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WISCONSIN SAGA
by
Helen Cole Sainton
 
The Cole family originated in this country early in the 18th century.
 
John Cole, who was born in England about 1705, came over with his father, who was also John (he, the father, was born in England in 1670, which was during the reign of Charles II, the merry Monarch, so-called, but which proved to be anything but a merry time for the English people, for this was the time of the Great Plague as well as the Great Fire of London. He was followed by James II, who after a short and miserable reign, was deposed and fled to France, to be succeeded by William and Mary, and  they by Queen Anne, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, so it was during the reign of Queen Anne that young John Cole was born in England).
 
John and his family settled in Reneboth, now Secunk, Rhode Island. The son married first, a sister of the great man, Benjamin Franklin. She died,. and he then married Miss Mary Bowen. One of their six children was Thomas, who was born in Sterling, Connecticut, on August 25, 1735, and it is from Thomas that our line is descended. The complete genealogy was compiled by William H Cole, of Baltimore, and was completed in 1894.
 
 
Thomas Cole married Miriam Kinne in 1757.  One of their ten children was Samuel, who was the father of Calvin Cole, who was my father's grandfather. The main branches of the family in this country were descended from the other son, Amos, and Samuel. Amos married Lucy Clark Burnham in 1816 in his 57th year; she was his fourth wife.  He died in Sherburn, N.Y. in 1852 in his 93rd year. One of the descendants of Amos was the well-known musician, Rossitter Cleason Cole, of Chicago, who was born in Ann Arbor, Mich.
 
Thomas Cole died in Oxford, N.Y. on October 25, 1827 and his wife Miriam died just two months later, on Dec. 15; their married life was almost 70 years. Nine of their children married and had children. Their living descendants were 150; namely, Children 9, grand-children 58, great-grandchildren 82, and great-great grand-children 5. “His days were industriously spent in the pursuits of agriculture”. Surely a grand old man, a patriarch of the Biblical type. Oxford still has Coles living there, and a memorial fountain in the park was presented to the city by one of the family, in memory of Calvin and Fayette (Balcom) Cole.
 
Calvin, who was the son of Samuel and Alice Pullman Cole, was born in Sterling, Conn. in 1802.  He was the second of a family of eleven children, five girls and six boys, namely, Eunice, Calvin, Hannah, Prudence, Spencer, Nathaniel, Phebe, Rachel, Charles, William, and Chester Cicero.
 
Although Calvin was born in 1802 (and lived until 1882) and Chester was born in 1824 (he was only 6 years older than my grandfather Augustus) Uncle Chester seemed very close to Grandfather Cole. He went to live at Des Moines, Iowa, and became prominent there. For 12 years he was Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. He died in 1913, aged 89 years. Papa often visited their home with his parents and also went there on his honeymoon. Their estate was called "Colchester Place.” One of his daughters, Gertrude, married Arthur Clifton Atherton, and I remember Papa speaking of her oftener than any of his other cousins, except Minnie (Loraine Reid, and her brother Willard, who were his mother’s sister Angie’s children, and whom they often visited at their home on Babylon, Long Island. This uncle was also a judge, Robert John Reid.
 
Ida Gilbert lived upstairs at our house for several years. I was talking with her mother one day, and she told me she had lived as a girl in Des Moines, Iowa and knew the Chester Cole family very well, having been a friends of the sons and daughters of the family, and her home was just across the street from the Cole's. She said they had a beautiful big place with spacious lawns and big trees, and that the Judge was a real gentleman of the old school, dignified  and always formally dressed, carrying a cane. She told me they had carriages and fine horses, and gave lavish parties.
 
