Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Letters from the Past – August 1902 Letter from Mother


As a genealogist my instinct is to share my discoveries with our local family and to those of you who may also be related to this family. My 2x great grandmother did not want this letter shared. At the end of this letter she tells her daughter to “Burn this sose no one gets it” I am very glad Regina did not burn this letter.

 

Esther writes of the illness of herself and her husband. She asks her daughter to return home from her job at the Medina Infirmary. 

 

This letter is difficult to read because of the frequent misspellings. Capitalization is as written in the original letter. The letter is written in both pencil and red ink in various sections of the letter. I have added punctuation to make it easier to understand.

 

This letter was written to my great grandmother


Nancy Regina Victoria (Gruissy) Mark 


31 Jan 1879 Medina, OH - 24 May 1959 Medina, OH

Daughter of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy & Esther Barbara Wolf

Wife of Thomas Kenneth Mark

 

This letter was written by my 2x great grandmother

 

Esther Barbara Wolf Gruissy

 

14 Jun 1836 York, PA - 11 Aug 1906 Medina, OH

Daughter of John Franklin Wolf & Elisabeth Burkholder

 Second wife of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy



 

To: Miss Regina V. Gruissy, Medina County infirmary, Ohio

From: E. B. Gruissy

Postmarked: 10 AM Aug 1902

 

Dear Dauther [sic] i [sic] set my self to Boath [sic] of us is Sick have a bad Cold. I was not able to get around for a few Days. But am up agane [sic]. pap Don [sic] the worke [sic]. i [sic] had one of my spells again of me laris [?] fever. you no [sic] that is not ketching [sic] and have a Bad Coff [sic] and hed [sic] acke [sic]. pap hed [sic] acks [sic] Bad. We did wish for you home for a few Days to Cmfert [sic] us and help us a longe [sic] for a few Days.

 

Now I will try and finish my letter to you and tell you that i [sic] must lay Down Every Day. i [sic] look Bad. Shure [sic] Am week [sic] But must Work and ant [sic] Well. Papa is better now. Why Did you not right [sic]? are you sick or Why Dont [sic] you right [sic] to us often? for we are lonsom [sic] all By our selfs [sic] here. pleas [sic] anser [sic] this. will you tell me when you get this letter? i [sic] will send it with morning mall [sic]. 8 o clock [sic] now. i [sic] must hury [sic] it of [sic] now. soon ans [sic]

 

If you ant [sic] Well Come home at once pleas [sic]

 

Now send me your Dress plane [?] i [sic] will Close my scrathing [sic]

 

Good Bye Children Anser [sic] soon pleas [sic] Doo [sic]

 

E. B. Gruissy

 

papa Sends his Best resp [?] to you and tom[1] and i [sic] send my Best Wishes to Both of yous

E. B. G.

 

Burn this sose no one gets it

 



[1] Thomas Kenneth Mark, future husband of Regina


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Thursday, April 25, 2024

Forget Me Not: Ina Brown Alford, 1972 LA

 

Ina Lucille (Brown) Alford


29 Dec 1890 MS - 25 Jul 1972 LA

Daughter of Jasper Pascal Brown & Rose Ella Brumfield

Wife of Dewitt William Alford

 

My Great Aunt

Sister of my paternal grandfather, Roy Jessie Brown


 

Funeral services will be held today (Thursday) for Mrs. Ina L. Alford, 81, who died Tuesday at 3:00 p. m. in the Bogalusa Medical Center after a long illness. Mrs. Alford, a native of Angie, La., had made her home in Folsom with a daughter, Mrs. George Bennett, for the past several years. 

 

Religious services will be held in Silver Springs Baptist Church at ten o’clock with interment in the church cemetery in Silver Springs, Miss.

 

In addition to Mrs. Bennett she is survived by three other daughters, Mrs. Roy L. Fortenberry, Osyka, Miss., Mrs. Louise Courtright, Bogalusa, and Mrs. Robert Breland, Sandy Hook, Miss.; one son, Bruce L. Alford, Angie; and 21 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.


