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

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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, Sept 4, 1899

South Bend Sept 4th 1899

Dear ann and all the rest

Wel thiss has been labor day we all went to the parade it was Beautiful Joe took a chair along for mother so she was comfortable and saw every thing it lasted about 2 hours then we came home and had supper and Joe and the children and Mr and Mrs Brady have gone to see the Biscicle parade they will be all trimed in flowers and

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and lit up and I suppose will be very Beautiful but mother and I are not going she is lying down and I am writing you a letter so you will sure get it tomorrow as I promised and we are both tired mother is real well and enjoying her self better than I ever supposed she could in fact she dont seem like the same woman she used to be she goes out for a

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walk every day with one of the children and yesterday she went with Joe to see Mrs Brady some of the neighbors have been in every day since she came she got a letter from home to day I wish you all could have been here today I will send you a paper with full particulars as I ma to awful tires to write them

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mother has cut some quilt pieces I almost forgot to tell you I moved the couch in the front room and brought the lounge down stairs so she dont have to go up stairs at all she can lye down when she pleases with a lounge in both rooms well I must close I am too tired so good by write soon please send mas rubbers under lounge

Rose


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


Camfield, Rose Graham (South Bend, IN) to “Dear ann and all the rest”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 4 Sept 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 30, 1898

1898

South Bend Dec 30th
Dear ann and all of you
we I must write you a few lines this evening it is friday but I hope you will get this tomorrow night, well Christmas is over and the old year is almost gone the children was remembered by all of their friends and sunday school teachers and their aunt in Denver she sent

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all of them handkerchiefs and pocket books with some money in each one she also sent Joseph a large silk handkerchief
mother wrote us a letter and sent us Babys picture we are so proud of it she said in the letter that her and father came near spending Christmas with us I answered the letter and told them to come any time she said she sent you a picture did you get it Tamerson and Danel did not mention it in their letter to the children they

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spoke of other presents but did not mention that one, the children were gld to get the Hair Ribbons and neck tie I wonder how you knew they needed them so old Mrs Robinson is gone I was surprised to hear it, and yet I never expected to see her again, old Mrs Koontz is dead also she died last week the paper stated she was 90 years old you know they was formerly neighbors of yours, yes it is a little odd to have strangers in the other part

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of the house but they are a real nice old couple and havent any children and that makes it real pleasant I think our old neighbor Mr Wesselhoft will be home sick to come back to his little rooms again, but may be not he spent the evening with us and smoked several cigars (he always smokes on sunday but not during the week) and he told us about his native land Germany that is his pride, you tell us all about his Home acrost the sea and his little girl Hattie who died at 4 years of age and is Burried there, she was his oldest child

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we got your paper to day and was much pleased to read Franks letter Bell came this afternoon and took it home with her so Ben could read it we will have lots of chances to lend it when the people fairly finds out we have it, when Bell brings it home we are going to let Mr Brady Read it he is an old friend of Joes and he is very much interested in the Spanish - american war he called

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for it this evening the children think Frank must be having a good time eating Bananas and oranges we are glad he seems to be well and Happy I see by your paper you have groceries about as cheap as they are here or cheaper Ruby wants Tamerson to see her dolls and dishes Pearl has a new school dress I will send you a sample in this letter I have another large roll of pieces for you when you come you can have then the children

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are all going to write you a letter soon and Tamerson the next time you write I want you to either use pen and ink or a good lead pencil I could not see one word of your letter Ruby read every word of it for me I am glad you and Danel were remembered so well by your Friends Christmas well now I will close it is bed time so good night and Happy New Year to all aunt Rose


I think the year, 1898, was added at a later date but is correct, based on the reference to Mrs. Robinson.

This was quite a long letter from Rose. I have no further information on any of the neighbors that she mentions.

The baby was Roland Earl Camfield, Rose's grandson.

The aunt in Denver was Sarah Elizabeth Graham, Rose's sister.

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


Camfield, Rose Graham (South Bend, IN) to “Dear Children ann and all of you”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 30 December 1898. Digital Images 1-4.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1898,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]