LETTER FROM R. R. FOUKE TO ETHEL FOUKE-WEBB, 18 NOV 1935
Note: clarifications are added to the uncensored original text; these clarifications are by David Bradford based on specific facts known at the time of receipt of this e-mail are shown in brackets [ ] only. Rounded parentheses ( ) appear to be clarifications by previous transcribers of the letter, including Richard Matteson, husband of a Fouke descendant.
Richard Reynolds Fouke was born in 1844 in Shepherdstown WV of Robert Fouke and his wife - a Hussey [Margaret Hessey]. RR's mother [Margaret Hessey] died shortly afterwards leaving 3 young children. Her daughter [Francis Valeria] was placed with the Husseys [Hesseys] (and she shows up there in the 1850 Shepherdstown VA census with her Fouke name); her older son [Frederick Dorsey Fouke] went wih his father [Robert Phillip Fouke] to Mt. Morris [Ogle Co., IL] and her son RR [Richard Reynolds Fouke] was placed with her brother-in-law William H. Fouke (my wife's great grandfather).
*THE LETTER*
R.R.Fouke M.Guth Edna Steele
Commander Quartermaster Secretary
APPOMATTOX POST, NO. 50
Department of California and Nevada, G. A. R.
Veteran's Memorial Building
200 Grand Avenue
Alameda, Calif. Nov. 18 1935
My Dear Cousin, Mrs. Webb,
I presume you have come to the conclusion that I have forgotten you and yours entirely...but such is not the case! I often think of the lovely visit I had with you and your dear mother and family [,] which cannot be erased from my memory. I hope that you're all well and happy. I was looking over some of my old letters and I found your kind letter which I have failed to answer. So if you will pardon me I will try to answer[,] as I am 92 years of age. You will overlook my poor writing as I am Commander of my GAR Post and am kept very busy with regular meetings (so) that I have to have a secretary to help out as you desire some information concerning the record of your family. I will do the best I can.
RECORD
I was born in Shepherdstown, Jefferson Co. [now, West] VA on the 21st of January, 1844. My mother was the daughter of Thomas Hessey - a wealthy slaveholder and a staunch pro-slavery man. My mother had three children [Frederick D. ?G., Francis V. and Richard R.] of which I [R.R.] was the youngest. My mother passed away when I was but 18 months of age. My father [Robert Phillip] was left with three babies - to say, two boys and one girl. My mother's [Margaret Hessey's] people raised my sister so my father placed me in the care of your Grand Pa [Robert's brother] - William [H.] Fouke, one of the best friends I ever had. He had two boys - H.B. Fouke and William Hargrave Fouke. So I lived with your grandparents until 1855. Your grandmother, my aunt, was a very ambitious - a wonderful ambition to educate her children and was very successful. H.B. became a very prominent lawyer and W.H.[,] a very able minister. Let me drop back...My father left [now, West] VA in 1848 and took my brother [Frederick] with him to [Ogle Co.,] Mt. Morris, [north central] IL where he had two brothers living, uncle George and James Fouke. In 1849, my father left IL and went to Calif., leaving my brother [Frederick] with uncle George. So in 1852, Uncle James Fouke persuaded your grandfather [William H.] to come to IL. So in 1855, [my] Uncle William - your grandfather went to Mount Morris and took me [R.R.] with them.
Your Grandfather [William H.] was a carpenter and work was not so plentiful but the boys [H.B., W.H. and I, R.R.] went to school just the same. So in 1856, your father [Hughlett Bedinger Fouke] was born. I don't remember the [exact] date, but it was early in the year and in January ,[18]'57, your grandpa [William H.] died - Jan. about the third (?).
After your Grandpa [William H.] passed away, it left me without a home, so I went and found a home [with a kind farm family who provided room and board in exchange for summer work]. Your father was 2 years old when I left so I kept in my mind Hughlett...he was a sweet little boy. Henry, your uncle, was practicing law in Dixon, so your aunt [? probable typo: should read "your grandmother, my aunt Mahala Ann Chapline-Fouke, William's widow] moved to Dixon. Henry married into a very rich family but his wife did very little to make the home happy. In 1862, I enlisted [from July until October of that year in Company K - 69th Illinois Infantry], and went to the front. Hughlett was 7 years of age and you[r] Uncle, William H.[argrave] was in college preparing for the Ministry and he made a successful minister. I came home from the war in august 1865. Your father was then 9 years old. The family still lived in Dixon [this confirms probable typo noted, above]. I visited them there. I came West and I never saw your father until 1922 [age 66 at the time] at the IL [Veterans'?] picnic at Long Beach when I saw his name on a card. I hunted him up - and we had lunch together. I was very happy to meet him and he invited me to call and see them ...which I did and I enjoyed my visit.
I came to Calif. in 1882 ...found my father that I had not seen since I was 4 years old and sent [him] back to Mt. Morris IL to see my sister and brother (and his two "brothers" [George and James]- [?and] Uncle James' sons). and they had a family reunion.
My [R.R.'s] oldest daughter [Hazel] lives in La Habra, CA. Her husband's name is H.V(O?). [Harry Owens] Simmons. He had a charge in La Habra for the past 2 years but (now) has a charge in Los Angeles. Their address is: H.V. [correction: H.O.] Simmons 143 West 52nd St., Los Angeles. I have only 2 daughters [Hazel and Annie Marie, the latter adopted and raised as Genevieve Kilpatrick. Note also that a third, middle daughter, Elsie, died October 28, 1923]- one [, Gene Kilpatrick-Peterson,] lives in Chicago, IL. I am very proud of my daughters.
I hope you will be able to read my letter.
With love to you and your family. I would love to have a letter at any time. I think I will hardly be able to visit the South (of Calif.) again, so I will say...God bless you all.
As ever...your cousin, R.R. Fouke.
I have a nice home but I board out [rent out space to "boarders"].
+ + + +
p.s. I remember your daughter - Ruth [Webb] - give her my love.
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[addendum by RR Fouke on next page]
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Grandfather [?Christian] Fouke had a very large family - 10 boys, one girl... names as follows:
George
James
Marcus
Dock
William [H.] - your [Ethel Fouke-Webb's] grandfather
Robert [Phillip] - my [R.R.'s] father
Joseph [?T.]
Mical (Michael)
Christian [Jr.]
Henry
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One girl, Mary, died in 1852... leaving one baby girl
The Fouke family [possible error by 92 year old R.R. Fouke, who at this point is possibly mistakenly writing not of his paternal Fouke lineage, but rather his maternal Hessey lineage] came to America in the Colony days. They were descendants of Germany proper - so my grandfather told me when I was six years of age [Note: his paternal grandfather Christian Fouke is seen on the 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830 census but not the 1840 census or beyond. Though we have no death record for him, it seems probable that he was no longer alive at age 68 when RR Fouke was born in 1844]. They [probably the Hesseys] settled in VA and Maryland. He [probably his Hessey grandfather] told me they were originally Prussians - not Dutch - but Germans [Richard Patton looked up the Hesseys and they clearly qualify for R.R. Fouke's recall as Prussian immigrants of the 1700s, but not as late as R.R.'s date of 1769 in another letter. Hesseys probably were in PA by 1717 coming in with the Palatinate Germans]. He [probably grandfather Hessey, Thomas Hessey's father] said the proper way to spell Crout was proper. Kraut was Dutch not German. I hope this will be of interest to you and you will be able to read my poor writing as the age limit is close at hand. Had my mother lived I would have had an education. Wishing you and yours all the happiness possible.
I am your cousin, R.R. Fouke.
Address: 424 Santa Clara Ave, Alemeda, Calif.
+ + + Love to all