St. Tammany Farmer, Covington, LA

27 July 1972, page 2 

Newspapers.com




 

 

 

 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Letter from the Past: Sept. 1901 Gruissy Letter

This letter was written by my 2x great grandmother to her youngest daughter. I find it interesting that she signs her name, Esther B Gruissy, rather than “Mother” or “Mom” or something similar. 

 

This letter was written to my great grandmother by her mother.


Nancy Regina Victoria (Gruissy) Mark 


31 Jan 1879 Medina, OH - 24 May 1959 Medina, OH

Daughter of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy & Esther Barbara Wolf

Wife of Thomas Kenneth Mark


Regina

This letter was written by my 2x great grandmother


Esther Barbara Wolf Gruissy


14 Jun 1836 York, PA - 11 Aug 1906 Medina, OH

Daughter of John Franklin Wolf & Elisabeth Burkholder

 Second wife of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy

 

This letter was written Regina while she was in Michigan visiting her sister, Rephenia Gruissy Nichols and her husband, Willis Nichols. The Nichols and their son moved to Michigan in late 1900 or early 1901 from Ohio. This was written by Esther Barbara Wolf, Regina’s mother. Esther was when she wrote this letter. In the letter she repeatedly asks her daughter to return home to take care of herself and her husband.

 

This letter is full of misspellings and grammatical errors. The pages of this letter have no punctuation. Some periods have been added to make the reading easier. Each paragraph below is a new page. It looks like Esther wrote these pages over a series of days. Although it is difficult to read, it is full of little details of Esther’s life: flowers growing, vegetables in the garden, purchasing a quilting frame and baking bread.


The medicine referred to in the letter was, most likely, the herbal medicine Augustus C. Gruissy made from plants he grew. He called it Queen Oil. He advertised in the newspaper and sold it for one dollar a bottle. 



 

To: Miss Regina V. Gruissy, RFD No. 2, St. John’s, Clinton Co., Michigan

From: Esther B. (Wolf) Gruissy, RFD North Lawrence, OH

Postmarked: 4 September 1901

 

Dearest Dauter [daughter] I set myself to anser [answer] your kind and much welcome letter wich [which] we ware [were] glad to here [hear] from you that you are well But sory [sorry] to here [hear] that Willas [Willis][1]is not well and seth [Seth][2] is not well. Pap[3] is not well. His hands is so Bad. i [I] am pretty well now. hoping this may find youns all well now. pap said i [I] should tell you to tell willis that if he wants som [some] medsen [medicine] he will send him if he pays the Expres [sic] on it. See how Bad ine [sic] Estman was and she is usen [using] the tonic and others are usen [using] the tonick [tonic] and are well.[4] Well you want to now [know] about flowrs [flowers]. tha [they] are all in Bloom. Tha [they] are lovly [lovely]. The Canies [sic] is in Bloom now and the morning gloers [glories] is too nice all kinds of flowers. I have caned [canned] 25 cans of all kinds and will can that meny [many] more.

Graps [grapes] is not ripe yet and tha [they] are plenty. i [sic] will tell you what we have peches [peaches] and Caleitch [sic] and tatoes [sic] and sweet taters plenty. i [sic] have cooke [cooked] jam, sewt [sweet] corn and Beens [sic] and tomates [tomatoes] and mangoes no appy [sic]. Pap went to them Dutch folks Bergley ware [where] we stoped [stopped]. i [sic] am alone. i [sic] will go to mises [misses] Cfinery [sic] and sta [stay] all night. i [sic] think you had Better come home soon. Come on the Expres [express train] for the smith farm is lonesome i [sic] herd [heard] and Com [come] soon. Maryl [sic] said she would send you money to come home. new come and have Some pleshure [pleasure] wenn [when] you can. this month is the first the nabors [neighbors] are well. you must think hard of me for not righten [writing] sooner for pap and me was at west lebnon [Lebanon] 2 weeks. Pople [people] are all well. we came home.

