Perhaps the letter from the President of the United States should have been sent to Mary Jane (Poulson) Cunningham. After all, she had more than a passing involvement in circumstances that caused the letter to be written in the first place. Instead -- symbolic of that era -- it was sent to her husband, Alfred V. Cunningham, long-time Nebraska farmer, one-time state legislator, and one of our Galey family ancestors!
"The letter" was a treasured missive send to Cunningham in April of 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, congratulating Cunningham for what the Omaha Daily News called "his family of eight lusty boys." A prominent story about that letter and the Cunningham family -- replete with photographs but a rather curious headline -- was published by the Daily News (above) and included a copy of Roosevelt's letter and his autographed picture.
Cunningham was quoted as saying that there "wasn't money enough in this broad land" to buy that letter or photograph from him.
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| Mary Cunningham |
Interestingly, A.V. Cunningham and his wife Mary were just 39 years old when he received the letter commending them on their family of eight boys. Roosevelt -- the youngest man to ever serve as a U.S. President -- had six children by the time he was 39 years old. He had become president in 1901 at just 42 years of age. Those were prolific times.
Alfred Vlandingham Cunningham's father -- James Cunningham -- came from Canada to the United States and married Caroline Stumph in 1858 at Circleville, Ohio. They moved to the Bloomington, Illinois, area, where Alfred was born in June of 1864. Afred's four sisters and one brother were also born in Illinois.
Alfred married Mary Jane Poulson in November of 1885 at Onarga, Illinois, where there first boys, Rayburn and Clarence were born. In November of 1888 the family relocated to Adams County in central Nebraska, later moving to the Trumbull vicinity of Hamilton County where Alfred continued to pursue farming. He was also active in the Masonic Order. There's also some evidence that he dabbled in the insurance business.
While the treasured 1903 letter from President Roosevelt referred to a family of eight Cunningham boys, there were in fact 10 boys. Two of them died in infancy. Those who grew to adulthood included Rayburn, Clarence, Lawson, Russell, Everett, Wayne, Clem, and Doyle.
A staunch Republican, "A.V." was elected to two terms in the Nebraska legislature -- in 1902 and again in 1904. He, his wife, and four younger sons moved to a farm north of Lodgepole, Nebraska, a few years later. Following a family holiday gathering at Christmas time in 1913, Alfred Cunningham died. He was 49 years old.
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| A.V. Cunningham |
"Mr. Cunningham had arisen and built the kitchen fire, and as he stooped over to lace his shoes, was stricken with apoplexy," reported the Sidney Telegraph on January 3rd, 1914.
"Medical help was secured as soon as the bad roads permitted, but the gentleman expired at twelve fifteen, about five hours after the stroke."
Mary Cunningham lived many years beyond her husband; she died on June 10, 1937 in Iliff, Colorado. Both of them are buried in Hastings, Nebraska. Among their many surviving grandchildren was Eva (Cunningham) Galey; hence, the linkage to Galey Family Archives.
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