Miscellaneous Family Letters
Life Stories

I have copied a letter your Mother (Matilda C Winslow) wrote my daughter in answer to some question. Joyce had written her. The letter is not dated, but the envelope is postmarked June 1948. Either Joyce or I have it safely put away since that time.

I have also copies most of the family record in Mother Bible. There is one date I am sure is wrong. The birthday of George W Hurst is given as 1882. I think it should be 1852. Probably however he married again after our grandmother died in fact he was married twice again. In other words that during his like time he was married to 3 different women. There were some children by these later marriages. But I do not know how many.

When I (Matilda Caroline Hurst) was about nine years or 10 years old, mother and I went to Oklahoma to visit Uncle Frank (Hurst) and Uncle Bob (Hurst). At that time Uncle Frank was living near Elrano and Uncle Bob lived near Yukon, Ok.

While we were there I remember that we spent one whole day with mother, Uncle Bob Thompson. I do not remember much of the day and have only a very vague idea of our host. Mother was quite excited to be able to visit with him. Since we did not have cars in those days. It was not to far for us to make the trip by buggy. I think that Uncle Frank took us. I can remember mostly mother talking of the visit. Great uncle Bob Thompson had four boys. All huge men, 6 foot or more tall and one of them was named Price Thompson for the general under whom his father had served in the Civil War. I have the impression that two of sons were married at the time. And I think one of them was teaching school in the town near which they lived. Sorry I don't remember what it was and am not clearer on details. I played out doors most of the day and did not get in on the visiting inside.

Probably I would not have understood it anyway. Mother talked of her ancestors until we were all a bit board with the subject. Too had we never appreciated the thanks for the chance to put such dates down until it was too late. Uncle Frank and Uncle Bob Hurst are both dead. Uncle Bob boy, Lott Hurst lives in Oklahoma City. He writes mostly a car. But after brother died he wrote quite a long letter. Lott has three brothers. All living as of December 1957. Of the eight children Uncle Frank had there were only three alive at the time Lott wrote. One of them Hazel write. One of them, now Mrs. Ricketts lives in El Reno, Oklahoma and Edwin Hurst lives at Banner, Oklahoma. And that just might be the place where Robert Thompson lived. It is just possible that one of them might know something about their great uncle. Then too, Maud Martin now Maud Schiller lives in St Joseph. Her sister Betty lives in Kansas City. I don't have Betty name or address. But my brother Harry see her occasionally. They might be able to track down something at that end of the line. I understand there is considerable work done genealogy at Kansas City Public Library. I have not investigated. That is one of the many things I was going to do "some day". I am afraid some day won't be quite long enough to get everything done.

You asked my why I don't come to Hastings. Perhaps I might come one those days. However I am rather lame. Have a couple of very unaccommodating knees, so it is hard for me to walk very much. Makes me sort of mad for it. I like to walk and be able to go where I want to, but it is about all I can do to get around the house. Has one advantage, maybe. When it is so hard to walk I can't go shopping except via catalog and I don't know weather that is so economical either.

I don't know weather of this stuff I am sending will be of any help to you or not. From your mother letter and from mother's Bible. Our grandmother Ann Elizabeth Thompson was born in Kentucky, Sept 12, 1826 and Landon and Robert Thompson were born in Missouri within the next few years. For your mother says grandmother was only seven years old when her mother died. Have been meaning to get family records straight if I can. But I am so lazy. If you are down this way you may check on these and see what they are copied correctly. It is interesting to know something of ancestors. I sent it.

In the beginning this family going back a long way - re 1795 A.D. A family named Bagby came from England to settle in the new Country in America. They came some time between the landing of the Mayflower and the outbreak of the revolution war and homesteaded land in Virginia. To them were born a son, Landon Bagby was born to them, my grandfather Bagby, born before the revolution.

