Two Degrees of Separation Margaret Mae EASTMAN

Two Degrees of Separation    Margaret Mae EASTMAN

Great Grandma Margaret Mae EASTMAN FOULK, knew of course her parents and her in laws.

She gave us information on Esther (THOMAS). Her father's mother. Very interesting story of how we acquired Indian in our lineage.  Her father was George Herbert Eastman b 1834 in Connecticut and died 12 Nov 1910 in IA.( ?) I do  not have his death Certificate.

Esther Thomas was born 1796 in Connecticut.  Her father was Indian and her mother American.
Data packed in boxes in closet. My Grandmother & Great Grandmother shared this with me as did two of my Aunts, and my Uncle and My Great Uncle.'s and Aunts.  Thankfully they way back wrote down much of the information and I wish I  could get my hands on the papers. It was read to  me over the phone by Great Grandma Margaret Mae, (which I am told much of the family called her Maggie).  

Great Grandma Margaret and I shared letters until her death in 1958, alas the  government lost two major boxes on our trip to HI via the government. The one box has all our very important papers in and was promised early delivery.  Well, some 45 years later it still has not shown up.

When my Grandmother( Margaret's daughter) lived with us,we tried to put that data back together, she was the age I am now and her mind was very clear yet.  The only thing she could not verify was whether the name was THOMAS or WOOD. That is also a name in our way back tree, not yet confirmed.

The story went like this  Esther's mother was married to a Mr. THOMAS (WOOD). I mention both but I found the Indian's lineage and the name used in papers and records I found was THOMAS.

When her husband was killed, where they lived while farming in the woods, they lived in as he cleared and settled the area. They had been there already several years. They had children. He was killed. ( Supposedly by Indian's) ( no one can verify this yet).

She refused to move back  into town with her small children and stayed there since they had a small barn, animals and farm ground tilled and cultivated.  With her children's help she survived, when winter came, suddenly she was finding wood by her door.  She found a bucket of water near the door. This continued through the winter and late in the winter she found meat strung to a tree so she could utilize it.
She did not know of a close neighbor doing this, so one day she got up very early and saw who was supplying her with  help with wood, water and food.  After a long time of watching this happen she finally opened the door to speak her thanks.

Down the line they became close and he offered to marry her and she accepted.  Because of his position in his tribe they discussed the need to move so that his sibling brother would not feel threatened by him taking on the position he was forfeiting in being involved with her.

They moved and thankfully (with the writing down of data), when I found data it was in a book
Lorraine Rainwater wrote, about various Indian's and their lineages.  It substantiated the data the family has always said.

Grandma Ida, used to share with us the things she learned from her to survive if caught out without help.
She would walk the fields with us and share with us herbs and plants etc that can be eaten. She did this with my  cousins Bob, and Don and I and my sister etc.  I recall her even going into my own back yard and saying you call this a weed but you can eat this, or you can make water by this method, lots of little things. They are written in my diary of when I was a young girl.

It is amazing how we have gotten away from what our ancestors really ate verses the modern version of that plant.

This is a synopsis of the story it was more detailed but do not want to bore you.