Martin & Zelda Capehart Genealogy Website

LETTER FROM AMANDA DELLA (STANLEY) CROM TO AUNT CAROLINE HICKEY 29 July 188?

Dear Aunt I recieved your welcome letter some time ago and have never had time to answer it until now. I am not well nor ma isnt well. my baby has got the whopping cough I dont no where she got it. Roy has gone to Exeter today he is going to start to threshing tomorrow. Pa finished harvesting today. There ant been any rain for one month hot and dry. the chinch bugs worked on the grain pretty bad. Lizzies youngest daughter is here my garden is tolerable good lots of tomatoes the worms is on my cabbage pretty bad corn looks well wheat was tolerable good fruit is pretty good Pa would had black berries ifit would raned. Sam is some better I dont believe he will ever be any better. has uncle Elza ever got old doc mills to sign them papers yet Just as quick as he can get him to sign them he can get an increase of pension and he wasts him to hurry up about it. We got a letter from perlina the other day she said they was all well and she had about enough of kansas and she longs for fall to come I suppose they are coming back the if nothing happens I have got nearly 100 little chickens is uncle Elza coming out this fall. my baby can stand alone I am making me a new carpet. the grass is all drying for the want of rain we need rain so bad. Jane has got a sweet baby hew can stand alone she calls him Albert.

Pa says to see pernell as quick as possible get them for witnesses for im about having the rheumatism in the army. if pernell called to mind a day or two before we started out he had the rheumatism. I sent the papers and all to sign if P P Boyers is round there he will do just as well. he was orderly Sergent so he will do just as well pa says he is so nervous and blind or he would write but he cant. There is men out here getting big back pension on rheumatism and urging pa up to get back pension and he needs it if he can get it. some gets 400 and 500 dollars. he has attorney employed in chicago and he is urging hime up for witteness dock mills statement of my case would be very acceptable for he doctored me before I went in to the army and after I come out and he nos and see to it soon as possible and let me know.

August 29th - I will finish my letter now. Pa is going to move to town the 15th Oct. He traded his farm for town property in geneva and $18000? to boot and he has got a flour store in geneva and going to sell flour. Uncle Elaz ant you going to come out this fall and see us. Sam is better. Manerva is got a daughter born last night at dark. that is all I believe write soon address geneva neb.

Write soon Della crom

Letter from J. S. Griffith to Uncle Elza, Aunt Caroline, and Grandma Hickey

fillmore Co., Neb

12 mo. 19th 1878

Oft Remembered uncle Aunt & grandma it has bin a long time since we rote to yo. So i thought that i would write once mor. i have been in hopes that thee would pay us a visit this winter but we hant sene thee yet so i com cluded to write and se if i could encourage thee a little about coming.

i guess that if thee was to come that thee would be surprised to see this cuntery. henery ses that he did not think that Neb could ever make what it has. i am surouned with farms so that i have no out pasture and that is geting to be a comin thing. In this cuntery the prairie will all be broak out in 3 years at the rate that it has bin broakin the last 2 years. Every bodey that comes from the East says that they didnot expect to see such corn and wheat feeleds.

Well the farmers plowed here up to the 10 of this month i never seen a nicer fauld for work than this hath bin. the 11 of this month there fell about 5 inches of snow. since that we have hat sum cold dayes but the ground is not frose under the snow. Well i ahd 278 bushels of th nicest wheat in the country and the grain merchant sais it made 21 1/4 bushels to the acker. i had 6 ackers of barley that maid 110 per acker, oates 50 bushels per acker, cribed 600 bushels of corn and dug about 100 bushels of potatoes. i have 11 head of horses 2 of them colts that will be 3 years old at spring. we have got them broak to work. they match blackes. i ame to run 2 plowes next sumer. Billey can plow as good as i can an (Tulkey?) plow and that is the kind that we use. We onley keep one cow and have 17 head of hoges.

We built a granery this fauld 8 by 16 and a corn crib the same sise & feet. We have trees in our grove that will masure 6 inches in diameter that was little slips stuck down 6 years ago. Well i ame to so 50 ackers of wheat and 8 of flackes and 10 of barley and 6 of oates next spring. i have 4 of Ry sowed and want to brake 80 ackers of prayere and plant 40 ackers of sod corn. i have lased 80 ackers of school lan the turmes of leese i better than to one lan and pay tax on it. i get the 80 for $12.80 a year. get it for 25 years if i want it and then it is sold to the hiest bider and then will get pay for the improvements that i have put on it. it is 1 1/2 miles home. henery has taken a 80 of the same. this leaves all well as coman excep often he has got the lung fever. Well please ancer. yours til deth. then hope to meet where toyle and laber is over. Love to all. the rest of the folkes is well as far a i no. geneva filmore co. neb