This record is about the distance side of our house my father people I knew very little except that my paternal (father side) grandfather (Thomas Hurst) was a Methodist minister as his father before him had been. So I will keep of my mother people and what my great Aunt Matilda Bagby related to me about their trek westward in the early 1830.

Landon Bagby father (John Arthur Bagby, Jr) fought in Revolution War under George Washington. He lived through that dreadful winter at Valley Forge. He was a friend of General LaFayette. He, Landon Bagby, first was my great grandfather. His son, my great grandfather.

He (Landon Bagby) married Nancy Field in Virginia in the year 1818, on the day Queen Victoria was born and on Nancy Field's birthday �(18th). To them while living in Virginia was born 5 children, Robert, Sarah, Jane, Matilda and John Bagby. On her wedding day, Nancy father gave her as a wedding present a black girl servant, just a year younger, then she to be her maid, who was to boss all the black servants and the family as well.

In 1831, they wanted to get better and more land. The trapper and explorers brought fascinating stories of land in Ohio and Kentucky. Land to be had for so little that great grandfather (Landon Bagby), his two brother Richard and Charles. With all their belonging started west. With them came five more neighboring families. The Lynch family, the Pynes, the Saxton, the Carson and Frank Thompson who had married the Bagby oldest daughter, Sarah Jane Bagby, while they lived in Virginia . They brought all their household goods, their blacks slaves, live stock, etc in big covered wagon. They were compelled to ravel slowly for there were few roads, no bridges, just virgin forest with Indian trails. Sometimes they would be compelled to camp for weeks while the blacks cut the trees to make the road passable for the big Conestoga wagon. There was abundance of game deer, wild turkey and plenty of fish in the streams and my Aunt said they had a wonderful time.

After many months they arrived at a little settlement in Kentucky called Crab Orchard. And remained there for a year looking for land and there in Crab Orchard, my great grandmother youngest child was born, names Lucy Evelyn Bagby and my own grandmother Sarah Jane Bagby who married Frank Thompson in Virginia gave birth to my mother, and named her Ann Elizabeth Thompson. The two babies were born within a few days of each other.

Then they resumed their journey west until they arrived at the present site of St Joseph on the Missouri River. There was nothing there except the Indians and his family and their house which was surrounded by stockade, a protection against Indians. West from there all was desert and hostile Indians. No white man had penetrated that far. All the family homesteaded land in Buchanan County except Richard Bagby, he went to Holt County, north of Buchanan and his land is now, I suppose in the town of Mound City, Mo.

You can't imagine how they got along, but they all did well as time went by the first railroad in the state was the Hannibal and St Joe railroad and it was built through Grandpa Thompson land.

Sarah Jane Bagby had two little boys and they were babies and my mother Ann Elizabeth Thompsonwas seven years old when her mother died of typhoid fever.

Afterwards Frank Thompson married Hilda Lynch and three girls were from to them, Mary, Flora and Linda. Sarah Jane little boys were names Robert and Landon (mother sister story and mother).

When my mother (Ann Elizabeth Thompson), mother of Matilda C Hurst, was seventeen she married George Hurst. He was a school teacher born in Chillicothe, Ohio. There were six of us children, Jane Emma (married Ralph Patrick), Alice, Frank, Matilda (married George Adna Winslow 1883 in St Joseph, Mo. They had two sons, John and Frank Winslow. Frank born 1885 and John 1884 in Formosa, Kansas) Robert and the little baby Katy (who died a few months after my mother).

I was too young to remember all that. Now as to people traveling in that early part of our history. Well they had horses, wagons, and later buggies and light wagons. Later still, surrey with the fringe on top. Then my aunt wanted to visit a neighbor, she should bring the old mare to the stall at front gate and put the side saddle on (the sidesaddle had two humps on it) for all the women rode side ways with long riding habits for they must not allow their feet or legs to be seen. The old maire was wise and while I held the bridle my aunt would put the saddle on and start to tighten up the belly band and the maire would take a lone breath and swell up. So my aunt would wait until she exhaled and then tighten up the cinch good. Then she would get on with her right leg over the hump and her left foot in the stirrup and I would climb up behind her and hold on either my arms about her waist and we would be off a visiting.

