Peelle
Nellie
1894 – 1982
Nellie Peelle, second daughter of William J. and Matilda (Jury) Peelle, was born Eleanor Peelle, but she disliked that name and no records have been found with her actual given name.
Nellie was born at the family home west of Hiattville in 1894. She lived in southeast Kansas her entire life moving around the area with her parents and grandparents before finally settling at the Homeplace.
Courtship
Nellie and Joe McCracken started a courtship. Sometimes that meant going to local gatherings and other times they simply sent post cards and letters. Of course, nothing personal was ever said on a postcard because the postmaster, family, and anyone else that saw it would likely read the message.
The letters, on the other hand, show a blossoming relationship and strong affection for each other. Soon, Nellie had multiple photographs of Joe, including one that she wore in a locket. She very much cherished the photos, especially when he was working away during harvest.
Marriage
In March 1913, Joe and Nellie married and soon began a seemingly every-growing family. They lived for a time in Crawford County, but Joe and Nellie soon returned to the Homeplace, where they lived for many years.
The House on Pine
After Joe died, Nellie continued to live in Fort Scott. She lived for a time in a tiny house on Pine. The house sat down below street level with an iron railing along the sidewalk. To take something to the house meant carrying it down a long flight of concrete stairs. This included her wash as she had no washer and dryer in the home. Instead, clothes were carried a block or so to a laundromat, washed, and carried back.
Crawford Street
She then moved to Crawford Street. Her sister Lydia had lived in this house before she died. The house was significantly bigger and required a lot fewer steps to get in and out of the house. Her brother Pat lived with her for a period of time. After he had died and she was no longer able to live alone, she returned to the Homeplace and made her home with her son Dewey and his wife.
Nellie died in March 1982. She was the mother of 11 children and 18 grandchildren.