Martin & Zelda Capehart Genealogy Website

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Letter from J. S. & M. E. Griffith to Uncle Elza Hickey in Edgar Co., Illinois

Earlham, Iowa

April the 28th 1870

Dear uncle tis with pleasure that we drop these fiew lines to let yo no that we all well at present. Hope this may find you all well. we are having nice wether here. farmers is Planting corn. money is scarse here. our town is stil improving. we have a good school here Lorra is goin to school. I will send you a bil of our school. i am staying in the store a bought half of my time and hant the other half. so I am busy all the time. make a heep of money but it takes a heep to keep us an I am laying up sum money. i hant paid for my lot yet. i want to pay for it this fauld. Well uncle I would like to be back there a little while to see the folks an talk old times over but that we cant bee now but if not here I hope we will meet in that good world. Mr. Cox returned money thanks for your information about

the corn sheler.

Well we sill send sum pictures in this letter for the family an I would like to have the remander of the family in returne. we have got gran maws but we would like to have more.

Wll I must close by saing plese write.

So good by from

J. S. an M. E. griffith

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Letter from J S and M E Griffith to Aunt Caroline Hickey in Edgar Co., Illinois

Fillmore Co., Neb

January the 23 1871

Dear Aunt once more we drop you a fieu lines to let yo no that we are all well & hope this will find yo all well. This is our seckent letter to yo without an ancer and we have roat to E B and to John & Emma and havnt got eney ancer yet so we thought that we would wright one more se if that new house had a got a (lore?) corsponding with a sod house.

it may bee much nicer than a sod house but it hant eny warmer than our sod house.

our children has ben bare foot this winter and they have been as well as they ever was.

We have had potatoes in the hous all winter and there hant one of them frose.

Well we have another boy and we call him (Cal? La?) (this may be their son Calvin). He has got dark hair and blew eyes and he is 2 monthes old.

Well we have had a hard winter here there is plenty of snow yet. We are a having a grad bit harder here than we did in Earlham but we live in hopes that when we get our farm broke out that we can have plenty and to spare. We are well sadesfied with the cuntery. The folks is all well. henry is staying at fathers and we ges yo no where Sarah is. Well (Lissa?) has been washing today and she has gonto bed. Will & Stan is in bed (Leores?) Lorra and myself up.

Well we would like to here from yo if we cant get to com an see yo. Wel nomore at this time pleas ancer and let us no what the mater is if we have dun eny thing rong we will make it rite. Our love to all. the

children talkes a grad bit about aunt bine & gran ma an Uncle Elza we hope that the time will come when

we will get to see each other if not in this world that we may bee prepared to meet in the world where we

will part no more.

From J. S. & M. E. griffith

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Letter #14 from Levann Stanley Barnett to Aunt Caroline Hickey

June the 2 1872

Sunday Evening

Dear Ant it is with the greatest of pleasure that I seat myself once more to write you a fiew lines to let you

no that we are all well at present-hoping those fiew lines to finde you all the same. ther was a meeting at

our house today. well bina I will tell you about our garden and corn and things we have got plenty of

lettes and redishes and peas in bloom and plenty of beans acoming on and beats and we have got 25

akers of corn planted and a big hatch of potatoes we have got a fiew yong chickens and also a slut that

got a fine litter of pups a three sows that is a going to have pigs we git a bucket fool of milk at a milken

and make plenty a butter to do us. Sarah and the children got home safe. *perlina found her better

half in nebraskey but I don’t think I can I think that Jane will leave me to dance in the hog troft-for she is setting up every Sunday night evry thing looks prospering this spring things is all agoing so nice and evry

boddy has got so much planted. perlina and hers has moved to them selves. Jessie folks is all well I

am at henrys and today and he is a getting a mess a greens cooked for his dinner. tell granmother she

donet no how bad I do want to see her and I would like to see you all I want to no wether emma has got

her other air or not and if she has I want to no what it is and tell her to write to me for I wrote to her over a

