Martha "Mattie" Wright (Cave) Craig

Mattie was born March 21, 1844, to Henry Cave Junior and Frances Cleveland Craig, who lived in Central Missouri—Callaway, Audrain, Boone county area. Their family was well established in the area, and well-known. Mattie was born most likely born in Callaway or Audrain County.

Mattie had lots of siblings: Nancy Cleveland, Justinian, Henry Toliver, Marcellus, Margaret Frances, Catherine Ann, Pamelia, Louisa Ann, Harriett "Hattie", Margaret Catherine, and Helen Cleveland. Mattie was born two years before Helen. Mattie's mother died in 1848, and Henry remarried in 1849 to Sarah Allen, and they had four children: Henry, Allen, John C., and Mary Josephine. Of all of her siblings, Marcellus, who was 12 years older, is one Mattie talked about a lot, and wrote about in her school diary. She would always be excited when he was coming to visit.

John Vernoy "Boz" Craig married Martha Cave December 2, 1864, in Seneca, Nemaha County, Kansas. Nemaha County was adjacent to Richardson County, Nebraska.

A story told to a family member about Mattie and Boz was related by Edna Viola Lett Stauffer. Mattie was her great-aunt (or was referred to as such by Edna's sister Belva….)
Edna wrote: "Aunt Mattie was a most interesting character. I loved to visit her. She knew so many interesting things and had her room full of things she would sometimes let me handle and tell me about them.

"She was well educated and was artistic. She was of an entirely different temperament from Uncle Boz. I always felt like she lived on a little higher plane than the rest of us.

"Uncle Boz died first but it was not too long before she went too. Aunt Anna [Anna Adelia Benschoter] Paul took care of them. Aunt Anna said when Uncle Boz died, Aunt Mattie took up one of his hands and said, "Poor old hands, they'll never work for me again".

A diary was written by Mattie for the month of January 1856 when she was in school, boarded away from home in Columbia, Missouri. The school was Christian Female College, and in 1856 had been fully established from its first year in 1851. One excerpt from her diary gives an amusing and informative picture of her 12-year-old self and observations while at school:

"Saturday. Nanny and Betty did not get ready for breakfast this morning. Mr. Wms inquired of me the cause of their not being at the table, and told me to tell them not to come down to the second table. We were all sitting around the stove this morning when Mr. W. came to the door, appeared to be in a good humor, and asked Nanny if she was not hungry. She replied, "I have farred sumptuously." "How did you get your breakfast" said he. Nanny said "I brought victuals from home to eat." "Then you do without your dinner Miss" was his reply. By this time he was rather wrathy. He then addressed himself in language not very mild to both Nanny and Betty. Nanny did not go down to her dinner at the first table, and Mr. W. sent her word to go down to the next table and after she ate to come and see to his room. She did so. He talked very kindly to her for about an hour, but seemed to suspicion that she and Bettie were leaguing together to be obstinate, but she convinced him they were not.
No. 4 had sent to town during the day for a little brandy to put in some cordial brought us by Mary Herndeon. Mr. W. was afraid, I think that Nanny and Betty was going to get merry to-night, for he heard that we got sent some spirits, so he told Nanny to bring it to him and let him have it a few days, which she did. We had quite a nice party to-night. Mrs. Pres. W., Miss Colly, Miss Annie, Miss Helen, Lucy Hensley and Bettie Chenham(?) were up here. We had our table spread with a considerable variety for a school-girls supper. The time passed off very lively."

Note: Thank you to "N J Brewer" for taking such good care of this memorial in the interim.

~~mjp~~