Kinexxions - Berlin Family Chronicles

Berlin Family Chronicles

- To Lizzie from Sarah Greene -

Rootstown Dec the 10th 1865

Dear Lizzie

I am bound this evening that you shall have a letter from me before this week is out. it has been so long since I have received your letter that I am actualy ashamed of my self but I hope you will excuse me as it takes me all the time to do the work and take care of the baby. she is not a cross baby but she needs to be taken care of and the days so short that by the time I turn around a few times it is night and when I think I will write some body comes or I do not feel well so you see my time goes. I wish we lived near enough so that we need not write.

I would like to see you all and wish that you could see little Susie. she will be eleven weeks old next wednesday. she begines to laugh and play and notice things. she has dark blue eyes and curly hair and is real fair for a little baby. she is well and grows like every thing. I wish we would have weighed her to day so as to tell you how much she weighed. we weighed her about four weeks ago and she weighed eleven pounds and a half. I wish I could come out there some Saturday and bring her along. I have been away from home twice with her.

I was down to Captain Gardners last Thursday to a Thanksgiving supper. Where was you Thanksgiving day. I have not been down to Lydies yet. I have been going there this long time but have not been yet. Lydia is feeling a little better now than she did. she is taking in sewing and has Mrs. Woodroof staying with her. I have not seen Mary or Lydia for some time but I suppose they are well.

Isaac Slabaugh’s wife was up here a few weeks ago. she said that Rosa Ansfall and Sam Sheick was going to be married before long. the report is all around that Martha Rose is going to have a baby and I guess it is true. she is living with Clary now. Oh what girls. I should think they would think more of themselves. Well I must stop writing for this evening and go to bed and get up early and go to washing and get through before George goes down to the store. he helps do most all the washing for the last two weeks. I have not been well enough to do it myself and cant get any one to do it. I will finish this some other time. Good Night.

Monday Morning
Well we have washed to day and got our work all done up and thought I would finish your letter for the next thing as the baby has gone to sleep and all is quiet. We butchered our beef this afternoon. It is real nice beef and it was our cows calf last spring. we have not butchered our pig yet. George says he is going to keep it four or five weeks longer. I suppose you have got your butchering all done.

I had a letter from Mary to day. she is well and said she had a letter from you last week. she is coming down here christmas if it is pleasant. where are you going Christmas and New Year. John Jones have got a boy. also Wash Frances have got another boy . I suppose Madison told you that Mary Walton had a little girl. I suppose you think this is a great place for babies. I think the disease must be catching.

[Note along edge of first page]
George stands here looking over my shoulder and says I should send his respects to all. have Father and Mother ever got their pictures taken. I would like some of our folks pictures. I have not got any of them. Sarah Greene

[Note at top of second page in different writing]
We are going to send the baby to Mt Union to School next summer. she does not like the teacher in Rootstown. Ask Lovina if she has swallowed any pins lately. G.M. Greene

About this letter:

John Berlin (Sarah’s father) moved his family to Rootstown in Portage County, Ohio from Washingtonville, Columbiana County, Ohio about 1845. In 1864 John moved to Elkhart County, Indiana taking his wife and their two youngest daughters, Lizzie (age 21) and Lovina (age 19). At that time his sons (Solomon and Josiah) and oldest daughter (Kate) had already settled there, the other girls (Lydia, Mary and Sarah) remained in Ohio for a time.

Lydia had lost her husband to sickness in April 1865 while he was serving in the Civil War. She married again in 1874 to Henry Woodruff. She eventually settled in Nappanee, Indiana.

Mary was a seamstress and opened her own shop in Goshen in the late 1860’s. She married Lewis Winder in 1875.

Sarah was the only child of John Berlin that stayed in Ohio. She was married to George Greene on 28 Aug 1864 and their first child, Susie, was born in early October 1865. About 1900, one of their sons, Harry, moved to Nappanee, Indiana.

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