Elsie Rogers Ratliff, b. Oct 1888 in Kansas d. Aug 1927 in Oklahoma's Wolfe Creek.. She was the daughter of Jacob and Rachel Baker Rogers and the wife of Joseph (Joe) Ratliff. Mother of four daughters. (her Post Script opened the letter, I guess we call it Pre Script then, eh?) Monday Aug 1927 You did not need to send those hankeys we did not really need them. but thanks Hello kids, Drop a line and send you your wks money and be sure you get your coats cleaned to. For I may not be able to send you money a month from now. I had to beg ten out of Joe to day in order to send you enuf. As things are now we can't make anything (here she is referring to liquor, the law was restless) Joe is so scared he wont hardly let them use no. 2. Jones from Enid is there and Fip also. Kids got the hose to day but the kids wasent satisfied one bit. They wanted black bottom said they could get the plain ones at home. You can't please them no use to trye. We are going out to the creek this evening late. The gange and I to take some snap shots in their bathing suits. Some one down at the Gage stole Mildreds garters yesterday. I just got them for her a wk ago .50 cts. Is Noel coming there to go to school? Well good bye love from Mama These were my grand mother's last recorded words. That afternoon late they did go to the creek. I suppose it was the excitement of having brand new (all wool) bathing suits that inspired them. Had grand ma been thinking she would have realized that there had been a lot of rain that week and the creek was swollen and moving faster than normal. Elsie could not swim so had not planned on going in, only watching her girls and the GANGE have fun. They all jumped into grand dad's Tin Lizzy and off they went. Only Alene, a family friend, really knew how to drive so she was always the designated driver. Once at the creek fun commenced until the youngest daughter, Boots, began to scream for help. Boots had gotten caught up by the swift water that had dug a deeper than normal hole out of the bank and creek bed. This cut out made the water, already moving fast, speed up some how and swirl with an under tow. Boots being only 10 was justifiably frightened and reacting as any child might... screaming and yelling. Elsie did not hesitate, into the creek she bound. By the time she reached where she thought Boots was at, Boots had managed to get to a safer part of the creek and was heading for shore. Elsie probably panicked thinking Boots had drown. The girls were trying to yell at her to tell her Boots was okay. Maybe she never heard them, as she did not even attempt to try to get out of the creek. Then she was caught up herself in the swift water as her daughter's watched helplessly. They found her washed ashore further down stream. Folks nearby had heard the girls yelling, then screaming and finally crying out for help, but by the time they reached Elsie... she was beyond resuscitation. Dr. O.C. Newman said her heart gave out and then she drown. Elsie is buried in Woodward, next to her sister, under the stone that reads "MOTHER and wife of Joe Ratliff...." Kelly (original spelling kept in the letter.) ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]