Written by Sallie Shanahan Freeze (Mrs. Dan F.)$1$ $$ at the urgent request of Beulah Murrie (Mrs. H. C.) better known as Billie$2$ $$ Hernando, Mississippi July 30, 1964           Dearest Billie, You asked me to write on the MOST PRECIOUS of subjects: "My Mother" and her family. First I will try to tell you what little I remember about her family. I never knew Grandfather Potter$3$ $$, except that he was a Baptist preacher. His name was Daniel Potter; he died$4$ $$ and left Grandmother$5$ $$ a few months before Uncle Dan Potter$6$ $$ (Mama's$7$ $$ brother) was born. Grandmother Potter's maiden name was Mary Smith. (I don't know any dates.) But Grandmother lived a widow till all her children were grown and married. Then she married her brother-in-law, "Uncle Tucker"$8$ $$. And I remember when she married, the second time, of course.$9$ $$ If I remember right Grandfather Daniel Potter and Mary Smith Potter came from North Carolina.$10$ $$ The first I remember about them was that they settled in Senatobia. But Mama (Sallie Potter Shanahan) was born in Itawamba County, Mississippi June 17th, 1851.$11$ $$ She died (at our home) March 10th, 1921. She was 70 years old. (I do not know when, or where the others were born. There were three boys: Uncle Matt, Uncle Will and Uncle Dan; and three girls Mama (Sallie Potter Shanahan), Aunt Bettie Scott and Aunt Hannah Boone.$12$ $$) Mama and Papa (Michael William Shanahan) were married November 15, 1868 in Senatobia, Mississippi. I am not sure but I think Mama (she was their oldest girl was in boarding school at Lexington, Mississippi at the time Grandfather and Grandmother Potter settled in Senatobia. Grandfather Potter and two of their children died and are buried at Senatobia.$13$ $$) Grandmother Potter lived to be 95 or 96 years of age, I don't remember which. She lived with Uncle Will Potter at Poplar Springs$14$ $$, Mississippi after Uncle Tucker's death. She became blind in her later years. Although Mama and Papa married at Senatobia, they always lived near Coldwater, Mississippi (except when he was teaching in DeSoto County.) I am sure Mama, after Papa Michael W. Shanahan died, had her hands and heart full trying to raise four children: Lena, Nora, Dennis Potter and Sallie Shanahan$15$ $$. You know that their 5th child, Luby$16$ $$, died when she was, maybe 10 years old. I do not remember her at all. Mama taught Summer school at our home after Papa's death$17$ $$; don't even remember how long though. I can truthfully say that she was all that Brother (Dennis P. Shanahan thought she was.) We all thought, and knew it. She was a wonderful precious Mother, very quiet and reserved, gentle and kind, ladylike and affectionate, with very high ideals. She didn't have a very wide acquaintance, but those that knew her loved her dearly. She seemed to us, to be a special favorite in her own family, too. (I mean her brothers and sisters, and I remember too that her brothers-and-sisters-in-law always called her "sister.") I was so very proud of what Big Grandmother$18$ $$ said about me. She said I was like Mama, voice and all. To me that was a great compliiment--though I know I could not compare with her. I am sure Mama loved every one of us, but it always seemed to us that she was partial to Brother (D.P. Shanahan.) But we didn't mind, for we were all foolish over him. Being the only man in the family for so long, he too, had such a hard life trying to make a living farming. Mama was never able to do hard work. She made more with her embroidering and crocheting and etc. than anything else. One thing I am grateful for is having the privilege of taking care of Mama for her last 9 or 10 years. She learned to love Dan (Dan F. Freeze) my husband$19$ $$, very much like he was her own son. He was always good to her and made our children mind and respect her. Billie dear, fifty years ago I might have written more or at least more sensibly. Nora could have told you much more as she had more of what it takes to be a writer than I ever could. I must stop now. Will write letter when I have time. There are a lot of things I'd like to hear from you. Your letters are very precious to me. Remember I will be 81 years young before long--and when you get that old you can't think, much less write anything readable. Love always, Aunt Sallie Under Construction (there is a post script to the letter written by Beulah "Billie" Pearl Shanahan Murrie which has yet to be transcribed), please be patient; more on the way! Notes: $1$ $$ Sallie Moina Shanahan born 16 Oct 1883 the 5th and last child of Sallie Margaret Potter and Michael William Shanahan, granddaughter of Daniel D. Potter and Mary Rebecca Smith Potter, and wife of Mr. Daniel Franklin