Delk Family History (and more!)

Around 1928 my Great-Great Uncle, Joseph Theodore Delk, started corresponding with his niece, Mary May Delk. True to the Delk hoarding gene, she kept all of the letters. I have had these letters for awhile, but had stored them before a move ten years ago, and am just now getting back to them. You see, I have the hoarding gene as well, which is bad for the home life, but good for future genealogist. So, I am now scanning the letters, as well as transcribing them. My goal, is to do at least three a week. The first three are up on his home page.

As a side note, his death certificate and 1930 census information shows that his father was born in Ireland. That, as we all know, is not the case.

Until next time,

Brian

I have added three letters to Martha (Maitlen) Delk from her son, Charles Wesley. Two of them are from when he was at Camp Pike, Arkansas. Apparently he did not want to be there and was trying to get Martha to write a letter stating that he was needed back home. The other letter was the birth announcement of his son, James William. There are some good details in that one about how they were surviving pretty much day to day.

Also fixed a few links over on the Maitlen side, I will be adding some documents in a little bit that I had scanned earlier, but held on to them until I had people to attach them to. Will keep you posted.

Brian

And letters to boys of World War One. We have a collection of letters and postcards to and from Frank, Russel and Charlie to Elmer and Martha. In them we learn the little things, who got married, who passed away, what Company is in quarantine because of an outbreak of scarlet fever; you know, the little things. Actually, these letters are a treasure chest of information not only about the Delk family during World War One, but of Weldon, Iowa and the different Companies that the three boys were in. So check out the new letters, they are mostly from Frank and Russel, or Elmer and Martha. Also, on some of them, I have included the scanned postcards with them.

I will be adding more documents in the coming weeks.

Brian

Franklin  was stationed in Germany during World War One, and apparently had  started a relationship with Gretel Neimann. We have had two postcards translated from old German style handwriting and I have posted them along with some photos of Gretel on Franklin’s webpage. One of the postcards disproves the belief that they were married, but in her mind they were. She is truly heart broken. Will post more if we find anything.

Brian

In terms of my family line, I know where I came from. I can show who was my Grandfathers’ Grandfather. I know some of the basic facts of there lives. What I do not know is who they were. But I am finding out. And that is what this website is about. I may have never known my Grandfather Charlie Delk, but I do know he played cribbage and he taught my Father, who taught me and who has taught my son. I am learning more about him through the letters he wrote home to his parents during WWI. I know that his Mother was distraught over the death of her children and wrote poems to get through the tough times. And lucky for us, her daughter Mary May saved almost everything, and now we are able to share that with you. And getting to know who our family was and what their lives were like is just as important as the 1900 census. The story of our family starts to develop as we gather the photos, letters and documents that were left behind. We begin to learn that Russel Delk was at Camp Dodge on Thanksgiving day in 1917 and that his brother Frank was getting to know the women in Germany. Charlie was at Camp Pike, while his future wife Bernice Butler was studying to become a teacher at Drake University. There are new photos, documents, and letters for all of these family members, and as we uncover more, we will get to know who they were. Have a safe and prosperous 2012. Brian

My Great-Grandmother was a poet and she did know it. We are currently going through her poems and transcribing them. Seven pages have been added to Martha Maitlen Delk’s page, along with some more photos and two more letters. Some of the poems are Christmas poems that she wrote to friends and family. I will also have some pictures of her and Elmer, Mary May and others, along with some more documents by the end of next week. Until then, Have a Merry and Safe Christmas Holiday.

Brian

I do not know everything there is to know to be a parent. I have been a parent for over fifteen years and yet I am still learning the art of parenthood. But what I have come to learn is that a parent such as myself, will treat each child differently. I know how each child will react to events that are mundane, exciting or tragic and will handle each child accordingly. I am sure my parents did the same thing with my two sisters and me and their parents with them. Which is one reason why when it comes time for families to get together and reminiscence of days gone by and how everything transpired, there will be multiple versions of the past. Which leads me to the biographies.

I am sure when it comes time to write out each biography, there will be suggestions that they are not quite right, that somethings did not happen this way or that. This may be the case, but, the purpose of this site is to provide information about John Delk’s descendant’s and if we can, his siblings and ancestors as well. If something is factually inaccurate, please respond in the comments section. But remember, our individual recollection of the past will be different from the collective recollection.

With that all written, biographies of Charles Wesley, Franklin and Martha Maitlen, have been posted. there are also three new letters that can be found on Martha’s page.

Brian

There is a new batch of letters out, mostly between F.O., Elmer and Elmer’s new wife Martha. We are now up to the year 1894.

I have also added a Descendant Chart. It is in the Adobe Shockwave format. Right now it only has Ethelred and his children. When you click on one of Ethelred’s children, you will see their direct line. Clicking on Ethelred will take you back to the beginning. This is a work in progress. If you have more info than I do please let me know and I will update the chart.

Here is a direct link to the chart: Ethelred Descendant Chart

Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. If your computer can not support Shockwave, I will send you the graphic files.

I have now finished, for now, updating letters between the various family members. A picture is starting to form on how close knit the family was. Fernandis, or Nan, Theodore, and Elmer traveled west and back. Theodore’s son died at an early age. And the girl’s wrote about romance. I also stand corrected about having pictures of all of Ethelred’s children. We do not have one of Isaac or Isabelle. Isaac died in 1864, so it is doubtful we will ever find one of him, and Isabelle we can not make a definite identification. On the other hand, we have one of all of John’s children.

Speaking of photos, now that I have batch of letters done, I am now going to start on some photos and setting up a second family, The Maitlen’s, who would be my Great-grandfathers wife, Martha Maitlen. They were also kissing cousins. More on that later.