friday. We went to a sale and Bught [bought] a Bed sted [sic] and a quilting fraim [frame] so you can work when you come home soon. pap sends his best wishes to all. pap cant right [write] now for his hands is so Bad he cant right [write]. I hurt much time to right [write]. pleas [please] anser [answer] soon and why don’t Refenia[5] right [write] and what is she doing [doing] and why don’t gusta[6] right [write].She told pap she wold [would] right [write] and what is mgy[7] Dooing [doing]. Well i [sic] must tell you that i [sic] have another spice in my frindshoft [sic]. Your Cousen [cousin] frank wolf married a spice. Refina she should right [write] and argret [sic] ihave so much to Doo [do]. i don’t know [know] whare [where] to cmense [commense]. sweet corn to drie [dry] and Beens peaches to can and Drie [dry] and Doo [do] I have oald [sic] frute [fruit] caned [canned] a lot yet

Don’t [sic] what regina will Doo [sic] she may want sum [some] cans of frute [fruit]. i [sic] must no [know]. Regina pleas [please] and get that little Black Dog whare [where] Refina and Ray[8] had the on whare [where] pap giv [give] to ray [sic] and send it in for pap. he [sic] will pay the Expres [sic] on it. Pap told Refenia if tha [they] Did not want it she send it to him. you [sic] sa [say] why will you why. when he went pedaling[9] he took it along and it still watched him and wold [would] bark if som [some] one wold [would] com [come]. get it soon and Expres [sic] it to Burton City Wayne Co Ohio. there is another Burton.

morning of the 4th. well I slept at Cofmans [sic]. rested well. hoping you are well and all the rest nabors [neighbors] wishs [sic] you well and a speedy rturn [return]. Best wishes of all the nabors [neighbors] all. the Coffman girl roat [wrote] to you. Did you anser [answer]. well i [sic] must tell you that Ole Maxhimer has Canser [sic] on her brest [sic] and she wants us to right [write] to her. well i [sic] must go and get my milk for pap is not here. i [sic] wish you was here to help us get them wild chers [cherries] a corse [across] the Road. Th [sic] are nice and good. i [sic] am Baking Bread and pachs [peaches] and Elder Beries [berries]. plenty work all my self. Pap cant [sic] help me. his hands is so Bad the one finger has no bone in it. Feels so and is all cruket [crooked] Bt [but] will Doo [do] the Best we can. children som [some] times i crie [cry] for we are alone. god [sic] will car [care] for us. Tell the wrest [rest] right [write] soon. anser [answer] soon E. B. Gruissy

now pleas [please] and Doo [do] get soon it will please him to think that you care for him. if you get the little Black Dog put it in a small Crate [sic]. Ssend it soon pleas [please]. Well mises [sic] Breneman sends her Best wishes to you and said you should Com [come] home soon froam [from] mother to Dauters [daughters]. anser [answer] soon

Esther B Gruissy

Tell the Willes[10] and Seth[11] pap said if tha [they] want eny [any] Medsen [medicine] tha [they] shouldand he will send only tha [they] shal [shall] pay the Expres [sic] Charges. wo [who] Could Doo [do] eny [any] more. well i got my milk and to Day [today] the Butcher coms [comes] and i will get some prest [pressed] ham for my self to Eat and som [some] meat too. Anser [answer] soon

Esther B Gruissy

 


[1] Willis Nichols [1869 OH – 1940 MI] husband of Rephenia Gruissy. At the time the letter was written Regina was visiting her sister and brother in law.

[2] Seth Benner Morrison [1861 PA – 1952 OH] husband of Margaret Jane Gruissy. His wife was the half-sister of Regina.

[3] Augustus Ceaser Gruissy [1840 OH – 1915 OH] was married three times. Esther B Wolf was his second wife. He was 61 when this letter was written.

[4] Augustus grew herbs and made & sold medicines. 

[5] Rephenia (Gruiss) Nichols [1870 OH – 1943 MI], daughter of Augustus Gruissy & Esther B Wolf.

[6] Emily Augusta Morrison [b 1888 OH], daughter of Seth B Morrison & Margaret Jane Gruissy.