Calvin Cole married Fayette Balcom in Oxford, New York, in 1830. Her brother Uri went out West about 1850 and made a fortune in lumber. “west” then was Wisconsin and Illinois. His headquarters were in Chicago and he later built a fine house on Michigan Avenue and 21st Street, then the heart of the old “Gold Coast.” I remember when it was torn down about the year 1910 when commerce closed in about that locality. The papers spoke about its marvelous construction and the wealth in beautiful woods, mahogany and walnut, used in panellings and staircase. He was an intimate of the big men of the city, in the golden days of the early period along in the 70’s and 80's.  Herman Clark, who writes in the Chicago Tribune of those days (by the way she lives in the same house as Aunt Agnes at 40 East Huron, across from St. James’s Episcopal Church. This Is a lovely old house, which was built way back in the 70’s by the Rumsey family. Mrs. Arthur Holt, of Oconto, was a daughter of Mr. Rumsey, the mayor of Chicago. Miss Clark often mentions the Uri Balcoms as being "among those present" at dinners and receptions and balls, along with the Cyrus McCormicks, the Marshall Fields, and other well known names. His wife was a Grannis, and his fortune was left to her adopted daughter’s family, one of' whom is still living in Chicago, a Uri Balcom Grannis, both he and our papa were named for Uncle Uri Balcom.
 
Calvin and Fayette Cole had three children, Augustus, born Dec 30, 1830, John Calvin, born in 1834, and Henry Clay, born in 1844.
 
Augustus married Frances Mary Davis, on October 9, 1856, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He had received a good education at the Oxford Academy, with a good grounding in the classics. He had gone as a young man “out west”  with his Uncle Uri Balcom to Chicago, and later became manager of his northern lumber mills, first at Stiles, Wisconsin, where the firm was E1dred & Balcom, and later at Oconto, Wis. where the partnership was Holt & Balcom. Old-timers in Oconto spoke, of  Uri Balcom as a colorful figure.
 
The Coles and Balcoms and Davis’s were all very religious, God-fearing people, strict Presbyterians and faithful Bible readers. I had a little Bible of Grandma Cole's (the print was so very fine I later exchanged it for one a little larger with better print), it was heavily underlined almost throughout, and with many marginal notes in her exquisite handwriting. These notes showed she had a deep love for the beautiful Scriptures and a truly deep religious faith. Frances Davis, called “Frank” by her family, had besides her sister Angeline Reid, another sister Lottie, also Rebecca, and a brother Seneca. Rebecca married William A. Ballard, they lived in Chicago; they had two daughters Frances and Lulu. The latter was a great beauty. Papa often spoke of how lovely she was, and she married  Lyman Aldrich, about 1893, and they were still living with their family in his old plantation home near Natchez, Miss. It is one of the show places of the district.  I knew Frankie, as we called her, very  well in Chicago, she was a good friend of Aunt Adelaide Hoeffel; she never married but spent much of her time after her parents died visiting her sister in the South and her cousins, the Reids, in Babylon.
 
I have some interesting letters written by “Frank” to “Gus” before their wedding , and I  will copy a few excerpts as they are nearly all very long.
 
June 4, 1856, to Gus in Corning, N.Y.
My own dear Gus - I never  knew anyone to have so many Aunts, Uncles and cousins as you have, well the more the merrier.  You have visited your boyhood home, now you are where manhood with its many pleasures has been spent, but you are soon to leave there to go out into a new field….
 
June 10 (Frank was visiting friends in Hart’s Village near Po’keepsie)  you may well say, Gus, should you not hear from me in a month, you would attribute it to anything but inconstancy, and so you may - a variety of things might occur which would prevent my writing. Here I am in the country. Tis a very different life one leads here from what one does in the city – still I like it, enjoy it very much; mostly I miss my piano and Church... Cousin and I have been making some calls since tea- called on Mrs. Merritt and Miss Kate Treadway. I played and sang at the latter place till I am quite hoarse… Go where you will, dearest, to Canada, or Wisconsin, in a city, or in the woods, believe me I will not shrink from following. A home in the woods might cause me to shudder, might cause me many lonely hours, but I think I could bear it well, to be with my Gus. At all events, I, should try to be happy and  contented for your. Sake…. What does  the "M” stand for in my name? My name is Frances Mary Davis, but “Frank”  is what I am almost invariably called and suits me better.”
 
