves. She remembered one who used to carry her around.
His name was Cuff. Two of Abednego's children were killed in the War of 1812 (??) I believe there names were Merrill and Abednego.
My mother has been ill and the letter was lost. She just found it.
Please write me and let us know when you can.
Mrs. Josephine Edwards for Mrs. Elizabeth Cunnington
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LETTER BY: SUSAN J. GEORGE
Written to E. B. Hamlin
[Dated October 22, 1978]
October 22, 1978- SUSAN J. GEORGE
7919 W. Weldon, Phoenix, AZ 85033
Letter from: Susan J. George
To: Mrs. E. B. Hamlin 400-172nd Place N.E., Bellevue, Washington 98008
Dear Mrs. Hamlin:
Mr. Walter R. Sanders of Litchfield, Ill. suggested that I contact you about my Sanders line.
I have been trying to find some data on my third Great Grandparents, Abednego Sanders and his wife Amy Cook.
My Sanders line is as follows: Abednego Sanders m. Amy Cook
Aaron Sanders m. (1) Sarah Edmonson
James William Sanders m. Delilah Ann Harter
William Aaron Sanders m. Jenettey (Jenny) Good
Cuba Sanders m. Frank Montgomery Hueston
Susan Jeannette Hueston m.William Stephen George
About 35 years ago my Mother was fortunate enough to get notarized copies of the children of Aaron Sanders by his two wives from the Aaron Sanders family Bible. However, we only had a couple of letters from distant cousins to give information on Abednego - that they were from North Carolina, that he was a school teacher, and what they remembered as the names of his children. Except for the names of two of James William's children, one a female twin of my Grandfather, William Aaron, the rest of the family is fairly complete.
Mr. Walter Sanders gave me two dates for the birth dates of Amy - 1789 and 1771.
Also the date of birth for her Father as 1711, date of his marriage 1769, making him 78 at Amy's birth by the first dates, and 60 by the other.
I wonder.
If you would be willing to exchange information, I will be glad to send you copies of the family group record sheets
I have worked out on the family.
Very truly yours,
(Mrs. William S.)
Susan J. George------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER BY: "WINNIE"
Written to Cuba
[Dated August 11, 1942]
August 11, 1942- "WINNIE"
Letter from: "Winnie"
To: Cuba Shideler, IN
Dear Cuba:
Rec'd your letter yesterday was so glad to hear from you and so happy also for the information we have rec'd
from Ida McGriff……………………..
I haven't been able to do much "ancestering" as my time has been so full and haven't been able to contact the ones
I want to see. Am so glad I thot to give you Mrs. McGriff's address and I will greatly appreciate a copy of her letter and your kindness in being so willing to do it for me. George Leeke is right. After I got my mind cleared a little I remembered hearing Aunt Betsey speak of Aunt Jennie and Uncle George Leeke. I can faintly remember her speaking of Aunt Betsey Rona, in fact that is who she was named for. Can recall her asking Aunt Peggy (Margaret) Gray about her, and well remember her talking so much about Uncle Billy Sanders.
You may recall me telling you about that and wondered if that might have been a brother to Aaron which has proven to be so.
I know she talked a lot about Cooks but I do not get a it clear about it. We probably could get a record of that marriage from Raleigh, N.C.
………..Went to see Lizsie Cunnington this evening and had a nice talk with her. She I very well preserved for her age of 76 altho her mind can't stay so good on one thing long. I grasped quite a lot but don't know whether I can give it to you so good. She told me more children in the Sanders family than Mrs. McGriff named. One sister Miranda (Orinda) Sanders Emmerson (Aunt Rinda she called her). I remember Aunt Betsey talking of Aunt Rinda Emmerson; but always had the idea she was just an elderly neighbor.
Mrs. Cunnington said there was a James Sanders also. She called him Uncle Jim and she seemed to know about him and Elizabeth (Aunt Betsey) Rona, for whom she was named, better than the others. His wife's name was Phoebe and had a son Lisha.
She remembered Wyatt and told me quite a lot about him. I think she said he was married twice and one wife's name was Tine.
John F. was the only child by first marriage. One son, Riley, was a preacher and one son George and a daughter Melissa Sanders Maynards. I think she said James Sanders was also killed in the war. I know she said one of the others besides Merrill. Abednego?
