Sarah Ann Camfield, Oct 12, 1903

Buchanan October 12th 1903

Dear Children this is Monday morning and I thought I would begin my task of writing letters by writing to you for I thought you would be most interested in it I received 15 letters Fraiday and one saturday I got one from Jud Sweeting did you write to him he said he received a letter frome me the day before I thought it must have been from you and he thought it was fro me I never wrote to him I supposed they were out west I did not know they were in Bronson

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now for the writers of the letters it was a perfect surprise to me Anna had six that she had got but said nothin about till Friday morning they came and put them in my lap bed had them looked over Ashley had been to the Office threw another lot in my lap then the wonder was more than ever wen they had had fun enough of seeig mybewilderment Anna explained it to me I had never heard of such a thing I think there could not have been a more complete surprise

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Mr and Mrs Warner of Noble ane from Mrs Orrie Smith one from Mrs Ola Harris and Harrises niece that is taking of one from Mrs Plant of Bur Oak one from Mrs Bloat Bell plant motherin inlaw of sherwood I never saw her nor hardly heard of her but she wrote a splendid letter also one from Mrs Spero and one from Mrs James Burk Batavia and one from Mrs Minlin Batavia and Mrs Bogardus of Noble Mrs Elizabeth Belden of Wisconsin Mrs Ella Mc Kinnon of Minnesota and Mrs Libby Camfield of Kansas palace and one from Mr Earl Camfield of the same

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your letter came Friday morning and the picture saturday I think you and Earl look very natural but I cannot much of Freds looks in him Anna says he is in the dark more I know I cannot see near as well as I could last year not ever last spring wel I do not of any thin more only to thank your part in the party I thought you would like to know how it came I think it was verry nice indeed

[no signature]

What a nice birthday surprise for Sarah Ann! Most of the letters I have of hers were written to her daughter Anna. I don't know how this letter written to her son in South Bend, IN came to be saved.

Warner, Smith and Harris were related to Libbie Warner Camfield (Fred's wife).

Sweeting, Plant, Bloat, Spero, Burk and Minlin were neighbors of Sarah Ann when she lived in Branch County, MI.

Mary Bogardus was the wife of Henry, see link below.

Elizabeth Belden and Ella McKinnon were Sarah Ann's nieces and letters they wrote to Anna can be found with the Hall Family letters link below.

Libbie and Earl writing from Kansas was a big surprise for me. I knew that Fred and Libby left Chicago for a time and that at some point they lived in the Ozarks but I didn't know that they tried Kansas first.

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

Camfield, Sarah Wisner (Buchanan, MI) to “Dear Children”
[Joseph Harrison Camfield]. Letter. 12 October 1903. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1903-1904,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, Jan 26, 1900

South Bend January 26 1900 (310)

Dear Children

we are all well and hope you are allso Roza wrote last week but I thought I would write all the same

Monday 29th we are having pretty cold weather yesterday and to day the coldest we have had Fred got aletter from Libby saturday they are all well Now I am going to send you one dollar to get yours and Ashleys pictures taken for me and therest of you I suppose you can get six send me three and you keep three I got Josephs and Roses taken and now I want yours also

and if you have that big oxalice I would like to have you send me some did your blossom and what colour was it I gave Mrs Burk some of those I took home but do not know the result the rest I gave Rose and she planted them and left them about aweek and threw them away because they had not

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grown I tried to find out where she threw them she said she did not know where she threw them if I get some more she will not get them to throw away

Fred has gone to bed to sleep he worked all night last nite he will work night now for two weeks and then days for 2 weeks that is the way they change

I have a few worsted pieces I am going to send you for your quilt

we expected tola here yesterday but she did not come I guess it was to cold

write as often as you can

write soon so goodby for this time

from your S A Camfield

Ps will you please send me the patern of the star you were piecing when I was there last sumer I have and set to gather 2 quilts and have blocks for 2 more now have eleven stars for another they are the star with a square middle that I have

I have only one picture of Rose that was taken very late in life with her daughter, Ruby. I wish I had the picture mentioned. If any other descendants have a copy I would love to add it here.

