Letter by BRAIN, Alice Irene (DANIELS) (b.1863), Steele Co., MN ========================================================================= Steele Co. Genealogy NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Made available to The Steele Co. genealogy pages by: Jean Submitted: December 2004 ========================================================================= COPY OF LETTER WRITTEN BY ALICE IRENE (DANIELS) BRAIN Away back in 1863 in the unsettled country of Steele Co., Minnesota, I was born to the family of M. N. Daniels, and wife Jean, a very humble birth but a congenial and very happy family, consisting of, at that time, a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, twelve years of age, and a son, Marsden Nelson, aged ten years. The family left their transient home near Galesburg, Ill. in the early Spring, all of their wordly possessions loaded into a wagon drawn by a light team of horses, and bravely started out for the hoped to be new home. Then homesteads were given if those who would file on a piece of land (80 acres) erect a dwelling and fulfill their requirements. After a tedious journey thru sloughs, and wind the family arrived at the John Daniels home, brother of M. N. and the wife sister to Jean, their family consisted of a son, Peter L., about 11 yrs., Jane 4, and Katherine, a little over one year. Their house was small and conveniences scanty but the new comers were made welcome. A brother of my mother, Peter Lindsay, lived several miles farther on, so the new family lived between, or rather part time with the relatives. I was born Aug. 20th. No elaborate layette awaited my arrival but my mother always made the best of her situation and my outfit was sufficient, beautifully made, little linen shirts made by hand with the daintiest of stitches. I have one of them now to prove workmanship. Later the homestead was located and a prairie home established, the house a shanty roof, high side to the east with a door, a half window in the south, also one in the west (the low side of the house) on the north plains. I believe the room was 12 x 14 and that was where we five people lived for eleven years. Mary got her education in a district schoolhouse made of logs and later taught school. Marsden also got his education there. I have neglected to state that my father was well educated so we all received a good share of our education from him at home. A great sorrow overtook us when I was 11. My brother died very suddenly. At that time we thought it was Cholera Morbus, but later decided it was a ruptured appendix. The grief and loneliness cannot be described, but we tried to be brave and help each other bear the burden. And as time passed, the wound gradually healed knowing that he was better off than we who were left. The year before my brother passed on, we built a new home 16 x 20 and 8 foot posts, not much compared to what people consider a house now but it, to us, was fine. There were five good-sized windows instead of two small ones and a chamber, also two bedrooms. We finished the inside as we could afford to and later it was comfortable. We improved and worked the farm. The returns were not always sufficient to keep us going. Father taught the Dist. School and Mary did too so we managed. When I was 13, Mary married and soon left us. I was very much alone but the cousins lived about a mile from us and we were very much together. Besides Kate, a boy Johnnie and a girl Annie had been added to the family. Johnnie passed on when quite young and Peter was the only boy, a splendid noble man. But I started a rather selfish account of myself. After Marsden died I was the boy of the family to help with chores and farm work. Later I took teacher’s examinations and entered the ranks of instructor of youths. Father passed on in 1884 and mother and I lived on the farm, rented the plowed ground and kept 4 cows. Mother made butter and sold it. I taught the home school. In 1888 I married Jonas Brain. We still lived on the homestead until 1893, sold and moved to Medford. In the meantime, three children had been born, Marvin William, Aug. 1, 1889, George Daniel, Aug. 30, 1891, Mary Jean, Dec. 31, 1892, but on June 21, 1895 another daughter Katherine Irene was added to our family. We lived in the Medford farm for seven years, then sold it. The wanderlust had gripped us and we thought it would be best to go to Oregon, where Mary had settled. Well, we went in the fall and was it a trip. Mother went in June. When we arrived at Salem the rainy season had started. Although grass was green and roses bloomed, we were homesick, later were sick, poor water developed malaria and there was no desirable place that we could get. So we all packed up and returned to Minn. Arrived in July, stayed part of the time with McKinlays and in the fall went to work for Jess Erister. (can’t read handwriting here) Stayed there until the next spring then bought a contract for a deed to 160 acres in Deerfield. We were there for seven years. Marvin graduated from Owatonna high school in June, 1911. In last of the same year we took Mamie to Silver City, New Mexico. She passed on while there. We returned to Medford. She was buried on December 4th. The next spring, the 22nd of February, we sold the farm, moved to the Congregational parsonage. Marvin left for the west, stopped in Tacoma, Washington. Later in the summer Joe and George left for Tacoma but George came back to Medford. Joe bought a place in Puyallup. I left Medford in October. The Fowlers went at the same time to visit Floy and Jessie in Sumner. Mother and Irene stayed to keep house in the parsonage for George and Jess and came out to Puyallup in the spring. Marvin received his appointment to Vancouver, B.C. We were a homesick bunch again. Mary came for a visit. We wanted mother to go home with her. They were getting settled on the ranch on David’s hill, where the home is now, but she mourned for Minn. So she and Irene and I went back in November. Joe stayed hoping to sell the place but finally had to rent and go back to Minnesota. Marvin was married December 25th, 1913 and went to Vancouver, B.C. Later he was transferred to El Paso and then the first daughter, Gladys Irene, was born, March 21st, 1915. George was married Oct. 22nd, 1915 to Lucille Heath. They made their home in Owatonna and George worked for Geo. Thompson. On May 2nd George was taken to Spartenburg Camp, South Carolina and on September 26, 1918 a son was born, Evans. But George was in service overseas. February 22nd, 1919 he passed on and was buried in the Oise Aisne Cemetery. The second largest containing 6,012 graves. And December 11th, 1915 Irene passed on and was buried December 14th in the Union Cemetery, Medford. In the fall of 1920 Joe and I went to Seattle to visit Marvin’s family and see the new baby, Margaret Jean, born November 4th. We visited until July, arriving in Medford the 15th. We lived there until Joe passed on May 20th, 1930. He worked for Ezra Beardsley for ten years. I clerked in the store part time, did dressmaking, washing and ironing, housecleaning, agent for extracts and toilet articles. In the fall came west, arriving here the 9th of November. This has been my home ever since. I returned to Medford the next fall to dispose of some furniture that I had left there. (These are addition notes Alice included) Jean Lindsay, born Jan 27, 1832 at Dumfreeshire, Scotland, came to America when she was nine years old, married Marvin Nelson Daniels in New York State, December 22, 1850. Children were born, Mary Elizabeth Daniels, December 8, 1851, Marsden Nelson Daniels Dec. 17, 1853, Alice Irene Daniels Aug. 20, 1863 Marvin N. Daniels born March 31, 1819. Died Dec. 21, 1884 in Waseca Co. Minn. Jean Daniels died Dec. 19, 1917 at Medford, Minnesota. Jonas Brain born Apr. 18, 1855, died May 20, 1930 at Medford, Minn. Additional notes from Jean (Brain) Grimaud, granddaughter of Alice Brain. Jonas Brain was born in England George Brain survived the war but died in France during the flu epidemic. Marvin Brain worked for the Immigration Service in Vancouver, B.C. and El Paso, Texas. Later became a piano teacher and played the pipe organ for The First Christian Church in Seattle, WA. He played organ concerts in the Northwest. He married Ethel Minnie Barnes in Olympia, WA, but they divorced in 1930, and he moved to Stockton, California.