FOURTH GENERATION

70. Thomas Franklin WILSON was born about 1822 in Lincoln (Catawba) Co., North Carolina. He died about 1874. [From a letter transcribed by Deborah L. Reed most likely from a letter by Kathrine Reep to her cousin, Minnie]


Tuesday A.M.
Dear Cousin Minnie:
I'm so sorry I haven't answered your nice letter an I always want to hear from you an wish I could see you are some of Mollie's children for I love you all. I just try to think she is still here talk to her for she is in spirit and I should not wish her back I,m sure she is in a far better place she always was a good sweet girl, I can't remember when she was married it seems to be a blank I only saw her once when Sam took us to Meriden after she was married. Did the Riddles live in Perry? Was it there she met Mr. Riddle? We lost track of each other. Things changed so after Mother passed away. and I moved so much. When I found her again her letters meant so much to me for I loved her and Emma so much and Sam too he was always a good boy. good to me I think if Uncle Adam hadn't been so strict with him he would have been so different I remember the time he left home. We had a flood an their cellar under the house had several feet of water in it. he was to pump the water all out had worked all morning and part of the Afternoon then stopped to rest and with some boys it was a very big job as he had to carry buckets from the pump to the garden to empty when uncle came home from work he gave Sam a dreadful whipping I was there It scared me so much I never liked him any more he had a bad temper an a grudge against the North. I don't blame him for that. They treated the South dreadful. My mother never forgot it and how they were treated. Well Sam left home that night I think he was 15 and a good boy, I never heard from him for a very long time then he came home for a few days then left again. Thats how he became a tramp as he called himself. I always loved him and was sorry he never stayed home only a few days after that. He and I gave ourselves to God the same nite at a revival meeting he bought a nice bible and read it he gave it to me the first time he came home When he came home again he took it with him. There was always good in him as well I have always felt sorry for him for he was treated badly. He came to see me the last time I was at Georgias He was the same old Sam We had a good visit We and Muriel walked over to where the park used to be...I can't remember what you asked me in your letter but if Grandma and Grandpa Wilson was buried in Perry. Yes, my mother by them as was my sister Cordelia Phillidelphes. She got her back broke at school and developed TB The first time she wore a steel brace for two years then went to school again A nigger girl pushed her down Her back was broke again. I think she must have been twelve or thirteen the picture looks that a tin type I have. She was a beautiful girl. I should remember her but I can't seem to. I was the next after her. then between me and my first brother were two pair of twins, the first two boys the last light with boy and girl..
there was two little girls Emma Elizabeth and Anna Alice. They were babies sixteen months apart, they had whooping caugh and measles they were between Cordie and me and are buried in Caldwell where Aunt Harriet is. Yes Grandpa Wilson did kill hisself he lost two fortunes an couldn't take it for he was very rich and raised to be a Southern gentleman sold out in Carolina and went to Kansas bought a no good farm, grasshoppers came and at up everything. Grandma was with Mother going to have my first brothers He had Aunt Alice, Uncle Jim and Joe sing some church songs then went out and shot hisself. His name was William Thomas Wilson. Maybe they called him Zack, a nickname. Uncle Joe was Named William Thomas Franklin, a uncle. He always signed his name W.T.F. Wilson He died in Oklahoma was married two times to Phiphes sisters had seven children by the first wife and three by the last. He was a very handsome man light hair and eyes Uncle Jim and Edwards was dark and handsome too Uncle Jim had three children left when his wife died. They were adopted he was never heard from until Uncle Joe looked him up years later. Uncle Ed married, had one boy when they went to Chicago, Mother had several letters, then none. Aunt Alice married Steven Hair, had Nellie. He died then she married William Bryant. had five children, three girls and two boys. She passed away in Denver. We went to see her Sunday evening she was jolly and seemed O.K. but was taken to hospital 2:30 A.M. passed away on Tuesday, double pneumonia. Sam was visiting, She teased and called him Sammie. One of her girls Opal won prize being the most beautiful girl in Colo. so was Nellie the prettiest girl in Perry. Aunt Celica was pretty, blue eyes and brown hair like Uncle Joe. My pencil went bad. Has to get another one How is Frances? Nice to have her near you. Had a letter from Earl. I'm afraid you can't read my writing and sorry Earl has bad health, he writes such wonderful letters, so glad he came to see us if only a few minutes. too bad he didn't come sooner when he came to Calif. Well we had a hot day yesterdaylol in L.A. here to. glad it's been so cool, not hardly any rain but lots of wind. Oh Minnie what has happened to Are the people they are all going crazy just heard on the radio a woman killed two of her children, hacked them to death cut heads off. did this in front yard. they had been trying to get her in mental hospital, our governor has cutt off many Charity hospitals The church T.V. minister asked everyone to pray people would come back to God, he said "the world has gone away from God" There is many don't believe there is a God. It makes me shiver to hear this. This letter will make up for not writing out please write me and don't wait on me. I always want to hear from you Mollie's children. I love you too. My eyes are so bad, can't see much anymore. Thanks for Mollie's picture, she was still pretty so God bless you all is the prayer of old aunt ie Katherine
Did I tell you we lost both of our stepsisters there is only one boy left out of five, they were sweet, we loved them. Maria had eight children all alive Valeta five a pair of twin girls are living.