I had already dated this picture as c. 1900. Perhaps it was the one that Sarah Ann requested.

Ashley, Daniel, Tamerson, Frank, and Anna Carlisle

I didn't know that Fred had moved to South Bend to work while Libbie took care of things on the farm.

What color was the oxalis? I never brought mine in last year. I'll have to get another and keep it as a house plant. Maybe a green with pink flowers.

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


Camfield, Sarah Wisner (South Bend, IN) to “Dear Children”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 26 January 1900. Digital Images 1-2.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1900,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

Sarah Ann Camfield, Oct 10, 1899

Batavia October 10th 1899

Dear Children and grand Children

we are as well as usual and enjoying our selves as well as we can we had Mr and Mrs Spero and the two Chlidren here last week they came friday after noon and stayed until sunday morning 10 o'clock also Mrs Plant called last week one day alittle while she was going to Coldwater on buisness she she could not go by without Calling she is going to york state to her Brothers I dont know whether she intended to stay or not she said she would try to come and make us avisit before she went october 11th There is some prospect of rain this morning it is neaded badley every thing is very dry Freds man lift Saturday and he has considerable corn to husk yet hans are

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verry scarse they say it is impossible to get aman to work at any price I went to Coldwater the 2d and sold my place in Noble and had the writing drawn for it so now I have no place any more I get 1,100 dollars for it I have a mortgage on it Libbbies health is poor she is taking medacine all the time it is so dark I cannot see the lines I did not get the Rig pattern of Mrs Vorus will you please send it to me in your next letter now I have rags ready cut and sewed for 15 or 20 yards of carpet what had I better do with them please tell me in your next letter what you think I thought to have it wove and bring it with me to the bend and I thought to fetch the rags and have it wove there but dont know what is best if I could sell them I think that would be ebst but dont know as I can write soon and tell me what you think

S A Camfield


Added scrap of paper

I forgot to tell you I went to Mrs Tiltons last week had agood visit write soon and tell what you think about the rags I have walked up to Mrs Burks twice since I came back


It seems sad that Sarah Ann has sold her home. She hadn't lived there in some time as the house was rented out and they in turn rented another, larger place.

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


Camfield, Sarah Ann (Batavia, MI) to “Dear Children and grand Children”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 10 October 1899. Digital Images 1-3.
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.]

Elizabeth Warner Camfield, April 2, 1899

In her next letter Libbie is very chatty. She, Sarah Ann and Earl are all feeling better. Her mother hurt her back, so she has returned to her home and Libbie's father is caring for her.

She tells a little about her sister, Ola, and her brother-in-law, Bert Harris.

Well Uncle Ashley my father has been having a time keeping “bachelor's hall" ever since Ma has been here he has been over to Ola's taking care of things Bert's father, mother, and grandfather have all been sick at the same time at the other house (you know they live in their daughter's house) and Bert + Ola + children had to go over there and that left things to suffer for the want of care at their home so Pa is staying there he does the barn chores gets his own meals of course besides skimming the milk, churning and taking care of the butter. The Dr. said Berts grandfather might drop away any time and again prehaps he will get well. Ola has her hands full but yet they have good neighbors while here their hasn't been a neighbor woman only Mrs. Burks in the house since grandfather was buried. Mrs. B - hasn't been here for aweek now but she has had a bad swelling time with a tooth.

Mrs Plant, who was a neighbor of Sarah Ann's and who has been mentioned in previous letters has been staying with her nephew in Burr Oak.



Ola Warner was born in 1867 and married Bert Harris about 1890. At the time of this letter they had three children; Howard Harris, born about 1893; Laura Harris, born about 1895; and Norman Harris, born about 1897.

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


Camfield, Elizabeth Warner (Batavia, MI) to “Dear Ones One and all”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 2 April 1899. Digital Images 1-4.
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.]