J. S. Griffith

Letter #27 from Ida Indp? First 2 pages missing

Page 3

a year if you dont shy it will be all right of course but I thought I would rather go a head and do all we could this year and then I could git the use of the improvment. We have not built any hen hous yet but if you dont think I am (?)in how strong I will go a head and have it built before spring Geo can build it he helped all he could about the work but he could not all of the carpenter work I had a baranda on the sout of the house six by twenty eight the porch square out that brings the cistern in the kitchen and a little porch built over the east door abut like what is at the west door only they made it mostly out of scraps of lumber that was left from the kitchen we had to buy 300 more brick for the cistern it hold about 75 or 80 barrels Geo dug it considerable deeper than what it was he put a eard? in the east end of the barn and stripped it and got new cross fences and put in he got the cross fences out of the timber but he had to buy the siding he said there wasnt any timber fit to make a plant for siding he aims to take the old siding and line the stable. You tell lois if she hasnt any use for those lard cans to send them down to Kansas and it will save me buying new ones I have all of my cans full of lard and we want to kill four more hogs in a week ore sow The four we killed last week turned out 36 gallons of lard and I have lois's lard and sawsage all ready to send to her as soon as I hear from her I have got the rooms papered at last but have not got straightend up yet. we have about eight hundred bushels of corn in the field yet it is so muddy thay cannot get in the field with a wagon and team. The children was over to ther Aunt Emma Monday she had been sick had to have the doctor but was about all right again. I understood that Della Comstock was to be married to morrow and is going to live on Johny Macs farm I belive it is Della it is school teacher I have not seen ma for a bout a month but she is well ore was the other day I think Bruce and Johny has concluded to ---------------------------I think little Lois begins to suspision some thing pretty strong from the way she acts Well I hope you will have a nice Christmas I hope Lois will get along nicely and soon have the dread of her mind for I know it is a dred. Writ soon and whenever that happens let me know if it is just a (postal?)

Love to all write soon

Ida Indp-----

Letter #20 from Amanda Stanely to her Aunt Caroline "bina" Hickey

December 28 1890

Fillmore Co neb.

dear aunt i take my pen in hand to let you know i am well at present i would like to see you very well. tell (g/sama) and ida and emma to write to me. i am at school today and the children is out a playing. Joe has gone to iowa him and Levian is coming back in about 2 weeks i am staying at Sams. uncle John Bechtel is coming over today. it is about school time. Joe sent me ten cents and a ring a Christmas. ma and pa is sick both of them. Laura is playing with the boys and (?) to tell grand ma that i would like to see her. i am at sams now it is pretty near dark manerva is serving. manerva has been working today. Jane and John did eat dinner here today. Kelby is bothering me so that i cant write to a mount to any thing. Chelsea peaed in the wash pan before he went to bed and said his prayers he says now i lay me down to sleep i pray the Lord my soul to keep if i should die before i wake i pray the Lord my soul to keep. tell samy i never recieved that picture he war a going to send dont uncle elza write. ma says he dont no why is the reason he dont write. manerva wants all of you to write to her i would like to see emma. the men in the neighborhood has got to (?) their women out of doors when they dont do just right there has been to men (?) their women out of doors. i recken i will get to see annie? about a week from now. manerva is returning kelby of to go to bed and sam is in bed and Chelsea is a sleep. we had a good school today. the coffee pot is on the stove. * Perlinas baby is walking. i would like to see aunt emmas baby an maggies (several words faded and unreadable) georgie and all of aunt dianas children. tell uncle elza that i would like to see him a work awhile (?). Well manerva wants to see grand ma so bad she dont know hardly what to do and ant able to come back. i will send you all of Chelseas curls. write soon so goodbye from manda stanly to an aunt bina and all the rest.

* My note: I think the baby must be Golson.

Letter from Salathiel Stanley to brother-in-law, Elza Hickey, from Fillmore Co., NE to Edgar Co., IL.

September 12 1890

Fillmore Co.

Neb.

Der brother,

I tak the present oprtunity anser your kind leter that I rsev sum tym ago and was glad to hear from you all. We're all ingoin midlin good health at this tym. Sum tym ago I was up to Welchs, (Lois?) Welch (wally?) vere sick and hasn't herd from him lately. Jacob Werlch was all well at that tym. Jacob is about like he was when you seen him, (say?) only he hnt quit so hard he look quit old. Tibby is very graa heded. the too girls is mared content. Livs close by the old folks. Bell livs in (York?) 5 miles from hom. (S orJ okible?) livs in york I seen him. Me and Lizey was doun in Kansas gus got hom las weak. We was one hundred and twenty miles we seen no corn down thear. (Lara?) livs down in (Lilen?Co.). We ar haven nice wether her. We hav mid good corn in this naberhood. Sum places corn is not vere good. Well E.B. I would lik to see you all vere mutch, but I dont no whether I wil git to com back thear this fol ur not. Cant you and Carlin com out her this fol and see us. I seen Thorn a day ago he was toaken about goyen to the Stat Fair this weak. Well E.B. I mus clos for this. Hoopeng this may find you all well.

Ples Writ

Sun Your

Truley

S. Stanley

I am at Levann to

Day

Letter #24 Written to Elza Hickey from his cousin t R Patterson

Fidalgo washter.