Freeze. $2$ $$ Beulah "Billie" Pearl Shanahan Murrie, daughter of Dennis Potter Shanahan and Ellen Wilkerson, niece to Sallie Moina Shanahan Freeze [the writer of this letter] and wife of Mr. H. C. Murrie. $3$ $$ Daniel D. Potter, born Abt. 15 Nov 1824, son of James Potter and Margaret Parker. $4$ $$ Daniel D. Potter died 13 Aug 1867, in De Soto County, Senatobia, MS. He is buried in the Old Carolina Church Cemetery in Senatobia, MS. The Church no longer stands, but the small graveyard is still there and Daniel's grave is marked. $5$ $$ Mary Rebecca Smith, born 13 Jan 1830, daughter of James Smith, Jr. and Sarah Teague. Mary Rebecca Smith and Daniel D. Potter were married 23 Nov 1848 in Pontotoc County, MS. $6$ $$ Sallie Moina Shanahan's Uncle was Y. Daniel Potter, born abt. 08 Sep 1867. (Handwritten family records (copied by Lowry Stewart) state that he died on 7 Mar 1894 at the age of 26 years, 5 months and 27 days. Not making any allowance for leap years this gives an approximate birth date of 8 Sep 1867). A letter written by Nora Mildred Shanahan Phillips indicates that Y. Daniel Potter married and had two daughters and that after his death the wife and daughters moved to Texas, but to date, no supporting documentation for this has been found. $7$ $$ "Mama" was Sallie Margaret Potter, born 17 Jun 1851, dau. of Daniel D. Potter and Mary Rebecca Smith. Sallie Margaret Potter married Michael William Shanahan on 15 Nov 1868 in De Soto County, Senatobia, MS. $8$ $$ James McCalvin Tucker, born 11 Jun 1826, son of Nicholas Iler Tucker and Roseannah Dickson. Sallie Moina Shanahan refers to him as "Uncle" but he was actually her Grand Uncle (by marriage to her Grand Aunt, Sarah Smith, sister to her grandmother, Mary Rebecca Smith). $9$ $$ Mary Rebecca Smith Potter and James McCalvin Tucker were married on 21 Feb 1889 in Pontotoc County, MS. $10$ $$Verified information has not yet been obtained, but it would appear from 1830 Census records that Daniel Potter's place of birth was Crawford County, GA and that Mary Rebecca Smith Potter's place of birth was Laurens County, SC. $11$ $$For the longest time, knowing that Sallie Margaret was born in 1851 Itawamba County, MS, I searched the census of that county thinking that Daniel would be found there in 1850 but was never able to find a record. Well, with help from a cousin I finally got hold of the record and they were indeed living in Itawamba County, MS in 1850. Daniel Potter is found living there on 11 Sept 1850 with his wife Mary Rebecca Smith Potter and their first born son, James M. Potter. Many thanks to Jeff Hix (a descendant of Hannah Catherine Potter Boone for bringing this census data to light). $12$ $$Uncle Matt was (we believe) James M. Potter, b. abt 1849; Uncle Will was William C. Potter, b. bet. 1852-54; Uncle Dan was Y. Daniel Potter b. 08 Sept 1867. Daniel Potter died one month before his youngest son Y. Daniel Potter was born; it is for this reason that we believe the initial "Y" stands for Young. Aunt Bettie Scott was Martha Elizabeth "Bettie" Potter, b. bet. 1856-57; Aunt Hannah Boone was Hannah Catherine Potter, b. 08 Dec 1860. Many thanks to Jeff Hix (a descendant of Hannah C. Boone for providing Hannah's middle name, birth/death/marriage dates, etc. We look forward to sharing/exchanging info with the rest of the Boone family to which Jeff has introduced us). $12$ $$Daniel Potter and three of his children died and are buried with him in the Carolina Church Cemetery in Senatobia; Sallie Moina must have forgotten about "Little Sister" who died as a young infant either during or immediately after the family's move from Pontotoc to Senatobia. $14$ $$Sallie got this wrong, it was Blue Springs, MS. $15$ $$Lena Estelle Shanahan, b. 1871, married Seaborn Randall Stewart; Dennis Potter Shanahan, b. 1873, married Ellen Wilkerson; Nora Mildred Shanahan, b. 1880, married William Emmett Phillips; Sallie Moina Shanahan (writer of this letter), b. 1883, married Daniel Franklin Freeze. $16$ $$Mary Luby Shanahan, b. 01 Feb 1877, d. 29 Sep 1884, aged 7 years, 7 months. Cause of death unknown. Buried in the Palestine Cemetery, Coldwater, MS. We believe that Mary Luby's middle name is her father Michael W. Shanahan's mother Bridget's maiden name, but have yet to find any records to confirm this. $17$ $$26 May 1887. $18$ $$Mary Rebecca Smith Potter Tucker. $19$ $$Daniel Franklin Freeze married Sallie Moina Shanahan (writer of this letter) on 18 Aug 1901 near Coldwater, Tate Co., MS. Transcribed 26 October 2000 by Kathy L. Rhodes from the typewritten copy made by Billie (the recipient) from the original handwritten letter sent to her by her Aunt Sallie Shanahan Freeze. Return to Shanahan Family Genealogy Home Page