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1911 Courtship Special: Aug 8 Dear Ethel From Ma

9/16/2013

L to R - Ida Amelia Glover Nelson, Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper, Ethel Nelson Draper, James H Nelson, and a very young JD Nelson. ca 1916

The above image is part of a bigger photo that we found last summer in Ethel's Treasure Box but I didn't post it here because I couldn't place everyone. Now, thanks to the photos in the Norma Draper Family Albums, I've been able to confirm that the photo is 1916 and includes Ethel with her parents and her mother-in-law. I'm posting it here because this week's letter is from Ethel's ma and I thought you might like to see who's doing the writing.

Author of Letter: Ida Amelia Glover Nelson
Dated:  Aug 8th (1911)
Addressed to: Dear Ethel (Ethel is up in Huntsville, Ontario visiting Ida Amelia's sister, Sarah Elizabeth Glover Winter)
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship:  Ethel's ma
Profession:  Farmer's Wife
Writing instrument: Blue pen
Written on: Off-white, textured, and heavily stained, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half with a flowery bough and hanging basket motif. Ida has written the pages in this order: 1, 3, 2, 4, although I've rearranged them for legibility.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- *Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
- *Christie - Ethel's 11 yr old sister
- Uncle - *Emanuel Nelson - paternal uncle of Ethel's pa
- Sarah - *Sarah Elizabeth Glover - Ida Amelia's sister
- Gorden Crouder - Gordon *Crowder - a neighbor
- Loal Dales - Minister Lowel *Dales (not sure if related to Prof. Dales)
- Misses/Mrs Perry *Morton - a neighbor

Topics:
- **Doing the Wash

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven Aug 8th

Dear Ethel
got your letter
friday but have
been slow about
Writing you had
better come home
when your month
is in I am getting
tired I washed yester
had a big washing.
want to iron to
day Sadie is talking
to Crouders Gorden is
acting like goose went

with sadie friday night
we went to quartley metting
sunday and he had to come
and kept then from sunday
school then Sadie come home
from church with him and
left Christie co come with
anyone she could then
he was here last till
10 oclock. I am out with
them all to gether.
Uncle is some better is
up but doctor says he
will not live long you
tell us what day you can
come and get of at Uncles

then we can get you
there get some of
that thread if it is
nice for me. enough for
a pair of shams sadie
can be working some
Sadie failed so you
see there will be lots
of sewing to do if she
goes to school again.
and the pickles and
fruit soyou had better
come home I had the
headache again Sunday
after noon but done a big
days work yesterday.

(Written upside down across the top and down the left side)

How is Sarah would like to have her come down good by

good bye

washed 2 blankets and to
quilts besids the other clothes
cleaned the cellar made
a cake and had 9 men
have no men to day have
got the barn nearly all
done and all the cutting
done men are coming
this after noon to start
cemmenting the stable
floor Loal Dales was
here for tea on friday
and then he shingled
another half day misses
perry Morton said she
was coming down some
day but I wont have her till

(written up the right side)
you come home

Genealogy Notes

Wash day in the Ponoka, Alberta area, April 1913. Courtesy of the Glenbow Archives.

In this week's letter, Ethel's ma is feeling the strain of the extra workload while Ethel has a much needed vacation up in Huntsville. Electric washing machines didn't come along until 1916 so until then, the washing had to be done with the crank wheel like in the above photo. Let's take a walk through the early history of washing machines in this weeks' Genealogy Notes.

ca 1989, Visitors washing clothes, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The photo shows clothes lying on the ground to dry for the lack of a clothesline. I can imagine this is what the majority of the pioneers had to do as they traveled across the United States and Canada in conestoga wagons and red river carts.

ca 1913, Dave Blacklock doing his laundry, Black Diamond, Alberta

If you were lucky enough, you had a washboard and tub to scrub your clothes with before hanging them on the line. Whether they were out on the range or living on the ranch, cowboys have always been responsible for their own laundry.

ca 1897, Bachelor washing clothes, Beynon, Alberta

An early washing machine had a handle to push and pull to agitate the clothes thereby relieving you the job of scrubbing them on a washboard. It also contain a roller mechanism which squeezed the water from the clothes instead of having to physically wring them all out.

ca 1901 Inscription: "Improved Imperial Washer. T. Eaton Co. Ltd. Canada." Courtesy of http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/collection/artifacts/M999.38.1/

According to the McCord Virtual Museum, the 1901 T. Eaton Co. catalogue showed this washing machine which contained a hand crank to agitate the clothes instead of the push/pull lever. Again, a roller system for squeezing out the water was included. From the height, it looks like this model saved a lot of back pain compared to the model in the previous photo.

