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.]