year ago and never received an ancer yet – and I would like to have all of yore pictures I would like to

bee back there helping you or do yore work in yore new house henry set to tell you that he don’t got

quite all of that hundred akers of corn in yet-but he would soon have forty akers of it-in well I will bring

my letter to a close for this time so no more write soon

Levann Stanley to bina hickey

tell uncle Elza that pop thinks he has forsaken him he hasent got a letter for so long

write soon

*My note: I think this refers to Perlina's marriage to Benjamin Franklin Morgan

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Letter #19 from Perlina and Ben Morgan(written by Ben) to Aunt Caroline Hickey

Dear Aunt

Perlina set me to scratching a few line to yo to tell all was well at present as far as we knowand

hoping these few lines may find yo the same. it is cold here know we had a storm yesterday snow blod

pretty smart but is calm this morning. *Perlina sais to tell yo She has the prettyest boy in

Newbraskey and the helthyest crys that yo ever herd. the boy was too weaks old yesterday and

she sets with him in her lap the most of the time looking at him. We would like to sea yo all. we

have bin burning corn all winter wood is to holl thirty mils when it is hald. Pops and Gessies hald at the

wood they burnt thirty mils. I did not get to hal til it got too cold to camp out and se we had to go it on

corn. We will have corn enough do do us till corn groes again. We are going it on corn bread and will

have to do it till harvest and may be longer but I hope not. right soon if yo think it worthy of an answer.

Uncle Elza corn has been twenty ct hogs seven and eight ct. they have al got hogs but we know we want

to git some hogs this spring. Excuse this scratching and bad spelling

Perlina and Ben Morgan

We have got a hoak of oxen and dzen chickens and a ruster and forty achers of ground broak for next

years crop.

*My note: I think maybe the baby was Martin E. and that he was the oldest child. I doubt if she'd have time to sit with him in her lap and look at him if she had another child.

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Letter from Sara & Salathiel Stanley to Uncle Elza B Hickey

Glingary Fillmor Co Nebraska

December the 16 1873

Der brother I reseved your kind leter on the 14 and was glad to her from you. We are all well at present

but myself. I hav had a ver bad cold and I was very sick for a while but I am bout well agan. We have

had a vere nis fol her until December it did comened snoen and it has bin sno on the ground ever since

about 4 inches but it is vere nis winter wether her. I rote in my other leter that *Perlina baby was sick

and vere bad he died on the 18th day of November and Jese had another girl. Lizze was vere bad

she had fits her baby was born the 6 of December We had to go about 14 miles after a doctor. He was a

vere good doctor as good as onilly ther are. from the type we started after him he was at Jese tha rod

down four houses she is agiten along fin her and the baby. Jane was mared the 25 November on tusday

at 11 oclock and went right home the sam day tha liv about 5 mil from us. We can see thar plas.

She mared a man by the name of John bechtil henry and Sarah went down to Barnett tha liv in the house

with us he is taken of byan ralerod land tha giv tin yer to pay for it.

Well we kild a hog the other tha wad four hundred and we have got two to kill yet. We have plenty of met

this winter and milk and butter and wheat bread We have plenty of everything but clos but I think we will

git along and hav plenty after ( ?) when we get Sum mor land broke out I think we will so twenty acer in

whete we ar giten along beter thin we ever did in Illinois. I think that if you could com out and see this

cuntry you would sel your place and com out her. We have two hundred pech trees and twelve apl trea

and about fiv hundred trees in grove and planted them walnut. I never seen a cuntry improve like this in

my lif it is setel up ver fas. Well you wante to no if we had ene

(lyrang?)in your(our) country we hav them plenty all around us right clos. tha think is is a grat thing her. I

think we will hav on in your (our) naberhood. Well this is a nis day (?)

write sun we like to her from you from S. Stanley to

E. B. hickey tel John that I think it about tyme I was agiten a leter from him.

*My note: the 18th day of November is the same month and day that is on Martin E. Morgan's tombstone. However the year on the tombstone is 1874 and the date of this letter is 1873. This is another reason I think maybe Martin was their oldest child and the date on the tombstone is wrong. This would likely make their son, Charley Huron born 1874 instead of 1873.