Jan. 31 1888

Cousin Elza

yours of the (6 isnt?) at hand and was glad to here from you once more

The news which you sent was recd with pleasure we are having warm weather here now the grass is green it rains everry day now it gets verry mudy here they cant use a team to amount to any thing we have had a verry mild winter here 10 above zero is the coldist.

I wish that you were out here to take a boat sail with us it is fine to go out on the bay of a nice day This is a fine place for a felow that likes sport in the shape of hunting or fishing they are game of most all kinds from ducks and gees up to the grizely and cooger. Things are high here horses are worth from $125.00 to $200.00 each hay $20.00 per ton cows $25.00 to $50.00 per head potatoes 75 cents per bu. apples go to 75 cts per bu. land improved $100.00 to $150.00 per acre. it costs from $75.00 to $100.00 per acre to clear land here they are lots of government land in the teritory yet i think that will and I shall take land some wher in the teritory. we are way up here in the corner of the N (?) is is 40 miles to britishcolum we will leave this island about the first of march I was glad to here that they will get married back there if I cant. I will nto wish Marys husband any bad luck I will wish him all the hapiness that can be in one small life I guess that I shall hafto live an old batch and dy an old maid or take a half bread or squaw I was toa dance friday night the girls were all half breads they are flyers you bet They are lots of indians here you said that your uncle Elza and samy had bin west last summer what part was they in did samy H take land there what has be com of bud Dougherty is he married yet

this lieves us well

hoping that it will find you the same

I will close by asking you to write soon

my best wishes to all

from your cousin

T R Patterson

Dudley Fillmore Co Neb. Jan 24th 1886

Dear Aunt we are all well as common and sorry to hear of grandmas death. winter set in the 1st of January been cold ever since. Sam is getting well and we are going to rent the place out and move to lincoln and Sam is going to preach. the baby is goin on three years old black eyes and red hair he is pretty the oldest girl is almost seven. your name sake is going to take a big dress she is almost 5. the boys is going to school and can write. one of our teachers died before his school was out and the other frose her hand. I am getting gray and weigh 160 lbs. I can not write now. write soon and tell all is well. writ often if you will. Ill send you a peace of my new dress

Manerva Raines

Dear Aunt I will drop you a few lines to you. I am at Sams today health is tolerable good. I would love to see you all. we are having bad weathere now. we are going west next fall I can not write nomore i will write along letter when i go

home

good by Della Crom

this pen is so bad i cant write writ soon

Letter to Elza Hickey from The Griffiths

Dudley, Neb.

5 mo 19 1881

Remembered Uncle,

This bares us all well but me I have the Rumitism. So that I ant able to do anything only ride and plan. We have got our wheat barley and oates in potatoes planted and up 8 achers of corn up will get 19 achers more planted this weak if the rain does not bother to much. It is raining today. i just finished gethering corn last week have 600 bushels in the crib. have 10 fat hoges redey to take of as sune as I get my corn planted. i ame to plant 60 achers.

Well uncle we meant to get sum Bes out here and Henery said that Billey Meadmes had sum cheap ones. He said all that he charged was to have the hive furnished if that is the case we want them Shore for they are carse hear and what is here is doing well. So if it hant to much bother to thee to see Mc about it and if that is all he wants if thee will furnish his 2 fives and send me the cost bil i will send the money rite of and we will pay thee for thy truble of taking them to the trane this fall. They will have to come by Expres. If he ant leting them go that way See him and se what he will carg to furnish us 2 standes of good Bbes at the Expres office this fauld.

Well thee said in thy letter that thee would like to see this cuntry. I would like for thee to see it and I would to see thee and have a talk. i thing that it would do us both good i no that i can talk faster than i can rite. Well i have 9 sows to pig one mare to fold.

The folkes is well as fur as i no.

Pleas write to us. runing 2 plowes 1.3 horse 1.2 horse. Billey walkes and (a mt?) plowes and i ride. Calvin tendes to the hoges. Allen & Benney watches the piges Adline takes care of home while Betey makes garden. Lorra does the hous work so we are all got something to do.

Ples Lore to all in hope that if on earth we never meat that we may find that happy land when don with this world.

J S Griffith

Martin & Zelda Capehart Genealogy Website

The information on this website has been compiled from many sources. We have tried to document and verify all information as much as possible and will continue to do so. If you find an error or have additional information please contact us.

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~~ The Stanley & Hickey Letters ~~

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Letters courtesy of Marilyn Cottington Johnson & Caroline Coons

Note: The Stanley & Hickey letters have been transposed from the originals exactly as they were written. Access to education was limited for many of our early pioneer ancestors and you will find misspelled words, sentences run together, etc. The lives of our pioneer ancestors was not easy. These letters give us a glimpse into how they lived and the every day trials they faced.

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Envelope letter was mailed in

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Letters from the Stanley family in Nebraska to Sara (Hickey) Stanley's family in Illinois

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