Letter from Robert Cawthon to Mary Edna Cawthon McBride notifying of death of mother

This letter was sent from Robert Cawthon to my grandmother (his sister) Mary Edna Cawthon McBride concerning the death of their mother, Elizabeth Shryer Cawthon, Dec 19, 1938.

Montrose, Calif.
Dec. 21, 1938
Dear Sister,-
Just after I sent you the letter the other day Mother
passed away. I didn't know it until yesterday. They moved her
to the undertaking parlor and notified me the next day.
I don't believe you would want to come just at Christmas, with
your own family with all Christmas plans made, and after all, it
would be a long and bad trip at this time of year. There would
really be no point to you coming all the way out to go go to her funeral.
We have made all the plans to have the funeral on Friday, Dec. 23d.
She will be buried alongside of Jim, in Westminster Memorial Park,
All the plans are made and most of the relatives will be here.
It is one of those things we have to expect, and nave been expecting
for a long time, so we will go ahead and bury her, and not expect
you out at this time.
Write me,
As ever,
Robert, 2261 Mira Ave, Montrose

The Moves of Thomas Alexander O'Neal, 1824-1910

Picture 1 Thomas A. O'Neal Picture 2 Thomas A. & Lucinda White O'Neal

Thomas Alexander O'Neal, along with his family, was quite the wanderer. From census, birth, marriage and death records, I have listed what I know of his residences.

1829 Born in 1829, Greene, Georgia
1853 Married Lucinda White, Chatooga County Georgia
1854 Son, William H. O'Neal, born in Sublingua, Georgia
1860 Census, Cass County, Texas (listed in census, T.A., L {Lucinda}, W. H.)
1860 Daughter, Lucinda Crawford O'Neal, born in Wichita Falls, Texas
1865 Daughter, Martha Elizabeth O'Neal, born in Sublingua, Georgia
1870 Census, Yell County, Arkansas (listed in census: Thomas, Lucinda, William, Lula, Martha)
1872 Son, John M. O'Neal, born in Dardenelle, Arkansas
1875 Death of Lucinda White and stillborn son in Bellsville, Arkansas
1877 Married Julia Mason in Yell County, Arkansas
1878-1880 Letters from Thomas A. and Lucinda, in Clay County/Wichita Falls, Texas
1880 Census, Clay County Texas (listed in census: Thomas, Lou, Martha, John)
1883 Lucinda married R. H. McBride, Yell County, Arkansas
1887 Thomas married Mary Smith, Pope County, Arkansas
1891 Lived in what was to become Brown, Oklahoma (west of Tecumseh OK) in a dugout with daughter Lucinda and her husband Robert H. McBride, until a log cabin could be built.
1910 Died in Cromwell, Oklahoma.

Determining family relationships

Sometimes, especially when working on your family history, it's handy to know how to describe your family relationships more exactly. The definitions below should help you out.

Cousin (a.k.a "first cousin")

Your first cousins are the people in your family who have two of the same grandparents as you. In other words, they are the children of your aunts and uncles.

Second Cousin

Your second cousins are the people in your family who have the same great-grandparents as you., but not the same grandparents.

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Cousins

Your third cousins have the same great-great-grandparents, fourth cousins have the same great-great-great-grandparents, and so on.

Removed

When the word "removed" is used to describe a relationship, it indicates that the two people are from different generations. You and your first cousins are in the same generation (two generations younger than your grandparents), so the word "removed" is not used to describe your relationship.

The words "once removed" mean that there is a difference of one generation. For example, your mother's first cousin is your first cousin, once removed. This is because your mother's first cousin is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents. This one-generation difference equals "once removed."

Twice removed means that there is a two-generation difference. You are two generations younger than a first cousin of your grandmother, so you and your grandmother's first cousin are first cousins, twice removed.

Instructions for Using a Relationship Chart

1. Pick two people in your family and figure out which ancestor they have in common. For example, if you chose yourself and a cousin, you would have a grandparent in common.
2. Look at the top row of the chart and find the first person's relationship to the common ancestor.
3. Look at the far left column of the chart and find the second person's relationship to the common ancestor.
4. Determine where the row and column containing those two relationships meet.

Common Ancestor	Child	Grandchild	G-grandchild	G-g-grandchild
Child	Sister or Brother	Nephew or Niece	Grand-nephew or niece	G-grand-nephew or niece
Grandchild	Nephew or Niece	First cousin	First cousin, once removed	First cousin, twice removed
G-grandchild	Grand-nephew or niece	First cousin, once removed	Second cousin	Second cousin, once removed
G-g-grandchild	G-grand-nephew or niece	First cousin, twice removed	Second cousin, once removed	Third cousin

Finding the Originals of the O'Neal letters

Through a connection I made on ancestry.com, I was able to locate two O'Neals in the Tecumseh OK area. One was the the granddaughter (Rosemary) of William H. O'Neal to whom these letters were written, the other was the great-grandson (Jack) of William H. O'Neal. Through the helpfulness and graciousness of these family members, I was able to find and look at the originals of the letters and was able to fill in some of the areas where the copies were illegible. I also met with a granddaughter of Lucinda O'Neal McBride. It was truly a pleasure visiting with these rediscovered cousins.

