Now we start on a series of letters from my great-great-great-grandmother, Ann Campbell, to her son Edward Frasier. Looking ahead, I see about a half-dozen or so. This should be fun!
Here is a photo of Ann.
According to family lore (I have not independently researched this branch of the family yet), she was born in Scotland in about 1828 and came to America as a toddler. She lived for a time in New York and then moved to Wisconsin. She met and married Andrew Frasier in Wisconsin. They later moved to Emerson, Iowa. Andrew died there, and Ann moved to Nebraska to be near her daughter Ella.
This letter was written in 1883 in Malcolm, Nebraska.
Malcolm Ju[n] 28 -83
Dear Edy,
I received yours of the 4. Sorry you had been sick. Hope you are strong now. It was a hard spring. It ___red me out completely, the hot days sweats out the aches some. Ella is not strong. Maggie has been sick for more than a week. She is setting up and steering round some. I will send part of the list so you can see there is another E. A. Frasier if you did not go.
Our corn is late. I did not get his Lister* soon enough & he does not understand listing. He finished ours the 2 of June. Have an acre or so less than last year. It is doing pretty well. I hope yours is doing well. You will be busy with so much you think. I not say much to you about writen. You had better compare states that will tell. Uncle Phin is sick.
Did you come up to Lincoln to the German gathering. Ella & Schuyler went Friday. Big crowd.
Will you ever get up this way again. I thought it would not be so hard for you to come when you had no river to cross but it seems harder.
I wish you would copy your recipes I got from Doc _un & send it for Ella to have filed. Perhaps it will help her appetite.
Write as soon as you can, I don’t hink I have ever been 4 months & a half in writing you. I will have to close. Ella is going to Sunday School so I will send this. Write soon. From Mother.
*note by Karen: a Lister is a planter for row crops. See
http://www.sachsehistoricalsociety.org/OLDWEBSITE/home/farm_equipment.html.
