Sarah Ann Camfield & Rose Camfield 20 Sept 1885

Noble Center september 20th 1885

were all well and hope you are also well we have to build a stable and fix up the house we cannot build new this fall and if Ashley can come out and help us that is if he has nothing to do that will pay better we wil be glad to have him come as soon as he can if it is the last of this week now if can and will come let us know rite away or let us know as soon as possible for it is getting late if he can not come we will have to get some one else if he comes he must bring his trowel we have to build one or two chimneys I only asked Ashley to come but I meant all of you of course let us know as soon as you can if he comes or not S A Camfield

reverse

Sunday
well Anna we are at the farm once more came last friday going home next week Joe is coming this week Saturday, This is the Daisy place here now and you will say so when you come
it is evening now, it seems to me this day has been a week long if you come before we leave I will see you and if you dont I wont well I have got a long week before me and it most work
So tat a for this time

Rose



Ashley Carlisle was a stone mason and I'm sure they hoped he could do the chimney work. I don't believe that he and Anna were able to make the trip from Buchanan at that time.

Rose was at the farm to collect Fred, as promised. She was used to living in the city by this time and it doesn't sound like she is looking forward to the work list that Sarah undoubtedly had for her.

I'm curious as to why Rose calls the farm the Daisy place. Ox-eyed daisies bloom in June and shasta's in July. Maybe they were re-blooming when she was there.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner and Camfield, Rose Graham. (Noble Center, MI) “were all well” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 20 September 1885. Digital Image. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Panic Attack

The motherboard in my computer is bad and I doubt I'll be able to recover anything else from the hard drive. So far our emails for service have been ignored. With everything we've had going on I've put off trying to reach anyone by phone, figuring I'll spend hours on hold before finally reaching someone that I can't understand. I'll work on that next week when I have more time - and hopefully patience.

Update, 31 Dec - John contacted Gateway again because MPC wasn't responding. They informed us that they are sorry we're having trouble with MPC. MPC is in Chapter 11 but we still must deal with them.

So I've commandeered one of John's spares. Having a husband that buys and repairs old laptops as a hobby comes in handy at times like this.

I've been finding lots of information about my Graham line so tonight I decided to load Family Tree Maker 2008 so I could enter information while it's still fresh. I had backed up my FTM 2005 files so after I had 2008 loaded I put in one of the backup Cd's. I got an error message that .fbc files weren't supported! #^$#@!##&*!!!!

I had backed up my FTM files to the external hard drive just before my computer died and they were backed up with the .ftw extension and transferred OK. But I did experience several minutes of panic thinking that I'd lost all my files.

If you use Family Tree Maker be sure to make backups of all available file extensions and then throw in a gedcom besides!

There were a few files that I had not backed up, some obituary transcriptions and some census images. They will be easy to recreate so I'm in good shape I think.

Sarah Ann Camfield, 18 August 1885

Noble Center august 18th 1885

Dear Children

we are well as usuall and as hard at work as ever you sent Babyes picture I wrote and sent you a long letter so after I got that and was wondering why we did not hear from you when we got yours saying you had had none from me wel about our place we like it verry if it only had buildings about building we have not decided what to do whether to build this fall or wait til spring that is the house we will have to build a stable this fall the old one is to poor for this winter Father is plowing for wheat I have got back to burning brush and grubbing

reverse

I think Mrs Carlisle must be very lonely
Mrs Bogardus was out to the farm last week she has not been out since last December before she called on me and stayed about fifteen minutes twenty I have not been to Coldwater since that winter you was here I would like to ask you and your family to come and see us if we had good accommodations but if you come we will try to do the best we can I expect Joseph and his family after Fred about the middle of next month he has been here ever since the 10th of June

Frankey how do you and that little Brother of yours get along Grandma think he is very nice brother

S A Camfield



Fred spent a lot of time on the farm but not his sister Mabel it seems. I wonder why? And Sarah Ann rarely mentions her.

Why would Sarah Ann think that Hannah Carlisle was lonely? At this point in time I think she was living either with Ashley and Anna or else right next door.

Sarah Ann is still calling Daniel "Baby". He was named for both of his grandfathers. Were there hard feelings because he wasn't named Michael Daniel? Or was this just one of Sarah Ann's quirks? I think this may have been the picture that was sent to Sarah Ann.