[7] Possibly  ‘Maggy’ Margaret Jane (Gruissy) Morrison [1861 OH – 1946 OH].

[8] Richard Ray Nichols [b 1886 OH], son of Willis Nichols & Rephenia C Gruissy.

[9] Augustus pedaled his medicines door to door.

[10] The Willis Nichols family

[11] The Seth Morrison family



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Wednesday, April 10, 2024

A Visit with A. S. Smith, 1892 MS


This newspaper article gives us a glimpse into the life of Adolphus Smith, my 3rd great uncle.  

 


Adolphus Scott Smith


22 Jun 1848 - 18 Oct 1921

Son of Wyatt Smith & Euseba Fortenberry

Husband of Julia Jane Simmons




 

 

While attending the Bogue Chitto Association at Silver Springs we shared the hospitality of Dr. A. S. Smith, one of the foremost men in the county. He has a fine farm of 500 acres and has a nice store at Smithsburg. His accomplished daughter, Miss Lynnie, has decorated his beautiful home with the rarest of pictures drawn and painted by herself, and his good wife presides over the household like a queen. His father, Mr. Wyatt Smith, lives with him. This good man was 82 years old in August, and having been born and reared in that neighborhood, his mind is richly stored with reminiscences of bygone days and it is a pleasure to converse with him.

 

The Magnolia Gazette, Magnolia, MS

1 October 1892, page 3

Newspapers.com





Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Letters from the Past – Aug 1901 Gruissy - Moore Letter


My family has letters from our Mark/Gruissy family. My paternal aunt, Genevieve A. Brown Wieland Schaperjahn shared those letters with me.  

 

This letter was written to my great grandmother, 


Nancy Regina Victoria (Gruissy) Mark 


31 Jan 1879 Medina, OH - 24 May 1959 Medina, OH

Daughter of Augustus Ceaser Gruissy & Esther Barbara Wolf

Wife of Thomas Kenneth Mark

 

This letter was written by


Lillian Vera Moore Lowe 


4 Dec 1884 Medina, OH - 26 Oct 1967 OH

Daughter of Peter Jonathan Moore & Caroline Louise Gruissy


Vera was a teenager when she wrote this letter to her aunt. It shared an envelope with a letter from Vera's mother.

 

 

Regina received this letter while was in Michigan visiting her sister, Rephenia Gruissy Nichols and her brother – in - law, Willis Nichols. The Nichols and their son moved to Michigan in late 1900 or early 1901 from Ohio.

This letter was in the same envelope as a letter from Vera's mother, Caroline. Vera's handwriting was much easier to read than her mother's. Vera's letter also had correct capitalization and punctuation. 



 

To: Miss Regina V. Gruissy, RFD No. 2, St. John’s, Clinton Co., Michigan

From: Lillian Vera Moore[1]

Postmarked: 2 Aug 1901

 

Dear Aunt Regina –

I am going to try and make up with you for not writing sooner but really I have been so busy. I have not had time. I suppose you are having a good time. I know I am. Well Fred looks kind of homesick lately. I wonder why.

Jerome is well and all right. He is coming down to-night if nothing happens. I wish I could see you now. Have you seen Emma[2] since you are out there? How are all of the folks up there?

Mama was up yesterday and helped Mrs. Morton iron. Mama[3] has been waiting for me to write my letter so her news is a couple days old.

Well I must close as it is nearly mail time. We are going to have our ice cream supper at Leroy Saturday night. Wish you were here. Good-bye. Write Soon. Your niece, Vera



[1] Lillian Vera Moore, 1884 OH – 1967 OH, daughter of Peter J & Caroline (Gruissy) Moore. 

[2] Emaline Floy (Moore) Spice, 1883 OH – 1942 OH, oldest daughter of Peter J & Caroline (Gruissy) Moore. Married Feb 1901 to Arthur Spice in Michigan.

[3] Caroline L (Gruissy) Moore, 1863 OH – 1936 OH, daughter of Augustus C Gruissy & Mary Ann Everett; half-sister of N Regina Gruissy. She and Peter were living in Medina Co., OH.



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