The following letters were written by Elizabeth Churchill and submitted by Judy Churchill.

Letter written by Elizabeth Churchill, RR 2, Box 37, Cuba, Illinois, to her cousin Henry Churchill (son of Jasper Noel Churchill) LaGrande, OR . (Note: Jasper Noel Churchill is the Great-grandfather of Judith Ann Churchill.)

March 20, 1932 Dear Cousin Henry:

I am the youngest daughter of your great Uncle Charles B. Churchill. He is a brother to your grandfather William Churchill. I am the only one living of my father’s family. I am 76 years old. I am just up from being sick with the flu. I am very nervous. I am writing a new Churchill Book. I am writing for your family record. All that is required is to write your name and date of your birth and place of birth and your wives maiden name and date of her birth and place of birth and your children’s names in full and date of their births and place of births.

I sent to Boston Mass. for the old Churchill Book it dates back to 1685. I read in the book till I come to Captain Charles Churchill of the Revolutionary War. He married Lyda Belden. When his son Levi got married he named his first son Charles Belden. He is my Grandfather and also your Fathers Grandfather. Your Father is my first cousin, Jasper Churchill. When he got married to Emma Stevens he went west. I never knew where he lived. I was a little girl then. I remember of my parents going to the infair and taking us children along. Jasper and Willis was both married the same day so it was a double infair. Cousin Edmon's daughter Bessie Arrington tells me Cousin Jasper's first wife died and he married again. Can you tell me her maiden name and date of her birth and place of birth and your Fathers children names and dates of births and place of births. I want to write it in my new book I am writing. Tell me the date of your Father's death. I never knew where Cousin Mary Hellen Hoar lived till her death notice came out in our Canton Paper. It gave her children names and addresses so I went to writing to them. I have all of their family records, but the oldest girl I have wrote to her and also her sister that lives in Osborne, Kan. I hope to hear from Armita Greig so I can have all the family records of Mary Helen Hoar family. I have been five years trying to get all of my near relation. I want to finish the book as soon as possible, so please give this your prompt attention for life is very uncertain.

I sent to Los Angeles California for a picture of the Coat of Arms of our branch of the Churchill family. It will be in every book I have made so please give me all the dates of births and deaths you can so I can write it in the book. I want to get it made and I hope I will live to read it. My husband died June 10th, 1926. My son’s daughter lives with me. I am so very deaf I can't live alone. I am the Mother of 6 children. My two youngest died in infancy. I married my third cousin. Our grandfathers were brothers. My son lives near me. He was all the boy I ever had. This is all for now. Hoping to hear from you soon. I remain your cousin and well wishes. Elizabeth Churchill my address is R. R. 2, box 37, Cuba, Illinois

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Letter written by Elizabeth Churchill to her cousin Henry Churchill

April 21, 1932 Cuba, Illinois

Dear Cousins:

Received your very nice letter April 2nd. Was so glad to hear from you. I was sick with the Flu at the time. I have just got your record wrote in my book. I was so glad to get your record and cousin Jaspers. He was such a fine young man. I love all of my relation. When I was a child I used to be so ticked to go to Uncle Williams, we had a lovely time and the same when they came to see us. They have all passed away but Edmon and Irene Marvle. Her address is Fairview, Ill.

Times are just as hard here as they are there. It is terrible. I have a grand son in Galesburg that has been out of a job for 3 years. He is 20 years old. His father is dead. His mother is my daughter Louise. She is cook in the Cottage Hospittle in Galeburg. She supports 4 of her children. Her oldest are married. I have 16 grand children and 4 great grand children. My youngest daughter lives in Fiatt near here. Her husband was instantly killed in his fine otomobile Nov 13 1931. His name is Floyd Massingale. My daughter has 4 children. The oldest is William 17, Ollie is 14, Leta Mae is 8 and Anna Belle is 3. They have all had the Flu. Charlsie get a mothers pention for 3 children, $6 a piece. William trucks stock to Peoria, Ill. Floyd was tall broad shouldered man 38 years old, his car was a total reck. I have 4 living children. Charlie is all the boy, his oldest girl and her husband lives with me. They have been married 3 years no children. Bernadine is her name, her husband is Ronald Mc Kean. He is working on the road it won't last long. Charlies boys name is Belden. He is 22 the 26th of this month. He is plowing with the tractor. Charlie has 10 acres of wheat on his place and 20 acres of oats on my 80, my father willed me. He was a brother to Henrys Grandfather. When I get my book finished I will let you know how much it costs me to have it made. Maybe some good luck will come your way and you will want one. It will be a book worth reading. I must close with love to all from your cousin. Elizabeth Churchill
 

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Letter written by Elizabeth Churchill to Henry in Elgin, Oregon Mar. 21st

I hope this letter will find you at Elgin for I have wrote several letters that has come back to me where they have moved away and left no address. It is getting so hard for me to write a letter now. I am sending a letter to day to Cousin Silas’s wife. It may be she can get me Cousin Levi’s family. If she can I will have all of Uncle William’s family provided. You can get me Cousin Jasper’s family. Must close with love to all from your cousin, Elizabeth

NOTE: Two letters written by Robah Smith Sherwood (wife of Minor) from Canton, Illinois to Matthew Sherwood of Ballston, Centre, Saratoga County, N.Y.

