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Note: Josiah Brewer left NC as a young man and went to ILL. No one has been able to find out why he went there or whether he went alone. His daughter, Minerva Ruth Brewer Moore stayed in contact with members of our family until her death in 1996. Minerva Ruth had a letter written to Josiah in 1884 by his mother, Paulina Boyer Brewer, and she passed it down to her daughter, Helen Breux who sent me a copy of the original letter.
I have copied it as it was written, except I have added comas and periods to make it more understandable. The blanks are words I could not read.
Feb 9, 1884
Dear Son,
I ___my self to drop you a few lines to let you no we are all well as far as I no and I hope you are the same. The children was all at my house last Saturaday a week ago. They all made me a surprise and it was a surprise to. They most all give me a present. William was not there. Sandy give me a new dress and Leathly (Teathly) Spach give me a new dress to and I got several little notions. There was _____in twenty there and I tell you, Sire, they had me a fine table sat. They fitt the table in John Birks house down there. They all seemed to enjoyed the day. Well Sire, your Aunt Mariah is living at Sandies now. She brought her things at my house. She said to give her love and best respect to you. I must say to you that me and John has ____ our kitchen. I done ___ ____ a cooking. It is some handy for us but we had a hard time to get it done. I must tell you that Easter Slate (or Slater, not sure either is spelled right) and Melian Marshal is married but I spect you have heard and Manda is married to a ____ and I recond next will be Alice your girl. Jane Lenard was a wondering why you didn't write to her. I must tell you about Johney he has got to be a right good ___man. He ____the kitchen. He got out of there. Well Sire, I have wrote all the news I have so I must close my letter by asking you to write to me as soon as you get this for I want to hear from you. Write soon and fail not.
From your Mother Paulina Brewer to Son, Sire Brewer.
__________________________________________________________________________ _________ At the bottom of the above letter, Josiah's cousin, Manda Boeckel, wrote the following:
Well Sire, I must write a few lines to you and let you no the news about my old man. He whiped Tim Spagh today right down here in the medows close to the ford. I tell you he made the white wool fly. Tim hollowed take him off take him off three times before June Kimel took him off. I tell you the wool layes down in the medow thick. He give Tim just what he needed. He whiped on the medow and tonight he has gone to _____Burks to settle it. He just took his fist. It wont cos him _________100 dollis. Julius just got a cratch or so on his face but he pared it to Tim. Tim holered like a good feller. Jullis has always threating to whip Tim and now he has done it and I hope this will stop now. Well, Sire I have wrote all the news I have. You must write to me and Jullis as soon as you ge this.
From your cousin Manda Boeckel to Sire Brewer.
(Julius Boeckel married Amanda PaulinaYokely. Julius is the son of Christian Pickel, brother of Elizabeth)
(June Kimel is Junius Kimel who married Anna Boeckel, Elizabeth's sister)
I don't know who Tim is but there is a Theophilus Thomas Spaugh who married Anna Maria Beckel, dau of Christian Pickel �.he may have been called Tim)
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