July 4th, from Po’keepsie, to Gus at Oconto
My own dear Gus –
The glorious Fourth is fast passing  away, it has been a day long to be remembered by many, undoubtedly by yourself, as I presume you are now on the broad waters of one of our northern lakes. Well, I arose at 6 o’clock, after breakfast swept and dusted as usual, then dressed for the day, entertained visitors, looked at the fine procession, sewed a little, read some, etc. till dinner time ... After seeing the balloon go up, we took a short walk, went to Smith's, went to the fireworks, then up Main street to Frost’s (you remember we were there one evening?) had ice cream and strawberries .... Robert delivered an oration at Amityville, Long Island. Robert and Angie leave home next week, are going to his father's on the Island – it will be a sad day for her and all of us when she bids adieu to our little family group…. Mother calls, "Come, Frank, it’s time you go to market. What shall I get for dinner? She says, lamb and green peas' - bah! I cannot eat either .... I did not get home from the country till Wednesday, attended a party Tuesday evening at Mrs. Treadway's, had a delightful time. Miss Louise Allen (daughter of the widower) a young lady who has just returned from Miss Willard’s School at Troy, and I sang and played a great deal together, her pieces were all familiar to me, so I accompanied her with alto. She is quite an interesting girl, about 16 years old - her father waited upon me home.
 
The next morning, about 10 o’clock, I started for my dear, dear home, where I was gladly welcomed by all. Prof. came hurrying downstairs, kissed me, and says, Fannie, how glad I am to see  you, t why this is no house at all without you to keep them “a-going" …. as though I was not the most sedate, quiet one of ,the family! Tell me truly, was the Ellen you speak of meeting at Buffalo, the same one that you offered yourself to?... When I arrived home, I found the sewing had accumulated at a great rate, and nothing could be done 'till Frank came, they have had no less than nine dresses out and basted, 6 for Angeline, 2 for Beck, and 1 for Mother, all left for me to make. I had not been in the house a half an hour when I had to go to work, poor me. I will have to go 'without any new dresses this summer, I guess, for I could get no chance to make them if I had them…. so Cousins Sue and Jennie are both acquainted with your situation - well, I am glad of it, for now I feel that they are indeed my cousins. I hope you will be able to stop at Detroit. I received a letter from Lottie the other day, she congratulated me, wished very much to see you, and says she and Sennie are ready to receive you as a brother, for the description I gave them pleased them very much, and she believed I have found the right one” ….
 
July 7, from Frank to Gus, at Oconto
My dear Gus-  Your picture lies before me (it was most probably a daguerreotype, H. S.) also your dear, kind letter from Cleveland… Did you find Seneca and Lottie? I hope so, and that you were mutually pleased - they are both rather reserved at first. Lottie in particular is hard to get acquainted with, but after you once know her, you will love her very much- she is very aristocratic in her ideas and at first appears haughty, but oh! she has a warm and loving heart and is a noble woman. Of my dear brother I need not speak- he has always been the pride of
our family….  How happy I am to know that you go with such a light heart to our western home. I trust and hope that while I am writing to you, you have today, as anticipated, arrived safely at Green Bay, and that you will find everything to please you, and rest assured dearest, that if you are pleased, I shall certainly be – write soon and give me a true description of the place, inhabitants, etc… I attended church twice yesterday, in the morning I had once more the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper… All wish to be remembered to you. I read to Mother nearly all your letters - she thinks very, very much of you ....
 
August 11. A Pic Nic in the Country….
Monday evening, I received a note from C_____ (who is staying 17 miles in the country) inviting Mr. Coy, Beckie and I to attend a Pic Nic out there, so Tuesday at half past eleven we started - it looked like rain, still we thought we would get there first, but had only gone
a few miles when it commenced. We got on the grounds without getting very wet - found about four hundred there - had a fine platform in the grove to dance on - a good cotillion band - the table loaded with all the luxuries of the season... Had just got our dinner, I had danced twice, when down came the rain and such scattering -- we took to our carriage, rode to a large barn on Mr. Cheeseman's farm, danced there till half past six, had supper there- cake of almost every kind, sandwiches, chicken, turkey, pineapples, other apples, peaches, watermelons, ice-cream, three or four kinds of nuts, raisins, etc. Oh, we had a glorious time, till we started for Mr. Arnold's five miles beyond there, where we were to go and stay all night, there were ten of us went there. They live in an elegant place, large house and surrounded by everything. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold and the eldest daughter had gone travelling, but there was a son and two daughters, young people, at home. We danced, played whist, sang, played the piano, stayed up till about one o'clock. I slept with Mrs. Daley. John Brullie and Mr. Coy had the room next to ours, Lizzie Haight and Rosa Arnold, Beckie and Emma Arnold slept across the hall, Alex Arnold Mr. Crummey and the rest of them, downstairs.
 
