When I was a young girl, my mom mentioned something in passing about my Grandad’s brother. What? A brother? I thought my grandfather was an only child. So I pressed her for some elaboration. The story she told (which had to have come from her dad or his parents) was that Letis Johnson was 13 years older than my grandfather, and that he was “crazy”. My grandparents had to commit him several times to the Insane Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Sometimes Letis would come home for visits. One time he threw a brick through the chicken coop. Another time he was so engraged he tried to cut off my grandfather’s ear. Grandad carried the scar the rest of his life. Mom also mentioned that it was believed Letis had falled at some point in his infancy or early childhood, and it was thought the fall had caused some sort of brain problem.
As a young girl and teen, this story was fascinating. A loony great-uncle who died at the age of 28. As a budding family historian over ten years ago, this was the type of information that needed to be delved into. But as a mother – it was heartbreaking. I wrote about this in Katie’s Story.
On the Friends of Allen County website (Friends of Allen County), I found information that showed that Letis had been admitted to the Fort Wayne State School (Home for Feeble Minded Youths) due to epilepsy (probably caused by the fall), and he died from pneumonia. What makes this story even sadder, is that it happened decades before there were medicines to help with epileptic seizures. Today, Letis could be a functioning member of society. I don’t know if he attended enough school to be considered educated. I don’t know if he ever felt romantic love for someone. I don’t know if he felt all alone when he was far away from his family. And until two years ago, I didn’t even know what he looked like. Then I found the pictures. Suddenly I had a face to go with the name.
So the question I still go back to – was Letis really “mad” or just suffering from a medical condition? Epileptic seizures have ocurred in many people throughout history – from Biblical times until now – sports figures, celebrities, and normal people trying to live their lives. How debilitating one must feel when a seizure strikes – especially in a time when others wondered what the person had “done” to be cursed with this illness. Did Katie and John (my great-grandparents) blame their son for having epilepsy? Themselves? The universe? Or did they just feel helpless? They weren’t wealthy enough to travel to a “big” city to have a fancy medical doctor treat Letis – if there even was a treatment then. All they could do to protect themselves, their younger son, and their home was to send him to a place where he would be treated, cared for, and kept from hurting himself or others. My heart goes out to my great-grandparents because that type of decision must not have been made lightly.
So the Great-Uncle I didn’t know much about, has aided me in the way I look at the other members of his family.
Freaky Friday – Comments Left (But on Wrong Blog!)
Posted in Blogging, Freaky Friday, tagged blog, comment, comments on December 16, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
A comment left on one of my posts mentions a family that I have never heard of and can’t begin to understand exactly why it was left. The commenter mentions a lady whose family they are searching for and goes on to describe relatives and children of this woman. Apparently someone looking for that particular family saw the comment (probably after googling the name) and left another comment – which is still unpublished and then another comment was left – also unpublished. I had responded to the original comment that I wasn’t related to that family and believed they had left comments on the wrong blog post.
After looking at all three of these comments, I have decided to write this blog post about them. Hopefully, those who are searching for the same people will be able to contact each other and get more information.
Here is the first comment that is published written by “Eliza” at email address – iceelizabethe@yahoo.com on September 8, 2009:
“I came across a posting for the family of Cassie Whittlesey.
No other information other than her husband’s name.
LDS church member from Spokane, Washington area.
Cassie Whittlesey father’s name was Asa Gore, and his father was Wm G. Gore. His first wife’s name was Casey Warren, also listed in the LDS church in Los Angelos Calif.
They were married April 6th, 1833 in ? MS. They had one daughter married a Traxler from Rankin Ms. Mary Gore Traxler. Wm G. Gore’s second wife was Elender maiden name Unknown. She was in fact a full blooded Cherokee.
She was not of the Hennigan family. She is other another group.
Wm G. Gore family is unknown also.
Cassie Whittlesey mother was Anna Slena Slaydon Gore.
The Slaydons were from the Indian Village of Leon Texas, in Cherokee County Texas. Asa Gore had 5 daughters and 2 sons. 3 daughters moved from La to Calif.
His son Willie Ethan Gore’s boat was shot and sunk in the Phillipines during WWII, and listed as MIA and a marker is listed placed in the Midway Islands for his patoon and him.
Would like to know what Elender Gore maiden name was, and no it was not Hennigan. This was another William and Ellen Gore family, whom this Ellen Gore was previously married to a Harrall man from GA.”
The next comment left was from Richard Davenport at email address – klingon1@sbcglobal.net on July 6, 2010:
“I am sitting next to the daughter of Cassie. Her name is Olga Bearden. She is 92 years old. I have a copy of her father’s death certificate and she has a large book of Whittlesey history. Please feel free to contact me and I can get you in contact with her by phone as she has no computer. She lives in Dallas, Texas.”
And the final comment was left by B. Alton Cooper at email address – roscoebeauregard@ymail.com on September 14, 2011:
“critical…I am a decendent of William G and Ellen Gore…I grew up in Bancroft LA, totally unknowing of these people, as my grandfather JESSE GORE, knew of him but no more..Only after searching for info on my grandmother Jessie (Wingate/Neely) Gore-Cooper, did I learn of these people, and was told as child of Cherokee blood…I was given the name Wah Wah at birth, to honor that…I can be reached at Roscoebeauregard@ymail.com, or at roscoebeauregard/facebook…I am deeply indebted to a distant cousin of Sarah Jane Gore/Bivens…who started her own quest for the hertiage…Two daughers married Franks, we have located their graves, and grew up with one family, without knowledge of the kinship (bivens communtiy)….also Warden (Susan), whose house I play at many times as a child, never knowing that farmstead was of a gore, a sister to my g/grandfather…thank you would like to discuss partiulars with you ….b alton cooper/roscoebeauregard to honor those I grew up about…thanks..”
If you are one of these commenters – or have information that could help them – please shoot them an email and help them out! Unfortunately, I do not have any information and I am not related to any of these people (nor am I looking for them). Thanks!
UPDATE: I believe that these persons were searching for a woman named Mary Gore Traxler (let’s see how many more people find my blog now!) – and came across my blog because my Dad’s uncle – Clarence Wesley Amore married Mary Ann Traxler. Mary’s father was John Traxler and her mother was Mary Tunney. So my Mary is NOT the Mary the others were searching. Whew! At least one mystery is solved!
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