Aurora, January 15, 1860

Dear Uncle and Aunt. I received your kind letter yesterday and was very glad to hear from you as I was just again to write as I thought that you were sick and I am very much obliged to you. Our dear boy [Friend T. Claydon, born 1858] is sick now but I expect he will soon be well. He is a great comfort to us if he should live we think he will be very much like his father. Mary Ann was brought home very sick with the inflammation on her lungs just to 5 weeks after her father was taken away [Thomas died of consumption in 1859] and we all gave her up but we had a first rate doctor and we was very thankful that she got well. I must tell you what she said. I asked her to try and lay on her side and then she would not talk and dream so much she looked at me so pleasant and I said O but I love to dream. I said Why do you, O because I have been up there and I have seen Pa and Little Willie and Pa had hold of [end of page 1]

Willie’s hand and they looked beautiful and I tried to get hold of them but he said not now by and by you shall, and there are such loads of people up there and it is so light but there is no Sun there. I thought that was a beautiful dream. She went back to her place in November. She gets 6s a week which is great help to me. She lives with Mrs. ?Sueneau to take care of the children at the Seminary. We live just at the back of it. I get some washing from there and I have 1 girl bond with me for this winter, and I have 1 cow I sell some milk so we have not suffered for anything so far. I trust that if it pleases the Lord to give me my health we shall be able to get along. It has taken a good deal to fix up the house so I shall have a better chance to fix for another winter. I could not pay rent it is so high here. We have had very cold weather for about 6 weeks but it is a little better now. When I think of how much Thomas has suffered for the last 3 winters I have to praise the Lord that he has taken him [end of page 2]

out of all the troubles of this world and I expect he is reaping the reward of all he has suffered here and I must say that the Lord is very kind to us, for we get along better than I expected, for my health is so much better than it used to be. I have worked very hard this last year. I had applications for all the girls but I will never give them up unless I lose my health. It was almost the last words Thomas said. I think you will be able to get along and try and keep the children together. Don’t give them away. I have 4 children- Mary Ann was 13 yesterday, Elizabeth, and Sarah [about 8 years old], and Friend will be 2 years on the 19 of February. I am again to have a lease of my lot for 4 years from the 1 of May next for nothing and by that time we can make a fresh bargain. I had a letter from my Aunt Mary this last summer. Her health is about the same. My Cousin Thomas is married to a Friend, my Bro is living with my old master yet [end of page 3]

When you write tell me if Philip Claydon [1st cousin to Thomas, Philip lived in the Hendon area near London before Thomas & Mary came to America] is dead. I often wished that we had never come here but it is no use to find fault. I should like to come and see you some times but as I can get along I don’t expect I shall ever move so much again. I never did like so much moving. We have moved 20 times in 14 years. Perhaps it is all for the best. We cannot say. Br. and Sister Coleman is still here though he don’t preach for us now our children have a very interesting Sabbath school they have 3 papers the S S Advocate and the Good News and the M Advocate. I cannot spend so much time in reading but it is good to have a good memory so I can thing of what I have read it is very hard times here yet for Memory it is the time to see the honest ones those that have money can make a great deal it seems hard to see so many lose them ?Pleases because they cannot pay up. I am thankful that we did not go to Kansas. Thomas got all planned to go last year [end of page 4]

[Page 5 – missing?]

Aurora, April 29, 1873

Dear Uncle and Aunt. I hope this will find you all well as I am very thankful that we are at present. I think we have great reason to be thankful as we have passed luck an uncommon winter. I suppose you have heard of the suffering in Nebraska on the 15 and 16 of this month from such severe cold and it snowed here at that time but then it was soon gone again and then look at those poor creatures on the wreck of the Atlantic when I think of God goodness and mercy to us I am lost in wonder, love and praise. I cannot sleep some nights but then I am very happy. I am so nervous that every has to come over and over again in the night. I am very thankful [end of page]

[Page 2] for my quiet home as I cannot bear a noise sometimes I am afraid that I shall go out of my mind. There is so many dose now I have told you so you won't forget me in your prayers. I do not care so much for myself but for those that are dear to me, I think sometimes I feel so peaceful that I have got to the land of Bulah of which Bunyan tells us of our Bible Class Teacher gave up the class this spring his health is poor and we could not get one to take it and they did not want to give it up so I try to lead I felt I could not but God has been very kind his grace has been sufficient I have begun to send the guide to Sarah as she wanted them. You will remember how miserable my health was when we lived at Duglas. Please she has been just about the same she is very low spirited but I hope she will soon be better. We all join in love to all.

