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Note: NI20 Hertiage of Bruce Dale Hodge & Family
Entries: 462 Updated: Mon Oct 6 18:53:02 2003 Contact: Bruce Dale Hodge
Title: Cornelia Miles Certified Death Certificate
Page: State of Michigan, Clerk of Kent Co. Michigan, recorded 1/5/1903 and recorded in Liber 06, of Record of Death on Pg # 007.
Text: Shows DOD 12/14/1902, age 76 yrs, 9 mos, & 25 days. Died in Courtland Twp, Kent Co., Mi of heart disease. Born in New York, occupation, Farmer's wife. Her father was David Miles , & her mother was ______Smith., both born in New York.
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Hertiage of Bruce Dale Hodge & Family
Entries: 462 Updated: Mon Oct 6 18:53:02 2003 Contact: Bruce Dale Hodge
The list of Post Offices in the January 1994 "Michigana" prompted June Stoner Carlson of Northport, Michigan, to contribute her great Grandmother Cornelia Miles Stoner's Letters dated 1843-1855 that were mailed from the Courtland Post Office, one of the early Post Offices listed.
The story behind the letters is as interesting as the letters themselves. Cornelia Miles was 17 when she married Jacob Stoner in Schoharie, New York, and the newlyweds left right away on the Erie Canal to homestead in Michigan. The letters describing life on the frontier were saved by relatives in New York and in the 1940's Mrs Carlson's Aunt, Lutheria Stoner Crandall, was given the letters for safe keeping. Since the letters so described Michigan in the 1850's it was decided to give them to the State Historical Archives in Lansing. Before doing that, Lutheria Crandall copies the letters by hand {copy machines weren't common then} but she keep one letter in Cornelia's handwriting as a keepsake. It was forunate Lutheria had the foresight to do this because the actual letters were in the Archives Storage area that was burned by an arsonist.
To mail the letter dated May 16, 1851, Great Grandfather Jacob Stoner walked or rode on an ox-pulled cart 1 1/2 miles to the Courtland Post Office. The sheet of paper was folded in such a way as to form it's on envelope.
1843
Dear Sister-If you will own me as a sister I will address you with a few lines. We arrived here safely on the last day of June and I like it first rate. I would not come back for anything to stay. I should like to see you all and perhaps we may see each other yet in this world and if we are not permitted to I hope we shall be prepared to meet mother where we shall never be separated more. I had much to write to you a great while ago but I was kind of carless and neglected my duty. Marie I know that I have done wrong but I hope you will forgive me and send me an answer soon and write all the particulars that has happened since we left and everything that you can think of. Give my love to your mother and father and to Mr & Mrs Lawrence and Elizabeth. O Marie I hope you will be more particular about visiting mothers grave than I was if I could go and see it as easy as I could once how I should like it if grandmother or any of them comes to Schoharie tell them that I am well off that I have got a good kine husband and that I feel happier than I ever did before. Tell them to forgive me foer not writing to them. I hope that you will write to them and let them know what I am doing I shall expect an answer soon, my love to you and all inquiring friends. Your affectionate sister Cornelia.
Courtland Aug 17, 1845
Dear Sister- I scarely know how to begin to apologize for not writing before. I often think of you but have kept putting of writing from week to week and if I mistake not I believe a year. But forgive me. I suppose that you heard that we have a little daughter and we call her Juliett Elizabeth she grows very fast I expect to see her walk any day. I should like it if you could come and see us but I have no such thought. If nothing happens we shall come to Schoharie in the course of a few years. I expect you have heard that B. Miles has lost both of her twins. They live about a miles from us. I should like to know if you have heard from E. Lawrence since she left and what her Uncle Hank Whipper her for and how her folks found it out and what Hank is up to if he thinks about another wife or not. I should like to have seen Aunt Caty before she died and returned some of her kindness. What a mother she was when I had none. I suppose your father would like to know what we farmers are doing here. They are doing first rate. Some of them have raised this season five or six hundred bushels of wheat and other crops. I want you to write if you have hard or seen any thing of gandfathers folks since I left and if they live in Amsterdam or not. Tell Jenett that I have not forgotten she sent me that letter and some time when my baby I am going to answer it. And let me know if Maria is married or not. Jacob respects you all. My love to all. Cornelia Stoner.