There was no electricity. We had to use Tallow candles, poured into mold while the tallow was warm and turned out when they were cooled. In the mold when they were cooled in the hall at the foot of the stairway (up the stairs was the bedrooms) was a little table where everyone individual candle sat and we would use a twisted piece of paper called a aquila, lighted at the fireplace to light the candle when we retired.

When I was too little to go upstairs, I slept in a trundle bed in front of the fireplace. Daytime it was made up and rolled under the big four post bed where grandmother and grandfather slept. They had no bed springs. Holes were bored through the side pieces and rope ran thru crisscross, from side to side. Then a tick filled with straw put on and then a big featherbed you could sink into, one would have to get a search warrant to fine you and days in bed were all dressed up in bolster pillows, pillow shame and a wide white raffle all round it to the floor conceal by trundle bed. All the covers were woven of wool but wait I must tell you how they got the wool.

Every family kept sheep and the blacks would sheer the sheep and wash the wool white as snow and then they would card the wool and a carding conception till it would be long soft rolls about as long and large as a finger. Grandmother would have the spinning wheel brought in, she would hold the roll of wool in her left hand and work. The treadle with her foot and the little wheel would spin that into yarn, twist and twist it and another wheel would wind it into, hanker, tie them and then there you were all ready to knit sox or make bed spreads or what have you the yearn would be white so far the spread. Then used aniline weed for a bright blue or red color. All of the sox and stocking were knitted at home. I have seen Aunt Matilda sit down after supper by the fireplace, put on a sock to knit and knit down to the heel before we went to bed and her needles would fly.

There were not ready made things in the store to wear. No, the women made all the clothes we wore. A journey man cobbler would come and bring his tools along and stay at the house till every one of the family had shoes made, enough to last a year and a tailor would do the same thing to make the men suite of the cloth called jeans that would last them a year. And they made the soap, made the lye to make the soap, butchered and salted all the meat, all the lard, raised all their chickens, vegetable, fruit, send the corn to mill for the wheat for flour, made their butter, and apple butter.

Homing, nothing was bought except coffee, tea sugar, and salt. Everything else was made on the farm. We always had such good things to eat for breakfast, ham, cream gravy and hot biscuits or bacon, fried apples, dried apples turnovers. Grandfather had a ten acre apple orchard including cherries, peaches, pears, etc and we always had fresh apples thru winter.

All of grandmother sheet, towels, etc were made of linen from flax grown on the place, and all were home stitched and they would last forever. When the war between the states came along and the blacks were freed, they had to leave and fend for their selves, but the poor things did not know where to go or what to do. Grandfather said they cried and wanted to stay and he had to tell then that he could not keep them unless he paid them in money for their work and he had no money, only land.

So finally the younger ones drifted away, just old Mammy, her husband Charlie and her grandson Ben, they remained. I can remember Mammy saying very decisively, "I ain't going" to let no President of this here United States drive me from my home. I's always been here and dose in my folks before grandfather died. She become so old and helpless that in his will, he decided to deed her a house and lot in St Joseph and he would not leave her helpless and homeless for she had been such a good and faithful servant.

Aunt Matilda was getting old and had enough to do to care for grandmother and she did for she died in her 79 year. When I was ten years old, grandmother become very sick also and they were buried in the family burying ground, just back of the apple orchard. For every family has its own burial place for there were no public cemeteries then.

When I was still a school girl, there were no things except telegraph. I remember the electric light I saw and I was twenty then. Grandfather give the community an acre of land to build a church and a school house. We thought is a very imposing building and each church had their special Sunday to preach. We children had to go to Sunday school and church every Sunday and excuses, unless sickness was considered. And Sunday I had to commit to memory a verse or two of the bible and then sit by grandmother and get my Sunday lesson for the next Sunday. There were on an average of 60 school children and only one teacher in our school. He taught all from their A B C's up to the fifth reader, then we were taught through high school. No college except the two in New England Harvard and Wellesley.