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Fillmore Co. Nebraska

Glengary January 7 1875

De brother I reseved your kind leter yesterday evening and was glad to her from you that you was well as comen it is purtey cold her now and has bin for fifteen or sixteen day but not half as cold as it has bin

yother winter. Well you wanted to no about them goods i will tel you all about them the box was bound at

eatch end with iron straps the box was as ful as it could bee packed it was about three feet and half long

14 inches deep at one end and 13 at the other and sixteen inches wid the apel was all right as you sad 1

quilt 1 flanen dress patren 1 per panty 1 vest ( ?) 1 pear of piler slips 1 par of socks 1 par stockings 4

skans of yarn 1 par of boots 1 spool brown thread 1 apron 1 shim(n)y 1 apteren 1 bonet 1 thinble 1

darneedle 2 handchief as mal: pake of peaches 2 res pines a paper 6 nedles. thesis the mount of goods

we reseved. the box came to Exetor on the 15 and we got it on the 18 and it was well bound when we got

it. the frat was four dollar and fourty cens on them. you wanted to no wheat is worth her it is 50 to 55.

corn ther is now only as it is shiped in I herd that cod bee lot for 60 cence wheat is vere cars her ther is

a full(b)ige farmer that has got sum to sel ther hant wheat anuf in fillmore co. to half see the ground

that is rede to so in the spring. we sent you(our) las wheat to mil the other day and it was only six bushel

and not hors feed onle hay we can git along our self for a whiel yet. about the frat I undersand that the

railrod compene shipe corn for 13 cence per bushel and gote the agent tha dont know enething about it.

Eles Barnett sent sum corn to me from Iowa throu the ade society and it hant got her yet and I don’t no

that it will. Well i must clos for

this tym we ar all well at this tym. Write sun. S. Stanley to E. B. Hickey

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Letter #15 from Sarah & Salathiel Stanley to Uncle Elza B. Hickey

Glengary fillmor Co Nebraska

february the 10 1875

De brother i take this oprtunity to ancer your kind leter of the 28 that com to hand yesterday and wa glad

to her from you and was glad to reseved that mone that you sent. we ar all well as comin We have had

sum vere cold wether her this winter we have had plente to eat this winter we have bin giten sum flour

from the aid sosity and meet and col that keep us all right onle hors feed that is hard to git her. Morgan

and Bar omahas tha sent me 20 bushel of corn and tha stoped it thar and we never got a bit of it tha ar

agoin to send mee sum sead corn you wanted to no about my pinshen I git it avere 3 month onley four

doler a month it has bin cut down sence I com out her. Josih bored 40 bushel of wheat for seed until

after haroes. he give sixety bushel then at 40. you sayd that the granger was a gont to sumthings tha

sent sum clothing to the granger her and tha say tha ar ashamd of them tha ar so badle wor out the

grang is giten vere weake her tha ar giten discurig tha sent 1 sack of meel 615 granger.

Minerva is at hom today and she is a goento send sum of her litel boys hair to mother. tyme is pert hard

her but we ar giten along thro the winter beter than ixpicted. We had to take 10 bushel of your seed

wheat and git it chopped for our horses but i think we will ulong all right the quaker will tak car of Jesse

i think all right write sun and let us hear

from you often normor at present but remain you trule

S Stanley to E B hickey

we woul like to see you all

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Letter #18 from Amanda Della Crom to her Aunt Caroline Hickey

