Gibbons/Kemper/Yancey Family Letter Series

Gibbons/Kemper/Yancey Family Letter Series

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Information about this letter:

Envelope: The letter itself was used as its own envelope. The letter was folded in such a way that the outside, when sealed, functioned as an envelope. Evidence of the seal is still visible.

Postage:
  • 25
Return address:
  • Harrisonburg Va
  • March 31

Address:

  • Mrs Elizabeth Armstrong
  • Palistine Cooper County
  • Missoury
Sender: Christina Miller [See Christina Miller in Guide to Individuals]
  • born ?
  • married 03/29/1829
  • spouse Samuel Gibbons
  • died 08/1879
Recipient: Elizabeth "Betsy" Gibbons [See Elizabeth Gibbons in Guide to Individuals]
  • born 08/05/1803
  • married 11/19/1837
  • spouse John Armstrong
  • died 01/26/1885
Date Written: March 22, 1840
Location: Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, VA
Surnames mentioned: Armstrong, Conrad, Effinger, Furry, Gibbens, Gibbons, Hammer, Harden/Hardin, Harrison, Hansberger, Harnsberger, Hedric, Heneberger, Jinnings, Miller, Price, Shue, Stevens, Ward
Locations mentioned: "Misoury", "Philadelfy", South Hampton

Text of the letter:

"Harrisonburg March 22 1840

Dear Betsy

No doubt you have long since concluded I have forgotten you but I assure you nothing is more untrue I have bin talking about writing all winter but it has bin putt off from week to week I hope you will excuse my silence and receve and read this letter with as much plesure as if it had been writen at an erler period I have not a greatdeal to write that will be new or interesting as Mother [next line unreadable] when she writes this [letter leaves ?? or Peter Caves??] us in tolerable health we have bin com plaining all the winter more or less Mr Gibbons health has bin bad for some time he has had severel spells of [pushing ?? or puking ?? or pulsing ??] blood which you may guge gave us a gread deal of oneasiness he has not had a spel of [pushing ?? or pucking ??] since Crismus but he had a verry sick spell a bout 2 muntz a go he complaind of a pain in his brest for several days and then was taken with pain in his hips and back which gave him so much [next word missing due to hole from seal] he fainted in the bed we thought that he was diing but thanks be to god he has stil spard him though he has to live cheafly of of mush and milk, he startid yesterdy morning to Philadelfy to se sum of the fisicans it is my umbel prair that he may get restord to health a gain we are now just [fird ??] to live cumfertable we can go to bed at [next line hard to read -- night and get up at ??] sunrise if we chuse there is as much difrence in the way we now live and the way whe had tolive at the furnice as ther is in day and night, Old Mis Furry and homer and jacub lives in the house that Daniel furry livd ther has been a great change since we left there there is butt 2 famerlys that live thear when when we lived there that is [Stoger ?? or Stoyer ??] and, [Fautny ?? or Fantny ?? or Pantny ??], the wimen [have ??] all had one or 2 childern but Mrs [Flem ??]

She seas hat she did not think [mariing ?? or moving ??] would make uou fly from your promis that is to write it will soon be a year since I saw her and she made be promis when I would rite to give her respects to you tell what I have writen thay ar living n the brick house of [hinr ?? or linr ??] Conrds a cros the river, pore mary fray is no more she dide the last of August she left three small Childern but the eldest boy soon folerd her his Clods cought fier and he burnt so that he dide in a short time, Mothers health is much as usuel her couf still grows worse she has bin moar a flicted with pains this winter and short ness of breath

Dear betty I am now quite lonely the childer is all a sleep & I would be soglad to se you and your little boy, and the childer also would be delidid Louisa is going to scool to Jinnetty Conrad she ses if I would telher what I wantid wrote that she writi for me Simeon and Sami is going to school to Mi [Tager ?? or Lager ??] simeon can read tolerabe well, samuel just bigins to spell in a b his eyes is as black as thay can be he is as full of munkyshines as he can be, the people say that, John favers him but I think that he looks mour like Sims he has bleu eyes and verry fair scin he is much the stoutest child that I ever had and the greatest pet, Mr Armstrogs Letter reacht hear about two weeks ago it was just as I expected, I agree with you thinking Misoury is a fruat ful, Cuntry, but I dont think that it is much a head of Rocking ham and Page Lades are almost as smart as you Mrs [Furry ?? or Furny ?? or Furvy??] has had two childern since you left this cunry, An Jinnings has had two since Susan Miller has had one, Betsy hansberger has had one Susy Hansberger has had one Polly Conrad has had one its dead Francis ward has a sweat little girl she is still at her Farthers, I must now stop writing a bout the childern or I wont have room to wite anny thing else els I will in formyou that we have lost sum of our best sitiscens this winter Mr Edwerd stevens for one he dide a bout two munts a go he left this world in the [triups ??] of faith Mr John efinger dide the next weak he was at Mr [bering ?? or lering ??] on tusdy and the next thrsdy night he was takin with a paraletic at super and wont abe to talk the next day at 8 oclock he dide it truly may be said that in the mdst of life thiris death there has ben a great minu deaths in town this winter but i exspect that you have seen them in the papers, Dockter harison and his wife has bin very low with the fever but thay are on themend we have had the coldest winter and the deapest snows we ever saw I feal glad to see the aproachingspring I will in form you that I herd from A Gibbens thay were all well Lizy harden is not got her health yet she says that sh has such inword weakness that she thinks that she never well Mr hardin has got home after an abstance of [7 ?? or 11 ??] munths and a half, John Gibbons,es fame is well hamer,s and shoo,s and hener Bargers Polly can out work the Jews she has had a [lite ?? or litl ??] time this winter her famerly was tolerable large she had Frances thear and Mr ward part of the time she dose not exspect to leave here be fore June he is riding South Hampton [next word unreadable] this year, if you se Miche harnsbergr tell him that the girls ar mariing like [smoke ??] Hariet Conrad was mared a cupple weaks back to one Mr Cunce th buliful mis hedric was mared Mr [Catelion ?? or Caletion ??], it is sead that Lou Price is to be mared to Mr [hingry ?? or lingry ?? or Pingry ?? or Phingry ??] he livd with Steven Conrad I must now come to a close if I could se you I could tell you more than I could rite in a munth Dear sister I hope youwell exscusemy pore scribbling hand and, write often, nothing more but remain sinsere friend untill death

Cristeny Gibbons, Mother sends her best love to you and Mr Armstrong the Childern me to you both in love"


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