My Grandmother - Mattie Mae Bonham

Written by Hugh Bonham.. her brother

Mattie Mae Bonham was born March 27, 1883 in Luzerne County Pennsylvania. She was next to the youngest child of grandfather's second wife, Frances Ann Wagner. She was born in the old house. Her parents built a new eight room house and moved into it when she was a baby, where they resided until 1889. When they bought a house and lot in te small mining town of West Nauticoke. On August 9, 1890 here mother passed away. Mae was nine at the time and her grief was intense. I don't think that time ever really healed that wound. In January 1891 the family moved back to the country. The farm was leased, so they moved on a farm near by for one year and then moved back on the home place. Having trouble with her eyes, she was unable to attend school until she was ten years of age. She used to stay in a darkened room and play with her dolls and never complained, but it did worry her because she could not go to school. When she was nine years old father sent her to Philadelphia to the Will's Eye Hospital and her eyes improved but were not so good after she was home, but she was treated by a specialist and obtained help and started to school when she was ten years of age. She worked very hard and soon caught up with the girls of her age. She graduated from Wilkes-Barre High School, June 14, 1901, when she was seventeen years old. The spring she graduated from high school there was a small pox epidemic. She came home to stay a week and make her graduation dress and was vaccinated. Her arm was so swollen the night of the exercise that she had to rip the sleeve of her dress open to get it on and she was so sick she nearly fainted.

She took the Teacher's Normal Course at Bloowsburg, Pennsylvania attending two spring terms in two years, an ordinarily three year course and graduated in 1904.

She loved music and studied both vocal and instrumental music. She taught one year of school in the Grammar Grade at Prichard and one year Primary Grade in Shickshinny, Pennsylvania.

In 1906 she decided to see the West. She secured a principalship of the Grammar School in Sheldon, Minnesota. She with a few of her girl friends taught school there. While there she took measles and never regained her usual good health.

While in Minnesota she met Louis Charles Selleneit. They were married in Denver, Colorado, 26 May 1908. They lived on a ranch in Boyero, Colorado and were blessed with two children, Francis and Paul. She taught school there after they were born. Later because of health problems they sold the farm and cattle and soon after they came to Harrisville, Utah. Mae passed away the following year on 3 Apr, 1914.