Dudley Fillmore Co. Neb March the 19th 1876

Dear Aunt I received your most welcome letter yesterday. I was glad to hear from you. we are well but

ma is very poorly and Sam is very sick he has got the consumption he may live 3 days and he may live

one week the doctor say he cant live longer. manerva has got a cattark in her head and almost blind in

one eye. ma ant been out of doors but once this winter the weather is tolerable good now we got a letter

from Joe. He was at Washington

territory at Ellis Barnetts brothers and going from there to British Columbia he said he had been all over

the world almost. Jane was home last Sunday and John preached at the Bethel church. it is on pas

place about eighty rod there is about 100 members belongs. there was a woman died of the consumption

the first day of march she lived right by us ever since we have been out here. she died a shouting I was

there and they played the

organ at the church the day of the funeral. John Bechtel brother died the (?) of March. Jane and me was

at the house all day the day before he died. He had the heart disease and he had typhoid fever. Laura

Bechtel has got another boy 10 pounds his name is Howard Elvin and Janes boy name is Albert Cyrus

and my girls name is (Sera?) Jane. Roy is halling a house for pa that he bought. he finished thrashing

yesterday. we are looking for another one of our neighbor women to die with dropsy and a man that lives

close is very sick. there was a man that lives close to Ben morgan dropped dead between the house and

stable. henry has broke up house keeping and levann took the bay and two little boys and Jane took

olive and ma took ada and minty and carrie is working out. minty gets 200 a week carrie 150. orie is

reading on the paper that I am writing on. manerva gave us a little dog about as big as a rat he calls him

fido. I will send you a peace of my new dress Jane got for me a present and some of my boys hair. i

would sent some of (Lenis) hair but she is bald headed. She ahs two teeth I am going to meeting to the Evangelist. I washed and ironed yesterday i have ten to wash for now. henry is going west with Allens

to get himself some land. is Manda Allen dead we heard she was and is old miss night dead i was over to

sams yesterday. pa wants to know if uncle elza has took them papers up to pernell and doctor mills to

sign the papers that doctored him before he went in to the army. he ahs to state what far condition he

was in before he went in to the army and after he came

out. purnell knows he had the rheumatism before he went in to battle. uncle tell them they will have to

state that as near as they can on papers and see about it as soon as you can. I msut go and set (?) and

make some (vinegar?). Write soon and often I must close.

Amande Crom

write soon

good bye

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Letter #16 from Josiah Stanley to Uncle Elza Hickey

Glengary Nebraska

April 4 1877 E B Hickey

Dear Uncle and friends I seat myself for the purpes of writing you a few lines I received your kind and

welcom letter the 30 was glad to here from you and to here that you was well but sorry to here that

grandmaw was sick. This may inform you that we are well except bad colds. We are a having verry nice weather out here mostly threw seading. I sowed 40 akers of wheat 10 of barley and of oats will so 60 for

corn. the grass is growing the grasshoppers eggs are a hatching out but we are a going to put in a corp &

try it. Rev. Samuel Raines has got a Vermilion county ILLs. thare is a great deal of sicknes at presant

thare has been several deaths this winter thare is graveyard on pops place about 35 buried there. Wheat

is wroth 125 per bu corn is worth 20 oats 30 potatoes 50 hays 475. If I get a good crop this year I will

come out all rite I think thare will bee a good crop. please write soon and tel us how you are a getting a

long. I received a letter from Sanuel Blair yesterday Love to all from Josiah Stanely to E B Hickey

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Letter from Josiah Stanley to Aunt Caroline Hickey

Glengary Nebraska

April the 15 1877

Dear Aunt and Relation

I seat myself for the purpose of writing you that we are all well at present and hope when this comes to

hand it will find you well. Jesse and Lizzie is at our house today this is Sunday we had Sunday school

consirt last night.I was one of the singers. It was a grand success. We are a having verry nice weather

out here I have got my crop all put in I wash that you wold all come out this fall. Jane and her man is a

going to start to Oregon in about 4 days and I think that I will go out there this fall if nothing happens.