Daniel Michael Carlisle
1885, Buchanan, MI

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield
Henry Bogardus, Shirt-tail Cousin



Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) to “Dear Children” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 18 August 1885. Digital Images 1-2. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Memories on Monday - A Review of 2008

The last year certainly didn't play out as planned, yet it was was a very good year!

January started with my quest for more information on my Wisner line and the hunt for the elusive parents of William Wisner. A huge highlight of the month - and year for that matter! - was when one of my pages was featured at WeRelate. I was also very pleased with the series of lectures that I attended at the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse. One of my most commented on posts, Winter on the Tug Hill, was also written in January. I finished up the month having a blast with my float in Bill West's Genealogy on Parade.

February and March were dismal months with only 16 posts over two months! Things started to turn around at the end of March with the Cars As Stars! edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. For me this was the most fun CoG to date!

April was a very exciting month for me and while I didn't write very much I certainly accomplished a great deal! I traveled to Michigan where I found a Treasure Chest left for me by my grandmother and aunt. What a week that was! I photographed hundreds of letters, visited my Aunt and Uncle, found the graves of many ancestors and was thrilled to meet Jasia and Cheryl in person!

The focus of Apple's Tree really changed in late May when I started to post transcriptions of the Wisner and Hall family letters. In June I continued to focus on the letters as my gardening passion took most of my time. I was able to tie gardening to genealogy with Heirloom Blooms. The garden and letters battled each other for my time into July and August. I did write about my $60,000 stage coach ride and footnoteMaven is responsible for my addiction to Wordles! I started Memories on Monday both to record my memories for my grandchildren and to have something here other than the letters!

September was an awful month. Another school year began and I was consumed by the murder of a student. She wasn't one of "my kids" but she lived quite close to me. I also took the Child Passenger Safety technician course. Despite these things I did finally start to get back on track by participating in the Carnival of Genealogy, the first edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival and the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture.

October was a crazy month and their was little time for genealogy. I posted the last letter in the Wisner - Hall series and there were a few weeks with no letters at all. The big safety expo was a success, the house was insulated and sided, we bought a new car and I tried to get as much done before my surgery as I could.

Things really picked up here in November when I couldn't get up. Surgery went well and I used my recovery to type like crazy. I started on a new series of letters relating to the Camfield family. I have been able to post one a day and expect the series to last well into next year. I had fun playing with satellite images, I discovered another cache of family letters, and I was honored to be a guest author at Shades of the Departed. I was able to start following many new-to-me blogs and still had time to get tons of research done on my Graham line.

Earlier this month I was able to break down a brick wall for my brother-in-law. There were carnivals and memes galore. I'm still ahead on the letters and have ones scheduled to post well into next month. More Graham information has been found but I think I'm still a long way from proving suspected relationships. My computer died on Christmas day but hopefully it can be repaired and in the meantime I have backups I can work from.

All in all 2008 was a very good year! Hopefully I will be able to keep up in 2009.

Sarah Ann Camfield, 7 May 1885

Noble Center May 7th 1885

Wel Anna

I suppose you think I have forgotten to write but have not but have been so busy I have not had much time we did not move until the 20th instead of the 1st as we had expected and I have been alone to do it all and it made slow work and we have so little room to what I have been having that I did not know how to go to work no rainwater I do miss that as much as any thing but the pantries we have not pantry here we have verry poor buildings on the place poorer than we thought when we bought we think of building after harvest we kept 2 cows and two horses and 6 hogs and the hens that is all the live stock we have

page 2

yes I am raising a pet lamb this is the 8th one I have had since we lived here we are having such cold weather I suppose you are about the same thing the apple trees are all killed in these parts but I hope not we have a good Orchard on our place there is some quite low land on the place not marsh it is grown up to small soft maples and willows such if we get it cleared and seeded it will grow the biggest kind of hay we are plowing for corn he is going to put in 16 acres on Bogarduses place this spring we have sowed about 5 acres of oats on our place we want to put 5 acres of corn on our place but it is so late and sold I am afraid it will not get done it dont much lik corn growing this summer we was going to Bronson to day but it was so cold andy windy could not

page 3

Frankey Grandma thanks you very much for that nice letter you sent her she thinks it was nicely done She wants to know how that little brother of yours is getting along does he grow any and what is his name

how are you all write soon as you can and tell us of Carlisle I guess the name wont run out if you have a boy every 7 year

S A Camfield




For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield
Henry Bogardus, Shirt-tail Cousin


Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) to “Wel Anna” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 7 May 1885. Digital Images 1-3. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 15 March 1885