I also went to Brown Cemetery outside Tecumseh where Thomas A. O'Neal was buried, as well as Lucinda O'Neal McBride and her husband Robert Hugh McBride. Jack's wife Gena was so helpful in locating these graves and providing information on other various family members who were also buried there.

One of the most exciting things was to actually get a picture of the mastodon bone. See it on the post "I am a going to be rich!"

McBrides

McBride posts are related to this ancestry:

I am descended from:

Edythe McBride, daughter of James Thomas McBride and Mary Edna Cawthon
James was son of Robert Hugh McBride and Lucinda Crawford O'Neal McBride
Robert Hugh McBride was son of James McBride and Lucinda Wilson
Lucinda Crawford O'Neal McBride was daughter of Thomas A. and Lucinda White

Lucinda was quite the popular name, leading to much confusion for me initially in figuring out all these people!

O'Neal Letters, Part I, Feb 24, 1878 "we have come thru mud that lookt lacked would sink the mule up"

My great grand-mother Lucinda Crawford O'Neal grew up in the area of Wichita Falls Texas. It was a very hard life. I have several letters written either by her, her father Thomas, or her brother Billy during 1878-1890. I am posting them separately, typed as they wrote them phonetically. However, I am adding periods to separate sentences for clarity in reading them. Lucinda was 18 years old in 1878. She was writing to her brother Billy; he was about 24 years old and was back in Arkansas; brother Johnny mentioned in the letter was about 6 years old. Their mother, also named Lucinda, died in Arkansas during childbirth in 1875.

February the 24 - 1878 Chickey Saw nation
Billy, I will try this evening to write you a few lines to let you no how we are getting along. We are all well and hope that this will find you well. Pa wrote you a letter at the first of the week but we have come a long ways sense that time considern the way the roads have bin but they are getting better fast but I never have seen such places as we have come over and hope so I live I never will again. I tell you the truth we have come thru mud that looked lacked (like it?) would sink the mule up. Well we have got to the railroad and we have see the cars several times pass and Johney said to tell you he had seen them without agoing to ruselville to see them but he still says he is coming back. Well we have got with the (indecipherable) at last. We have been with them to or three days and pa says he is going to stay with them and go with them to the place they are going. They are going somers about waco. Well I must quit for this time (indecipherable) such writing for I am very tired. I have to drive most all the time. We are now at new bogy. Lou O'Neal

O'Neal Letters, Part II, Jun 19, 1878 "the lonesemest place in the world"

Letter from Lucinda (Lou) O’Neal (McBride) to her brother Bill O’Neal. I believe the reference to Mat in the letter is her sister Martha, about 13 years old at this time of this letter.

Clay Co. Texas, Jun the 19 1878 Billy, i will try to write you a few lines this evening to let you here from ous again. we are all well and hope that this will find you well. well i got your letter and was surprised to here that Uncle John had gone back there. well we have plenty of rain these times. i tell you the folks that live in the ground has a sweet time. the water runs in at there doors until they cannot hardly stay in them at all. there is some sickness here since the rain has begun. Pa is still trying to brake land yet. one of the mules give out and he can not do much good. it was the one we got from Jim Crownover. she was the no countest mule I most ever saw. I would not give that pony we give for her hardly for two such mule. well i will tell you we had some Indians in our Country last week. They did not do anything that we have heard of yet. they was seven of them. they was at the first house. i have here they sayid that they was a mooveing (moving?). they first told that they would be thre thousand along the next day and then they told they would be only five hundred and from that to only fifty so no more has come along yet as we have heard of. no body nows what they was up to. they had thirteen ponys and wore bows and arrows pistols and one gun. they have guns here that shoots sixteen times. it was one of that kind. they swoom read river (Red River?) and went on in the nations. well me and Mat and Johney has done one thing since we have bin here we never done before. we stayed all night by our selves. we was looking for pa to come back from town and he did not get back and we had to stay by our selves. there is no guardens raised here to say any. there is no fruit for the country has not bin settled long enough to have any trees big enough for to have fruit. i have seen one orchard planted out sence we have bin here. the trees are about three or four feet high. the wind looks like it will blow them plum away but the little fellows stands it well. i am all the one of ours that has made any things sence we have been here. i saved enough for a woman to get one old hen and nineteen little chickings and a very good table. Bill, Johney says to tell you that he had him a bow and arrow and kills grasshoppers for the chickens. he says to tell you to send him your picture for he does want to see you. I no that this is the lonesomest place in the world. write soon and often from Lou O'Neal.