Now Aunt I would lik for you to ansuer this if you can. hopping to here from you soon. I will close good by from Josiah Stanley to his Aunt Caroline hickey

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Letter from Josiah to Uncle Elza Hickey

October 14 1877

Well Uncle I thought taht I would ansuer your letter that came to hand some time ago. We are all well as common. We had a heavy rain yesterday. It has been so dry until yesterday that we couldn't plow but the ground is wet now. Well I had 3000 10 bushels of wheat and will have 100 of corn. I have got me 80

acres of land it is worth 500 dollars.

I am pretty hard up at present for (stamps?). If I could borrow 50 dollars in cash it wold help me out. I

have to pay 50 dollars on my harvester and I don't know how to get it. You will confear a greate favor if

you can accommodate me with that much money. Well it is Sunday evening and I must quit and to and

see my girl. Why don't Elza and Samy write to me. please write soon

Love to all

Josiah Stanley

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Letter #23 to Elza Hickey from friend A P England

Illiopolis Dec 13th ' 77

Mr Hickey

Much respected friend. Received yours of the (4 2nst?) - was called away a bout that time to Logan

Co. on business returned home yesterday my brother and family came home with me - Soon after we got

home my niece a young lady took sudenly ill with some thing like a sinking chill - I sent imediately the Dr

- we had all we could do to save her - she is much better this morning she thinks if she still keeps on

mending she will be able to return home Saturday next - I am in hopes that this will reach in time so you

can make the contemplated visit Saturday If convenien and you desire to do so it will be all right

this is the first opertunity I have had to write since got home - my family ar all tolerabel wel the

children ar in school - Mr Langhan is laid up with a sprained ancle caused from jumping from a wagon

My brother and son returns home today

Ware having butifol wether - I was very sorry to hear that mollie was sick hope she is well by this time

- In hopes this will finde yours self and friends quite well - will close until here from you a gain - with

kindest regards. A p England

Dec the 15 Respected friend I did not get through writing until after the train had passed. So opened my

letter this morning to tell you that my niece had an other nerves attact and has been quite poorly ever

since until this morning she is feeling better thinks she will be able to return home by the middle of next

week this of cours will not reach in time for you to come here this week which I regret very much - hope

you will not take any offense but will come when most convenient to your self

with kindest regardes

will close

A P England

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Letter #25 from Arminda? to Elza Hickey

Illiopolis Jan 11th 1878

Dear Friend Elza

Received yours of the 3 inst was much pleased with its contents - In the first place that you arived safely

home and in the second place that you had appeared to give no offence which would have made me feel

very uncomfortable indeade

I am going to make one request that is if you have more than one picture of your mother that you would

let me have one that is if she does not object. I should have made the request when you was here only

for fear that you might not have more than one - I went to Logan the next thursday after you was here. It

turned so very cold that I was detaned several days during that time Jesse England sent down for me to

attend the trial at Decatuer knowed nothing of it until returned: when I cam back Con and Molie was here

the night I got home she had inward convulsions all the latter part of the night she would go off to sleep appearentely and in a few minutes would be convulsed we could hardly get hur awake Cona and I was

up with hur all night - Con was nearly wore out and I should juge for the children told me he was up every

night very near all night while they were there She will be a very great charge to her grandparents if she continues in this distress contdition hur trouble have proved to much for hur endurence. she told me how

much she had suffered at the hands of that dredful woman that she calls mother - a most unatural mother

I should say - I will send you a couple of articles written by her lawer - I cut them from the Sulivan papers

that Franks wife sent me also a reply writen by Franks wife - Sunday evening the 13

I was so near sick when I commenced writing this letter that could not finish at that time the children have

all gone to bed early which is quite an un common occurence for them - the boys went to Logan

yesterday came home this evening so retired early Reports all well except Mr. Bowman he is

considerable afflicted with rheumatism Mrs. Vaughn was quite disapointed they had expected us to call

on them Sunday evening Jam-? had told hur that we were a coming - they ar quite wel

The Murphy Moovement is making quite a stir here almost every body are wearing the blue Ribbond

I ever remember you in my prairs also that aged mother

with kind regards

will close for the present

Amanda

pleas excuse mistakes

and bad writing