Well, Joyce, I hope you will able to read this and there are so many more interesting things I'd love tell to you. Maybe I could tell it orally instead writing and on looking this over it sounds to me very disconnected. Aunt Matilda told me much of the first time she ever saw a cookstove. She almost laugh her self sick. It looked so funny, you see they baked every thing in Dutch ovens build outside in the back yard. I saw the remains of them there. And they had cranes to hang their cooking kettles on, awing cranes over the fireplace. There was no kitchen, the cooking was all done by the black women in Mammy cabin and carried in covered dished to the big house to the dining room. They had no screen and during meals a little black boy waved a big, long bunch of peacock feathers over the table to shoo the flies away. It's a far cry from that time to this. This complex civilization don't you think?

Matilda Caroline Hurst, born in St Joseph, Missouri, Jan 16, 1864. Married to George Adna Winslow. Sometime in August 1883, died September 7, 1955 in Los Angeles, California. Sister Emma Olive Patrick (Hurst maiden name). Sarah Jane Bagby married Frank Thompson. Ann Thompson married George Hurst. Matilda C Hurst, daughter of George Hurst.

Nancy Field married Landon Bagby, mother Ann E Hurst.

Mother Ann E Thompson, Father George Hurst
Thompson Maiden name � Ann Hurst, died Sept 12, 1864,
Mother of George Hurst - Emma C Hurst

Emma Alice Hurst
Matilda Caroline Hurst
Sallie Sarah Hurst
William Martin Hurst
Frank Thomson Hurst
Robert William Hurst

Gertrude Ann Moplane, Mother
Thomas Hurst, Ridgley, Mo
Half cousin of Emma Alic Hurst
wife of Ralph Patrick, sister of Matilda C Hurst, Formosa, Kansas

Ester Jane Hurst
Death, Frank Hurst Feb 27, 1932
Charles Albert Hurst, Oct 28, 1932

Taken from Bible Sept 19
Frank Hurst - Alpha Dora Hurst married Dec 19, 1886 at Mound City, Mo.
Birth - Frank Hurst - April 12, 1861
Alpha Doris Hurst - Dec 19, 1886
Harry Hurst (Albert) Sep 24, 1865, married Pearl Baelow
Hazel Ann Hurst - Aug 7, 1892, married Homer Rickets.
Paul Hurst - August 14, 1892, married Lena Matthers .
Esther Jane Hurst - April 6, 1896 married Hubert Ebrbar.
Charen Ralph Hurst - Sept 8, 1899
Edwin Dale Hurst - June 20, 1901, married Esther Boemenan
Frank Leslie Hurst - Feb 22, 1905, married Mable Mundy

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This script was copied from a letter from mother
Matilda C (Hurst) Sibley
of Wabuska, Nevada. October 27, 1926

Dear John

Well, I thought you know my address for I wrote you since I came to Nevada and I have not been in Kenneth since I come to Nevada and I have not since last December and will not go again. As we sold our house there, but the post office master sent your letter here as I had left him my forwarding address. Don't you think it might be a good idea to write my address somewhere it will be get at able easily and trust to memory. I have been intending to for a quite a while but was slow about getting started as usual. I do all my own work, washing, home and baking. And there I have to do quite a bit of resting. For the years begin to have rather heavier that they did and I am quite so brisk about my work when I was younger.

There is nothing here but sand and sage brush for we are in the desert and I can not say that I like it. The weather is as a rule fine and the air is very exhilarating on account I presume on the high altitude and its almost 4 thousand feet here. But of course we do not intend remaining here, so very long. So I live in hopes of move again (agreeable) surrounding in the future.