There was but little sleeping, I can assure you, for first you would hear a sound from one room, and then from another, we were laughing and carrying on all night! We got up next morning about eight. Mrs. Daley helped the girls get breakfast. I made the beds, arranged the parlours, while the rest were dancing in the sitting room. We stayed until four o’clock yesterday afternoon, when we concluded it would be best to start for home (it had been raining all this time as hard as it could pour). Well, we fixed ourselves as well as we could and started - the roads were in a horrible condition - it thundered and lightninged, the horse would jump at every little thing, and it poured in torrents. Presently we came to a bridge, rode through water up to the body of the carriage, rode on that way most of the way home. Soon the carriage apron was wet through, a large heavy cloak we had over our laps was completely saturated, our dresses began to be wet, and our feet wet, in fact it was a very wet time. I had on a light silk dress, that looked so nice when I left home, now it is spoilt. My dress was low neck and short sleeves, and tho’ I had on a very thick shawl, still I took a bad cold. Beckie also took cold and has a toothache. Mr. Coy has a pain in one of his eyes, so you see we “paid rather dear for the whistle”, but oh! I am so thankful we are home safe and sound, for had we stayed over last night, there is no knowing when we would see Po' again, for all the bridges we crossed have been carried away, nearly every bridge here in the city has been carried away, some houses, barns, fences, etc .....there was never such a freshet here before.
 
I received another kind letter from our Brother John last night. He says he will try and stop at Po' some time when it is convenient. I would be very happy to see him. Jennie has not yet written to me, perhaps I did not direct my letter right. This is the way I directed it: Miss Jennie Balcom, Painted Post, Steuben County, New York….  I would like very much to receive  a letter from Jennie… Beckie says, "Frank, don 't write any more tonight. Let s go to bed.” - my arms are so lame I cannot comb my hair - guess I shall not want to go to another Pic Nic very soon ... Next morning - There goes the breakfast bell, so I will again say Adieu, while I partake  of the coffee, “hot corn" etc. By the way, how I would love to hand you a lot of our nice green corn, lima beans, ripe plums, peaches, and all those good things which we have in abundance, and I suppose you do not have at all….  I must make haste and finish this, go to market and then go to sewing. There is another concert tonight, given by the Hoffer family, they are Austrian refugees. Mr. Coy has invited me to go. I don 't think I shall, tho’ I have been out so much lately since Jules left I have received a great many invitations, but do not always accept. Wonder if I shall get a letter from my dear Gus today,  oh I do hope so. Won't we have nice times in the woods next winter. Oh, Gus, I think of you almost constantly, imagine myself there with you every day. John thinks it is too bad for you to be so far out of the world - he does not know how much comfort we are going to take together, does he?
 
All my love, your own, Frank.
 
Sept 9, from Frank to Gus  at Oconto
Eldred & Balcom mills
“…. Of course you have heard from Uncle Uri by this time, and presume that long before this reaches you, I shall have whatever news you have received.  I hope he will remain at Oconto. I would like to live awhile in the woods, but then, Gus, I am perfectly willing to go with you anywhere, where it is for your  interest, whether in a large city, a  little village, or back in the woods... By the way, I have a great many of the Waverly magazines, shall I give them away, or keep them to read during the long winter evenings? Angie and Robert are getting along finely, she is here and he on Long Island, he is busy working for Buchanan, has made several speeches. Have you heard anything of Mrs. Conn since you left her at Green Bay? ….
 
Ever thine, Frank.
 