The McCord Museum states, "It would take many years to discover the ideal material for the tubs of washing machines. After wood in the 1890s, came metal in the 1910s, which was replaced in the 1930s with enamelled steel, a material that had proved that it could stand up to a wide range of temperatures."

ca 1910's Thomas Iredale family doing laundry on verandah, Groton area, Alberta.

As I mentioned at the top of this post, electricity wasn't available for washing machines until about 1916, but some mechanically-minded folks were using belts to hook their washing machines to gasoline engines and other motors to save their arms from the dreary task of cranking the wheel.

This style of washing machine was so successful at washing clothes and wringing them out, that other than changing the composition to enamel on steel, it would be decades before improvements were made to the actual design of the machine.

It may have done a decent job of washing clothes, but raise your hand if you ever wore a shirt that was missing part, or a complete button because it'd been snapped off by the powerful wringer. Or have you ever been pulled into the wringer because it nabbed part of the clothing you were wearing when you weren't paying attention?

1911 Courtship Letter: Aug 6 Dear Noah

9/3/2013

Regatta Scene at the Town dock, Huntsville, Ontario, c1908. Courtesy of Muskoka Images - a project of the Huntsville Public Library and the Muskoka Parry Sound Genealogy Group

I found the address where Ethel is visiting her Uncle John and Aunt Sarah while in Huntsville and my, oh my, the above photo is what Ethel can see from the back yard, although about twice the distance away. Check the Genealogy Notes for more info.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated: Aug 6 . 11
Addressed to: Mr. N.C.Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask - My Dearest Noah
Mailed from: Huntsville, Ont.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Off-white, beautifully textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half with a red carnation motif. This is standard early 20th century notepaper, pre-folded in booklet form. Ethel has written on the pages in booklet form numbering 1-4.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Aunt Sarah - *Sarah Elizabeth Glover, sister of Ethel's mother
- *Uncle John - John Thomas Winter, Sarah's husband
- Uncle *Emanuel Nelson - Ethel's Pa's paternal uncle
- *Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
- *Veda Perrault - Noah's 16 yr old niece in Grand Coulee
- Glover cousins

**Mr Bradley - Huntsville next door neighbor
**drunken men

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
Huntsville Fire Tournament
*Burk's Falls Fire Brigade (another post shows location on map)
H. Landing - Holland Landing, southwest of Belhaven

Cliches/Phrases:
- Try. & Try again, you'll succeed at last.
- put in lockup (jail)

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

To get you started, here's a photo I found in Aunt Norma's Treasure Box (see last post) of Uncle John and Aunt Sarah. Since the photo is taken at the wedding of their son Ernest, they look about 20 years older than they would in 1911. Read the names, too, because most of the front row have been mentioned in these courtship letters.

Wedding of Ernest R Winter and Lillian Dodd. Possibly early 1930's, location unknown. Courtesy of the Norma Draper Family Collection.

Huntsville, Aug 6. 11

Mr N. C. Draper.
Grand Coulee, Sask.
My Dearest Noah, -
Rec'd your letter
last week and was glad to hear
from you once again. It still found me
here at Uncle Johns having a very good
time. but am going home on Tuesday.
Aug 15th. I guess we will be busy
this next week running around &
working too. We are going on a boat
excursion on Wednesday. Had a big time

on Thursday last at the Fire Tournament.
Burk's Falls Brigade won the banner, but
Huntsville was the quickest. but they couldn't
take the banner on account of thier running
on thier own grounds. Now I wonder if I too
would'nt like for you to be here and
give me a little advice. Never mind
when we get the chance, I wonder if we
will have forgotten how to give advice. Eh
Well we have been rather lazy to-day
hav'nt been to church to-day. it has
been so dredfully hot. I wish your
busy time was over now, and that
you were on your way down here
Remember you are to come as
soon as you finish up nicely and
can get away. I don't want you