Notes:

• The writer mentions the "suffering in Nebraska" - that is the Nebraska blizzard of Easter Sunday, April 13 to Wednesday, April 16, 1873. Source: www.adamshistory.org/easter.html
• In this letter the writer mentions the wreck of the Atlantic: On April 1, 1873, the SS Atlantic sank off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 362 passengers and crew died (largest loss before the RMS Titanic in 1912).
• The writer sends the "Guide" to daughter Sarah Mills. See the letter dated 1/3/1876.

Aurora, Oct. 26, 1874

Dear Uncle and Aunt. I hope these few lines will find you all well as I am thankful we are at present. I am kept very busy and I should have written before, I thought you would have written to me. Will you be so kind as to write and tell me how my boy is getting on. I expect he thinks I am a hard mother for sending his letter back but I thought the truth was the best. I do pray that you may have grace and patience to get along with him. I think when he gets older he will be thankful to you for the trouble he makes you. Aunt said in her letter that he did not get up till the breakfast was ready [end of page]

[page 2] now I do not think you ought to allow him to do that if he goes to bed at a good time. I asked him in one of my letters if he got up in the morning and helped his Aunt [Charity] all he could. The young folks now do so different to what we used to do it seems hard to get along with them. I was much pleased to hear Aunt say that she wanted him to learn all he could. I do not want him to think he knows enough because he don't know what he may have to do and he can't learn so well as he can now when he is older. We have had some trouble on account of my father. Mother told us to buy her a house and lot that was near us for $500 and then because her brother could not pay just at the time she told us she has backed out of all her promises to the place is on our hands [end of page]

and I am very much disappointed because I can not help take care of him and they will be 21 miles farther away.

Notes:

• Mary's boy is Friend T. Claydon, brother of Sarah and Elizabeth.
• Aunt is Charity V. (Rowland) Claydon, 2nd wife of James.
• Father and Mother might be her DENNY in-laws, as Mary remarried to Joseph Denny (Denney/Dennyson), or possibly her parents.

Seney, Iowa January the 3rd, 1876

Dear Aunt and Uncle

I take my pen in hand this afternoon to write you a few lines hoping it will find you both well, as it leaves us all enjoying the same blessing, we have three little children. The youngest, 7 weeks old, whose name is Grace. The other little girl's name is Mary Stella, aged 2 years and 8 months old, and our little boy's name is Joseph Franklin, aged 5 years and 2 months old. We feel that we have reason to be proud of our little ones and I do feel that there is a very great responsibility resting upon us now to bring up our children right, and hope that we may be spared to bring them up. We are having a splendid winter, no snow yet. We have a schoolhouse only a quarter of a mile from us. We have a preacher 3 times in 2 weeks, twice on sabbath and [end of page]

once the next. We are very thankful for that much. We consider that is pretty good for a new country. We believe that our preacher is an excellent man, one that feels the weight of his work. He is a thorough worker. Mother has sent me some of those books called the Guide. I like them very much and consider them next to the Bible. I intend to take them just as soon as I can afford to, but at present I can't take it. We are getting along as well as we could expect for we came here to a new country with almost nothing but an old team. We were obliged to live in a sod house, which was not as good as a cellar, but we had a small frame house now, and some other things around us, but we have had to work very hard. Husband [Benjamin Franklin Mills] and I did all our harvesting alone this year. We had 30 acres of small grain and 20 acres of corn, but prices are low and we have had to buy so much machinery that it takes more than we can raise to pay up our debts. Corn is only 20 cents a bushel [end of page]

and the prospect is that is will be cheaper still, and we are owing 103 dollars yet, which is due this fall, but cannot raise the money. Our brother [Friend T. Claydon] arrived here last Thursday all safe. Our brother told us that you had not forgotten the promise you made us about seven years ago, of giving us each $100 dollars, and that if we were in need of it and would write to you, you would send it to us. Now I do not want you to think that I am a beggar for I would rather mortgage our place than beg, but I think it would be acting a lie if I did not write, for I am sure we are in need. I wish you would both come out here and see us. I think you might afford to come and see this beautiful country. We don't live nice like Eastern people do, but we would give you our best accommodations. Father and mother [Denney] and little brother [probably step-brother] came to see us this fall and liked the country very much. We should be very glad to see [end of page]

you if you would come. If you can't, please send both of your pictures and a lock of your hair. I am making a hair wreath and I want to get all the relatives' hair that I can. It is almost supper time. I must close for this time. Please write soon. If you wish to send us anything, please send it to