Letter addressed to “Matthew Sherwood, Ballston Centre, Saratoga County, New York State.” Also on exterior reverse, “ Canton Ill, 30 August 25[cents or pence?].” (Folded and wax-sealed):

Canton August the/11 1838

Affectionate Cousins

Almost one year has elapsed since we parted many have been the Changes you would think by this time I had forgotten my promise to you I should have wrote before this time had I thought you had not heard from us by the way of brother Hanford or Mrs Verplank as Harriet engaged to write to her and has received her kind answer in return I have neglected an account of Mrs Taylors from saratoga springs comeing out here last spring and spending the summer with her son at Canton as she is about to return I will endeavour to give you a litt[le h]istory of our stay here when we wrote Brother Hanford we was in a hierd house we moved from that into the woods one mile and A half it was very unpleasant we could not see a house stayed there untill the middle of April then moved on the farm that Mr Sherwood had purchased it is two miles east of Canton he has 320 acres of Praire 180 of wood land the wood land is tax tille [tithe or title?] he gave for all 28 hundred Dollars the wood land is about two miles from the praire the farm is verry pleasantly situated we are all verry well peased with the farm and have enjoyed as good health as usual sine we left you Mr Sherwoods health is good I suppose you would like to know what our folks have been about this summer when he bought had 50 acres fenced 40 acres broke they broke in the spring 10 acres more they have planted & sowed 50 acres to wheat Corn oats buckwheat potatoes and beans crops are generally good we are well pleased with Illinois as far as we have seen as a Country

he has bought Considerable stock 42 head of Cattle old and young 13 calves mild 12 Cows we were oblige to turn Succour last spring that is let our Calves suck untill they got pasture fenced to call up the cows off from the open praire they have fenced 50 acres this summer since they got their pasture fenced we have milked our cows have made 300 pounds of butter 35 Cheeses butter is now l shilling Cheese is 1 shilling there is verry little Cheese made here or butter the generality of people keep Scarcely Cows enough to supply themselves with butter through the summer winters butter is high last winter butter & cheese was twenty five cents a pound we have anumber of hogs 11 sheep 4 horses hens & geese there is nothing wanting here more than there is there except fruit but what we can have with health and industry there is more fruit than I expected there is a number of orchards around us that begin to bear and currants some peaches we can get dried apples for 2 dollars per bushel peaches dried 3 dollars and half bushel we have no conveniences to do any thing we have no buildings except a small log Cabbin & alittle log room we use for milk we are building a cheese room it is framed readdy to put up there A number of dry good stores in Canton groceries mecanics Printing Prefs and College Mr Sherwood often Wishes you were out here he sends his best respcts to all his friends and Connections give mine to the same he says he would not go back on any consideration

There are two Churches in Canton Presbyterian and Episcopal Methodist there is a protistant Methodist church a building this summer & Baptist Bible Clafs we have Steaddy Preaching the Reverand Mr Steward from Ohio Sabbath school Monthly Concert weekly prayer Meeting and other institutions of the day we like Mr stewards preaching verry well but we have not found such a School as we did under Mr Mc Masters preaching we was aware we should not be blest with that long had we a stayed we heard he had left Ball[s]ton on account of his takeing a glafs of wine at a wedding should all the members be turned away for as small offence we fear there would be but few left if the elderly people Could not be taught by him I think the risi[ng] generation must feel his lofs some day. he was a faithful minister of Salavation he was the mesenger of truth he held a sacred office & preached the Doctrines of the gospels his language was plain and decent and delivered in a sollemn manner he is concious of the responsibility as an under Shepherd he instruts those whom he is placed over he in treats those who are in the gall of bitternefs and in the bonds of iniqity to turn and live he is diligent to promote the Cause of god instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke with all longsufering and doctrine and imparts to each one a portion in due season he visits the sick and afflicted Comforts mourners in zion brings glad tidings of great joy and publishes peace I want you to write the particulars of Mr Mc Masters going away and of the Church we shall expect an answer soon this from your friend Robah Sherwood M sherwood P Sherwood [I think “M” and “P” refer to addressees Matthew and his wife Polly in Ballston, not to Minor and someone else]

Elder Taylors[sp?] wife returnd sooner than I was aware if you will take the trouble to call and see her you will see one that has visited us in illnois She can tell you more than I can write

You will pleas send Mc Masters for a will adress by Mail.[?]