You told me about your baby Leah Rose is a sweet name but don't you think you have about enough children are about all a poor man can possible cloths and educate properly these times and even there is quite a under taking. And the older they grow the more it will require to keep them of course. It's your business and none of mine. But if Frank and Edith had stopped at three Edith, Edith would be living today. I wound not be here and have been burdened with the care. And work of looking after two of them, in my old age. For say what you will it means constant work and care. It must better to have these healthy clean. Well mannered and well taken care of children then to have a house full of the other kind I think a large family is just lovely if one has enough means to bring them up properly.

You sure had bad luck with your ford, but you should count it good luck that you were not uninjured your self. Have you any insurance for protection to your fault in the event of anything happen to you. I trust you have for their a (tell Margaret I am still wearing that boudoir cap she made for me two years ago, though I have renewed the ribbon twice but the crochet is still good as good as new. Thanks.) I thing she must be very handy with her crochet hook the work is beautiful done.

John, as far back as I know, my great grandmother on my mother side was born in Virginia in 1800 and her name was Nancy Field. In 1818 she married Landon Bagby also of Virginia and they came to Kentucky in what year I do not know. They had six children, Sarah Jane Bagby was the oldest and she was my grandmother. She was born in 1819 and married Frank Thompson and her oldest child was my mother who was born at Crab Orchard, Kentucky, Sept 15, 1836. And her name was Ann Elisabeth Thompson. When she was a baby they all emigrated to Buchanan Co, Missouri. Where they took up quite a lot of land near the present City of St Joseph. They owned a good many slaves. When my mother was seven years old, her Mother died leaving her and two younger children, Robert and Landon. When my Mother was sixteen she married George Hurst. They had six children of which I was the fourth and I was born Jan 16, 1864 at St Joseph, Missouri. In 1869 my mother died and her baby with her, leaving five of us. Me and my brother, Robert, who is 18 months old, my junior were taken care of by our great grandmother Bagby (Nancy C Field) till she died in her 79 year. I was 15 years old when she died. Of my Father Family. I do not know so much but his people settle in Ohio in the early days and his grandfather and his father were both ministers of the Methodist Church.

My father grandfather built the first Brick house ever in Cincinnati. His name was Thomas Hurst and dad father Name was also Thomas Hurst. My father was born in Chillicothe, Oh on June 20, 1831. He was teaching school where he meant and married Ann Elisabeth Thompson, my mother. Both my father and my mother people came (Bagby) ordinally from England. My great grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812. My mother two brothers Robert and Landon Thompson were both soldiers in the Civil War. But Uncle Robert was on the Confederate side and Uncle Landon on the Union which was not unusual for both families living so near the northern and southern boundaries but which was very tragic just the same.

We are both well, Sibley and Robert, Frank two boys. And are in the McKinley school for boys at Van Nuys, Calif. And it's a real good school and I am glade Frank is able to keep then at such a fine place they are so much better off than they would be with old folks.

There are about two hundred boys in that school. It is under the Kiwanis Club, Sibley is 12 and Bob will be 14 in the spring. Frank is in Pasadena. Ned are all well. Now I written such a long letter, I am tired for I washed this afternoon.

Hoping you are all well and doing will.

I am as ever
Your mother Mrs. C. D Sibley
P.O. Box 114
Wabuska , NV

p.s. I had a letter from Beth a few days ago. They are all well.

This letter received when we lived in New Brunswick, New Jersey. I have keep this letter for a long time. Wish I could keep it for ever. As my mother lays in rest far away. I remember all of those who helped to make this Country a free country for everyone who may call this America. Their ever lasting home for the future. With Our God be protected all who done their part in making this a happy world for one and all alike.

Blessing to you and all.

