A Wilson Family Tree
Notes for Mary (Mollie) Turner
She is the author of the Reid manuscript.
From the Reid manuscript, written by Mollie Turner Reid in 1931 (obtained from the Foster/Reid Family Tree web site):
Mollie Turner Reid,
single & married a fuller account.
The daughter of John Van Pelt & Sarah O. Turner, I was born in Keytesville, Mo. April 16, 1855 & was christened Mary, but always called Mollie, & so I have always signed it. There I lived until about 3 1/2 yrs. old when my father moved, with his family, to Glasgow, Mo., there to practice Law as partner of Thos. H. Shackelford until the civil war broke out & Mr. S. moved to St. Louis.
Of that first year in Glasgow, when from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 yrs. old, I have a good many memories of the house itself, the children I played with, & games -- the big open lot we roamed in, the hole in the fence I crept thru to go to the neighbor's -- & the day we moved to our new home where a big roaring fire in the fireplace awaited us. I know I remember this because we were in the first house only one year -- until I was 4 1/2 yrs. old.
Tho' rather young, I have some vivid recollections of the civil war. (War is apt to impress one!) I recall the many, many soldiers, who, sometimes ragged & torn stopped at our "alley door" to ask, or sometimes to demand, food; -- of a special one who asked my little sister Annie to give him a "bus" saying she reminded him of the little one he left behind him; -- of another special one half drunken, or pretending to be, who talked & brandished his pistol rather freely as he ate until my father asked him to put it up; -- of the day when they were searching for a man who they tho't had jumped into our back yard, & then searched our house to find & when they came to the attic, with a narrow stair, no one was brave enough to go up & look for him! the search stopped. The Union soldiers held the town. The night before the battle of Glasgow, it happened that my mother had pulled a small tooth for me, & when next morning we were awakened by the booming cannon that split a neighbor's bed post a half-block away, it seemed to me that somehow there was a rather close connection between the two events!
As the battle raged, we with some neighbors who had gathered in --(one of whom bro't a pan of cooked rice & her dress bonnet! --) were in comparative safety in our basement until the warning came to get out in haste as the city hall with its great stock of ammunition was on fire. (they found afterwards the ammunition had been moved). Of course we speedily vacated & marched thru the streets, the "minnie balls" whizzing over our heads -- from the sharp shooters (confederates) across the river -- to a higher & more exposed location, passing on the way, for an encouragement, a dead man lying in the street.
After some hours came surrender & then the holocaust of fire which destroyed fourteen houses I am told, but strange to say, I do not remember the fire at all.
Next day (?) I was permitted to go to a home -- Steinmetz -- & see three young men, two of them the sons, the other a boarder, laid out on three cots, dead!
So far as I know, these were the only casualties among the townspeople, excepting the accidental killing, or mortally wounding, at his own home of our Methodist minister by a bursting bomb. The young men were fighting in the breastworks that had been thrown up in the town.
But war had an end (1865) and the years of my childhood passed smoothly on. I was for a short while in Mr. Strother's Seminary, where my sister Julia graduated but my main education was in Pritchett College, or Pritchett Institute as it was then called, under the presidency of Rev. Carr Waller Pritchett, & the leadership of such instructors as Prof. Thomson Bond, -- later of Central College, Fayette, Mo., -- S. H. Trowbridge & others, and there has ever been in my heart a feeling of deepest gratitude for their painstaking care & patience.
At eighteen yrs. of age -- 1873 -- June 12 -- I was graduated from this institution, in a class of six, -- taking the degree, "Mistress in Arts", the equivalent of of [sic] "Bachelor in Arts" which the boys rec'd, -- but our Pres. was entirely too "old fogy" to call girls bachelors, so he gave us the more feminine title, tho we sat in class with the boys.
The following winter 1874-5 I taught the four months' term in the Glasgow Public School being associated with the father of Judge Jno. A. Rich as Principal, & a classmate, Mary Grove, as the other assistant teacher.
In 1875, my older sister, Mrs. Julia Dunnica, became very seriously ill, & my father having died the previous year, & there being nothing special to hold my mother in Glasgow, she with my sister Annie & myself moved to Boonville & into the Dunnica home to care for her & her two little children, Leon, & the baby Julia.
Three months later, in Jan'y 1876 -- Julia was taken to Philadelphia for operation for ovarian tumor, and a few days later died from an embolism (blood clot in the heart). This established my mother in Boonville until my brother-in-law died, July 1880, when she moved to Independence Mo. where my brother lived.
In the mean time I had taught in Cooper Institute, Boonville, a private Seminary for Young Ladies owned & operated by Prof. A. Haines, for 3 years -- 76 - 79.
On April 21st, 1880, I was married to Dr. D. W. Reid, & we located in Marshall Mo. for our first home, boarding with Cousin Annie Vance & Aunt Mary Wilson, who indeed gave me a kindly welcome & rec'd me as real kin. About 6 months with them, and three months of house keeping -- & then we moved to the new town of Slater, Dr. Reid being drawn, I think, by the many old associates who had come there from Cambridge.
Any romances? the girls may ask. Why certainly, don't most girls have them? -- but as "petting parties" were not in vogue then, I have no memory to cause a blush now -- but when the "right one came along" we exchanged vows "until death us do part" and they held until death us did part.