Courtland May 14
Dear Maria-It is so long since I have written to you that I don't know whether it is best to undertake the task or not. I have often thought about it but I did not know who to write to I have heard you had changed your name and had a baby so I suppose you begin to know a little about how much time I find to write. I think you must look funny with a baby, please write and let me know what your name is and what you call your baby and where you live. I have got three babies. J. Elizabeth-Chas, and Riley. He is so fat he cant hardly see. I am tired I have been making garden and boiling soap all day and little Riley is crying so goodbye-Cornelia --
Courtland Aug 7, 1850
Dear Sister-We are all well but Charley he has the fever and Agae. He is the first of us to have it. I could not advise you to come here for fear you would get homesick. You have never been in a new country you form no idea about it at least I could not. People told me we had to do without fruit and live in the woods but I did not make up my mind to anything as it is but when I took back and think how it looked here when we came I wonder how we made up our minds to stay. I could not see a house all I could see was oak trees and maybe once in a week a team pass by. Jacob had to draw the lumber to build our house 14 miles and go with an oxen team it took two days to get one load and the grist mill was 20 miles but now we have one 7 miles and that we think is very handy we have by working hard and president got something of a start we have got 116 acres of land and 40 of improvement we shall have 250 bu of wheat and as many oats besides barley, potatoes and buckwheat. There a few who have fruit. We have had some bad luck with the good, we lost an ox and a cow. We have got two cows now a yoke of oxan and some young cattle growing. Jacob intends to put up a barn next summer then I mean to begin to talk about a new house. We live in a log house now. There are but very few frame houses here. Bye now Cornelia
May 16, 1851
We had a good crop last year 300 bus of wheat 200 oats 100 corn 12 ton hay everyting brings a good price. Wheat $2.00 dollars potatoes $1.00 Jacob bought him a span of horses for $335.00 and more land so that we have now 190 acres and are out of debt, so I think we are pretty well off. All we need now to be comfortable is a new house. I think if our life and health are spared next summer we shall build Cornelia
Sept 14, 1853
Jacob says I am a first rate wife and you wanted to know what kine od a husband he was. I must say there never was a kinder one. I am as happy as a frail mortal here below can be. I have to do all my own work for you cannot hire a girl to do ordinary work short of one dollar a week so I keep myself. You brag about your white headed baby I think I have one to mate it. He will be a year old the 27 of Oct. We call him Leonard. We live on what is called oak opening on the bank of a beautiful lake, the water is as clear as crystal the shore is pretty white sand and gravel. We have a very pretty level farm. We raised 190 bu of wheat 80 of barley - 8 acres of oats and 4 of corn. Jacob puts in 17 acres of wheat this fall. We have 3 cows - 7 hogs up fattening. I bought a sheep today paid 30 dollars for him. By hard work and economy we have got qite a start. We are what might be termed well off. We have gotten new wagon and all farming utensils and are out of debt. Jacob has been elected town clerk 3 times and that helps us some. We have plenty of wild fruit such as cranberries, blackberries, huckleberries, strawberries. Apples begin to be consideredthrough we have not got any,. Some of our neighbors will have 10 to 199 bu of peaches. I had the pleasure of having some yellow gages this year. We can get sugar for six cents. Tea for 50 cts. Wheat brings 80 cts, barley 50. Butter 18.
March 5, 1854
If you did not get my letter I must tell you I have another little boy. We call him Leonard, White headed and as mischievous as he can be. Last year we had 200 bu wheat 300 bu corn- 150 oats 80 barley 150 bagoes 60 potatoes 7 tons of hay I have 2 new milk cows. Butter is worth 18 3/4 per lb. We fatten 7 hogs last fall and winter over 8 this winter wheat is not $13.00.
Sept 20, 1855
Now I will write with one hand and with the other hold my baby. I have got a little black headed girl, she is 6 weeks old. We thrashed last week and 250 bu of wheat. Wheat did not turn out as usual the insects as we call it here was bad. Butter is worth 20 to 25 cts I sold $30.00 worth this summer. We call the baby Clara Amelia. We have 2 little apple trees and about 20 apples apiece on this summer we prized them as highly as you would gold ones. A dear Cornelia
May 16, 1851
Dear Sister I suppose you begin to think by this time that I have not received your second letter. The reason that I have not written was because I had no proper I suppose you will think that is a great excuse but if you had to go to library for such trifles you would know a little how we have to do when we get out of such small articles. We are all well at present hoping you are the same. You wrote you have gone on a farm you I suppose fell at home you wanted I shall write about my bossy I have only one yet. Last fall I made butter and sold it and bought me two sheep they [___] four lambs this spring but three died so my flock dont increase very fast. Next week we expect the carpenters to put us up a barn we get along slow and sure. Libby goes to school this winter. Riley will be two years old the 18th of this moth he is not quit as fusy as he was but yet he is larger than most children of his age. I dont know as I have any they nor to write - this as is not worth sending but Jacob was going to the Post Office to night and said I might have thing of it was but more a piece of paper will my more an our best respects and love to you both. C. Stoner
Letter, No Date
When you write direct your letter to me or Jacob I Stoner for J father name is jack Stoner. the letter that you sent last fall the old man took out of the office and opened it in [___] Adieu
Source: Johnstown Library, Johnstown, New York
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