to stay away any longer than possible
It certainly is long enough as it is.
Sorry to hear you were defeated in
your base ball game. Try. & Try
again, you'll succeed at last. Aunt
Sarah is reading some comic jokes
Uncle John is coming home next Sat
to spend over Sunday. Well here I am
again, we have been out on the lawn
talking with Mr Bradley, the next door
neighbor. Mr Bradley was telling of
seeing so many young girls, (school girls
he called them) running around with
boys. It certainly is true here in town.
And say! the drunken men you see.
Some nights after we have gone to
bed you will here them going by. swearing

and yelling to the top of thier voice, and
the day of the Tournament, it was simply
awfull to see so many young men drunk.
& put in the lockup. Have saw more
drunkenmen since I came up, than I ever
seen before I believe. I hav'nt had a letter
from home this last week. but I guess they
must be all alive or I would have heard
Uncle Emmanuel was very low the last I
heard from them. I don't know whether
Sadie has passed her exams or not.
How is Veda? is she as lively as ever.
Say I have never answered her card. but
will some of thse days. Am going to stop
a couple of days on my way home at
H. Landing to see my cousins Glovers I am
to getting rather lonesome to see home once
again. I now must close for this time with
love from Ethel (xxxxxxxxxx lots of them & love)

Genealogy Notes

The Genealogy Notes this week involve the search for Uncle John and Aunt Sarah's house in Huntsville. Ethel has left clues in different letters without giving the address:

1911 Courtship: July 16 Dear Noah - Uncle John was. at the station to meet me. he had a row boat there. and so I had a good boat ride first of all...The river is just about 20 rods from their door. The boats are running all the time Sundays too.

1911 Courtship: July 23 Dear Noah - The big boats are running here everyday. The Ramona went out this afternoon. I have been down to the Wa Wa, and have been up on the Mountain.

This week Ethel mentions seeing and hearing all the drunken men walking by, which indicates she was living near the downtown core since that's usually where the dregs of society congregate due to it's normally central location.

But the clincher came when she mentioned Mr. Bradley as their next door neighbor. She's mentioned him before, but not who he was. Armed with that knowledge, I went back to the 1911 census record and searched for Mr. Bradley near John Winter's entry. And there it was - boxed in blue - right above the red box of John, Sarah, Ernest, and baby Mabel.

1911 Canada Census record for John Winter and family. Courtesy of Ancestry.ca

So now what? The profile of this page showed John Winter living on 11 Elne Street which I hadn't been able to find on a Huntsville map. But the page index also showed a Mr. Beadley vs Bradley. And then I noticed something I hadn't before... farther up the page - circled in red - is the word Elm. Not Elne, but Elm. And a few lines above that, the number 11. But that would mean all those families were living at 11 Elm St. Could that be right? Especially if they were visiting their neighbor on the lawn instead of a hallway like an apartment?

I opened Google Earth and searched for 11 Elm St, Huntsville, Ontario. The program zeroed in to a spot near downtown and near the river - across the river in fact, where I guessed Ethel was staying.

Huntsville, Ontario, Canada courtesy of Google Earth

As you can see in the above pic, it was a short boat ride from the train station on the left of the screen to the Winter house indicated with a yellow pin. Using Google Earth's red pin marker, you can see there is room for several houses in the trees at 11 Elm St. There was back then, and when I zoomed closer, there still are although the trees obscure them at ground level.

Ethel said they lived 20 rods from the river and could see all the boat traffic going by. The photo at the top of this post shows that she could see the town dock where the big boats berthed, as well as the swing bridge. It must have been exciting for her!

Huntsville Street View, courtesy of Google Earth.

Using Google Earth's Street View, we can stand on the street where the Swing Bridge begins and look toward the black arrow pointing to the location of Uncle John and Aunt Sarah. Puts it all in perspective, doesn't it.

