| Martha Ann (Smith) Gerking's Autograph Album |
 Eight Mile, OregonFeb. 17th, 1887 Dear sister, To true sisters is this Album dedicated. A loving word, a wish, or a name from such will ever be loved and cherished, and when in the hereafter these pages shall be reviewed then shall these find a happy welcome in the heart of its owner. Nettie Smith, to Mattie S. Gerking The words above are contained in an autograph album given to Martha Ann Smith by her father, James Smith. Although a few days early, the autograph album perhaps was a fifteenth birthday present for Mattie, and by the time Nettie wrote that wondeful note to her sister, many others had come before her and many were to come after, giving us a glimpse into the life of Martha Ann “Mattie” Smith Gerking. Martha Ann Smith, was born 8 Apr 1866 in Summerville, Union Co., OR and is my great-grandmother. She was the sixth of nine children born to James and Rebecca Jane (Mathew) Smith, and the first to be born in Oregon. In 1873 Martha's older sister Mary Alice married Samuel Isaiah Gerking. Mary Alice died in 1877 shortly after the birth of their third child. Nine years later Martha succumbed to Sam's attentions, and they were married July 22, 1886. That union brought 12 more children. Martha's sister Nettie (Elvira Annette) Smith married Sam's brother Martin Peterson Gerking in 1887, about 10 months after writing her note above. If there's one thing I would say to Nettie, it is that the pages of Martha's autograph book have indeed found "a happy welcome in the heart of its owner." — Beth Perry Johnston
On to the album pages!
Click on the thumbnails to see larger versions of the pages and the text of each message. |
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This page last updated 27 May 2006