Noble Center March 15th 1885

well how are you all getting along I should like very much to hear I should have written before but I have been having a bad sel fore the last week or more and had so much to do and to see to that I have neglected it as I knew you was in as good hands as you could be I had to go yesterday to see about getting bills for the sale which will be the twenty fourth of this month tomorrow I have got to go to Bronson to get them and one day this week I will have to go to get my deed made out and pay for my 40 acre farm I can pay all except for 179 dollars I think we will not depend on you to help us move if you are well enough to help yourself we will be glad it wont be a big job to move

reverse

I did think we could get along alone but I shall not dare try I can get the woman that we but of to help me we bought of Mr Kaskes they was here last winter when you was I think
I suppose you thought it was a surprise to me but I had been looking for the news some time I looked the other paper through and almost thought I was mistaken
What does Frank say to the Baby is he pleased with it
we have had a verry cold snoy winter here and suppose it has been the same there it is snowing a gain this morning 16th what is babys name you must A for the middle letter or he will be an odd one as the rest all have

upside down, top of page

How is Mrs Strawsite and Lizy
from your Mother S A Camfield
write soon as you can


They are getting a farm! I don't know if Mike and Sarah had ever owned property before. Sarah was 67 at this time, a lot to take on at her age. Mike's birth date is in question but he was only 2-5 years younger than Sarah.

Daniel Michael Carlisle was born 19 February 1885, Buchanan, MI, Sarah Ann will refer to him as Baby in the next several letters.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “well how are you” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 15 March 1885. Digital Images 1-2. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Wishes and Dreams for 2009

I certainly haven't done well in the past with the To Do Lists I wrote in 2006 and 2007. Both years were very productive but most of the things on the lists remain to be done. So much to do and so little time (and money!) So this year I'll list some wishes and then wait to see what the year will bring.

My biggest wish this year is certainly a budget breaker but I really think I can pull it off. Plans are already in the works to return to Michigan on my April break to photograph the Civil War letters of my great-grandfather, Ashley Carlisle, and other family papers at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. I don't think the collection there is as large as the one at the Bently Historical Library in Ann Arbor so I should have time to go back and photograh the diaries of Hannah L. Carlisle.

I hope to be able to continue to publish the letters I already have at the rate of one each day. Right now I'm ahead on transcribing them but with returning to work, family committments and a sick computer I may easily fall behind for awhile. Another surgery planned for early summer should give me time to type like crazy.

In early 2008 I was working hard finding out more about my Wisner ancesty. Being easily distracted I find myself finishing the year focused on my Graham line. I will be writing a series on that line and hope to get back to digging into the Wisner line.

At least one new blog and possibly two are on my wish list. I would like to create a blog dedicated to Hannah Carlisle's diaries. There are several so there are years worth of daily posts. I should have plenty of time to work on setting it up and transcribing before the end of 2009 when it would begin. The other planned blog I'll leave a mystery for right now.

I still have never been to a Family History Center. There are two, each about a half hour drive away. With gas prices down and my babysitting schedule changing, this may be the year.

Of course I hope to get lots of scanning done. There is organization that needs doing. Letters should be written. My office was cleaned out and organized but that didn't last so it needs to be done again. And of course I have a very long to do list that has nothing to do with genealogy.

I expect 2009 to be another very productive year and I look forward to seeing where the twists and turns will take me!


This was written for the 63rd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, New Years Resolutions!.

Sarah Ann Camfield, 7 Feb 1885

Noble Center Feb 7th 1885

well Anna I suppose you wonder why you do not get aletter it is because I did not write one I send two papers I do not know as you care for them but I thought you and Mrs Carlisle might like to read about the state school I wrote you we had bought aplace but we are not going to have it we have given it up we have another in view but will say nothing about it until I know shure that we have it
Father and I have been quite well all winter I have been better than for 3 or 4 years I have had no help since september I wash and iron and all have just cut and made myself a dress wil send you a piece 10cts per yard

reverse

Frankey Grandma and Grandpa are glad you got so many nice prents Christmas they wanted to send you some thing but did not have time to tend to it now I think you like little kitties so much I will send you a pretty one



Sad that they didn't get the new farm.

Mrs Carlisle refers to Anna's mother-in-law, Hannah Glover Carlisle


For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “well Anna” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 2 February 1885. Digital Images 1-2. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Notepad Turns Blue

Snowville - Little Notepad was born on an assembly line sometime during 2006. He sat unwanted and unloved on a retailer's shelf until he was marked way down in 2007 and spotted by John who brought him home to his wife, Apple, who quickly fell in love and gave little Notepad lots of daily attention. Although he remained small on the outside he quickly grew full on the inside and managed all of Apple's picture and genealogy files with ease.

