Letter dated 2-13-1961 from Sarah Wilson Graham to Fern and Paton Leroy Wilson. Fern had written to many relatives asking for info about the Wilson family. The original of this letter is owned by Vivian Wilson Dawson.

Dear Roy & Fern Feb. 13, 1961.

I will see if I can give the information I gave Doris. I don't know why she didn't write you. She has her arm broken right now, but if she does send it to you, you don't need to let her know I wrote you.

I really don't know just exactly what you want but she thot you wanted family history to go in book. I imagine you know as much about the Wilsons as I do.

As I remember there were 4 kids in the family 2 girls & 2 boys. Aunt Mary married a man by the name of Doan & I think they lived in Iowa, I don't even know the sisters name & your dads name as you know was Paton Lee Roy. My dad's name was John F. Wilson & I don't know if they came to Colorado together or not, but think so. Now about the Kendall family. Mother said the Drs. said my dad would have to go to a dryer climate as he had lung weakness. That is why they came to Colo. First Mother's & your Mothers' maiden name was Kendall. There were six kids your mother & mine & Aunt (Louisa) Wide who married Jack Dawson. He couldn't speak without swearing but he had a heart of gold if your remember they had 2 girls, Cora & Clara and I can't remember what became of them or their parents. Then there was Aunt Mary, we called her Aunt "Mek". Then there were 2 boys the oldest & youngest ones of the family I think the oldest one was Wm. & he and our Grandfather Kendall were both killed in the Civil War. Then the youngest one I think was John & he and grandmother and the girls lived & made their living on the Nursery Farm which Grandfather Kendall had already established for several years, till the girls began to get married.

My dad and mother were married when she was only 15 yrs. of age and I think he was 21. I thot this was interesting. They came west to Denver on the first train that same over the railroad. I imagine it was Rio Grande and was only built this far.

Denver was a little mining town of only 10 or 12 little tar-roofed shacks.

They had 3 kids, the baby was named for your mother, "Alice", she was not walking and took the measles on the train then caught cold and died. She is buried here in Cheeseman Park which was the cemetery then. When I was attending Chiropractic College a man came and talked to us one night and said anyone who had members of family buried there would take them up if they wanted to as they were making a park out of it. Otherwise they would level the graves and grass them over. I couldn't see any sense in moving her^ so she is still there.

Mother said they hardly knew what to do and finally moved out into "Black Forest" & started a halfway station. It took about 2 days to drive to Colo Spgs, I think they lived there many years & probably lived there when father died, but I'm not sure. I know when he died he left a whole lot of horses & little money. Mother traded the horses & made some kind of deal for the place out near Calhan, where I grew up.

After a year or so the railroad offered to take anyone in the  U.S. where the road was built for 25 cents any where in state for 10 cents. I said to mother, "Why in the world didn't you all have a vacation? She said someone had to look after cows & chickens so she & your mother stayed home and our Dads went back to Iowa. They needed a kick in the pants for not arranging to take the whole families.

Well he died of heart trouble in his early 40s. I was not quite five years old but I remember it. Amon was only 3 mos, old & John was about 2 yrs. Dick was 18 & Etta was older & married. She married Joe Gateley  who was mostly Bluff & Blunder, 1 believe he also was killed in Civil War (not so...). They had 6 kids.

^{Dick was married after we moved to Calhan to Lucy Woodring, Geo. married Eliza Kerr. She was a marvelous person. They went to N.Mex to live & lived on a ranch. They had two kids. One boy is in Alaska now and the daughter is in Calif. Frank married a fine girl and went to N.Mex. to live Then Edith married the caretaker in Canon City of State Penitentuary. They raised a family of 4 kids.}

^{And you know about me. I am a nut. John married Ina Waterman & went way out on the prarie to live & still lives there. Amon married a nice girl and they operated a radio repair shop at Leadville for years. They both are gone now. John & I are the only ones left now out of a family of eight.}

^{Now I don't know if I have told you the things you wanted to know or not. 0 yes, my mother had a chance to marry a millionaire. I said, "Why didn't you do it?" She said "I was afraid he wouldn't be good to my kids." Then after we all were married & she was 75 yrs. of age along came a man & they got married & took a trip to Canada & a trip to Calif. & had a heck of a lot of fun. Bless her heart she was a darling mother and your Mother was too. We both were blessed with good mothers.}

^{I am just rambling, you don't need to use all of this I am thinking at the end of my pen.}

^{I look back and think about the happiest time I had in my youth was when Mother would take all of us kids to your house to stay a week and we would al.1 go up on Table Rock and hunt for Indian graves.^ Wasn't it fun? I "think of those experiences every time we drive past T.t^. & truly wish I could get out of the car and climb up there. A few times I drive past there with someone on way to Colo. Spgs. 100 years ago it took 2 days to make the trip by horse & buggy, now it takes 2 hrs. by auto.}

^{Remember to be sure and put in how Roy took managment of the place at age of 15 yrs, and cared for the family & paid off the Big debt his drunken father left. I think he had the respect and admiration of everyone in the whole country. My Roy, his name sake, is just as fine a person. He is a darling. Roy had 2 brothers older than he who should have shared some responsibility but they weren't that kind of boys. They just thot about themselves.}

^{I firmly believe in reincarnation & you probably do to, so I hope the next experience we both have will be an experience of greater understanding & maybe a happier one. Well I guess I better quit or your will be blind. I' will send this to Santa Cruz as I don't know where you are by now.}

^{With love and best wishes for a happy trip,}

                                                                                  Sarah