Margaret Alice Gilfoil was born May 14, 1874; died Feb 24, 1966 and is buried in the Confederate Cemetery at Vicksburg, MS with the Sisters of Mercy. She was the first child of Aunt Kate Selser Currie Gilfoil and James H. Gilfoil ("Granddad") to survive infancy. Eight of her siblings died before she was born, none reaching more than 5 weeks of age.
To us she was known as Cousin Alice. My father and I went to visit her at the convent in Vicksburg when I was a teenager. She must have been about eighty years old. I remember writing a poem about her when I got back home to West Baton Rouge Parish. If I can find it, I will put it on this page.
To others, she was known as Sister Scholastica.
See a copy of her notes on: the Selser Family
A copy of a letter follows which she wrote to my grandfather, William Cromartie Currie, Sr. ("Crumps") just before he died in 1957 in Tucson, Arizona.
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(page 1)
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Box 127
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Vicksburg, Miss.
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June28,'57 (1957)
Dear Crumps,
�����Of course I could read
your letter. I knew your
teaching had ended, that you
were back in Baton Rouge,
or on your way there, and of
course I don't know the B
address. I was indeed surprised
that you did not know of
Brother Will's going (on Ash
Wednesday, Mch 6). Were it not
for my almost insane fear
of judgement, I'd be mighty glad
to go too. Why I've always been such
a coward about it, I do not know.
Grandmother wasn't Dad wasn't
nor Mamma. I think Brother
Will was glad to go. Truly, I'm glad
you can receive Our Lord every.
After all, spiritual values are all
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all that really count. I want to con-
gratulate you too on the way W.C.
has turned out. Under God, and
his parents prayers, it must
be largely due to the good woman
he married.
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Pilcher divorced his wife
is "tied up" Baptist ministers
officiating with a woman who
discarded her husband. Edna
taught her children this was
all right. Helen is Mrs. Tom
Davis, but there is a real Mrs.
Davis, and two children in
College. God grant Grandmother,
Dad, Mamma and others who
have gone before can persuade
God to straighten these messes
out before it is too late.
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Spent Wednesday mostly on
the road. Annie Rose (Wyly) Jim
Henry's wife sent her station
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(page3)
wagon and Mr. Will Wyly's "jackobum," (?)
black as the ace of spades, named
Theodore, for Sr. M. Paula and me
We went by the cemetery, where
Brother was buried next Mary Kate
and the "Judge" and the "Supreme
Court" rest at the opposite side
of the lot. Next stop, Rosa's lovely
little home, and utterly helpless
husband, who, though unable to
speak, yet seemed to know us.
Those Riley girls are remarkable
women. Next, we went to Coral(?)
where the little Tallulah hospital
queerest looking thing I ever
saw on the outside - is almost
in her front yard. They are get-
ting up a centennial for Tallulah
to be held in August, and the men
are supposed to grow beards - Her
description of the "frights", not
discounting Field, - is unique
She was terribly worried because
her son Field had just begun
to work, out in the Gulf on an
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(page 4)
"oil drag" or whatever you call
the apparatus for putting up
or servicing off shore wells.
She couldn't get in touch with
him, but I feel he must be
safe, or we should have heard
We stopped too, at Elizabeth's
Little Betty and her tribe, hus-
band and six kids, are there.
Her youngest, by disobeying
and trying to walk up a wet
slide, had fallen and broken
her arm, but it didn't seem
to give her much trouble
We dined with A.R. in L.P.
and later supped with Pilcher
and he brought us back himself.
Suzanne, Alice's daughter 19
and rather handsome, looks (?)
Bert, coming along.
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Pray that George won't do the
fool thing some of the others
have done. His wife has been Mrs. Murphy(?)
for some time. God bless you. Love to Sallie
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Derabedlis (?)����Cousin Alice
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(A copy of this letter was provided by Leta Currie Marshall)
Sisters of Mercy
Vicksburg
Saturday, July 7, 1956
Dear Albert,
Thursday I spent in Lake Providence and James Henry G. III, my nephew, gave me
your letter, thinking I might know a little more about our Currie ancestors than
he does. His daddy, the "Jim" you knew, at least I suppose you are the one of
Uncle Abe's children spent the night there some years ago, died between 10 and
11 years ago. Your Grandmother, a Miss Whitaker, from somewhere around Sharon,
Miss. I think had about five children but only Uncle Abe, the eldest, and Aunt
Tee, or Auntie, the youngest, survived. She was named Huldah Amanda Devine Currie.
The Devine was because her mother's sister, or one of them, married a Dr. Devine
in Sharon. A son, also Dr. Devine, married a Miss Spann and they lived in East
Carroll. Later, his father, a widower, married his wife's mother.
I never knew the older doctor, but the elder Mrs. Devine, a second time a widow,
lived for some time with her daughter. Your cousin died many years ago, leaving
no heirs.
(to be continued ... Cousin Pat 8/20/01)
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