Aaron Sanders father's name was Bednego and she said they had a son Bednego. (Think she said he died) and the mother's name was Amy, (or Emma), Cook. First she said Emma then kept saying Amy, and when I asked again she said Amy so I think that must be right. The elder Bednego was shelling corn in his crib and a neighbor went in to talk with him. He began to feel bad and got so sick they had to help him in the house. He died within a few hours. They at that time called it "sinking chills." He was only 32 years old, she said.
She tole me about one of the women of the family dying at the age of 32 and leaving several children so I am not sure that she didn't get the ages mixed up. May get more information about it. They had a lot of children for him to be only 32. I head heard all of this before but had faded from my memory. He was buried southeast of Muncie at Old Town Hill. Must be the Rees Cemetary as it is located there.
That is an Indian Mound.
She said there was a man came from North Carolina by the name of Aaron Wyatt and worked for them a year after she and her husband were married. She said they never learned much about him as he seemed to not want to talk and they thought he had been in bad some way. She thinks he was connected with the family some way by the combination of names.
Signed
"Winnie"
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LETTER BY: LOUISE HAMLIN
Written to Tim Mattingly
[Dated July 13, 1993]
LOUISE HAMLIN 400 172nd Place N. E., Bellevue, WA 9800
Letter from: Louise Hamlin
To: Mr. Tim Mattingly 3602 Columbus Ave., Anderson, IN 46013
Dear Cousin Tim,
Thank you for your letter and all the welcome, and surprising information!
Please bear with me in this reply because I am attempting to write it on the computer.
We surprised my husband with a computer for Christmas and I have not had two lessons on this intimidating machine, so will try to start writing some letters on it and, hopefully, be able to save them. I think your family group sheets are arranged beautifully!
Maybe I will design some in a similar format because they make good sense.
I think in my first letter to you I said that I am just coming back to genealogy after a 20 year hiatus,
so it is taking a bit of refreshing to begin to sort thru my files and even try to remember who belongs to who.
When I said that your information was surprising, I was referring, of course, to Abednego Sander's parentage.
We have always known, or at least it is a family understanding, with a lot of the usual "Aunt so-and-so said" that we were related to General Custer thru my great-grandfather, James Sanders' mother's family - Nancy Garver's family (wife of Daniel Rector).
Well, now with your information, maybe we had relatives fighting on both sides in the Battle of the Little Big Horn!
However, clear as the letter you sent is, I think I'll look a little longer for Abednego's parents - Don't you agree?
They may be Indians, as you suggest, but, I feel that I would have heard some suggestion filter down thru someone before now. Supposedly Amy Cook died in James Sanders home, and my Aunt who died a few years ago at age 97 spent a lot of time in her grandparent's home. If this had been common knowledge I think she would have mentioned it because she tried to help me in my family searching as much as she could. She was very interested in anything pertaining to the family.
Also, where would the name SANDERS have come from? I am not disputing, please believe me - just wondering. I think the whole idea is fascinating. Have you done any research on the WOOLARD or WILLARD mentioned in the letter? The Walter Gray mentioned in the letter was largely responsible, as I remember it for doing the initial research on the family that enabled my mother's cousin to join the DAR. I never did know the exact family connection or attempted to work it out. You will see the name mentioned in some papers I hope to find and enclose with this letter for your interest. Now for stupid question # 1 - on your family group sheet of Wm. Cook, what is Pierces Reg. # 91166? Where did we get Wm. Cook anyway?, (I have him also without any factual backup) and where did you find the info on his children? I didn't have Elizabeth Cass - just Elizabeth________ . Where did you get her?
I corresponded for a time with a Susan George in Phoenix, Ariz. back in 1978. I will enclose some of the papers she sent me.
Some of the correspondence she had of her mother's is not very well identified, some contains errors, but I hope you might find it interesting because it seems to make some of these people more than just "names and dates". She went to a great trouble to try to find military records for John Merrill Sanders who died in the Mexican War, but was unsuccessful.
I will drop her a note and see if she has continued her research, although the chance of finding her again after all these years is pretty unlikely.
I will close. I hope that you can find the time to answer my questions, and, rest assured that if I can find anything you might be interested in, I will send it at once.
Thanks again for all the material you sent.
Sincerely,
Louise Hamlin
400 172nd Place
N. E. Bellevue, WA 9800
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