Letter from Ruby Flinn Petrie to
Effie-Dean Rogan Giles
January 16, 1950

2001 N.W. 16th St.
Oklahoma City, Okla.

January 16, 1950

Dear Effie Dean:

Aunt Annie has probably told you, she may get some money from the unclaimed estate of Grandpa Flinn’s nephew, Will Flinn₁ who died in San Diego, Calif. a year or more ago. Mr. John H. Love from Park Ridge, Illinois, a genealogist, and belonging to a firm whose business is genealogy and unclaimed estates wrote me for information concerning the "Dr. John Carroll Flinn family". He wanted the addresses of the living children especially, and the address of Cousin Felix Flinn who lives in Steele, Mo.

I sent him the addresses and almost at once here he came. He had been to Colorado Springs to see Cousin Jennie Walton, to Steele, Mo., and down to see Aunt Annie and Aunt Maggie, and to Amarillo to see Uncle Pat. He came from there to see me to get all the information I, and for the loan of an old family Bible Cousin Felix had given me — with names and dates of Grandpa’s father, mother, brothers and sisters in it. I loaned it to him; also pictures of our great—grandfather and of the father and mother of this nephew. This Bible was printed in 1829 and is in good condition.

This nephew who died in California has no living brothers, sister, nieces or nephews. Next in line came his cousins, only the living ones are eligible to the estate which is $8,000.00 now held by the State of California.

Mr. Love told me that since I had given him so much data, he would be glad to send me copies of the family record if I would send him the names, births and death—dates of my aunts and uncles. That is all we’ll get, but if one had that information compiled and had to pay for it, it would amount to about $50.00.

So, will you please send me the full name of your mother, her birth, death, and marriage dates? Also, Uncle William’s full name? I’ll be glad to send you a copy of the record when I receive it, if’ you want it. Then we can go on from it with our own immediate families.

I have always been interested in genealogy and had quite a bit of the Flinn family given me by my father and Cousin Felix, but have no records of the births of my own uncles and aunts. I wrote to Aunt Annie but she did not remember many. Grandpa was called the "Texas Flinn". He was the first and only one who left the family home in Tenn. for a long time.

I intend to visit Bolivar, Tenn. and the surrounding country (to visit the place where my father and your mother were born), in the near future. Two years ago, I passed within a few miles of the place, but didn’t know it until I had crossed the river arid was in Steele, Mo. and Cousin Felix told me. I’m sorry now that I didn’t take him and go back. He is 80 years old now, and getting feeble.

Do you know Uncle Charlie’s birth-date? I do not have that.

I would love to have you visit me, Effie Dean. It isn’t far and we do have a nice city.

Thanking you most sincerely for any information you can give me, I am,

Your Cousin

Ruby Flinn Petrie

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or on to Dr. John C. Flinn and Susan McGuire life during the Civil War, or FLINN surnames