LeMars
Plymouth Co.
Iowa

If you have changed your minds let us know soon received this from your niece, Sarah Mills

Notes:

• Sarah's brother, Friend T. Claydon, is in the 1870 US Census for Greenfield, Saratoga Co., NY, age 12, staying with James & Charity Claydon at least until Fall 1874. Friend's mother, Mary, wrote a letter dated 10/26/1874 to James about her son, who was in Greenfield at the time. Therefore, Friend (age 18) must be the brother who spoke of James' promise of $100 to any niece/nephew in need.
• Hair wreaths: "The wreath decorated with flower shapes made of human hair was a popular 'art' in the 19th century… Sentimental mementoes have always had a place in mankind's history. In the Victorian period, when most women had never had their hair cut, the hair was saved from brushing in special holders and then often transformed into hair wreaths…" [http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/collection/itempage.jsp?itemid=11161].

March 3, 1876

Dear Aunt and Uncle

Dear Uncle and Aunt. I thought I would write you to let you know that I am still in the land of the living through the mercys of Christ with a hope of eternal life. My husband [Samuel Reeves] is the class leader here. We have had a revivel hire this winter and about 40 wer convertist, and yet there are those we gratily dizire to give their hearts to the savyors, we pray for them daley that we yet see them coming to the savyour. We wer married and came west [to Plymouth County, Iowa] five weeks after it will be eight years next August [from 8/13/1868] we have two boys and one little girl [Charles, Adelbert, and Ida May]. We have two cows, two horses, two yearlings. We cannot get ahead enough to get much stock. Small grain is raised so much and last year the wet weather damaged [end of page]

so much of it and we no payed all expenses. There was not much left out of our small grain. We had 35 acres of corn and twenty acres of the best stood in water do as [thorll] put [diap] and it spoiled a good deal of it. Corn now is only twenty five cents a bushel and it must be shield do get that [pos] it the weather has been very pleasant. This winter we have had no snow still this week and then it was about eight inches, it is thawing fast today. There is a great deal of sickness here of late more than we ever new here before. I can remember when you came to visit our folks when we [????] I think at Doctors Hun place I know that I combed your hair and that you used to carry me from the barn to the house in the bushel basket and I would sometimes hold [other] lantern in there it was of that place where I took so much comfort [end of page]

preaching in the grave yard I would like to have your and ants picters and we would like to see you both. I should like to have you come and we are very much. I do not know one of my father's relations and I would like to see them now I could remember more about them. It would be along journey for you to take, but if you and we five still we can spare the money I am earning to see you. I have then to see mothers once since we have been out hire and they were out hire this fall I intended to write to you along time ago but going to meeting every afternoon and evening and waiting on the sick in our neighborhood, my work has got all behind. If you have got that hundred dollars to spare that you promised to me once I do not think that it would ever be more useful to us that this [end of page]

spring as we have some notes to pay this spring out of our corn and it will take the most of it to pay them. We bought some more land last fall for our farm has no hay on it and some grass we cannot rase yet some hay the soil is to wild yet and some says it winter kills so we could get eighty joining acres for 10 dollars an acre it is what they call rail road land and they are sold by eighty. Some time you can get so there is plenty of good hay on the land I've bought. I will close for this time I have written all you will have pations today to make out, so fare well for this time hoping to hear from you soon. I hope this will find you and yours better than when we past hurd from you. I will close with love to you both and god bless you from your nease Elizabeth Reeves

Notes:

• James Claydon died on March 30, 1876.

Seney Iowa March 28 [1876]

Mr. Robinson,

Kind Sir:

Having just received your letter today I will send back the recpt. immediately. I thank you for the trouble you have been to for me and also for the particulars about my Dear Uncle and Aunt. Should Uncle be living when you get this, please give him my sincere thanks and if I hear that he is better I will write to him and if you will please drop me a line I will be very much obliged to you.

Yours respectfully,

Mrs. Sarah Mills

Notes:

• The executor of the estates of James & Charity Claydon, Benjamin S. Robinson, Esq, of Greenfield, must have sent out several self-addressed, stamped envelopes to the heirs, of which two are known: Sarah Mills and Mary Ann Hollowell.