JANUARY 1855 LETTER FROM NICHOLAS & MARY STEPHENS - Transcript Joe Stevens of Blair Co., PA. Notes by Joe Stevens & Kari Northup

Benton Coty Io
(dated) Jan 25, 1855
Mr. Nicholas Stephens
Frankstown Post Office
Blair Coy, PA
(3 cent stamp)

State of Iowa Benton Coy

January 21st 1855

Dear Son we received your letter and was Happy to hear that you ware all well. We are all in good health hoping these few lines will find you enjoying the Same Blessing. We have had the butifulest winter that ever I seen in fact we had no winter yet worth mentioning until yesterday and To day is pretty cold. The emigration has Been pouring in all the time and the prairie is entered ten and twelve miles south of us. It is realy surprising and not knowing Where to get timber Vinton City is improving very fast we have one good store there and one Post Office and every foot of the sand preraire is entered and settled. Vinton the county seat is also improving very fast they have also erected a large steam mill there John Gingery (7) from Freedom is coming out here in the spring And many more from that country John Russel (1) is going to move out some where in the Neighborhood of iowa city Elizabeth leamer (2) is married to John Dillen (3) and also henry hote (4) But you must not get scared when I tell you have to well I grieve I must tell you at any rate I must rest a while before I rite her name

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It is mely sanders (5) and it surprised the hole County Henrietta leamer (6) has a fine son You wanted to know how black Frank is getting along I can not tell you much about him he was to see us twice this summer I heared that he had sunk five hundred dollars this last year. George myers (8) and the hole family is living in Benton City Daniel is married to that girl that we use to live with them in merion old George has got the ferry at the city that money you stated about I want you to do the best with it you can . Rite soon and let us know all about times in that country direct your letter to Benton city Benton Coy iowa
Nothing more at this time but remain your fanther and Mother
Nicholas Stephens
Mary Stephens

(1) John Russell is mentioned in another letter dated Aug 5, 1855. I believe he might be the father of the John Russell that is married to Mary Ann Stephens.

(2) Elizabeth Leamer b. 11/16/1837 is the daughter of Rebecca (daughter of Nicholas and Mary Stephens) and Jacob Leamer

(3) Elizabeth Rebecca Leamer married John Dilling about 1855 in Benton Co., Iowa. I have changed that to 1854 since Nicholas was writing in January 1855 and said they were already married. John & Elizabeth Dilling had 4 children that I know of, born 1856-1863.

(4) Henry Hote (believed Hite) is the son of Margaret, (daughter of Nicholas and Mary) Stephens, and David Hite.

(5) I have notes from a tree on Ancestry.com posted by Dale Halupnik that says that Henry Hite, son of David Hite & Margaret Stephens, married a Mildred Saunders and they had a son named Peter K. Hite who was born March 29, 1861 in Benton Co., Iowa. I wonder why it was such a surprise to "the whole county" that Henry married Millie/Mely, and why Nicholas grieved to tell the news, hoped it wouldn't "scare" Nicholas Jr, and had to rest before even writing her name. She must have been a wild one! :o) Maybe he was just kidding.

I found Henry & "Millie" Hite on several census records. Looks like the marriage lasted a long time, so it must have been a good match:

1860 census Taylor, Benton Co., Iowa
#965/869
Henry Hite, age 25, b. Pennsylvania
Millie, age 28, b. Virginia
Catharine, age 5, b. Iowa
David F., age 3, b. Iowa
Joseph A., age 2, b. Iowa
On same page as several Sanders households and one household away from John & Mary (Ann Stephens) Russell.

1870 census Taylor, Benton Co., Iowa
#520
Henry Hite, age 37, Farmer, b. Pennsylvania
Mildred A., age 38, b. Virginia
Catharine, age 15, at school, b. Iowa
David F., age 13, at school, b. Iowa
Peter K., age 9, b. Iowa

1880 United States Census Clark, Tama, Iowa Page Number 436B
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace
Henry HITE Self M Male W 48 PA Farmer PA PA
Mildred A. HITE Wife M Female W 48 VA Keeping House VA VA
David F. HITE Son S Male W 23 IA Farmer PA VA
Peter K. HITE Son S Male W 19 IA Farm Laborer PA VA

1900 census Clark, Tama Co., Iowa
Henry Hite is listed as age 68 (b. Oct 1831), widowed, in the household of his married son Peter K. Hite.

(6) Henrietta Leamer, b. 1831, daughter of Rebecca (daughter of Nicholas and Mary Stephens) and Jacob Leamer , married to Richard R. Thompson. Richard & Henrietta Leamer Thompson had a son Samuel Thompson who was age 4 on the 1860 census. I do not have any children born before him, so I don't know if he was the son born before January 1855, or if there was a son who died and Samuel was born about 1856. There is a Richard, Henery Ella and Samuel Thomson listed on index of the 1856 state census of Benton Co., IA, so maybe Samuel was the son referred to.

(7) John Gingry appears in the Benton County IO 1856 Census listings. List of several Gingry family members in 1869 Benton County Census. 1870 census Grant Twp., Caldwell Co., MO page 117B June 22, 1870
Household #95
Richard Thompson, age 44, farmer, b. PA
Henrietta, age 37, keeping home, b. PA
Erwin, age 11, b. IA
Frank, age 3, b. IA
May, age 1 month, b. MO
John W. Thompson, age 35, b. PA
Ellen, age 28, b. NY
Annie, age 7, b. IA
Dora, age 3, b. IA
Nancy Thompson, age 73, b. PA
Martha Leamer, age 18, keeps house, b. PA
William Gingery, age 27, farmer, b. PA

(8) George Myers appears in the 1856 Benton County Iowa Census. Several Mires are listed on the 1860 Census in Benton Co. Iowa all having been born in PA. This may be the family of Martin Myers or Daniel Myers who are married to Nicholas Stephens' sisters.

Father: George Ernst MEYER b: 1723 in Germany
Mother: Hannah Barbara HOOVER b: Abt 1730
Marriage 1 Mary Elizabeth STEFFY b: 1779 in Blair Co.,PA
Birth: 1779 in Blair Co.,PA 1 2
Death: 28 FEB 1863 in Blair Co.,PA 1 2 2 3
Married: in Blair Co.,PA 2 3
Children
Jacob MYERS b: 12 OCT 1823 in E. Holidaysburg,Blair,PA
Peter MYERS
Daniel MYERS
Hannah MYERS
Samuel MYERS
Martin MYERS
George MYERS
Nicholas MYERS
David MYERS
Mary MYERS

Family page for Nicholas & Mary Stephens