Now about those drunken men mentioned in this letter... Huntsville had only been settled in the last quarter of the 19th century. Due to the rocky terrain however, farms were few and far between. Most people made their money by with the fledgling tourist trade or the logging industry. Huntsville was a gateway to the northern places like North Bay where the logging industry was the main industry. During the forest fire season, crews of fire fighters would be brought in to combat the blazes.

That put a lot of young, strong men in an area where they outnumbered the young single women by about 10 to 1 or more. And without a home life, the single men were spending their leisure time looking for a girl or trying to keep the one they had. Along with drinking away their loneliness - and maybe even homesickness, I'm sure a lot of fisti-cuffs erupted.

I think it's ironic that in a recent letter Ethel was worried about Noah hiring a girl to help feed his men in case he found the new girl was 'the one', when he's back on the prairies and probably spending too much time thinking about her and all those available men.

1911 Courtship: July 30 Dear Noah

8/19/2013

Royal Lyceum Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, ca. 1888. Courtesy of Toronto Public Library online collection.

In this week's Courtship letter, Ethel mentions going to the Lyceum show. Read the Genealogy Notes, after Ethel's letter, to discover the world of Lyceum.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 31 May 1890)
Dated:  July 30 (1911)
Addressed to: Mr. N.C.Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask - My Dearest Noah
Mailed from: Huntsville, Ont.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Off-white, beautifully textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half with a blue forget-me-not motif. This is standard early 20th century notepaper, pre-folded in booklet form. Ethel has written on the pages in booklet form numbering 1-4.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

Mother (usually called Ma) - *Ida Amelia Glover Nelson
- *Elva Mitchell - Ethel's cousin in Indian Head, Sask
- Aunt Sarah - *Sarah Elizabeth Glover, sister of Ethel's mother
- Ernie - Aunt Sarah's 9 yr old son
- Uncle *Emanuel Nelson - Ethel's Pa's paternal uncle
- Percy - Noah's brother in Saskatchewan

Huntsville locals:
Mr Bradley's - the whole family as shown by use of the apostrophe
Mr Mays - no apostophe - unsure if him alone or family as well
Mrs. Harman
Mrs. Wallace Youngs' mother

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
**The Lyceum Show

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Huntsville.July 30.

Mr N. C. Draper.
Grand Coulee.
My Dearest Noah; -
I rec'd your letter
last week & was glad I'm sure to
get it. and to know you were still
able to be hard at work. & have a good
time. You must'nt work too hard
for that is what is killing me. So
take warning! 'ha ha'. Had a letter
from Mother on Sat Morning. they are
well, & have got the barn nearly done.

Poor Old mother working & me up here.
I was out for a row on Friday evening
Mr Bradley's took me & Mr Mays out
& say we certainly did enjoy ourselves.
We are going to have a private picnic.
Some of these days before I go home. I
just do wish you were here to go out
for a row. Say you don't want to get
to nce a girl. or I am afraid you
may. think she the only one. 'he'
I had a letter from Elva. asking me
to come & see her when I went west.
She has been made wise, "eh. Every body
even here in Huntsville seems to be.
Ernie here the other night, we had
company. Aunt Sarah was sort of
joking & Ernie shouted to the top of

his voice, She's going to get married.
I felt like saying. "You little rat".
Aunt Sarah & I were down town last
night to the Lyceum Show 1 play was
The shadow of the Past
Young man married a very extravagant
wife. she wanted a diamond necklace
but could'nt afford it, so her husband
stole it. So of course he had to go to jail
He returned after 30 yrs. all in rags &
his wife about the same. He did'nt
want to be friends & she did. finally
he pushed her over & she died. Oh
is'nt it awful to watch them
sometimes. & yet I enjoyed myself.
Mrs. Harman, Mrs Wallace Youngs' mother
is here this afternoon. My it is lonesome
on Sunday's. As you say, you're certainly

not far from me in my mind, but I
wish you were nearer. Well I have had my
tea & been to church & home again. it is
just a lonely evening. Uncle Emmanuel
Nelson isvery low I guess. the Doctor says
he cannot live long. & I would like
awfully well to be home to see him, but
dont know whether I will get there in time
or not. I expect to stay about 2 weeks
longer if it is so I can. I suppose there
isnt another boy in all the West like Percy's.
Your country surely isnt so forsaken
that the people here are all afraid to go
up there. No I dont know of anyone going up
Just at that time. "Wish I were". I guess I
have scribbled enough foolishness for this timew. So Bye Bye with love & kisses
from youre Sweetheart faraway. x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x

