HISTORY: Letter from Henry Co. mentioning several names This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Pat White May 2004 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ________________________________________________________ NOTE: For more information on Henry County, Iowa Please visit the Henry County, IAGenWeb page at http://iagenweb.org/henry/ ________________________________________________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This 1855 letter will be of interest, not only to desendants of Henry Frazer & Mary (Polly) Otwell, but to anyone interested in Henry County & Quaker history. Names Mentioned--FRAZIER, HOCKETT, WAY, CORSBIE/CROSBIE, MILLIS, ELLIOT, WHITE, SAINT, GOSSETT, COX, BROWN, WILSON, DOYLE, CRONK, HAZZARD, HAIGHT. The transcription traces back to a typed document prepared for a Frazer/Frazier family reunion held on June 25, 1950. It was prepared by Glen E. Frazer of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. (Glen E. Frazer is the son of Manly Grant Frazer & gr-grandson of Alson Gray Frazer. Glen Frazer died in December 1983) The whereabouts of the original letter are unknown. The [[Notations]] were added much later, by Frazier Descendant, Beverley Schackelford, & were NOT a part of the original letter. She made an effort to figure out all the people mentioned by Ann Frazier Way, but she "can't guarantee that [she] guessed right on all of them". Submitted May 2004 by Pat Ryan White [pwhite6024@aol.com] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Letter from Ann [Frazier] Way to John and Matilda [Frazier] Corsbie (written shortly after the death of Mary "Polly" [Otwell] Frazer, their mother) Level Lawn, Iowa 2nd day (night), 11th mo. 1855 Dear brother and sister, It has been your turn to receive a letter from me for some time; but the recent loss and anxiety amongst us has deranged our plans, and caused us to write as we could without much order, only to direct them to such of you as would be apt to get them quick. We received Elzena's [[Elzena Frazier Cox]] doubly welcome letter, written a week ago today, last 6th day evening, with throbbing hearts of mingled hope and fear to hear the contents, and with what anxiety it was sketched over till we saw an account that Matilda was not only still living, but mending. Most assuredly do I believe that the "prayer of faith still saves the sick" as it did in the days of James. For I doubt not many fervent tho' feeble prayers were put up for her restoration; not only for John's sake, but that your tender little lambs might not be scattered. And now dear sister if thou art still better, do not repine and wish thou hadst been taken, but rejoice that thou art still counted a comfort to thy family. There may yet for ought I know be something for thee to do in the church militant, that thou mayst be better prepared to join the church triumphant; -- and flinch not , that thou mayest have to be a judge or a counselor, for truly there is need of those rightly qualified. We are scarcely less uneasy about Jerusha [[Jerusha Frazier Gossett, Ann's sister]] than we were about Matilda, as she had the flux when Elzena wrote and is so weakly in other ways. A breach has been made in our family circle, and it may be ere long that many of our once happy company may be numbered with those that were but are not. Phebe [[Phebe Hixson Frazier, wife of Lotan Frazier, Ann's brother]] has a return of the chills, and is quite unwell, tho' not entirely confined. She has been to meeting but twice since she got here. She is quite dissatisfied and feels the loss of Mother more than any of us. William & Nancy [[William Millis & Nancy Otwell Millis, Mary Otwell Frazer's sister]] have gone up the country, and she feels like she was left nearly alone. Tho' I think she, as well as father [[Henry Frazer]] and the boys, feels better since they got moved to themselves. The rest of them are mending, as they were gathering corn at Thomas Saint's today. Abi [[Abi Frazier Elliot, Ann's sister]] stayed here with her children last week and went yesterday from meeting to father's to help Phebe this week. We have not heard from George [[George Elliot, Abi's husband]] since he started on the cars a week ago tonight. Abi begins to think the time long. Alson's [[Alson Gray Frazier, Ann's brother]] are in common health. Mary [[Mary M.Hockett Frazier, Alson's wife]] is not stout. Eli Gossett and his wife were to be baptized in Skunk River yesterday, tho' I do not believe he is a convert to the doctrine, only to accommodate his father and mother-in-law. Henry [[Henry O. Way, Ann's husband]] went to Burlington last 5th day to take the Irish woman and her children, whose husband died at Payton Wilson's just before Mother died. She wanted to go on the cars to her relations in Ohio. We bought 2 pair of bedsteads for father