Maymie Pearl Wilson Martin
Today, July 14th, is Maymie's Birthday, so I thought I would share a few photos and a brief history written by Maymie about her childhood. She would be 103 years old today.Happy Birthday Maymie🎂
This first picture is of Baby Maymie. Probably taken 1906 in Albuquerque, NM.
Maymie & Vern in 1911
Maymie said she was wearing a bright blue dress.
The dog's name was Spot.
I love this next picture of Maymie in Knickbockers
Here is a short biography written by Maymie of her childhood. Below is a transcription.
My Life
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| Autobiography by Maymie page 1 |
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| Autobiography by Maymie page 2 |
by
Maymie Pearl Wilson Martin
Maymie Pearl Wilson Martin
I, Maymie Pearl Wilson were borned in Wood County, Oklahoma in 1905 long before it became a State. I were borned in a big log house on my Grandpa Hatfield's old homestead. I had one brother Vern. He was 2 years old when I were borned.
My folk left and came west when I were 2 weeks old. We came all the way in a covered wagon to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We stayed there 2 1/2 years. My father B. Wilson worked for a big sawmill outfit. He took care of all the horses when they would bring them in at night. He would feed and water them.
I were very sick all the time we were in New Mexico. The Doctor told my folks if they didn't leave with me that I wouldn't live long there. So we went back again to Oklahoma in our covered wagon. This time we went to a Cherokee camp of about 800 Indians. My father worked for the chief for about a year. Him being some Indian himself he understood them real good. We lived in a tent like all the Indians did. I were still real sick - so one day the chief's wife and one other squaw came to visit my mother Pearl They said they had come to make me well. The old squaw told my father to ketch a rabbit and while it was still alive to split it's head open and while it was still kicken they took it's brain and rubbed all inside of my mouth and all the time they were doing this to me they were singing. Mother said she certainly couldn't see how this would help. But it did. I got better right away.
My family traveled alot. We never stayed in one place very long. But while we were in Oklahoma this time my sister Lillie Alma was borned. When she was about 3 years old we went on to Dequeen, Arkansas, where my Dad worked in a big peach orchard. We always traveled in a big covered wagon and our house were most always were a tent or a log house. Sometimes we just lived in our big wagon. Mother would do the cooking on a campfire by the side of the wagon. Us older kids would gether wood for the fire and carrie water as we would always camp clost to water. Brother John were borned while we were in Arkansas. I remember Vern started to school somewhere in Arkansas and mother let me go with him the first day. Dad took us on a horse as the timber was real thick and full of wild hogs so mother didn't want us to walk. I only stayed about 2 hours then ran off and went home which was about 2 1/2 miles. This really scared mother. Vern only went about a week then we all went back up into Oklahoma for a while.
From there we came on to Dolores, Colorado. Vern and I each had our own little saddle horses so we rode them and followed the wagon. We crossed the San Juan River some where clost to Farmington, New Mexico. I was afraid to ride my horse into the river so my Dad let me get into the wagon with mother and the 2 younger children. The water was real swift and deep. When we got down into the river it soon filled our wagon bed full of water and a lot of our stuff floated out and on down the river. The horses had a hard time pulling the wagon out on the other side. We were all wet but happy to still be alive. Vern's horse was a good swimmer so he made it fine. When we were once more on dry ground my father made me get back on my horse which I didn't want to so I cryed as loud as I could all the way through Farmington. Vern was so ashamed of me he rode on to ketch up with the wagon and let me to come on alone.
Other blog posts about Maymie:
Maymie and Elmer
July 14th - Maymie's Birthday
Maymie's Picture Show
My folk left and came west when I were 2 weeks old. We came all the way in a covered wagon to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We stayed there 2 1/2 years. My father B. Wilson worked for a big sawmill outfit. He took care of all the horses when they would bring them in at night. He would feed and water them.
I were very sick all the time we were in New Mexico. The Doctor told my folks if they didn't leave with me that I wouldn't live long there. So we went back again to Oklahoma in our covered wagon. This time we went to a Cherokee camp of about 800 Indians. My father worked for the chief for about a year. Him being some Indian himself he understood them real good. We lived in a tent like all the Indians did. I were still real sick - so one day the chief's wife and one other squaw came to visit my mother Pearl They said they had come to make me well. The old squaw told my father to ketch a rabbit and while it was still alive to split it's head open and while it was still kicken they took it's brain and rubbed all inside of my mouth and all the time they were doing this to me they were singing. Mother said she certainly couldn't see how this would help. But it did. I got better right away.
My family traveled alot. We never stayed in one place very long. But while we were in Oklahoma this time my sister Lillie Alma was borned. When she was about 3 years old we went on to Dequeen, Arkansas, where my Dad worked in a big peach orchard. We always traveled in a big covered wagon and our house were most always were a tent or a log house. Sometimes we just lived in our big wagon. Mother would do the cooking on a campfire by the side of the wagon. Us older kids would gether wood for the fire and carrie water as we would always camp clost to water. Brother John were borned while we were in Arkansas. I remember Vern started to school somewhere in Arkansas and mother let me go with him the first day. Dad took us on a horse as the timber was real thick and full of wild hogs so mother didn't want us to walk. I only stayed about 2 hours then ran off and went home which was about 2 1/2 miles. This really scared mother. Vern only went about a week then we all went back up into Oklahoma for a while.
From there we came on to Dolores, Colorado. Vern and I each had our own little saddle horses so we rode them and followed the wagon. We crossed the San Juan River some where clost to Farmington, New Mexico. I was afraid to ride my horse into the river so my Dad let me get into the wagon with mother and the 2 younger children. The water was real swift and deep. When we got down into the river it soon filled our wagon bed full of water and a lot of our stuff floated out and on down the river. The horses had a hard time pulling the wagon out on the other side. We were all wet but happy to still be alive. Vern's horse was a good swimmer so he made it fine. When we were once more on dry ground my father made me get back on my horse which I didn't want to so I cryed as loud as I could all the way through Farmington. Vern was so ashamed of me he rode on to ketch up with the wagon and let me to come on alone.
Other blog posts about Maymie:
Maymie and Elmer
July 14th - Maymie's Birthday
Maymie's Picture Show
4 comments:
Oh my! That made me laugh...I can just see Aunt Mamie...loved her so!
Joy
I love this story! Its so cool how rabbit brain made her feel better!!! :)
Crazy story... and isn't this the grandma you were way close to growing up? I sincerely appreciate you telling me stories of our family and putting so much time into recording their stories!!! I loved getting to know more about them <3
-ekm.... your fav grandchild ;)
That’s so cool that rabbit brain made her feel better! I loved this story
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