Genealogy Notes

"Aunt Sarah & I were down town last night to the Lyceum Show 1 play was The shadow of the Past" (Page 3)

When I googled "Lyceum Show" a list of Lyceum Theatres in the UK, US, and Canada appeared. My first thought was that it was a theatre chain such as the Odeon, Famous Players, and Strand theatres, among others. It wasn't.

My dictionary.com app shows the following definitions for lyceum:

1. an institution for popular education providing discussions, lectures, concerts, etc.
2. a building for such activities.
3. (cap.) the gymnasium where Aristotle taught, in ancient Athens.
4. a lycee.

The Lyceum movement was about community groups and organizations who sponsored educators, lecturers, and entertainment groups like plays and minstrels to educate and entertain their communities.

Although many public speakers used the lyceum approach to promote their cause, the movement branched out into drama clubs, literary societies, Chautauqua, and vaudeville. Although some lyceums were traveling shows, many were permanent venues that still stand today.

For more information, check out these sites:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_movement
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyceum_Theatre,_London

To get back to Ethel's letter, she attended a Lyceum Show with at least 2 plays. She doesn't say if it was a travelling Lyceum show, or a weekly or monthly event in a play or opera house. My research in Huntsville history hasn't overturned any information, and the local newspaper, The Huntsville Forester, isn't online.

However, I find her statement, "Oh is'nt it awful to watch them sometimes. & yet I enjoyed myself" a fascinating study of human nature.

Don't you?

1911 Courtship Letter Special: July 25th Dear Ethel from Mother

8/11/2013

A JOKE IN THE BERRY PATCH ca. 1909, courtesy of the Baldwin Room of the Toronto Public Library

Author of Letter: Ida Amelia Glover Nelson
Dated:  July 25th, 1911
Addressed to: Dear Ethel (Ethel is up in Huntsville, Ontario visiting Ida Amelia's sister, Sarah Elizabeth Glover)
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship:  Ethel's ma
Profession:  Farmer's Wife
Writing instrument: Pencil
Written on: Off-white, beautifully textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half with a red carnation motif on the first page.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- *Sadie Nelson - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
- Uncle *Emanuel Nelson - brother of Ethel's Pa
- Lill - Lillian Blizzard - married to James A Nelson, cousin of Ethel's Pa
- Bob - the *hired man
- Miss Hunt - a good friend of the family (use search box for photo)
- Mother - Sarah Elizabeth Greenwood Glover - Ida Amelia's mother
- *Sarah Elizabeth Glover - Ida Amelia's sister
- Brownhill - a nearby village
- Buffalo, New York

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven July 25th .11

Dear Ethel
I got your
letter last night
I was out picking
berries yesterday at
Brownhill. just got
them don up had 7 quarts
and enough for one pie.
it was 10 oclock when i
got there. we have 4 men
to day shingling Bob
has gone went Monday
to Buffalo said he would
wRite and let us Know

how he gets along
he sold the ducks to
youie for 3 1/2 dollars
I washed Monday
but didnt hang clothes
out untill yesterday
it has been so windy
Sadie had 4 men for
supper and renshegl?
the clothes. she has
made pies twice and
she can make them
to day.
Well Uncle Emanuel
is very sick we set
up tuesday night

Doctor says he wont
live long he has gall
stone in the liver
Lill is getting better
sits up some.
well I want to
wash to day am
cleaning up bobs
bed and room and
I want to get my
black dress cleaned
up for fear something
does happen to uncle.
Miss hunt sent word
to the preachers i guess
they will go down to day

Written down the left side of last page:

Say Ethel did you send one of the new plats down to Glovers

say Ethel you had
better rite to Mother
she will not like
it if you dont tell
Sarah to get ready
and come home
with you for a couple
of months it will
do her good and she
will get strong here
as well as there.
Sadie had company
last night.
guess this is all
good by
from Mother

Written up the right side of the back page:

as one is gone we cant find it.