John P Winslow

Abel Patrick and Margaret Patrick, their son Patrick born in Ohio, 1851, died 1932. In about 1871, grandfather Patrick came to Kansas. She and my father, Ralph Patrick (Ruth Spiegel), father each drove a team and wagon from Crown Point, Indiana to Jewell County, Kansas. Ralph Patrick was not old enough to homestead, but Grandfather homesteaded. Dad did much of the farming and later homesteaded in Norton County for a few years. He farmed for grandmother here and for himself on Norton County. The Patrick's family settled in Connecticut in 1650. The grandfather of Ruth Patrick (married name Spiegel). She lived in Randall, Kansas and grandmother died were laid to rest in the Oaldwell Cemetery. Frank Hurst, uncle of Ruth Spiegel (Ruth Patrick) born ear Formosa, Kansas.

Eleann Joyce Spiegel daughter, Ralph Spiegel, son of Dre Ruth Spiegel.

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This is a letter I received from Mable Prescott, September 19, 1957, dated Feb 4, 1926.

Dear Cousin

I have meant to write before but have not the things I hope to have. I had answered all before, but perhaps you have not received. I have been on the D A R work for two years and still have one hitch. I am trying to get records from N H 9 Vermont to have to prove marriages, but there are many for as record of early days lost I have more town to write to.

The pension office in Washington D C records of him, his second wife who married him, but I don't get that record of his marriage to Ann Ladd who was our Great great grand mother, they do not accept family records, of not records in the Thomas Clarke office. They say Samuel Winslow asked for pension, Aug 1832. He was born in Epping, New Hampshire, July 28, 1755, He took part in the siege of Boston, under General John Start. He served two month, February and April, 1776 at Charleston, Mass as corporal. He came twenty one of age during his five month service under Captain Marston. They went to Liconderager, New Hampshire and build a fort in 1777. He volunteered again from Sandwich, New Hampshire where his father then lived and went to fight in the battle, Bennington, Vermont, August 16, 1777.

Samuel Winslow after the war he went to Lyndon, Vermont, first married to a New Hampshire girl, Ann Ladd and then lived there. And the line have been Vermonter since, to get more information and explaining, since Uncle Phineas Scott Winslow. Who is brother Hiram Winslow, Grace Lewis is the daughter of Hiram Winslow.

Your Cousin, Miss Grace
Edwin C Lewis

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Ruth Spiegel (Patrick) - Patrick family
- By Ruth Spiegel of Randall, Kansas

,

Daughter of Ralph Patrick, Mother Emma Alice Patrick (Hurst).

The Patrick family,

My father family, from this time they settled in Connecticut in 1650. Actually that seems closer than it sounds like. My father (daughter Ruth Spiegel), father Ralph Patrick, my father was born in Ohio in 1851 and died here in Formosa, Jewell County, Kansas (near Formosa south west on a farm - 1932).

His parents were Able Patrick and Margaret Ross Patrick I do not remember seeing rather of them. Margaret Patrick died before I was born and he is buried not far from dad.

Ralph Patrick in the Caldwell Cemetery. My grandfather was a civil war veteran. I think that he was killed in the war. In fact I'm pretty sure he was not killed, but as many solider, did not want to come back to humdrum of family and make a living for a family. It may have been about 1871 that grandfather Patrick decided to come.

She and my father drove a team and wagon from Crown Point, Indiana to Jewell County, Kansas. Dad was not old enough to Homestead, but grandmother homesteaded . Dad did much of the work farming and later homesteaded in Norton County. For a few years he farmed for grandfather here for himself in Norton County, about 100 mils away. That was the most difficult thing to do then it would be today.

Some time later after Will and I were married, there was a national corn husting contest very close to the farm dad homesteaded in Norton county. We drove out and took him along with us. I remember he said I've driven, made this trip with about every thing, means of transport there is wagon I made, an ox wagon team.

A team of horses hitch to a buggy and to a wagon. I made it most often on horseback. And I I've gone by train. This time it is in a car and I wonder if the next generation can see as much change. We made that trip in the fall of 1950.

Ruth Spiegel, Randall, Kansas

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