Nov 5 – Pleasant. Pa & Ethan husked corn. Uncle Joe Lee brought Ma & Aunt Alfleda home this afternoon. Lucy Baby died to day at 10 AM. She was one hour younger than Johney.[151] Her name was Catharine Cemantha but they called her Kittie. Hannah & Uncle Joe Lois went home with Uncle J. I wrote to Hank. I washed to day. Hannah is sick.
Nov 6 – Pleasant. Ma & I made Jimmie an over coat & a pair of pants. We did not go to bed till most midnight. Pa & Ethan husked corn.
Nov 7 – Cold. Lucys baby was burried to day funeral at one oclock. Ma, Hannah & I stayed at the house, the rest all went to the grave. Lucy fells pretty bad. We did not come home till after supper. It rained most all the way home. It is thirty two (32) years to day since Father and Mother were married.[152]
Nov 8 – Cloudy. Ma washed. Mrs Gaffney came down here to day. Ida Clark called here to night. Father got a letter from Hank.
Nov 9 – Stormy this afternoon. Jimmie & I walked to the Burg. I stayed all night with Ida. Jimmie came home. Mrs Barber made Ida a hat to day. Miss Mary C Scramblin and Mr John Farmer of Battle Creek were married to day.[153]
Nov 10 – Cloudy & cold. Ida went to the Creek on the five oclock train this morning. Mr Barber went up to Mr Streator to work. I rode home with him. I commenced a letter to Hank. Pa went to the Burg & got a barrel of salt paid $2.25. He got a box of goods for Aunt A. Father got a letter for me from Hank.
Nov 11 – Snowed some. I wrote to Hank to day. Ethan wrote to Henry Keith. Willie C– was here to day.
Nov 12 – Some snow. Ethan brought me down to Fathers. Louesa went up to Jim Milhams[154] to stay with Stellie.
Nov 13 – Snowed hard all day. I am at Fathers. Mother is making her calico dress. I have red Margeret Oakley to day. Hobert Jackson called here this morning to wait for Will to go to school. Father went to the Burg this evening.
Nov 14 – Pleasant but a good deal of snow. Father went to Kal. Mother finished her calico dress. Father took Aunt Jules teeth with him to get them fixed but could not. I commenced Mas tida[155] this morning, got it little more than half done. Will got a magazine for Hank to night, there was twenty five cents postage due on it.
Nov 15 – Thawed. Snow most gone. Father went to the burg this afternoon. I went down to Pa,s with him. Louesa went to the Burg & came back with him. He got a letter from Hank. He sent an order for twenty five dollars, eleven going to Mother for butter for Uncle Hite. Pa killed his pig this forenoon. Lois went up to Brady with Charley. He is going to stay a week. I learned Aunt Jule to make barley corn to night.
Nov 16 – Pleasant. Lucy, Hannah & Georgie went up to Pa,s. Ethan came down after me. When they went home I came back to Fathers. Dell was here and took dinner. Mr Streetor came down toward night and got ten dollars of Aunt Jule.
Nov 17 – Rained a little. Father and Ethan went after our goods. The freight on them was $10.84 from Muir to Kalamazoo. Harry Streetor and Nellie Stanford[156] started for Ohio to night. Harry is going to Canton and Nellie to Randolph.
Nov 18 – Snow and rain. We opened to safe & fruit box. Things were all right. I commenced writting to Hank this morning. Got a letter from Hank and one from Ida Barber.
Nov 19 – Cold. I finished Hanks letter. Father went to the Burg. I went as far as Pa,s. Took my Bureau and bed down there. I came back with him. I forgot to take Hanks letter. I got a letter from Nellie Tomlinson.[157]
Nov 20 – Cold. I wrote a little more to Hank this morn. Will took the letter to the Burg. I finished Hanks shirt and Mas tidy and fixed my gloves. Ethan came down after the quilting frames. He brought my quilt. I cut out some blocks and pieced some. Father killed two sheep. He had a chill to night
Nov 21 – Warm and pleasant. I quilted, fixed Aunt Jules Bonnet. Hank came hom Father and I went to the Burg. I got some calacoe for my quilt. I called at Pas.
Nov 22 – Cold and some stormy. I fixed Aunt Jules bonnet. Hank came home to night sick with a hard cold. Aunt Jule gave me a pair of glove warmers. Will went to the Burg to get Frank shod. He got a letter for Hank from Loyd.
Nov 23 – Snow. Hank is sick to day. Will has gone down to Pa,s after the Balsam for Hank. We are going to sleep in Mothers room to night.
Nov 24 – Snow. Hank was real sick last night. He is all broken out with the Measles. He is pretty sick to day. Father went after his trunk. I went down to Pas after some things. Ma has got the star quilt on. She has got a real lame back. Father killed eight geese and the old gobler to day.
Nov 25 – Pleasant. Hank is a little better. Father has gone to Kalamazoo. He took the fowls and some wheat. Mother has washed. Ida Allerton is twenty one (21).[158]
Nov 26 – Pleasant. Hank is better. We went up stairs to sleep to night. Uncle Ed Armes and Mrs Sherman came here to day, are going to stay all night. Mother cooked the goose.
Nov 27 – Snow this morning, it is good sleighing. Hank and I went down to Pa,s with Will. It is Thanksgiving. Fathers folks are going to have oysters. Pas folks had chickens. Will had a tooth pulled.
Nov 28 – Cold & blustering. We stayed to Pas last night. Henry came down to day. Ma & I washed. Ethan took us down to Fathers this evening.
Nov 29 – Pleasant. Father, Mother and Will went to Kalamazoo to get Will a suit of cloths. They cost twenty four dols. Mother got me some calicos & Zephyr. Ida Barber is 21.
Nov 30 – Pleasant. Will is not feeling well. Uncle Edmund & Aunt Hannah came here this afternoon.
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[151] Johnny Milham was Kittie’s older brother who was born June 27, 1872 and died September 24, 1872
[152] Ambrose Brown and Matilda Allen were married in Sodus, Wayne County, New York on November 7, 1841
[153] Michigan Marriage Records at Ancestry.com confirm that Mary C. Scramblin and John Farmer were married in Battle Creek on November 9, 1873
[154] Mart Milham’s half-brother
[155] Tidy – a light detachable covering, as for a chair back. (See also entry for Nov. 20)
[156] 1870 census shows Nellie Stanford (age 27) living in the Marius O. Streator household and again in 1880 (age 37) where she is listed as “niece.” In the 1900 and 1920 census records, she is living with her cousin, Henry “Harry” Streator. Her headstone shows she was the niece of Laura (Rawson) Streator
[157] Nancy’s cousin, the daughter of George & Marion (Sprague) Tomlinson
[158] Neighbor, the daughter of John & Caroline (Rapelje) Allerton
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 