Jan 13 /84
Cousin Emma
i wrote to you last but write again there is lots of snow here the
bells are jingling all the time Uncle Johns people went to the lakes
to day to see Polly. your pa and ma were down to day they are well
Uncle George and aunt Jane has been up to Jessies she is very sick the
other night they thought she would die she has got a baby 2 weeks old
ma can't do anything Lib is here E. B. Campbell is sick Vern
Green is so he can ride out Pa has just gone to milk aunt Lib is
visiting uncle Dan your Pa got a letter from Edd last week they are
all well Laura is very sick she cant stan both of her limb are
broke out Just like ma,s i get she wont go to any more dances i
am going to a party the 29 at Dell landis zen [?] it is anns birth day
Mark Seely Just came in i cant half write when any one is talking
i went to church to day am going to night meetings are being held
in the new church in West farmington week of prayr last weak. and
this the attendance is very small.
it has been very coald here 12 below zero Lib had a letter from the
west it is 38 [?] below zero We call that very coald where did you
spend christmas and what were your presants Joe gave me a lovly pair
of gold earrings and other presants
do you see Hattie price when you see here tell her i said she broke
her word a bout writing me i cant think of any more
be shure and write
soon good buy
Miss Ina Hoyt
Nelson Pa
Georgie,
i will you a line how did you enjoy you self out here do you
remember those picture books. did you enjoy them you may look for
me next summer when will i look for you
please write when
your mama does
Ina
going a riding in about 10 minutes
* * *
Inez L. HOYT Boller was the writer. She custimarily used 'Ina' --
pronounced 'Iney'. Born 10/11/1871 in Nelson, PA, d. there 9/25/1934.
Her husband was my namesake. Inez was the dau. of Phebe Campbell (1832
- 1917), dau. of Joseph Campbell & Ann Clinch.
The hand writing is sometimes very hard to read, even where no fading
has occurred and is quite faded here and there, so we've had to guess
some. Childish spellings, grammar, lack of punctuation, and her
omissions of words complicated the deciphering. Nevertheless, except
for 'zen', which makes no sense, we are quite confident that what you
see, is what she wrote.
The first part of the letter is written to "cousin Emma", who's identity
is a mystery. The note at the end to "Georgie" presumably is of the
same household. It's hard to tell how old Emma and Georgie are. Emma
could be a child or teenager, and Georgie younger than Inez Emma may
be Georgie's older sister, or Georgie's mother. "your pa and ma were
down to day" narrows it a little -- Emma's parents were both living and
were either within a day or so's travel or were visiting the area. And
Emma lived far enough away to send a letter to, but still lived with, or
near, her mother -- "please write when your momma does". I searched my
database for Campbell family members named Emma or Emily with a George,
Georgette, etc. in the household, where both were alive in 1884. I
didn't find any Emilys that seemed likely candidates, but there are
several Emmas to consider.
Emma Eudora VAUGHAN Congdon (1854 - 1954), wife of Thomas Edgar "Ed/Edd"
Congdon (1850 - 1929), son of Sarah Campbell (1824 - 1892), Phebe's
sister, came to mind as one possibility. In that case "Georgie" would be
Emma's daughter, Georgianna "Georgia" CONGDON Parks Merritt Weir (1873 -
1961). Ed and Emma, and their children -- "Georgia" and Leroy Vaughan
"Edd" Congdon (1883 - 1962), all live in Brainerd, MN, at the time the
letter was written. This Emma came from Bradford Co., but I don't know
her parents names or where they lived in 1884. But he letter seems
written to someone younger.
Another possibility is Emma CONGDON Buck (1848 - 1921), sister of Thomas
Edgar Congdon. In that case, "Georgie" would be Emma's son, George
Leroy Buck (1877 - 1942). "your pa and ma" would then be Benjamin D. and
Sarah Campbell Congdon. This Emma was probably living in Watkins Glen,
NY, then. This Emma seems more likely than her MN sister-in-law, above.
