A snail mail surprise
In the age of emails, text messages, and social media, it’s exciting to receive an actual letter in the mail… especially when it’s full of surprises!
This week, I received an envelope full of papers from my cousin Martha. Technically, she’s my second cousin twice removed (2C2R). She included an autobiography of her uncle Lonnie Akers, notes from her conversations in 2008 with her aunt Florence Akers, an obituary for her cousin Guy Akers, and a medical history diagram for her family. As I read through the documents, it felt like unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning.
I started with Lonnie’s autobiography. I fondly remember my email correspondence with Lonnie more than 20 years ago, as he tried to help me piece together part of my family history. I even printed and saved our conversations! As I read his autobiography, it felt like we were picking up where we left off with his stories.
“Preface to the Autobiography of Lonnie D. Akers
The events and happenings I have written about are mostly authentic. But when reminiscing about the passing years vagueness sometimes may ‘cloud the issue’. However, the intent is to provide historical content and relate some things that occurred as our family developed which are not generally known or remembered. Many occurrences related here are from written diary notes that my Dad, (Newberry Fuller) Newt Akers made through the years.”
His recorded memories start in 1931, when he was ten years old and his older sisters had moved away from home, leaving the entire upstairs of their house to himself. He shared several stories from throughout the decade. But the final paragraph of the preface caught my attention, as it didn’t fit into the chronological narrative he’d begun… and it felt like he was writing directly to me.
“So the following events are as I remember them and also as recorded by my Dad. It would be of interest to you to ‘pour over’ the Diary Ledger that he kept; because according to his hand written notes he only attended school in Virginia during two winters.”
Lonnie’s father Newt Akers plays a key role in a family mystery I’m continuing to research. What could be hiding in his diary? Let’s hope I can track it down!
Lonnie’s detailed autobiography details how he met his wife, his military experience during World War II, the births of his children, and various milestones from his life through 1968. He also included a paragraph about his father.
“On November 12, 1958, my Dad, Newt Akers, died at Monmouth Hospital. He was born October 23, 1881, close to Carthage, Virginia, one of ten children, and born to Brooks and Nancy Louise (Boyd) Akers. According to written notes of my Dad, he had school experience for two winters by 1890. In 1898 on his first time away from home, he and his brother George and Perry Alley walked 16 miles to Radford to look for work, but found none. At age 20 his Dad gave him $20 and he left for Illinois. Train fare was $19.95. He was met by his Uncle Mont Boyd with horse and wagon in Carthage, Illinois. He worked on a farm making $19 a month. Returned to Virginia on December 15, 1902. Left Virginia again in February, 1903 traveling to Minnesota and North Dakota helping in timberland, threshing, and working for the Great Northern Railroad. He returned to Virginia again in the Fall of 1903. He and Sarah Dulaney were married December 29, 1907 and they moved to Carthage, Illinois in 1909.”
I recently discovered some newspaper articles corroborating Newt’s travels. The Floyd Press published letters from Newt and his traveling companions.
One of the other documents in the envelope from my cousin Martha was a hand-written account of her conversations with Lonnie’s sister Florence in 2008.
“As I visited with Aunt Florence in the last few times - I thought it important to write down a few of her memories of growing up in Kirkwood somewhere 1912 - 1915 and of Monmouth.”
She provided details about Newt Akers’ family, including his parents, siblings, and his lifestyle.
“Grandpa Newt use to play the fiddle and also clogged. Grandma Sarah would play the zither. After Grandpa broke his collar bone he had to quit playing the fiddle. He helped build the bridge at Atamosa and also Biggsville. And worked on the highway from Monm. to Kirkwood. Worked on a lot of barns dated 1910. They lived on the road south of Kirk. in 1912 walked 2 or 3 miles to town all the time. Grandpa cleaned the church + would walk to town to start the furnace for Sunday church. They would pull Lonnie in the wagon. Sometime Grandpa would spend the night just to keep the fire going. Brother ‘TAZ’ and his boys had a band in Virginia. They played the fiddles. Grandpa was a 32nd degree mason. The highest honor. Grandpa died of heart - water around his heart.
Man that brought Grandpa + Grandma from Virginia was to be a farmer. Grandpa didn’t like farming. Wanted something else to do. Then he started carpentering with Dutch. He loved it.”
These stories from Newt’s children, Lonnie and Florence, add color to his life that I may not find in traditional genealogical records. And, they provide clues for other records to research.
Here’s to finding more mailbox surprises!
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