1899 DIARY OF NANCY KEITH BROWN
The following entries were written in the back of Nancy’s 1898 diary
New Years 1899
Jan 1 – Mother[1] & I alone for dinner. Hank[2] & Bessie[3] in Chicago. Claude[4] to Edas[5] & Lela[6] to Pas.[7] Claude & I took his bed & parlor bed down this a.m. _______ of our moving to Chicago.
Jan 2 – Claude & Mother went to Chicago to day.
Jan 3 – Laverne[8] went home 12:09 p.m. Zella & children came home from Chicago with Mr Ford.
Jan 4 – Began tieing comforters this p.m.
Jan 5 – Tied two comforters to day.
Jan 6 – Mr Frank Henderson buried.[9] Old Mr Merrill died.[10]
Jan 7 – Did not go to Lous[11] too much of a blizzard.
Jan 8 – Sunday. Eda here to dinner. Told us about hers and Claudes affairs. Mrs Neumeier[12] here this evening.
Jan 9 – Bought me a new hat at Masons.
The following entries were written in the back of Nancy’s 1897 diary
Jan 13 – Ethan[13] came for ma.[14] Laverns teeth finished to day. Mrs Smedley 83 to day.
Jan 15 – Laverne went home to day. Bess to Pas. Will Pendleton[15] spent Friday p.m. & eve in Chicago with Claude.
Jan 17 – H.A. & I, Mr & Mrs W & Mr & Mrs Evens spent this eve with Will & Lara.
Jan 18 – Hank went to the Burg[16] with Woods[?] cabinet.
Jan 26 – Jim Evens & party left for Klondyke to day. Jim McCall had his leg amputated.
The following entries were written in the beginning of Nancy’s 1897 diary (she didn’t begin 1897 entries until February 20, 1897). These were written as one paragraph and not in chronological order. I have separated them to make them easier to read.
H.A. came home (Kalamazoo) 14th Feb 1899 to help pack our goods.
Shiped them Friday 17th.
We went to Pas the 18th. H.A. took night train from Chicago.
Lela & I stayed to Pas till Sat 25”.
Went to Lous left there Monday morning 27” to our new house in Chicago arrived there about 6 p.m. (Ed Atkins & Mary Hunter of Jackson married the 27”).[17]
Hannah[18] came to our house in K.[19] 3rd Feb went home 14”.
Lela, Cora[20] & Aaron[21] came 25” January.
I took Zama[22] to Pas 26” Ethan came for us.
A[23] went to S[24] 30th Cora to Burg.
Dr Boyer[25] came 1st Feb went back 3rd.
Lou went home with her new teeth 19 Jan.
Lela went to S the 14 of Jan.
10 Jan Dr, Lou, Mildred[26] & I came to Kalamazoo. Dr to _____. stayed with us 2 nights. I was at Lous about a week.
——-
[1] Her mother-in-law, Matilda (Allen) Brown
[2] Her husband, Henry Brown, also known as Hank and also H.A.
[3] Her daughter, Bess Brown
[4] Her son, Claude Brown
[5] Claude’s fiancée, Edith “Eda” Neumaier
[6] Her daughter, Lela Brown
[7] Her father, Charles Luke Keith Jr.
[8] Her niece, LaVerne Harris
[9] Michigan death records reveal that Frank Henderson died January 3, 1899 in Kalamazoo, Michigan and he is buried in Mountain Home Cemetery, also in Kalamazoo
[10] Michigan death records reveal that David Merrill died January 6, 1899 in Kalamazoo, Michigan and he is buried in Mountain Home Cemetery, also in Kalamazoo
[11] Her sister, Louese (Keith) Harris
[12] Eda’s mother, Valentina (Seifert) Neumaier
[13] Her brother, Ethan Keith
[14] Her mother, Sarah (Crawford) Keith
[15] The husband of Caroline Neumaier, who was Eda’s sister
[16] Galesburg, Michigan
[17] Michigan marriage records confirm that Edgar Atkins and Mary Hunter were married February 27, 1899 in Jackson, Michigan
[18] Her sister, Hannah (Keith) Towne
[19] Kalamazoo, Michigan
[20] Cora Harris, who was the sister of Lou’s husband, Daniel D. Harris Jr.
[21] Cora’s boyfriend, Aaron Hogeboom
[22] Their dog
[23] Aaron Hogeboom
[24] Shelbyville, Michigan
[25] Samuel Boyer, who was engaged to Lela. He was studying to be a doctor and was always referred to as Doc (Dr.)
[26] Her niece, Mildred Harris
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 