Margaret Matilda Walterhouse

Margaret Matilda Walterhouse, the second child of Philip Benjamin Walterhouse and Mary Alice Morris, was born 04 June 1837 in Fingal, Elgin, Ontario Canada. When she was a child her left hand was cut off in an accident but she apparently adapted well and lived a full life.

In March of 1856 she married Isaac Spears Sanderlin and bore him nine children. Mary Eleanor (Ellen), Thomas Philip and Ruhema Jane were born in Michigan; Clarissa (Carrie) Carolyn, William Ulysses Grant and Guy Wheaton were born in Ohio; Naomi Arena Belle, Olive Matilda and Lorena Caldoria were born in Indiana.

This story by Lorena Harriss, their daughter, gives us a good look at what life was life for Margaret, Isaac and their children.

A HISTORY OF THE ISAAC SANDERLIN FAMILY

by

Lorena Hariss

Isaac Spears Sanderlin was born in Virginia July 18th 1832. Margaret Matilda Walterhouse was born June 14th 1837 somewhere in Canada. In March 1856 they were married. I suppose in Michigan where Mary Elenor, Thomas Jefferson, who died in 11 days, and Ruhema Jane were born. Then they moved to Ohio where Clarissa Carolyn (Carrie), William Ulysses and Guy Wheaton were born. Then they moved to Indiana where Naomi Arena Bell, Olive Matilda and Lorena Caldora were born.

Isaac joined the Army and served 3 years in Civil War while in Ohio. He belonged to the Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was never home during that 3 years. Margaret and the 3 little girls got $5.00 a month from the government. He was to send her some money, but 16 months he never sent any thing. She had to get by best she could.

She would get ground plowed, then planted and cared for crops by hoeing and you know she only had 1 hand. She sewed and knit and whatever she could get to do. She got rheumatism in that hand till she couldn't chop very heavy timber and in winter waded snow knee deep to work firewood out of treetops. She said many a night she never got warm all night. To have enough cover to keep girls warm she put straw in some gunnysacks and put them between quilts. Said one night during a blizzard, she had put her last stick of wood on fire in fireplace, and really didn't expect to live when she heard someone hollering. She thought who could be out in such a storm, so she lit a lamp, placed it in window and soon a man came, and practically fell in the door. After he rested a little he ask her about wood. She told him there was a log in the yard. He got it in the house and worked it up so could be used so they were all saved.

She told of one time she didn't have a thing to eat but corn, corn meal and salt. She would stir up water, cornmeal and salt and bake it for bread. Would brown cornmeal and make a gravy to eat on the bread and parched corn to make coffee to drink as she was still nursing sister Carrie. Got by and kept well. She always gathered herbs for medicine so she could do her own doctoring. Seems she knew what to do always. She was ?? blessed mamma.

Isaac, my daddy, was a builder, carpenter, stone mason, plasterer, anything in that line. Would contract big jobs and hire men to work for him. Also was a good farmer. Could have been well fixed if hadn't moved so much. For seemed he would get rid of what he couldn't take with him. But would soon be fairly well stocked up again.

He loved the Bible and Church. They both were good singers and how we used to love to all get together and sing. He went to singing school. I have wished I knew what has become of his books. He had one with shaped notes and one like is used mostly now. You know he had 3 good houses in Wichita Kansas when he died.

When I was 1 year old, they left Indiana and came to Phillips Co. Kansas where he used his homestead right for a farm. I don't know why they left there but were on a boarding train for a while cooking for a construction gang. Then landed in Endicott Nebraska. Was there till he bought a 40-acre farm about 7 miles out. The first home I really remember. Were there till he decided wanted more land, so practically gave things away and came to Hodgeman Co. Kansas. Used his timber claim right for a farm 1/2-mi. from Hodgeman Center when I was 8 years old. Were there till fall after I was 12 when they moved to Ray Kansas. Were there till the fall of 1892 when went to Kingman. Rented 2 different houses in town. Then moved to farm 4-mi. east where I was married. Then they bought place in town where they lived till after I came to Okla. Then they went to Wichita Kans. their last home on earth.

  by Lorena Hariss

Shirley E. Walterhouse

Margaret died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. S. M. Lofland east of Liberal KS on 28 May 1926 at the age of 88 years and 11 months. She was buried in Kingman beside Isaac.

Other interesting writings give more details of this family:

Unknown hand written copy with physical descriptions of Margaret and Isaac:

"Margaret had her left hand cut off just below the wrist by an axe. Men were building a house and dropped it from the roof. She took prizes at Fairs for quilts she'd made by hand. She was small and petite till she got old. Isaac was fair with blue eyes, 5 ft. 10 in. tall. They were married 3-5-1855 and had 9 children."

Excerpt from typed document, source possibly Sylvetta Keegan, describing Margaret:

"Margaret is described as being a petite woman. She suffered the loss of her left hand when she was two years old. A workman dropped an axe to the ground from the roof of a building. Margaret was playing near the site and the axe struck her, amputating the hand at or near the left wrist. Despite the loss of her left hand, she could shell peas and perform many other difficult tasks with ease."

Excerpt from a letter by Sylvetta Keegan great great granddaughter of Margaret Matilda:

"In the Pension application of Margaret M. Sanderlin dated May 12, 1917, it is stated that she was born at Fingal on the 4th day of June, 1837, that she lived with Philip B. Walterhouse and Alice M. Walterhouse at Fingal in 1840 and at Upper Sandusky, State of Ohio, in 1850. She stated on her application there were 7 brothers and sisters of her father's family. She named Silas, Margaret M., William L., Mary M., Eliza, Israel M. and Sarah G. She then went on to state, "Mary M. is deceased."

James Marion Harris, a grandson of Isaac and Margaret Sanderlin, wrote of them from Enid OK on January2, 1974:

"In thinking back about the Sanderlin family, I was only 3 years old when Grandpa Sanderlin died and about the only thing I remember was when we went to the funeral it was raining. We rode in an enclosed car, about the only one I had ever seen. It had an oval window in the back and I rode on a little seat that folded out from the door in front of the back seat. The car didn't have an electric starter on it but seems there was a cable with a handle on it that they pulled on out of the dash. It was really muddy and every one was afraid we would get stuck. Both Grandpa and Grandma Sanderlin are buried just north of Kingman, Kansas. I was there several years ago and located their graves.

I remember Grandma Sanderlin as a very small woman. She had no teeth and her face was quite wrinkled. She had only one hand. The other hand had been severed at the wrist. She did not seem to miss the use of the one hand as she could wash on the board and wring out the clothes. She would wrap the clothes around her arm that had no hand and wring out the clothes by twisting with her good hand. She enjoyed playing checkers and I spent many an evening playing checkers with her. She spent several months with us when I was about 7 or 8 years old. She would sneak me a dime or quarter and of course all I could think to spend money for was candy. I would come home from school and wouldn't be hungry and finally mother found out I was buying candy with money Grandma gave me and was she mad. Grandma didn't give me any more money."

For more information on Isaac Sanderlin and his Civil War service see Cyndi Howells pages of "Cyndi's List".