Notepad loved to travel and especially enjoyed touring Michigan earlier this year. He was just as content on the front seat of the car in a cemetery as on a library table or hotel desk. He and Apple were almost inseperable and he even went to work with her fairly often, where he had to spend most of his time in a bag behind her seat, only being let out for brief 15-20 minute stretches while Apple transcribed the historical letters that he guarded.

On Christmas morning little notepad recieved a companion, an external hard drive that he could share all of his files with. After sharing just a few very large files, Apple put both to sleep for an afternoon nap. When Apple tried to awaken him in early evening his screen had turned blue and was full of error messages. He showed further signs of being ill by continually rebooting. Apple blamed External for Notepad's illness but External and John's BIGlaptop play together well with no signs of illness. Further attempts by Apple to make little Notepad well produced dreaded lines and fuzziness across the screen bringing a lump to Apple's throat.
Every Gateway she's owned has succombed to the same fate - motherboard failure. Is this to be little Notepad's demise too?

Apple has not totally given up on little Notepad. Today she will try to nurse him through Safe Mode and if that doesn't work John has a trick or two up his sleeve. But fearing the worst, Notepad's father, Gateway, has already been contacted. Alas his father is no longer interested in him and instructions were given to contact his step-father MPC Corp.

Updates on little Notepad's condition will be posted as they become available.

Fred Camfield, 4 Jan 1885

Jan 4
1885

Dear Auntie
will you send my rubber c_ert
What did Frankie get for Kris-
tmas I got a quotr [something crossed out]
in my stocking and some c__
dig with it Mable got a big
doll and some candi a and o trun
full of clothes this is is the
seccond letter [crossed out] letter [crossed out] here
here rote to doy to _____ ____
go to schooll and _will ____
and I will be in the third Bell
will be in the second grade
to morro I went to Sunday
school Momma is reading
me a storry out of my [crossed out]
Sunday school [crossed out] it was a
good story I wish you could read
the book

reverse

From Freddie Canfield
South Bend
Ind
1885



This letter was very hard to transcribe so I have done it line by line in case someone else can puzzle it out.

Fred would have been ten at the time he wrote this and Mabel eight. They were the children of Joseph and Rose (Graham) Camfield

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Camfield, Frederick Harrison. (South Bend, IN) to “Dear Auntie” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 4 January 1885. Digital Images 1-2. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

A White Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

 

And for those of you that aren't having a White Christmas I wish I could send mine to you!

 

Sarah Ann Camfield, 29 Oct 1884

letter no 2 Noble Centre Oct 29th 1884

[upside down, top of page]
love to all write soon

wel I will begin again weare gathering Apples there is a small crop and no sale hardly Mr Bogardus has gone to Coldwater with a load he was here and Father got him to go down with aload he knew better where to sel them Father hates to take any thing to market the worst of anything I believe we sold 4 head of Cattle last week for 85 dollars and 4 hogs for 44 dollars and 50 cts now I have 8 hundred laid up for the payment on the farm we have to pay 1 thousand the first of march I dont know the rent on this place is not half paid yet we have stock enough if we can sel it for what it is worth but there seems to be nothing

page 2

doing in that line there dont seem to be much business any way that is not much buying and selling you would think there was something doing if you could see how they are building up Bronson since the fire
we went to Burr Oak two weeks ago last sunday we went to Geries the Irishman the old woman and man both are looking better than they used to they was so pleased to see us she the old woman hugged me almost in to she shook Father all most to pieces she said give me both hands to shake I thought she was going to kiss him he said she squeezed his hands til they was sore for 2 days
Old Boyles wife has left him the Plants have gone to Decota except Will and his family

page 3

Billy Davison and all Will lives north of Burr Oak he put in apiece of corn there by geries this summer Rob and Morrice has bought twenty acres of the plant farm astrip on the north side rite through to the Boil rad so they have 30 acres there in one piece and you know Rob had 40 so now they have 70 acres I guess hey are doing first rate the girls was all at home the one that married that Simpson had only been home from cansas 2 weeks they had been gone 2 year Emma Grave has gone back to the asylum they say there is no hope for her
O I must tel you we saw Old Harvey and his wife and daughter but he did not have on his smock or he had it poked in side

page 4

now Franky Grandma wants to know how you are getting along then she wants you to give three times three cheers for Blain and Logan loud enough so we can hearit

