Letter from Ellen (Wilkerson) Shanahan to her Mother-In-Law, Sallie Margaret (Potter) Shanahan Chillicothe, Texas 8/21/'07 Dear Mammie$1$ $$ and Nora$2$ $$      I would of written before now but I was so tired and wore out I just didn't feel like writing. I hade good luck comeing home and didn't have any trouble at ft. Worth, D.$3$ $$ met me at Wichita Falls - he got on the train there with us 12:30 O'clock and it ws 4 O'clock when we got home Sunday eavening. D. looks much better than he did when I left, he didn't think any of us looked any better except Manley$4$ $$. little Pearl$5$ $$ is having trouble with her teeth. Manley couldn't love his papa enough. When he got on the train with us & Pearl new him to. She cries after him ever time he starts off. The family that stayed in our house just moved out yesterday. They sure did take good care of our things - ever thing looked clean but of course didn't keep things in it's place like I did. D. Said he had to force down her cooking. She was clean and nice but She didn't know how to cook. I hope this will find you and Nora feeling much better than when I left. I sure did hate to come off without seeing you all again. Manley & Ruby$6$ $$ can't get throw tell about G.M.$7$ $$ & Aunt Nora and Aileen $8$ $$ & goeing to the water mellon patch with Uncle Emmett$9$ $$ & about Aileen playthings and what a big time they had swinging. Sister Lena$10$ $$ sure was proud of those things you all sent here. She looked better than she did when I left. You all come over and help us eat fryed chicken. I have got a yard full of frying size chickens. I put up 4 this morn. to fatten. I will put them up ever day untill we eat them all up. I sure am in misery I have eat so much watermellon. We sure have had some nice mellons & peaches. Since I got home I made 2 gallons of peach preserves this morning. I must quit and go milk--my cow is doing fine. I guess D. will tell you all the news. Write soon & tell Sallie$11$ $$ to write. Love and Best Wishes to all from. Ellen Notes: $1$ $$ Sallie Margaret (Potter) Shanahan, born 17 June 1851, daughter of Daniel Potter and Mary Rebecca Smith and wife of Michael William Shanahan. At the time this letter was written, she was a widow living with her married daughter Nora Mildred (Shanahan) Phillips in Mississippi. $2$ $$ Nora Mildred (Shanahan) Phillips, daughter of Sallie Margaret Potter and Michael William Shanahan. At the time this letter was written she was 27 years of age and had been married to William Emmett Phillips for over 6 years. $3$ $$ Dennis Potter Shanahan, son of Sallie Margaret (Potter) and Michael William Shanahan. At the time this letter was written, he was 33 years of age and had been married to Ellen Wilkerson for 7 years. $4$ $$ Manley William Shanahan, son of Ellen Wilkerson and Dennis Potter Shanahan, born 24 Apr 1904, Dallas, TX. $5$ $$ Beulah Pearl (Shanahan) Murrie, daughter of Ellen and Dennis P. Shanahan, born 04 Sep 1906 in Dallas, TX, and better known to the family as "Billie". It appears from the refrence here that both Manley and "Little Pearl" had accompanied their mother Ellen on the trip to Mississippi. $6$ $$ Ruby Shanahan, daughter of Ellen and Dennis Potter Shanahan, born 14 Sep 1901, Dallas, TX. Again, it appears that Ruby also accompanied her mother, Ellen, on this trip to MS. $7$ $$ Unidentified at the time of this transcription. Possibly an abbreviation for Grand Mother? $8$ $$ Aileen Phillips, daughter of Nora M. Shanahan and William Emmett Phillips, born 15 Nov 1901. Aileen married J. Moore. $9$ $$ William Emmett Phillips, spouse of Nora M. Shanahan always went by his middle name of Emmett. $10$ $$ Lena Estelle (Shanahan) Stewart, daughter of Sallie Margaret Potter and Michael William Shanahan, born 25 Apr 1871 and married to Seaborn Randall Stewart. At the time this letter was written she was 36 years of age and living in Texas with her large family which included 11 children. $11$ $$ Sallie Moina (Shanahan) Freeze, youngest daughter of Sallie Margaret Potter and Michael William Shanahan, born 16 Oct 1883 and married to Daniel Franklin Freeze. At the time this letter was written, Sallie was 24 years of age and had recently returned to home to Mississippi (from Texas where she lived from 1901-1906). Additional Information: At the top of this copy made by Beulah Pearl "Billie" Shanahan Murrie, there is a note that says "Copy of a letter written by Mary Ellen Wilkerson Shanahan....." This is interesting because I have never seen the reference to her first name being "Mary" any where else. Indeed, her marriage license makes no reference to this first name. Note: Transcribed 27 June 2000 by K. L. Rhodes from a photocopy of a handwritten copy done by Beulah Pearl (Billie) Shanahan Murrie (Mrs. H.C.). Billie indicates that she copied this from the original document on February 1, 1987. No corrections to spelling, punctuation or grammar have been made to this transcription; it is presented exactly as Beulah Pearl Shanahan Murrie copied it and it is unknown if these errors are hers or the original author's as I do not have access to the original document. Return to Shanahan Genealogy Home Page