Dear Leona

By Frank Skidmore

Did you ever wonder how your grandparents met? This book presents the story of the editors grandparents and offers a taste of small town life in the 1890s Catskill Mountains.
It begins with a mystery box in the 1990s, a tragic death of the mother of two young boys, a shunning of a long-respected village resident and details of the six month distant courtship. All of this leading to the marriage of his grandparents Leona Tinklepaugh and Morris Skidmore.
This love story also provides a look at two villages in the Western side of the Catskills Worcester and Summit -with glimpses into Jefferson, NY. Throughout are the names of many other residents in that area. Readers may find members in their own family trees, perhaps, as for the editor, with surprising connections.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514425367

Frank Skidmore

Frank’s family has long shown an interest in their history. His father had shared copious notes by Emma Fullington Skidmore (Frank’s paternal great-grandmother) and repeated stories of “the farm” in Jefferson, NY as well as summers in Summit in the Catskill Alps of NY. Both Frank’s parents discussed family history often. Their interest included membership in Wiltwych Chapter of DAR and artifact contributions to the Schoharie Old Stone Fort in the Catskills. Growing up in Gettysburg stoked his own interested in history leading to a degree in History at Bucknell University. These letters are part of a collection that he received after the passing of his father. Those letters were saved by his paternal grandmother, Frank Leona Skidmore and resulted in his first book Dear Leona the courting letters of his grandfather Morris W. Skidmore to his grandmother. Mr. Skidmore is also the author of several pieces on his uncle, a Marine in France during WW1, including Letters from the Dominie in the Schoharie County Historical Society Journal (Vol LXXXII No.2); Carl’s Homecoming in the December 2008 Camaraderie (Journal of the Western Front Association US); Carl Skidmore’s Family Learns of His Death in the May-June 2008 St. Mihiel Trip-Wire Newsletter. Currently in preparation is a book-length study based on correspondence of and about Private Carl Beard Skidmore provisionally titled Dear Momma,Pappa and all: A Voice from the Dead.

Book preview

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