S A Camfield

PS Mr Seaver family are in Burr Oak yet Julia is teaching in the Brick school house in that town and Bev is clerking in the hardware and the rest go to school they live across the creek some where they say they dress terrible fine but he dont work I guess they must have got Aunt lucys money

side margin of page

am alone yet have had no girl for more than a month

upside down, top of page

We have not heard from South bend since june I think I am hinders to write to morrow if nothing


Gerie the Irishman may have referred to Jerry Donahue, born about 1814, Ireland. The reason that I am not sure is that he would have been only three years older than Sarah. Jerry's wife, Maragaret, would have been younger than Sarah, Margaret having been born about 1830, Ireland.

The Boyle's, Plant's and Seaver's have been mentioned in earlier letters, as had Emma Graves. I'm not sure how Billy Davison fits in. Rob, Morrice and Harvey are mysteries.

Three cheers for Blain and and Logan refers to a political song of the time. The sheet music can be found here. Also see: Lives of Blaine and Logan (1884)


For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield
Henry Bogardus, Shirt-tail Cousin


Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “letter no 2” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 29 October 1884. Digital Images 1-4. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Tombstone Tuesday - Joel and Abigail Brown

 

JOEL BROWN

DIED NOV. 1838

VETERAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR

ENLISTED JAN. 1, 1776

FOUGHT AT BATTLE OF SARATOGA

ON SEPT. 19, 1777

SUPERVISOR OF ONTWA TOWNSHIP

1836-38

ASSOCIATE JUDGE - CASS COUNTY

AND HIS WIFE

ABIGAIL SHERWOOD

BROWN

Sarah Ann Camfield, 17 Oct 1884

letter no1 Noble Center Oct 17 1884


Wel I have been going to write you every day since we bought our farm but have put it off til now which was 4 weeks last tuesday we bought a 74 acre farm in Indiana three and one half mile east of Orland is 5 miles south of here so we will be 5 miles south and 3 ½ east of here I cannot describe it you wil have to come and see it we are to pay 18 hundred dollars for it it looks like a big job for a couple of old folks but if our life and health is spared we hope to be able to do it it is in Stueben CO Millgrove township Fawn River is the south line of the farm there is some marsh down by the river good mowing marsh and a good for fish they say

page 2

I forgot to say we are as well as common we are alone I have had no girl fore more than 3 weeks am geting pretty wel tired out am afraid I shall have to get one again but do not want to Mr B has been here most all this week went home yesterday they have both been to Maine again since I wrote to you she had got back they brought a Niece of hers back to live with them she is about 16 years old and is an Orphan
I suppose you have of the big fire we had in Bronson burned most all of the business part but they are building at agreat rate mostly wood buiding burned now they are putig up brick

write soon S A Camfield



A farm of their own!

I believe that two letters were posted in one envelope and that is why they were numbered.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield
Henry Bogardus, Shirt-tail Cousin


Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “letter no1” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 17 October 1884. Digital Images 1-2. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, 19 June 1884

Noble Center June 19 1884

Wel Anna I do not know what you think of me for not writing before but I have had so much to do and see to when I had alittle time I would not feel as id I could write and put it off until abetter time I have been to Bronson this this forenoon with a tub of butter I got one shilling apound it 10cts in rolls eggs are 12cts per dozen we sheared sheep last friday have not sold the wool yet wont get only about 27 or 28 cts per pound it ranges from 25 to 28 cts per pound I have two boarders this week they are fiscing up the old barn south of us 1 day we had 4 and 1 . 3 besides ourselves and a hiredman Mrs B has not got home yet

page 2

does not seem much prospect of her coming very soon Mr B spends his time between us and Coldwater he had been her two weeks and went back last monday he wil be here next week again
we have lots of rain we talk of comencin haying next week our corn is looking very wel the cut worm hurt it badly we planted twice some dragged and marke and planted the whole over ours was not so bad as that we had green peas for dinner yesterday the corn in the garden begins to show the tassel I went to the first potatoe hill I came to and dug in the side and got a potatoe to day cut it intwo and measured it measured one ince and one half across a little over

page 3

we have not heard from Joseph and Rozy but once since you went home Fred sent a letter and she wrote a little in it that is all I am going to write to them again
do you here from Illinois any more
I suppose Frank is going to school every day how does he like it the girl I had after you went away has got a baby she was to be married sunday and wednesday it came so she is not married yet I have the same one I had when I wrote you last she is onl excuse for a girl that about all I get along somehow I hardly know how we get the meals and wash dishes