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Letter addressed to “Matthew Sherwood, Ballston Centre, Saratoga County, New York State.” At top, “Canton Il 25[cents or pence?].” Also, on exterior reverse, “ Canton, Fulton Co” and “Dr., Rev.Dr.J.N.C.” (Folded and wax-sealed):

Canton january the/24 1841

in the [Laws?]

Beloved Brother and Sister

it is a long time since we received your letter and time is swiftly pafsing away I will no longer neglect writing lest the cold hand of daath summon us and deprive us of this privilege of holding convers with each other you must exuse me for attempting to write I feel myself inadequate to thetask I do not know that Minor would write a line to any of our friends if you are as anxious to hear from us as we are from you you will look over the imperfeactions of this letter. you perhaps will say we are not anxious by our long neglect of writing Minor says we must do the writing had I words to exprefs myself as well as he can I would not put it off from time to time as I now do I often feel that we have not much to write that will be interesting to you we are all enjoying good health at present Harriet and Eliza Ann had the Billious fever last fall. we have not heard from Eliza ann in some weeks I trust you are interested in the cause of truth and in the Church of Christ when we left Ballston there was nothing that twined around my heart like the beloved Minister and the Church there is a tie that binds the christians heart with love there is where I first felt the love of God shed abrond in the heart and first united with the people of God pleasant was the hours when we sat in the house of God and took sweet Counsel togetether and I received instruction from your hands when we came here we endeavourd to get near the Church to which we felt [atached?] that we might dwell to gether in unity we thought we had done so man appoints but God disappoints when the division took place in the general Assembly Mr Steward the Minister was anxious there should be a division in the Church there was only about thirty that Called ourselves Presbyterians the rest were all New School we had no one to break unto us the bread of life we were as sheep without a shepherd occasionally there would a stranger come and preach untill last fall a Mr. Mc Cune Came and preached a few times last summer we hired him he was ordained and enstalled over the Church the fourth of sept but did not move to Canton untill november he has a wife and one child he is 25 years old appears to be fine man he is a workman that needeth not to be ashamed we give him 500 dollars not because we are able but because we think he needs it to live we think we can let him live with the rest of us God is sending now and then a Minister that will set truth before error he was educated in south Hanover College he left before Mr Mc Master came there he has been back is acquainted with Mr Mc Master we have a Mr Mc Ginnis settled in Lewiston 15 miles from us that came from Hanover College last july they were both formerly from Pennsylvania he says Mr Mc Master is the greattest sermonizer he ever heard he is beloved by every one. the great head of the Church has heard prayer and sent us a man after his own heart we trust there is now upwards of 40 Members we have many things to encounter we are allmost alone God is our reffuge the power belongeth unto God it sems that there almost evry thing for the world to run after there is a great many names of people here, Swedenbergers Mormons Univeralists Radical Methodists Episcopal Methodists Baptists Anti Mission Baptists Unionists Congregationalists presbyterians New school the New school will not come to Presbyterians preach[ers?] they seem envious with the exeption of a few the new scholl have appointed 4 or5 men to revise the confession of faith or see what part they can subscribe to they are divided among them selves they have met to take to themselves a new name we have not heard the result we have a minister but no steaddy place of worship once in two weks Mr Mc Cune preaches in the Meeting house the new school occupy it the rest of the time it makes it verry unpleasant he preaches in different neighbourhood we have prayer meetings every wednesday evenings Mr Mc Cune has never mifsed of being there verry interresting we are about to try to build a Meeting house we are not able if [of?] ourseves they think of trying to get some assistance from the rich Churches from the East it is hard times here as to getting much money this is good soil it brings forth abbundantly produce is verry low good wheat 50 cts Corn 20 cents oats 18 butter 12 we have sold ours for 20 cheese 12 & pork from 2 to 3 and half Mr Mc Cune we expect will go to general Assembly next spring he m[e?]ans to try to get some help to build a house could you face the want of sound preaching as we do or have Done we think the Brethren of the Church would lend us some aid you can not realize it we feel sometimes if we were back there now we could give with a threefold libeal heart than we ever did we pay twice as much to our minister as we did there we all extend the utmost of our ability

we have had a verry pleasant fall and winter with few exceptions last october we had quite cold weather for 8 or 10 days there has been but 4 days this winter that has been verry cold [but?] 4 or 5 inches of snow it is now all gone verry warm for 10 days scarcely freezes nights except some litte drifts

give our best respects to mr [Holmes?] and wife Mr woods Mr Verplanks Mr Deforests Mrs. Burnet and all others and thommas and Johns families we remain yours in Christian love write soon and particularly about the Church and other things

Minor Sherwood Polly Mary

Matthew Sherwood Robah thomma

Transcribed by David B. Harper, 1504 Delphi Road, Cazenovia, NY 13035, on 7 August 7, 2004