Genealogy Notes

Here's a run-down on Ethel's Pa and his brothers in case you're getting confused:

Parents:
John Nelson b 1808 England married Mary Ann Green b 1810 England on 26 May 1829 in Upwell, Norfork, England.

John and Mary Ann emigrated with their 6 children to the US after the 1841 UK census and they are shown as a family living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the 1850 US census.

Here's the info I have on their children:
1850 - Frances (b 1832) last seen on the 1850 US census
1850 - William H (b 1834) on the US census, but several William H Nelsons in Ont
1850 - Jemima (b 1831) marries James Lucas and stays in Wisconsin
1857 - Henry (b 1835) marries Eliza Crouch in Ontario (Ethel's grandparents)
1861 - James (b 1829) appears as Married on the 1861 Canada census in Ontario
1861 - Emanuel (b1833) appears as Single on the 1861 Canada census in Ontario, but marries in 1865 in York County

To go one step further using the above:

- Henry moved to Iowa leaving several children including James Henry Nelson behind in Belhaven (post about Eliza's letter from 2 wks ago)
- James has a son, James A who married Lillian Blizzard
- Emanuel is Uncle Emanuel who lives near Belhaven and is very sick

To sum up, we know that 3 for sure of John and Mary Ann's children ended up in Ontario - 4 if you include William H because there are several William H's in York and Simcoe Counties at that time. Jemima stayed in the US and we have info on her children, grandchildren, etc. And Frances just disappeared.

I hope that clears up the ancestry of Ethel's paternal side for you.

1911 Courtship Letter Special: July 14 from Iowa

7/28/2013

Map showing migration of Henry Nelson and Eliza Crouch Nelson and their family from York County in Ontario to Atkins, Iowa. (brown line)

The Courtship Letter Special: July 20 From Ma & Sadie mentions this Iowa letter from Ethel's paternal grandma, Eliza Crouch...

Author of Letter: Eliza Crouch Nelson
Dated: July 14th, 19011 (1911)
Addressed to: My Dear Son
Mailed from: Atkins, Iowa (on last page after signature)
Relationship: Ethel's paternal grandma
Profession: Farmer Laborer's Widow
Writing instrument: Fine Black Ink
Written on: Off-white and yellowed with age, lined note paper, 5 1/2 inches by 9 inches.

Note: This letter is easy to read if you sound out the words as they are written and ignore the spelling.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

Eliza Crouch Nelson ca. 1890 (1840-1919)

- Son and doter
- Jimmey

Ethel's parents:
*James Henry Nelson and
*Ida Amelia Glover

James Henry Nelson (1864-1953) ca. 1905

Ida Amelia Glover (1874-1953) ca. 1905

- George - **George Caleb Nelson, James's brother
- Alice - Eliza Alice Nelson Wer, James's sister in California

- Annie - Eliza Ann Nelson, James's sister

Eliza Alice Nelson Wear (1869-1946)

- Mammey - Mamie E Fritz, wife of Emanuel

- Emanuell - Emanuel Francis Nelson, James's brother

Mamie E Fritz Nelson (1881-1916) ca. 1905

Emanuel Francis Nelson (1876 - unk ) ca. 1905

- Annie - Eliza Ann Nelson, James's sister

- Willes - Willis A Crouch, son of Eliza Crouch's brother, Alfred

Eliza Ann Nelson (1872-1946) ca. 1917

Willis A Crouch (1862-1946) ca. 1917

- Mode - *Victoria Maud - Ida Amelia's sister with the newborn Ethel mentioned
- John - John Rogers - *Victoria Maud's husband
- Ida's mother - *Sarah Elizabeth Greenwood (Ethel's maternal grandma)
- Cristey - *Christy Maud, Ethel's 11 yr old sister
- 2 boys - Ethel's brothers, 6 yr old *Emanuel Henry and 3 yr old James A.
- Rose - Rosetta Nelson Cozad, James's sister

- Jim and hunkle from Canada - Unknown as the family tree is foggy at this level

Places mentioned:
- Caleforna - California
- **4th of July holiday

Phrase/Cliche: "prettey sick"