page 4

after a fashion Father has no man by the month he has aman by the day we have both the colts so we drive them before the buggy Nelly the little bay one he talked of breaking when you was here plows works in the corn or goes before he buggy or any thing where she is wanted to we are pretty well Father seems very well he gets up alittle after 4 in the morning and works til sundown and dont act as tired as he did several years ago I am feeling wel if I dont work to hard but I have to do that every day I have had a hard time with toothache and neuraligy in my head and face but have got over that S A Camf

upside down, top of page

Frank Grand pa has got 10 little white pig would you like to see them




There were no letters from Illinois during this time period.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield
Henry Bogardus, Shirt-tail Cousin
Hall Family Letters



Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “Wel Anna” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 19 June 1884. Digital Images 1-4. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

When Was I Born?

Randy's Saturday night fun exercise for the week is:

For Saturday Night Fun this weekend, please find answers to these questions:

1) What day of the week were you born? Tell us how you found out.

2) What has happened in recorded history on your birth date (day and month)? Tell us how you found out, and list five events.

Well I was born on a Wednesday. I found out that Wednesday's child is full woe! back in October when footnote Maven posted Nursery Lore. She provided the same link that Randy had earlier this week.

Here are five events from history that happened on my birthday. Many of you will figure out the date without having to click any links.

1. Catherine of Aragon was born in 1485. 1st wife of Henry VIII she found herself divorced but kept her head.

2. I was born on the same day as Ludwig van Beethoven. Sadly there doesn't seem to be a correlation between the date and musical genius.

3. There was a big Tea Party in 1773 but I don't believe any of my ancestors were able to attend.

4. The Great Fire of New York City started on my day in 1835. Believed to have perished in the inferno was my cousin (1st, 5x rem.) David Carlisle 1771-1835.

5. In 1965 Pioneer VI was launched while Gemini VI returned to earth. I was fascinated by the space program when I was a child.

Sarah Ann Camfield, 15 April 1884

Noble Center Apr 15 1884

wel I ought to have written to you be fore but I have been so unwell and have had to work so I did not feel like writing we have a hired Man most amonth and have had three different girles since you went away the third one is hre now she is 14 years old her name is Oia Peterson I pay her 10 shillings per week she does verry well but cannot go ahead with any thing Mrs Bogardus sister is very sick and she went to Maine 6 weeks ago and he has ben here two weeks and went home most three weeks ago we expected him back last week he has not come yet we have not heard from him we have 10 little lambs

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and 6 Calves I have worn my new dress you made me twice I have made my pillow cases with the trimming on and had them on my bed last week have had them made five weeks but thought them to nice to get dirty I think them nice indeed I think your apron must be very pretty
17 Mr B came back last knight the feverfew you brought from south bend did not show any signs of growing until the 20 of march and it has not grown much yet My Cally Lilly is in blow Father is driving Nelly before a sulky to learn her to go single so we drive her before the buggy she goes splendid he says

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I have not been as wel two weeks as I had been I think it is because I have had to work more I have not had a Doctor my Doctor has moved to lansing so I dont know what I shall do I dont want any one here we have not had only 1 letter from Rozy since you was here and she only wrote alittle in Freds he wrote to us Frankey are you well and going to school with Milly Case

Mrs S A Camfield



I loved this letter because it mentions flowers. So many of the letters are farm reports that I had decided that there was no time for a flower garden. Calla lilies are not hardy enough to over winter in Michigan so Sarah must have dug up the bulbs and stored them over the winter. She got her feverfew as a pass-a-long from the family in South Bend, IN. I got mine from my sister :-) I grow it as an ornamental but I'm betting that Sarah wanted it to make medicinal tea. I have a very nice close-up of every flower in my garden - except the feverfew. I'll fix that next year but meanwhile excuse my flamingo.

I haven't found any information on "Oia" Peterson. There were a couple of Peterson families listed on the 1880 census in Branch Co, MI. The only one that comes close in age was Birdie Peterson and I really have no idea if this is her or not. In four years anither family could have moved nearby.

I didn't find anything foe Milly Case but there were several case families in Buchanan, MI.

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield
Henry Bogardus, Shirt-tail Cousin



Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) “well I ought to have written” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 15 April 1884. Digital Images 1-3. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1884 - 1886, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]