And would the girls like to know what "Grandma's wedding dress" was? 'twas quite "chic" I assure you -- a travelling dress, strictly tailored, having a navy blue satin skirt, & a close fitting cloth coat, or redingote, trimmed in the blue, the rather long skirt of it opening in front to show the skirt. The coat a light gray with tiny blue & pink specks woven in it, a blue satin bow with long ends hung from the neck. The bonnet was something like a "poke" but not so poky, of light straw mixed with pink (or red) and blue & trimmed very simply with blue satin ribbon to match dress. Gray kid gloves & black shoes (always then) finished the costume -- & if I didn't look nice it wasn't the fault of the dress, which was the "very latest" & made by a St. Louis dress maker. We were married at 8 o'clock in the morning, a few intimate friends being present, & my mother gave us a lovely wedding breakfast, after which we started on our little journey to St. Louis & Chicago.
As these are incidents of my own simple life, of which I naturally know more than any other, you may pardon me for recalling some of the things that I undertook -- perhaps simple in themselves & unimportant to others, but breaking the monotony of household cares & keeping me from "rusting out." My children were never a burden & loving care for them went along with other things.
As I had liked teaching in school, so I enjoyed teaching in Sunday school & my work with classes of young men, mixed classes of young men & women, & some of older women, has seemed to me one of the more worth while things that I have attempted & it gives me pleasurable memories. (Up to two yrs. ago, 1929, I taught for several years a class of women in Wellsville.)
Another is my work in the Women's Foreign Mis. Soc. in the home church & as District Sec'y & Treas. for about 16 yrs., which required a good deal of time & attendance at two meetings a year.
For my own profit & pleasure I undertook & finished the four year Chautauqua Course, first in company with quite a number of friends, notably Rev. & Mrs. Willingham, Presbyterian minister & wife -- but as the club broke up, by removal & otherwise, I finished alone. Upon examination by correspondence, which was rather rigid, I was lucky in missing only one question & that was in American history! where I allowed my southern "spunk" to dictate the answer to "What caused the civil War?" I knew it was not according to the book, & was not surprised that it didn't pass with that northern bunch! If I had dreamed that I was to get 100 in every thing else I might have tempered my enthusiasm & wiped out that 99. -- but 'twas funny & I still have my diploma & 5 seals.
Mind you, I don't claim to have known everything in those 20 or 28 books -- not by any means! -- We were permitted to consult the books as much as we pleased -- the difficulty was to find the correct answers, but it was evidence that we had studied them & that was what they wanted.
The Slater Travel Club, organized 1903 (?), was a source of pleasure & profit, and if I could only remember all we went over, I would have a fund of information, but alas, alas! -- -- When we left Slater, this went with other pleasant associations, but others are still enjoying it, 1931.
Our married life passed smoothly & happily on. Our children were our first interest & we tried to fit them for life as far as we could, -- sending them, after graduation in High School, to Columbia & Kansas City for further instruction & for their professions.
We were "home bodies" -- not being financially able to take long & very expensive tours, we did indulge in some pleasurable ones. Our boys with us, we visited both the Chicago & St. Louis Expositions -- We visited my mother in Las Vegas [I think this was Las Vegas, NM, because it is mentioned in another part of the manuscript] one winter & went on to California for a number of weeks. Since the boys have grown older & left us, we have visited Colorado several times, and Okoboji Iowa, a resort & Washington, D.C.
This past summer, -- Dr. Reid having passed away, I alone, went with all my children & grands. to Fair Hills, Michigan. -- Thus, mingled with my sorrows, -- especially in the loss of family & some dear friends, -- my life had its pleasures. I am the only one left of my father's family & sometimes I feel very much alone, but far, far more so since my companion of nearly forty nine years passed on two years ago, thus breaking our family circle. But I am thankful that I still have my boys & their families & so am not utterly alone.
(Inmates)
Other inmates of our home were Dr. Reid's father who was with us for several years & died there.
His aunt, Miss Sarah, who was also there for several yrs., but died at "Cousin Pick" Porter's in Warrensburg.
Mrs. Beeding spent a great deal of time there & was devoted to the children who called her "Grandma" & knew no difference, -- & to Dr. Reid as to a son -- & I believe I can claim to have had a place in her affections too.
My mother & Julia were at home there tho frequently away, for a good many years & my mother died there -- Julia staid on, off & on, until her marriage, & would still consider it home, I think, if I had one. I can never forget Julia's devotion to, & care of my mother, & her consideration for me.
For the past ten years, the doors of our children's homes have been open to us & it is a source of great comfort to know that Dr. Reid's last days were with his children who were the greatest interest in his life, & between whom & himself there was the warmest devotion.
Our interest in our grand-children has been very deep & sincere -- a desire for their real & best good being always our thought. Jane, who came 8 yrs after Mary Helen, bro't a good deal of sunshine for us & Dr. Reid found her a comfort in what might have been rather lonely hours after he was less active. May this child develop into a strong & noble woman! -- & with her sisters be such as "Grandpa", & I, would have them to be.
My sons' wives I regard, not as "in-laws" but as daughters.
In that light I regard Julia too for she has been both daughter & sister to me.
Reid Turner was with us two years.
Note: Some of the information in these pages is uncertain. Please let me know of errors or omissions using the email link above. ...Mike Wilson
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