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Julie 14 19011

Well my Dear son and
doter and famley all as i
got a letter and more from
you i Was much saprised as
i thoght you Was like gorge
you ad for got that you
ad a mother on the earth
eney more but i Wos very
glad to hear you Was well
but sorey to hear of youre
lose i Wos very glad to
hear that you got youre
in surence that Will help
quite a bit o Gimmey i think
you a very ondutifull son
as you sertnley right oftener
to your pore old mother how
is skarce able to be a round
i ave ad quite a sick spell

2

a gain but i do thank god
that i ame able to be up
a gain We ave ad som of
the hotest Wether i ever can
rember of it Was 100 and 10
in the shade and we ave a
dredfull storm the other
nite it Was fearfull all
nite long but i thank god
that our lives Was spared.
i got a letter from Caleforna
and tha Was all Well but
Alice and she wos prettey
sick The folks hear is all
rite so far i did not get
eney card or eney thing about
youre barn but mamey said
tha did Emanuell is bisey
harvisting his Wife and young

3

ones Was down 2 days doing
the Baking as i cod not and
annie Went out and help
to shok oats Well we ave
lots of frout this year and
the Cosn loks good now
i ad a good time Wen i
Was in Caleforna and i wood
ave stade longer but the
peapil that i went With
tha got home sick and i
did not like to Com back
a lone i saw som Wonderfull
sites Willes is a talking of
seling is plase and if he
do it may be posable we
ma go out there a gain ari
ave no one to stop With me
so i must do som thing

4 (across the top) did you get your pictor that mamey sent you

i hope saday Will be able
to teach Willes and anney as
gone up to my garden to pick
chereys and curents the treas
Was so loded i sold 3 dolars
Worth and there is lots yet
so i told them tha cod ave
them if tha ad a mint to
pick them as i cod not now
you give my love to mode
and John and all so to Idas
mother how is Cristey
and tehm to boys Rose and
her famley and Emanuell and
his famley Was all down hear
on the 4 asit is quite a holoday
and tha made hyse Cream
and ad a good time in general
now as I ave told you
turn over

5

all i can think an i want
you to be sure and ancer
quick and dont for get
and tell me how you are
getting a long i was very
much disapointed in not
sean Jim and hunkle for
i sure thoght if tha com
to the states tha wood
com and see me now as
i cant think of eney more
i Will say good by trusting
god Will bles us all and
gather us all in to is
kindomn Wase parting
Will be no more this is
from youre loving mother
mrs JH nelson Atkins Iowa

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note #1 - Henry Nelson and Eliza Crouch

I've mentioned the Iowa branch of Ethel's family a time or two before in passing, but this is the first post detailing the Henry and Eliza Nelson family. (Hubby Nelson's 2 great-grandfather)

The Nelson family has been a mystery trying to figure out because one branch emigrated to Ohio in the United States after immigrating to Canada from England. And if it hadn't been for Eliza Crouch Nelson's letter posted above then I wouldn't have known anything about them. But when I added the basic information to the family tree on ancestry.com a nice lady named Sharon who happens to be the 2 x granddaughter of Eliza Crouch contacted me and said some of my information was wrong and/or missing. Between Sharon and ancestry.com I was able to fill in so many leaves on our tree it looks quite coloringful and interesting now. Thank you, Sharon for sharing your tree info and photos with us - like the one below which is the only one we have of Ethel's grandfather and grandmother. (For the full photo, see 1911 Courtship: May 7 Dear Noah)

Henry Nelson (1835-1900) and Eliza Crouch (1840-1919). Photo taken about 1890, Iowa, USA.

