September 17, 1872
To: Nancy Keith
From: Sarah Keith, Galesburg, MI
Tells Nancy that Pa does not feel well enough to pick her up; however, if she comes on the 4:00 train tomorrow he will meet her in Kalamazoo. He had been at Oscar’s in Deerfield and they had a baby boy, who was five weeks old.
Scan of 1872-09-17 Sarah Keith to Nancy Brown
Galesburg Sep 17 1872
Well Nancy your Pa[1] came home last evening about tired out. He says he does not feel as though he could go after you. He says if you will come tomorrow on the four oclock train, he will meet you at Kalamazoo (Wednesday). He found them well in Deer field.[2] Mary[3] has a baby boy[4] five weeks old last Saturday. Henry[5] stayed one night at Oscar’s and one at Kate’s[6] so he could write to Frank T–[*] that he had found out the difference between f—–g and sneezeing.
Jeff[7] has been there and gone away. Your Pa does not know whither he is a coming back or not. Tell Hellen[8] I am sorry we could not go and make her a visit for I wanted to ever so much. Tell her for the present she must take the will for the deed, and for them to come and see us just the same.
Hannah[9] says you must come on the same train Aunt Katy[10] came on. Mary does not appear to be any better.
Good by
Hope we will see you tomorrow night
from your Mother
——-
[1] Charles Luke Keith Jr.
[2] Luke’s nephew, James “Oscar” Keith, and family lived in Deerfield, Michigan
[3] Oscar’s wife, Mary Ann (Batey) Keith
[4] John Herbert Keith was born August 10, 1872
[5] Henry Keith, Luke’s son by his first wife, Minerva (Payson) Keith
[6] Luke’s niece (and Oscar’s sister), Frances Catherine “Kate” (Keith) Chaffee
[*] John Frank Tomlinson, the grand-nephew of her husband, Luke
[7] Believe he is referring to Kate’s husband, Thomas Jefferson Chaffee
[8] Helen (Bradley) York, the daughter of Catherine (Keith) Bradley Lee and her first husband, Ethan Bradley
[9] Her daughter, Hannah Keith
[10] Luke’s sister, Catherine (Keith) Bradley Lee
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 