The Greer Way West, the web page of the Nathaniel Hunt Greer Family Organization — This page was last updated on March 15, 2008.
Before it was discarded and lost, this document was procured in 2007 by Mr Ron Carlisle from a Matthew Simeon Greer descendant who cared little for genealogy or family history. We are deeply indebted to Ron Carlisle for saving this document and sharing it with us.
To view an image of page one of this letter, click here.
To view an image of page two of this letter, click here.
[Transcription by William N Greer who added the footnotes that follow]
[page 1]
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Feb the 26th 1882 Round Valley Apache Cou dear Father1 & Mother2 once more I take my pen in hand to write to you this leaves us all well and I hope it may reach you in due time and find you all well. I and the two little ones3 here a lone H4 and the Girls5 are at School. his School will be out in April time enough to make a crop he has rented out Half of his Land as there was more than he could tend a lone. we expect to go to the Temple this Fall as there is a great deal of work for H and Sister Will6 to do. it was Toms7 place to do it but he put it off to long and now it falls on them. I expect to do something from some of my relatives that have gone behind the vale. and Ma if you are wiling you can help me a great deal by sending me names and Births. you have sevril sisters dead. and there is Grand Pa and Grand Ma on both sides I would like to know there names in full and where they were bornd8. I know but verry little a bout my relatives. I wish I knew more a bout them. it is Marions9 right to do the work for our dead if she wishes to but if not it is my place H thinks it best to not put it of any longer as life is uncertain his health is not verry good. My health never was better and the children are all fat and hearty Mallie10 is a bout grown she can ware my cloths and is a good looking Girl will be 15 the 2 day of September. Sue11 is another Willie Greer12 I wish you could see all the children I am not a shaimed of any of them and I know I never saw a smarter child |
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than little James13 I know Pa would be proud of his name sake Tom usto tell me he had the right name said he was all Lane but H wants to leton like he is a Greer be cause so smart but I will not have it that way. Stansell14 learns fast H says he is the smartest Boy in school he makes me think of Marions Jim15 when he was a little boy though I dont think he will ever be so mean as Jim was. well Ma how do you get a long with out Nance16 where did she go when she left you and where is Vick17 and little Johny18 why dont he write to us. tell Jim19 and Jody20 Claybrook to write to the children it will learn them to write Sue can write better than I can she takes a delight in writing Mallie does not like it so well. Willmirth21 is going to make a smart woman H says he would spell her a gainst any Girl in Arizona of her Age she will bee 10 the 30 of March and she reads in H reader and has been through the spelling book twice and can write as good as I can. Well Ma I herd a few days a go that Dessie Rutter22 was going to start to Texas the 18 of this month if so she is there by this time she can tell you more than I can write so I will close for this time as I want to go to the school house this evning and here the children spell love to all of my dear relatives tell Ellie23 she has for got us since she has married tell her and Robbert24 to write. kiss Pa and Johny for me and believe me to be your devoted daughter through all Eternity Polly A Greer25 |
| 1 | James Addison Lane | (4 OCT 1814 – 14 MAR 1883) |
| 2 | Matilda Susan Wilson | (4 AUG 1819 – 21 NOV 1888) |
| 3 | James Columbus Greer | (25 MAR 1878 – 30 DEC 1910) |
| Orson Pratt Greer | (19 AUG 1880 – 14 MAR 1956) | |
| 4 | Americus Vespucius (H) Greer | (4 MAR 1832 – 3 MAY 1896) |
| 5 | see 10, 11 & 21 below | |
| 6 | Willmirth Margaret Greer | (18 NOV 1824 – 31 MAR 1902) |
| 7 | Thomas Lacy Greer | (2 SEP 1826 – 30 JUL 1881) |
| 8 | Thomas Lane | (abt 1768, NC – abt 1821, Putnam Co, GA) |
| Rhoda Nicholson | (1776, SC – 1856, Putnam Co, GA) | |
| Rev. James Riley Willson | (25 NOV 1784, Orangeburg, SC – 7 JUL 1881, Bowdon, Carroll Co, GA) | |
| Margaret (Peggy) Green | (12 FEB 1788, SC – 27 DEC 1829, Jasper Co, GA) | |
| 9 | Marion Bonita Lane | (6 SEP 1838 – 15 APR 1916) |
| 10 | Melvina Clay Greer | (2 SEP 1867 – 30 JUN 1934) |
| 11 | Susan Virginia Greer | (25 JUL 1869 – 23 FEB 1951) |
| 12 | Willmirth Sarah Greer | (10 DEC 1856 – 23 OCT 1875) |
| Willie, noted for her beauty, was infamously murdered by a spurned boyfriend. | ||
| 13 | see 3 above | |
| 14 | Robert Stansel Greer | (21 JUN 1875 – 13 MAR 1920) |
| 15 | James Riley Greer | (14 SEP 1860 – 1 SEP 1892) |
| 16 | Nancy Matilda (Nannie) Greer | (6 NOV 1858 – 10 FEB 1935) |
| The 3rd child of Gilbert Dunlap Greer and Marion Bonita Lane, she wed Isaac Newton Philen 16 NOV 1876 and had two sons by him before having a third son but apparently by another man, Edward E Hudson, whom she did not marry for another 2-3 years. Perhaps she left home in shame, but she did not go far because she wed Hudson on 8 JUN 1884 in Bosque Co. They later moved to the panhandle town of Memphis in Hall Co, TX, where her 2nd husband died 10 MAR 1910. She remained at that location and died there in 1935. | ||
| 17 | pet name for Emma Victoria Greer | (21 MAY 1872 – 8 MAY 1965) |
| 18 | John James Lane | (9 JUN 1874 – after JAN 1920) |
| 19 | James T Claybrook | (5 AUG 1867 – 16 JUN 1945) |
| 20 | pet name for Joseph Edwin Claybrook | (29 AUG 1869 – 12 MAY 1940) |
| 21 | Sarah Wilmirth Greer | (30 MAR 1872 – 4 JUL 1957) |
| 22 | Deseret Diannah Greer | (13 NOV 1861 – 28 JUL 1898) |
| 23 | Martha Ellen Lane | (1864/1865 – 31 DEC 1903) |
| 24 | Robert Dysart | (DEC 1851 – after JUN 1900) |
| 25 | Polly Ann Lane | (1 MAY 1849 – 28 NOV 1882) |