Henry Nelson - b 3 Mar 1835 in England married Eliza Crouch - b 16 Apr 1840 in England on 5 Oct 1857 in Ontario, Canada

I have the following census records for Henry and Eliza after their marriage:
- 1861 Canada Census: living in East Gwillimbury Township of York County, Ontario
- 1871 Canada Census: (same as above)
- 1881 Canada Census: (same as above)
- 1895 Iowa State Census: living in Benton, Iowa
- 7 Oct 1900: Henry Nelson died and was buried in Benton Co, Iowa
- 1900 US Census: Eliza living in Atkins, Benton, Iowa
- 1910 US Census: (same as above)
- 28 Oct 1919: Eliza Crouch Nelson died and was buried in Benton, Iowa

We've been above to correlate that Henry and Eliza had the following children born in East Gwillimbury, York County, Ontario, although several of them died here:

Born in Canada

- George Caleb b 1857
- John Thomas b 1860
- Mary Pricilla b 1863
- James Henry b 1864 - Ethel's father
- Elizabeth Jane b 1866
- Unnamed Nelson b 1868
- Eliza Alice b 1869
- Eliza Ann (twin of Edwin) b 1872
- Edwin (twin of Eliza Ann) b 1872
- Jemima Isabelle b 1874
- Emanuel (Manuel) Francis b 1876
- Rosetta b 1878
- Mariah Victoria b 1880
- Fannie Louisa b 1882

Died in Canada

- born and died in Oct 1868

- died in 1872 - 19 days days
- died in 1882 - 8 yrs old

- died in 1891 - 10 yrs old
- died 1884 - 17 months old

Eliza's brother, Alfred Crouch, had emigrated to Ontario with the family, but in 1860 moved to Fremont, Iowa. Eliza's other siblings followed. Henry and Eliza decided to emigrate to the US as well which they did in the early 1880's taking most of the family with them. Eliza's brother, Francis Croutch, was the only sibling to stay in Ontario. He is also the only member of the family who uses a 'T' in the Croutch name.

When Eliza and Henry left Canada, only 2 of their children stayed behind and they are the 2 marked in red in the above list, namely, George Caleb and James Henry.

Eliza's parents, George Crouch and Percilla, are listed on the 1852 census and then they moved down to Iowa. But George shows up on the 1861 Canada census with a wife named Mary. Percilla died in 1876 and is buried in Mound Cemetery, Benton, Iowa. But not George. Family rumour says George broke up with Percilla and came back to Canada, however no one can find a record of him dying and being buried in Ontario, either.

Genealogy Note #2 - George Caleb Nelson

In Eliza's letter, she says, "i Was much saprised as i thoght you Was like gorge you ad for got that you ad a mother on the earth eney more"

Eliza is talking about her son, George Caleb Nelson, who - along with Ethel's dad, James Henry, didn't emigrate to the US once they'd settled in Ontario. I checked the family tree to see what could have prevented George Caleb from writing to his mother and at the first glance, saw the problem...
1857 - George is born. He is 17 yr old Eliza's 1st child.
1880 - 23 yr old George marries 18 yr old Hannah Victoria Latham
1894 - Hannah dies of consumption leaving George with 4 children aged 4-12 yrs***
1895 - George marries Hannah's sister, 22 yr old Emma Latham
1896 - Emma dies, childless
1897 - George marries 25 yr old widow, Mary Tryphena Smith
1913 - Mary dies of heart failure leaving an additional 11 yr old and 1 month old baby
1914 - 57 yr old George marries 55 yr old Mary Ellen Travis

By the time 1911 rolled around and Eliza wrote her letter, George was on his 3rd wife with a 9 yr old and 3 yr old still at home. And then Mary dies a month after giving birth in 1913. So yes, George is busy with children and wives, but that shouldn't stop him from writing to his mother.

But perhaps this is the reason... when George marries Mary Ellen Traviss, he makes an X in place of his signature.
In other words, he can't sign his name.

Mark of X for George Nelson

Wife #3, Mary, could have written Eliza in 1911, but perhaps she didn't want to or perhaps she was too sick. She signed the marriage certificate, so we know she was able to write, but I guess we'll never know why she didn't.

*** You've met 2 of George Caleb's children before in Ethel's letters:
- Elva Jane married Will Mitchell and is working for Stewart Draper in Indian Head
- Leslie is the missing cousin who is 'somewhere out west'

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1911 Courtship Special: Aug 8 Dear Ethel From Ma

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship Letter: Aug 6 Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: July 30 Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship Letter Special: July 25th Dear Ethel from Mother

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship Letter Special: July 14 from Iowa

Genealogy Notes

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