Adkins, Mattas, Mize Family History
Adkins, Mattas, Mize Family History
Part of Nellie’s young life was typical for the late 1800’s. She made friends in school, shared Christmas cards with them and went shopping. No phones of course, they communicated by little notes sent to one another.
Nellie's Story
Part One
I have time traveled back to the late 1800's reading letters dated over a century ago. Through these letters written by Helen from Connecticut to her maternal aunt in South Dakota, I have come to know a sensitive, beautiful young girl. She was nicknamed Nellie. Sometimes her last name was Rider, sometimes it was Leach.
She was described by her maternal grandfather, A.G. Manchester as cheerful and as bright as a sunflower.
This is the story of that young girl, who became Grandmother Helen Adkins to many.
Helen Adkins; Circa 1940's
Nellie Leach; Circa 1878
They married in 1874. Henry Leach Jr., a dashing young man, “old” New England, a descendant of those who arrived on the Mayflower, and Emily Manchester, a descendent of Welsh immigrants. Born in Monroe, Wisconsin on March 24, 1876, the first and only child from this union was Helen Maude Leach, named after her father’s sister Helen, and affectionately called, “Nellie”.
Henry Berry Leach, Jr.; Circa late 1800's
Blue eyed and auburn-haired, Nellie was surrounded by her maternal family in Monroe. Her grandmother, Amiah Williams Manchester, married twice, and a slew of Williams and Manchester aunts and uncles lived nearby. Her neighbors, the Adkins family, were close at hand. At left are copies of the Wisconsin Census ledgers, 1870.
Great Aunt Mary Grace Williams; Circa 1880's
Aunt Olive Williams;
Circa 1880's
Her cousin, Ada Williams, daughter of Henry and Olive, was an accomplished pianist and gave many concerts in Monroe. Perhaps she played the Braham's Lullaby for Nellie. She is pictured at right in her studio; circa late 18oo's.
In 1878, everything changed. Henry Leach Jr. moved his young family to Bristol, Connecticut - over 1,000 miles from Monroe, Wisconsin - to join his brother, John in the business of moving and building houses. He may have thought it was a good move financially, but what it did do was move the family apart. At a little over two years old, Nellie’s parents separated.
She stayed with her mother in Connecticut. For two years, she was the daughter of a single woman. How they survived financially is unknown.
Over the years, between the remarriages, Nellie became the oldest of 11 half-brothers and sisters.
In 1880, Emily married Hiram Rider, a farmer. Little Nellie Leach was dubbed Nellie Rider in the Waterbury, Connecticut census.
In 1881, her father Henry Leach, married Melissa Brown. They built a beautiful house in Bristol, pictured left; circa 1880's. Occasionally, young Nellie would visit them.
Letter Postmarked 1881, from Emily Rider to her sister, Martha.
Although Nellie and her mother were far from Monroe, they kept in touch with her maternal relatives through letters.
In 1881, Nellie’s grandmother Amiah Manchester, returned to her home country of Wales for a visit.
Like all children, Nellie was fearful she would not see her Grandma again!
Emily writes, “Nellie says poor Grandma has gone across the sea and we will never see her anymore!”
Again from the 1881 letter, Emily writes, “Nellie grows so fast; she has not been to school yet.” When ready, she attended Waterbury Elementary School and then was “privileged” to become a student at The St. Margaret’s School for Girls run by the Episcopal Church. Stated in its literature, the institution was named after Queen Margaret
of Scotland and her exemplary values and virtues.
Nellie shares values and virtues that were instilled in her at St. Margaret's in a letter written to her mother's sister Martha.
“Our little town went license this year. They must want drink pretty bad. I would not vote for the nasty stuff; all it is good for is to ruin family…the children and wives and make them downhearted and sad…the father’s cry is whiskey and rum and he sinks lower into a drunkerds grave…I shall say no more about it as I am getting excited.”
Almost from the time she was able to write, she corresponded with her mother’s sister, Martha. First in letters to Monroe and later - after Martha had married Adelbert Adkins - to her residence in South Dakota.
‘Aunt Mattie,’ as Nellie affectionally called her, became Nellie’s confidant, mentor, and support system.
Martha Manchester Adkins; Circa 1890's
Part of Nellie’s young life was typical for the late 1800’s. She made friends in school, shared Christmas cards with them and went shopping. No phones of course, they communicated by little notes sent to one another.
She wanted to go skating, but had no skates, her friends loaned her theirs. She had two cats, one of them a Maltese, she tried to teach it tricks. She worried sometimes that she was too big to play in the snow in a letter to Aunt Mattie in 1891.
She loved to draw, to sew and create her own clothing designs, even picking out the prettiest material. She sent some of these on to her Aunt Mattie. Circa 1889-1891.
Nellie and her mother were able to travel back to Wisconsin on occasion. At the age of twelve, in 1888, she stayed for six weeks in Monroe. She got together with family and neighbors. Aunt Mattie’s husband’s brother, Zina Adkins, was one of them.
Nellie was tall for her age, her long auburn hair cascading down her shoulders. Her Grandfather A.G. Manchester, described her in a letter to Mattie, “Pretty soon in came Nellie, looking as cheerful and happy as a sunflower.”
Maybe then, Zina started laying plans. He never forgot her.
Zina Henderson Adkins; Circa, 1891
A flower drawn by Nellie; Circa 1888
Plate Map of Monroe, Wisconsin; Circa, 1880's
She looked as cheerful and happy as a sunflower, but feeling that way was a challenge for Nellie. Part of her young life was full of sorrow.
As so many oldest daughters do, she became an emotional caretaker of her mother. At the age of 11, in 1887, she had three half-brothers - two maternal. She lost both Hiram and little Jay that year.
In this letter, she mentions how sick she was, but she was more concerned about her mother feeling "awfully bad," and the doctor bills.
A new maternal half brother arrived in 1889. Nellie jokes about him in this letter. "Spencer is growing as fast and plump as a turkey....although we don't eat him."
In 1891, Nellie writes, "I said Spencer was sick, well he is dead." Again, "Mother was overcome with grief, I felt very sorry for her."
In the letters that have survived to her Aunt Mattie, there is never any mention of her paternal siblings.
Nellie assumed more responsibility for the Rider family as she grew. She took on jobs to help them financially. First taking care of an elderly neighbor, then taking care of a widower's children, and finally working at the Bristol Clock factory. By the age of fourteen her sunny disposition faltered.
In a letter written to Aunt Mattie: "I get so tired I don't seem as if anyone loved me I wish I was dead truly I do oh I do feel so lonely oh I wish i could come and live with you sell my little concern, perhaps you would love me kiss me goodnight, Aunt Mattie, goodnight.”
Aunt Mattie was a beacon of light for Nellie. Again and again, Nellie pleads to come live with her:
Nellie got her wish. Pictured below is the December 8,1892 issue of the Parkston Advance, Parkston, South Dakota. Nellie became Leach again, Hiram Rider never adopted her.
Aunt Mattie may have felt sorry for Nellie, but Mattie's brother-in-law Zina Adkins was in need of a wife. Nellie may have just fit that bill, and Zina had long been enamored with her.
According to the Adkins family bible, on February 13, 1893 Zina Adkins, age 37 and Nellie, barely 16, were united.
In two short months, she catapulted from young Nellie to a farm wife on the Dakota Prairie.
Nellie became Mrs. Zina Adkins. Her story continues in next month's edition of the Adkins-Mattas-Mize-History.
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Edited by Jessica Kay Brown