Cammie Elizabeth Atkison (1893 - 1983)

Born 12 May 1893 in Durant, Bryan, Oklahoma, USA

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 8 Jan 1983 at age 89 in Kerrville, Kerr, Texas, USA

Biography

Cammie Atkison was my mother's older sister, my "Aunt Cammie". This is what I know about her.

Cammie attended public schools in Durant OK. She appears in a student group photograph (~1913) at Southeastern Normal School (Now Southeastern Oklahoma State University) in Durant OK. Later she attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman OK.

Cammie met Winfred A. Salter, who was to become her husband, at the University of Oklahoma ~1915. The were married in 1919 after he returned from service in WWI. I think they were married in Durant OK, but I have no documentary evidence.

I don't know what she may have done in the period 1915-19. Her obit (below) says she worked as a school teacher, perhaps in Durant.

Cammie and her husband located Kerrville TX where their son Forrest was born in 1920.

In 1924 Winfred Salter and his elder brother Clarence purchased the Kerrville Mountain Sun, a weekly newspaper. They may have been employed by the previous owner prior to this.

The Salter brothers operated the newspaper (possibly with some assistance from Cammie) until both died within a year of each other (Clarence, July 1929 - Winfred, March 1930).

Upon the death of her husband, Cammie assumed the role of editor / publisher of the Kerrville Mountain Sun. She continued in this role until her retirement ~1965. She was a prominent figure in her community and active in the South Texas Press Association.

Though she had a rather negative view of "politics", Cammie was an outspoken supporter of the New Deal. Above her desk at the Mountain Sun, clearly visible from the street, hung a life size portrait of FDR. She was somewhat more restrained in her approval of LBJ, though she was a friend of his wife.

Cammie took an active interest in the education or her nieces and nephews. When needed she provided financial support.

Cammie's views on "race" were typical of Southern women of her generation, though somewhat moderated with age. She warned me ( ~1948) not to touch the guide rails on a department store escalator because "...you don't know what nigger may have touched that..."

Attending the funeral of my father (1972), the last time I saw her, she observed a Black family eating breakfast in the motel coffee shop. She said to me "Butch, I never thought I'd see that. But, on the whole, I think it's better for all of us.".

JDS 05/01/15

Obituary

Mrs. W. A. Salter Kerrville TX, Mountain Sun January 12, 1983

Memorial services were held Monday for Mrs. W. A. Salter, 88 who passed away at the Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital Saturday.

Dr. Richard Ryan and Dr. Sam Junkin officiated at the service in the chapel of the Grimes-Plummer Funeral Chapels. Internment was in the Glen Rest Cemetery at a private service.

She was born May 12, 1894 in Durant, Oklahoma, which was the Indian Territory at that time. She was a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a school teacher until her marriage to W. A. Salter in 1919. They moved to Kerrville in 1921, and upon the death of her husband in 1930, she assumed operation of the family newspaper until the return of her son following World War II.

She was the first woman president of the South Texas Press Association, a long time member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Rainbow, a member of the Kerrville Garden Club, Kerrville Literary Club and First Presbyterian Church and Women of the Church. She was secretary of the Kerr County Chapter of the American Red Cross for over 50 years, an honorary member of the Kerrville Kiwanis Club and the Host Lions Club.

She was a charter ember of the Chamber of Commerce, an honorary member of the Scheriner Ex-students club, TSGRA Auxiliary, AARP and the Kerr County Home Demonstration Clubs. She served on the advisory committee of the Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital when it opened and the Kerrville Municipal Auditorium when it was dedicated as a war memorial.

Survivors include a son, Forrest and a grandson James, both of Kerrville and a "foster " son, Gene Lock of Mountain Home; two sisters, Mrs. D. W. Sneed and Mrs. R. T. Daniels of Oklahoma and five nieces and nephews.

Photo

Squaredance

Cammie Elizaberh Atkison, front and center; son Forrest back, face partially obscured by microphone.

Notes

Family records give birth date as 1893. Social Security has 1894.

She is the author of CEA LETTER 1, "Aunt Sis Atkison Letter", CEA LETTER 2, CEA LETTER 3, CEA LETTER 4 and BELL TREE.

For the connection between LETTER1 and "Aunt Sis Atkison Letter" see SNEED-HAWTHORNE E-MAIL (attached source).

Sources

Smith, 2004

SNEED-HAWTHORNE E-MAIL

To: Fred Hawthorne (Hawthorne-49)

From: Joe Sneed (Sneed-20)

07/14/2004

Fred, in the course of producing an electronic transcription of my version of the "Sis Atkison" letter, I have looked at both versions. Here are some essentially textual observations. Substantive observations will follow in good time.

I am quite confident that the author of the letter is the Cammie Elizabeth Atkison (Atkison-5) . (Mrs Winfred A. Salter,

st of her correspondence (She was a journalist; but more of that later.), but I don't remember her using such a type face. I'm a bit surprised that your version is, as I gather from you comments on the posted version, handwritten. There are a couple of other interesting differences.

First, in my version, the spelling 'Atkinson' appears; in yours it is 'Atkison'. I know (evidence from phone book listings, newspaper clippings) that the latter is common usage in the family. This suggests a transcription by my father (who may have inadvertently used the more common spelling) for my version.

Second, in your version, the word 'guerillas' is misspelled. I think it is unlikely that Aunt C. would make such a mistake. So I wonder how it might have crept in. On the other hand, the word 'sheriff' is misspelled in my version, but not in yours.

I recall seeing my version some time in the 1950's. But, I can not be sure of this; it could have been later. At that time, Aunt C. was in her 60's and still quite active. However, your version suggests she was expecting an eye operation (cataracts?) So, her handwriting may appear to be that of someone with failing eyesight, etc.. Actually, my memory is of a hand written version, which begins in the same way as yours, "This is as much of the family tree...". But, I can not locate such a version.

In making my transcription, I have retained the format of the typescripts I worked from, adding only a bold face for names. I suspect this format may have been imposed by my father in his (likely) transcription. I have retained the spelling, even when there are apparent errors. I have noted these apparent errors / uncertainties in the text with '[?]'. Some proper names left blank in your version are quite clear in my version. Others are less clear. There are some differences, e.g. 'Con Ellis' (yours) vs. 'Don Ellis' (mine) in the sibling list. But, unless indicated by '[?]', I'm pretty, confident of what is in my version...but not necessarily that it is historically accurate. In the case of the example, I am fully confident that my version is accurate. This is my Uncle Don.

CEA LETTER 1

CEA LETTER 2

CEA LETTER 3

Acknowledgements

• This person was created through the import of JDS_09_17_10.ged on 09 February 2011.