GRANDMA’S HANDS

A postcard that Louie and Leon sent to Mrs. Emma Weakley in Battle Creek, Michigan, shows a photo of Main Street in Safford, Arizona. Old automobiles are seen parked along it. The color postcard is dated December 16, 1955, and was stamped in Safford. A short note on it without correction reads as follows,

“Dear Grandma,

Hope you are OK. We are on our way to Centralia Washington (State) to visit Leons sister whom we have not seen in 9 years. We stopped here to visit friends for a day or so. The sun is shining & its warm. No fire. Love to all & Merry Xmas. Louie & Leon”

Safford, Arizona, is located in Graham County in the southeastern part of the state. The city’s history dates back to the late 19th century, when the fertile Gila Valley attracted settlers seeking farmland and opportunity. The first permanent Anglo-American settlers arrived in the area around 1873, following earlier Native American habitation, primarily by the Apache people.

The town was officially founded in 1874 and named after Anson P.K. Safford, the third governor of the Arizona Territory. Safford served as a hub for agriculture, thanks to irrigation projects that supported cotton, alfalfa, and other crops. The arrival of the railroad in the 1890s further spurred economic growth and helped connect Safford to larger markets across Arizona and beyond.

Mining also played an important role in the region’s development, with nearby copper mines, especially in the Clifton-Morenci area, drawing workers and their families. Throughout the 20th century, Safford continued to serve as the commercial and governmental center of Graham County, and today it remains known for its agricultural production, small-town charm, and proximity to scenic attractions such as Mount Graham and the Gila River.

Emma I. Taylor was born January 4, 1868. She married James Weakley on January 12, 1886, at 18 years of age. Emma and James were married for 57 years before he died on March 18, 1943. James was 77.

Mrs. Emma Weakley was a very religious woman and played piano and organ in her church for almost 40 years. She died at the age of 98 on June 13, 1963. Emma Weakley was blessed by having so many family members. Mrs. Weakley’s well-written obituary sums her long life up best in so many words.

“Mrs. James A. (Emma) Weakley, 98, believed to be the oldest member of the Seventh-day Tabernacle here, died Sunday morning at a local hospital where she had been a patient for 3 years.

She had been a Battle Creek resident at 66 Massachusetts Ave., and an area resident since 1920, when she and her husband moved to a farm on Route 1, Fulton, from Lexington, Illinois.

Mrs. Weakley was born January 4, 1868, in Clarksville, Illinois, the daughter of William and Matilda (Youngs) Taylor. She and Mr. Weakley were married in Lexington on January 12, 1886. He died on March 18, 1943, and Mrs. Weakley came to Battle Creek to live with her son, Robert.

She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Charles (Eva) Munster of 27 Cliff St., and Mrs. Charles (Creta) Herr of Berrien Springs; four sons, Ernest of Marshall, Russell of Athens, Robert of 66 Massachusetts Ave., and Michael of 124 Leonard Drive; 21 grandchildren, 53 great–grandchildren, and 23 great-great-grandchildren.”

I didn’t find any flamboyant or earth-shaking information on Louie and Leon, other than Louie being a seldom-used first name for a gal. Louie is also a nickname for Louise, which stumped me for some time. Having no last name to go on, I spent hours trying to put this piece of the puzzle together. Things finally clicked.

Leon Rothwell Weakley was born in Virginia on May 19, 1924. He married Annie Louise “Louie” Melton on November 24, 1946. Leon passed away on January 13, 1990, while his wife, Louie, died on December 10, 2004. Leon was a blood relative of Margaret Emma Weakley, being one of her 21 grandchildren.

I’m sure if Emma Weakley had anything to say about the postcard held in her wrinkled hands, the 90-year-old woman would’ve questioned why Louie took Christ out of Christmas by writing Merry Xmas. That was highly frowned upon by Christians back then—and still is today.