[Letter Two, also transcribed by Deborah L. Reed]

Copy
Note: Translated from original handwriting by E.A.R.
Monday A.M. (postmarked Apr. 17)
Cousin Earl & Grace
Thanks for your nice letter you write nice interesting letters. Minnie wrote me that you had been sick in the Hospital. I'm so sorry & hope you are up again. Maybe you work to hard on your little ranch. It was hard on you looseing your Mother she was a sweet deer person always a good girl, it was a shock to me too too loose her but I feel she is still with me. We can be thankful God spared her too us for a long time. I loved her, she was a sister too me I lost track of her for a long time so many things happen to me going one place too another, but found her again and she made me happy to get in touch again for she (end page1)

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the last time years if only in letters for I feel so alone since looseing my husband of forty years (1917) and no children, it is twelve years since my beloved left me but I miss him more each day but do not wish him back unless we both could have good health for we did everything together & went many places. I was only back to Perry only three times since I left. I stoped in Topeka to see Georgia (note Georgia was mother oldest sister) she seemed closer than my own sister whe told me Mollie was still in Meriden & thot she had a son living in Topeka, and Mollie was with you a lot (note: she was evidently misinformed because mother hardly ever left Meriden while dad was alive only in WW2 when she lived with Jean & worked at various jobs in Topeka) I would have looked you up but only had a day and couple nights was working with my husband in Golf Club in Des Moines Io & on two weeks location. She (note:evidently speaking of Georgia) and her son Damon took me to Perry on Sunday afternoon. I saw a dear friend & her son for a few minutes. Our old home looked the same & (evidently words I was left out) & homesick I wish I had stayed there (end of page 2)

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Uncle Adam was always a Christian man but did join the Comouters we called them because it was a Presbetrian young minister started a new denomination. I think they call the church Watch Tower now I remember the Minister was well and heard him preach in the Presbet church he was a handsome man and the women went nuts about him I don't remember how Uncle Adam got with them. All the Wilsons were Lutherens so I thot he was. I think Grandmother Wilson must have been from his side she was Penn Dutch and would scold us in Dutch when she got mad at us. (Note: Mother used to tell me that Grandpa Adam was a mixture of Scotch Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch so is possible that Kat's father or rather Grandfather married a Reep which is a Dutch name E.R.) her name was Ann Smith, I think Grandpas name was William Thomas Wilson, had a brother Franklin, Uncle Joe name was named after the W.T.F. Wilsons.
(note by E.R. Kates Grandfather and mothers were the same therefore William Thomas Wilson would be our Great Frandfather name, possibly a census would list his wife as Ann Wilson certainly they would be living at the time of the Civil war, I remember Kate did tell mother that the Wilson's owned a large plantation, had a large number of slaves, that one of the Uncles was jailed by the officers for teaching Grandpas slaves to read and write, further that Grandpa Wilson died and that Grandma never remarried but went ahead and raised the children, also that Grandma Wilson made both Kate and Mother quilts. Mother did not remember what happened to her (mothers) quilt.)

letter resumes: Great Grand Pa Reep was a very rich man a large Plantation. end of page 3

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Beautiful Souther house and he owned many nigger slaves, Mother said all he did was take care of it a real Southern Gentleman set on the porch and had a little niger girl fan the flays off him is all I can remember. what Mother told me that he was so mean to his niggers said his house was haunted they believed in Gosts & signs then, Ive been in all the South but the Carolinas and the Virginas say many beautiful plantation homes and they were beautiful. Our mothers had nigger mamas raise them and there was really Southern Bells never did any work. Ann did love her old home never liked the North. Uncle Adam was very strict with the children he was both father and mother to his children he never took another woman he loved his Harriot (note; mothers mother our maternal grandmother) always. end page 4

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I think Mollie was a Wilson name as a cousin Jasper Wilson a Son of Franklins brother his wifes name was Mollie another daughter was Minnie three sons Edward, Arthur and we called the other Burt I don't remember any other name. Jasper taught a nigger school before going to Kansas. Mother never liked the North. I'm so sorry you are feeling so bad & I hope you are able to write please do for we love you & all Mollies children, I especially want to hear from you all Minnie writes a nice letter said Francis had been in the hospital a few days who is the oldest girl I dident know Mollie had another girl until I saw it in the clipping. where does she live? I hope Grace is well so she can take care of you. you are like Mollie so Happy Easter to you both and love cousins Katherine & Bessie.

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I'll tell you why I'm called Katherine, my mothers name was Margaret Katherine Malinda so Kate was short for Katherine, I always hated to be called Kate my stepmother & family called me Katie & she too dident like her sister called Kate. When I left Perry I was always called Katherine where ever I went. Please excuse writing I cant hardly see what Im writing both of you say a prayer for me that I dont go completely blind God bless you both and keep you well is my prayer
s/ Cousin K

Hope you are O.K. Earl now

(End Letter 2)

He was married to Ann SMITH. Ann SMITH was born in 1820 in Lincoln County, North Carolina. She died on 26 Jan 1890 in Topeka, Shawnee, Kansas. Thomas Franklin WILSON and Ann SMITH had the following children:

+174 i. Harriet Elizabeth WILSON.
+175 ii. Margaret K. M. WILSON.
176 iii. Laura A. WILSON was born in 1855 in Newton Township, Catawba, North Carolina. Deceased as child.
+177 iv. James M. A. WILSON.
178 v. Edgar B. WILSON was born in 1858 in Newton Township, Catawba, North Carolina.
+179 vi. Susan M. Alice WILSON.
+180 vii. William Thomas Franklin WILSON.