and Lotan at 3 dollars, 87and a half cents, a pair of quite nice ones. They got an old pair of old-fashioned ones of Edward Hockett at 75 cents. Gideon Frazer is mending. Our monthly meeting at Cedar Creek was opened the 2nd, 7th day in last month. It was attended by Seneca and Persis Hazard, a man and his wife, both ministers from New York. And at our monthly meeting last 7th day, I had the honor of signing returning certificates for Bridget Haight, a minister, and her companions Jane Cronk and Peter Doyle from Canada. There is not much sickness that I know of now except some on the creek and river. John D. Hockett, if alive, is very low with flux. He lives up the country, but he and his wife are down on a visit to her father's. Jane Hockett has got so she can walk and was at meeting and at our house yesterday, with her father and Margaret. Tryphena [[Way]] is at work at Jesse Hockett's at 50 cents a week. Huldah stayed at Samuel Wilson's last week at a dollar. Girl's wages are not quite as high here as there....Mary M. stayed a week with Abi helping her to get ready to move. We sorted out some of the best of Mother's clothing to send in there to you girls, but George started so early next morning that we had no chance of getting them packed up. Perhaps they can be sent some other time and do as well. Father wanted me to have her bonnet as the rest of you all wear white ones. I will send a lock of Mother's hair that was taken off after she expired. There was a satchel with some scraps in it and a pin cushion or two that likely were sent to somebody out here, but Phebe nor the rest of them could tell nothing about them. One of the pin cushions was pieced up out of little scraps like James Brown's girls dresses, and perhaps a piece or two like Ruth's. It they were sent by them or any of the rest of you we should like to know it, as we feel much at a loss to know how to dispose of such things. So write very often if you are well enough. Fanny [[Ann's sister, Fanny Frazier White]] I should like to have an answer to my letter to thee and Peter, and from Jerusha too if she is living and well enough to write. Heber [[Ann's brother Heber Frazier]] if thou only knew how proud I should be of a letter from thee; I do believe thou lost enough respect for me to gratify me. Branson [[Eli Branson Frazier]] and Elzena have been pretty good to write. Tell Ruth Brown we read her interesting letters over and over. One of the big apples rotted. Phebe cut the other in two between Anna and Alson. Tell her that Alson has got to wear pantaloons and is as fat and hearty as need be. Wm. Hammars folks are well as usual and all her other relations out here. Old Rachel Osborn (Suple Dick's widow) goes to our meeting and looks quite well. She lives with her son William. This last is to Ruth Brown. John and Matilda share the rest. Affectionately, Ann M. Way ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alas! The parting hour has come, The ransom'd spirit's took its flight, And in the cold and silent tomb, My dear Mother sleeps tonight. A cold and bluster time without, Her friends, indeed, seem very few, Not many that could venture out, To look on her a last adieu. But wintry winds and chilling rain, Shall ne'er disturb her slumb'ring head For rest unbroken she has gained Down in that little, narrow bed. At Cedar Creek, Friends burial place, Her toilworn body now doth rest, And by the marvelous plan of Grace, We trust in Christ her world is blest. No more shall weary limbs be thine, Dear Mother! sleep in sweet repose For thee we'll plant the Egalantine, An evergreen, or blooming Rose. And when the vernal spring returns, Sweet Pinks shall deck thy lowly bed, And Portulaccas, thou once loved, Shall bloom in beauty oe'r thy head. A Weeping Willows bough shall wave, To mark the spot where thou dost lie, And sing a requium oe'r thy grave, And may it ever be out theme, To walk the path which thou has trod, Out thoughts still more from Earth to wean, And join with thee in praising God. Our father, tho' the bitter cup, Seems more than filled with briny tears, There's sweetness in surrendering up, The partner of thy early years, For we believe that she is free, From every sorrow, toil and pain; And soon, O very soon thou'lt see, That our great loss is her great gain, For short's the time till thou must go, And Oh! may'st thou prepared be, To bid adieu to all below, And live with her Eternally. And brothers, sisters, let each sigh, Hear up, in faith, a fervent prayer, That we may live with her on High, When our day's work is ended here. That we may all again unite, A happy family complete, On plains of never ending Light. With joy unmixed, each other greet. Level Lawn, Henry Co., Iowa 10th mo. 19 1855 [[Date of Mary (Polly) Otwell Frazer's Death]] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++