| Birth | 4 Jan 1838 | Morgan Co., IL |
| Death | 25 May 1865 | Oregon Trail |
| Buried | Lagrande Cemetery, Union co, OR | |
| Census | 23 Sep 1850 | Wapello co., IA |
| Census | 1856 | Silver Creek twp, Mills Co., IA |
| Oral History | ||
| Transcript of letter written by Mary S. Chapell when she was staying in Lagrand, Baker Co, Oregon to sister Martha Osborn in Iowa. Mary was Mary Susan Emerich born 1838 & is buried in Lagrand where she died in May 25th 1865. Martha is apparently Martha Elizabeth Emerich b. 3-15-1843 in Wapello, Iowa. I am placing the date of the letter as Jan 3rd 1865, as David Gurenus Chapell is mentioned as 4 months old. Orginal letter is in the possession of Mildred Burger of Santa Rosa, California grandaughter of David "Reney" Chapell who was adopted by the Burgers after Mary Susan died. Words I am unsure of are in paranthesis with my best guess. " My dear sister I sit down to write you a fiew line to let you know where we are and how we get along we are keeping house for a batchalor Henry has built a new house for Mr Richardson and we are in it there has bin (three?) men here all the time until today George has gone to batching for (himself?)we do not live any further from Mr (Parsmer, Farmer, Padmer, or??) than Fathers was they are well we was over there the other day they had just got a letter from buloo and one from Jane Hiatt which I had the pleasure of reading which stated that you had got back to Iowa well Martha I am glad that you had got back and very much surprised to hear that you had an other son I supose you thought that was awful to be confined on the road (2 or 3 illegible words) confined in the last of June and theres (2 words) others babies born in our train besides mine so you see we got use to such things crossing the plains (???) our boy David Gurenus he is four months old and a fine harty child to be an (emigrant) I will try to tel you of the wether we have here there has not bin but six or seven cold days but we have had several little snows and several days that the wind blew and the snow flew in the air so it was very disagreable it is thawing very fast yesterday and today the snow is all gone except the drifts and perhaps it will not snow any more this winter, I can hardly tell how I like the country I have not bin around to see mutch of the country though I can you how it looks like from home it looks ( part of top line of letter missing here) that is all that I can tell you about it, Mr Carr made us a (?) visit the other day he got a letter from Mr foster who has gone on down to Marvin davises he is very much dissatisfied with the country Goff Burmims got down there safe I supose Kate is feasting on baked apples and cream we did not get to the apple country. January the 3rd well i will send you a pease of my dress to let you know the prise of goods the dress was forty cents per yard the (sack ) was fifty cent domestic is fifty cents calico is twety five cents per yard i suppose there is some diferance in these prices and the prices of goods in Iowa I have not bin to church scince I left Iowa though there is churk every sabath the minister was to see us before chrismas (we ?)(???????) on the class book I wish you would tel Father to get my church letter and send it to me they know how it was that I did not get it before i came away, well Martha I must tel you why I have not bin to church we have no team and it is to far for me to walk with the children we had but one yoke of oxen left when we got here and Henry turned them out to feed on the grass and they run of and he cannot find them nowhere at all I would like to see all of my friends once more but I fear i never will see you all again oh I am so lone some here in this strang land I do not know wat i would give to have a brother or a sister to speak (?) to I have not sen a neighbor women scince I soped (1st line torn ) (write) to me every two weeks it takes so long for to (?) a letter I get tired looking for one tel aunt Matilda to write me direct your letter to Leagrand, Baker County Oregon I have not written but one letter to mother I thought I would write on the road but I found there was no chance to write on the road and I have but little better chance scince I stroped the baby is trobblesome and Anna is noisy and mischieveous she has some thing to say to every body that comes in she had some chrismas toys give to her a ruber ball with stars on it and when she would press on it it would make a nois like a little bird if little allen was here she would give it to him to play with i believe i have nothing more to write of importance to you an (?) (this) as (?) as you get it and excus my letter for i had like to goten tel you that we was all well at this time and i hope that this may find you and all the friends enjoying the same blessing from the hand of God, tel David that if he takes anotion to come across the plains he must not start with a small company for there is danger of the indian so nothing more for this time but remain your affectionate sister Mary S Chapell to Martha Osborn | ||
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| Renus David Chappel Bible |
| email received 3 Jun 1998. Brenda Johnson <> |
| 1880 Census of Mendocino co., CA ancestry.com images of original record |
| 1850 Census of Wapello co., IA ancestry.com images of original record |
| 1856 State Census of Silver Creek Township, Mills county, IA |
| Comments left on the page of Mary Susan Emerick Mary E. Burger <www.iduce@c-zone.com> |
| How to cite this page as a source | |
| author: | Michael Sheppard < sheppard@cs.unm.edu > |
| title: | Genealogical events for Mary Susan EMERICK |
| url: | http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~shep/shep/I1420.html |
| updated: | 1 Jan 2006 |