Sarah Ann Camfield, Dec 29, 1899

Dec 29 1899

Dear Children and grand Children

I will try to write once more to let you know that I have not forgotten you we are all well as usual and trying to be happy as we can I have every thing I kneed to be comfortable I have my bed here in the front room and agood coal fire in the other room night and day Joseph sleeps on the couch by the stove so I am not alone we have plenty to eat and why not be happy and content and I am

Now I will tell you about my Christmas presents in the first place Joseph and Roza gave me anice Bible nice large print so I can read it good then Mrs Brady gave me anice handkerchief then Mrs Arnold gave me one then you sent me one or they all said it was for me so I took possesion of it then Mrs Bell Marsh sent me anice black apron with abiad hem on the bottom and avine worked with white silk at the top of the hem

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and Ben sent me a one pound box of candy and Ruby gave me a little red box all trimmed with little sea shells I think it verry of her it only cost one penny you would not think it possible to see it it is large enough to hold two handkerchiefs now I just got a letter from Libby since I commenced this they are well

now I must tell you about our Christmas tree we got alimb of a flower bush called fire in the bush about two weeks ag and put it in acan of warm water and and changed it the same as you would to keep flours fresh and now it 22 beautif flowers and 11 buds not opened yet the lind is twenty inches long no __ nothing but the limb

O forgot in my otherletter to tell you there that I got anice little monument put up at Fathers Grave before I came away so now when you see it is dark marble with white letters x think of it you can think it is marked with his name in large white letters and the date of his birth and death on it S A Camfield

Top on page 1

I wish you a happy new year

write when you can it seems like seeing you to get aletter


I find it cute that Sarah Ann refers to her granddaughter as Mrs. Bell Marsh. Bell = Mabel and her husband, Ben, worked as a candy maker.

I've done a search and can't find the "fire in a bush" that was the family's Christmas tree. Does anyone have any ideas what it was?

Michael's stone must have been replaced. Below is a picture of the stone that I took last year. It isn't marble and the carving is not colored. Sarah has a matching stone so perhaps Michael's stone was replaced at that time.

Michael Camfield 1819 - 1899
Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Branch County, MI

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



Camfield, Sarah Ann (South Bend, IN) to “Dear Children and grand Children”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 29 December 1899. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, Apr - Dec 1899,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Rose Graham Camfield, Dec 1, 1899

(1899)

South Bend Dec 1st

dear ann and all of you
I have thought for some time of writing you a letter so will comence now as I have to write several others I have been real buisy since I saw you canned and preserved fruit of different kinds made some lovely quince preserves also tomato preserves besides Jells and other things then we sent some things to Freds folks Bell made the Baby a Cloak and Hood of white Eider down also some dresses and skirts

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then one of my neighbors gave me a lot of things for the baby her own child had out grown them among them was a baby carriage as good as new a little chair and other things and we sent them all to Freds folks also a black wool hood for Grandma the Hood was a present to me and I did not wasnt it it is a real pretty Hood knit in a fancy stitch it will be warmer and better for her than the one Bell made last winter I also sent Robes and quilts for the baby so you see I have been real buisy my own work is a good deal and then if I think of some else it makes me awful buisy

page 3

Bell was here the other day she had just got a letter from freds wife they are all well I am going to write to Mother to night we want you to come and see us christmas and bring the children you would all enjoy it so would we our children havent missed a day yet Pearl starts to the new Building tomorrow morning it is called the colfax school building it is on our street three Blocks from our house Ruby and Leroy havent been transferred to the new school yet but may be any time the madison is very crowded

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we all enjoyed Franks visit more than I can tell I spose all the more for him coming unexpectedly and then he is a soldier and that pleased the children especialy Leroy the thought it a great honor to sit on the fence and have a soldier walk past on our street but to have one in the house to eat with him and be here all the time was too much joy for him alone he told all the other boys and they came and looked to their hearts content, yes we all enjoyed the visit ever so much I spose he has Joined his regiment now

page 5

this is to Danel and Tamerson

well he will only be gone a little over a year and a year is awful short the time soon passes the children are talking of christmas Leroy wants a ship, the poor child hasnt heard any thing else but spanish and american ships for the past year no wonder he wants to own one, and Pearl wants Books and now I am ashamed to say that Ruby longs for a new doll I am tring to shame her out of it a girl almost eleven years old and playing dolls ann this page is for Danel and Tamerson it is to silly for you

scrap of paper, top cut off with scissors

the children all started to school last monday 4 dollars paid for their books and so that is over Mrs Slusser was in to spend the evening and mother and I are going in there before she goes Mrs Arnold is still alive and sends regards

well Pearl is going to mail this so good by
Rose



This is another letter where the year was added at a later date. I believe that 1899 is correct because no gift for Michael Camfield is mentioned. It should be noted that the letter is filed in the incorrect folder.

Frank was Anna and Ashley's oldest child and had been serving in the US Army.

When Rose says "this page is for Danel.." she has spelled Grandpa's name the way it was always pronounced. His name was spelled Daniel and he was named for a long string of Daniel Carlisle's, however he was always called Dan'l.

The scrap of paper at the end appears to belong to this letter is somewhat confusing. Rose's mother died in 1880 so when she refers to "mother" she is talking about her mother-in-law, Sarah Ann Wisner Camfield. On page 2 she seems to indicate that Sarah was still living with Fred and Libbie. Sarah did spend winters with Joe and Rose after Michael died but I don't know when that began.

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


Camfield, Rose Graham (South Bend, IN) to “Dear ann and all of you”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 1 December 1899. Digital Images 1-6.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, Jan - Mar 1899,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Rose Graham Camfield, Aug 7, 1899

South Bend Aug 7th (1899)

Dear ann and all of you
we have been Thinking of you all ever since you went away we are glad mother is enjoying her self and hope she will stay with you untill she gets her visit out although we will be glad to have her come here as soon as she feels like it as we are not going to Freds this sumer after all, so mother can come as soon as she likes

Bell is in Niles now she has been gone 2 weeks you will probably receive a call from her

Toley was here saterday she seems well and Happy said she was going to write to you soon last night we wer out to an entertainment at Mr

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and Mrs Bardays it was the anniversary of their wedding we had a lovely time they served cake and ice cream I wore my new black dress Bell made before she went away. Mrs. Arnolds mother and little niece are visiting her they are from Illinois the little girl is 9 years old is real nice behaved and looks like Tamerson I had a letter from Libby she said the baby has three new teeth well as I have told all the news; I will close. so good by write soon Mrs J H Camfield

P S the children are trying to get all the play they can out of these last few weeks of vacation they get up early and keep it up till dark school will soon begin

Rose

Toley was Anna's friend, Etola Robinson.

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


Camfield, Rose Graham (South Bend, IN) to “Dear ann and all of you”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 7 Aug 1899. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, Apr - Dec 1899,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]