About

Until recently, as far as anyone in my family knew, there were only two remaining copies of this autobiography. All others had been lost over the years. What my family has always called “The Red Book” has been a protected family heirloom for generations. It is one of our most treasured links to our family’s past and tells the story of how we became Americans.

My grandmother, Cynthia Ann (Timmons) Carpenter (1912-1998), and her sister Emily Clarin Wykkel (1905-2010), passed down their copies of The Red Book to Thomas Asa Carpenter, my father, and Sally Wykkel. It is from Sally’s book that I have made this updated edition. With their help, I have set about to reprint my great, great, great grandmother’s autobiography. Through their efforts, our family’s heritage and the story of Mrs. Ellen S. O’Bannon will live on. It is also our hope that with these newly printed copies and by publishing her story online, others may find a meaningful connection to the past.

In the margins, I have added some photos not printed in the original Red Book. These were included to give some context to the story. During my research I also discovered there are five more copies of this autobiography. To my knowledge, they are held at the following libraries:

Asbury Theological Seminary
Wilmore, KY

Miami University Libraries, King Library
Oxford, OH

Columbus Metropolitan Library
Columbus, OH

Ohio Historical Society
Columbus, OH

Drew University Library, Rose Memorial Library
Madison, NJ

It seems fitting to end this update with the following quote; for surely if you are reading this, she has not been forgotten.

“And so my old friends have nearly all passed away one by one to the life beyond, and others come and take their places, and they are soon forgotten, save in the hearts of those who loved them, and the world goes on as if they had never lived in it. That is one of the saddest thoughts to me—to be forgotten.”

–Mrs. Ellen S. O’Bannon, 1907

Timothy David Carpenter
San Francisco, CA, 2012

If you have questions or have additional information about Ellen S. O’Bannon, please contact me.