Other contenders are Emma Bulkley, born 1864 or '65, and her brother
George, b. 1868 or '69. They lived in Westfield, PA, in 1880. Their
ages seem consistent with the tone of the letters -- the Emma in the
letter seems to me to be closer in age to Inez than do either of the
Congdon Emmas above. Their parents were Edwin B. Bulkley (1835 - ?) and
2nd wife Malvina Doud ( 1836/37 - ?). So strictly speaking they weren't
cousins, but Edwin's first wife was Adele H. Ellison (1834 - 1860),
dau.of Jane Hazlett (1810 - 1901), dau. of Sam Hazlett and Sally Campbell.
Other candidates are Emma Jane VAN DUSEN Brown (1879 - 1960) and her
brother, Harold George Van Dusen (1882 - 1948). They were the children
of Ann Tubbs (1855 - 1930), daughter of Jane Campbell (1829 - 1916),
daughter of Joseph & Ann Clinch Campbell. Their ages seem consistent
with the tone of Inez' letter.
Any other ideas or comments on who "cousin Emma:" and "Georgie" were?
Of
course, Emily may not have been a cousin on Inez' Campbell side, she
could have been a cousin on the Hoyt side. BUT it would have to be
someone familiar with the Campbell relatives in Nelson
"Uncle Johns people" -- Uncle John was John Harper Campbell (1836 -
1899), Phebe's brother. I'm not sure whom 'people' included. By 1884
he had married Calphurna Bottom (1842 - 1910), and had both his
children, Adelbert E. "Del" (1859 -1922) and Luella B. CAMPBELL Young
(1866 - 1918). Lou hadn't married yet, but Del had.
"the lakes" -- ??? Perhaps the Finger Lakes. Several family members
lived Schuyler Co.
"Polly" -- ???
"Uncle George and aunt Jane" -- Geo. W. Tubbs (1829 - 1916) and wife
Jane Campbell (1834 - 1916), Phebe's sister.
"Jessie ... baby" -- Jessie Ann CAMPBELL Ellison (1861 - 1900), dau. of
Phebe's brother Wm. Campbell (1822 - 1875). The baby was Edna Alice
ELLISON Wright (1883 - 1963).
"Pa" -- William Hoyt (1832 - 1888).
"Lib is here" -- Elizabeth CAMPBELL Hughey (1830 - 1904), Phebe's
sister, then also living in Brainerd, MN.
"E. B. Campbell" -- Enoch Blackwell Campbell (1839 - 1912), son of James
Campbell and Mary Blackwell.
"Vern Green" - Vernon Green(e) (1830 - 1903). His first wife was Emily
Campbell (1837 - 1861), sister of E. B. Campbell. In 1866 Vern married
Mary Kemp (1834 - 1912), sister of David Cook Kemp (1831 - 1929).
David's first wife was Harriet Campbell (1832 - 1903), Emily and E. B.'s
sister.
"uncle Dan" -- The absence of punctuation complicates this. At first I
read it "aunt Lib is visiting uncle Dan" and assumed 'Dan' referred to
Daniel Hughey (1826 - 1891), husband of "aunt Lib". But it seems
strange that she would "visit" her husband. Or it could begin a new
sentence -- "Uncle Dan, your Pa, ..." But I don't know of a Dan that's
father of an Emma/Emily. Does anyone have some insights on this?
"Edd" -- Perhaps Thomas Edgar Congdon. Judson Edgar Hughey wasn't old
enough to write yet.
"Laura" -- Perhaps Laura J. BOSARD Mourey/Mowrey (1851 - 1926), dau. of
Phebe's sister, Eleanor Campbell (1828 - 1910). I know Phebe once broke
her jaw, and much later broke her hip as a old woman, but I never heard
of her or Laura Bosard breaking their "limbs".
"Del landis" -- ???
"anns birthday" -- I first thought of Ann TUBBS Van Dusen, Jane
Campbell's dau. But her birthday was Jan. 29th. Perhaps the letter was
started Jan 13th, but still in progress on the 29th? Or perhaps Ann was
a friend and not family.
"Mark Seely" -- Marcus Brutus Seely (1847 - 1932), son of Phebe's
sister, Mary Ann Campbell (1826 - 1894).
"Joe" -- Inez' brother, Joseph DeForest Hoyt (1860 - 1903).
"Hattie price" -- ???
Please feel free to post comments, suggestions, or follow up questions
to the list about this.