Sept 22, from Frank to Gus at Oconto, Wis
“After writing to you Monday night I scarcely had time to breathe. –Besides doing a great deal of sewing, we cleaned house. Your letter of Sunday came in with one from John; he wrote me a very kind letter, says Attended the wedding of my Uncle Spencer Cole at Amsterdam Thursday morning. He has married a very black-eyed widow lady, who has two little girls, so you see there is an Aunt and two cousins extra! Did you know that Uncle S. was going to be married? You never told me, but I imagined he was a married man. John says also, that his oldest sister has been getting married - how is this, I thought you had no sisters! .... I have had to stop for awhile. Mr. Coy came in, a moment after Lizzie Graham came, we were all laughing and talking when a carriage stopped at the door and Brother John Robert Reid, Esq. made his appearance. You'd better believe there was some embracing and kissing. Angie hardly knew how to contain herself. Mr. Coy and Robert have  gone off to a political meeting. Lizzie has gone, so I will write again …. Oh, dear, here comes a whole drove in here . I thought it would be quiet for awhile, but no, here is Coy, Crummie, Robert, Brockway and Huntington, three Buchanan men, one Fremont and one Fillmore, but I am not going to stop again for them…. You would like to be in Po'keepsie? wouldn't I love to have you here! Oh, I guess I would. But October will soon be here, and then you will be here, won't  you. How sanguine I am, but it seems impossible for us to be disappointed, we will not be. How about my “ fixings". Yes, I am getting ready to go with you next month, have nearly all my sewing done, am only waiting for your word, then shall have my bridal dress made, have bought it. Lottie comes the first of October, will be here when you come. I do not think Seneca will come with her.  I have told Mr. Mann all about our wedding, and he approves of our arrangements exactly- says he will tell us what time to go to the church, thinks we had better be married directly after the sermon ... Mr. Marshall, the gentleman who has given me so many books, gave me the other night a Presbyterian hymn book - he is now making for me a handsome trunk as a present. I have always been a great favorite of his. My friends all seem to feel very bad that I am going away, but I do not feel very bad, considering, for am I not going with my own heart's choice? Yet, they keep up such a chattering here that I find it a hard matter to write…  Have Uncle and Auntie arrived yet? Coax him hard, my dear, to let you come .... Ever your own.
 
(In Grandpa Cole's writing on envelope: "Frank M. Davis, rec'd Oct 28, after she
became Frank M. Cole)”
 
My dear Gus- I wrote you last night, which letter you will find enclosed with this, but having a strong presentiment that I should receive a letter from you this evening, concluded to wait before putting it in the office - did so, and rec'd your kind, tho' very brief letter this evening together with one from Cousin Jennie and our Father, both of which were very interesting to me. I am glad you had so pleasant a visit in Troy, "grass widows” are usually rather interesting, I believe. Jennie has a very happy style of writing.
 
I know she is a dear good girl, but my dear Gus, she seems to think she would love Helen as a cousin, think you she will love Frank as one? I hope so, for I already love her as your cousin. Your Father's letter sounds very business like brief, but to the point .... This morning, about 10 o'clock Jule came down here to bring me some bananas - he knows I am very fond of them. I told him I wanted my teeth fixed - he immediately said he would do it- so he came down with his instruments, filled five cavities, and extracted three teeth. Had it not been your request dear Gus, I hardly think they would have been extracted, but it was your wish and that gave me courage. After it was over Robert said I looked more like a spirit than anything else. I was deathly white. In conversing with Jule, he is getting a little more reconciled, and for this reason he says he sees so plainly that my happiness depends upon you. I told him you and I would ever be his warmest friends. You will, will you not, dear Gus. All are well at home. I guess Angie is not very angry with you. And now good-night, write very, very soon. Love to all. Ever and only thine, Frank
 
__________________
.
ANSON ELDRED OLD MILL DAM [PHOTO]
In 1856  Anson Eldred, his brother Elisha and Uri Balcom of New York state formed Partnership. After a rather stormy but interesting period this partnership broke up and Uri went to Oconto to form the partnership of Holt and Balcom. Col. Uri Balcom was a colorful man. Nelligan was another who was at Stiles during this period and later went on to establish his own fame and fortune.
 
The mills at Stiles were largely staffed by Indians, and one, Chief Machickanee of the Menominees, is reputed to have pitched his tepee for hunting at the spring south of the river which bears his name, as does Machickanne Forest. He is also reputed to have worn a Prince Albert coat, high hat, and no pants on ceremonial occasions. Mrs. Theresa  Flatley, late of Oconto Falls, said she remembered seeing him when she was a little girl.
 
The settlement at Stiles, its white houses built along the bank of the river, was a pleasant place to live. At night it was illuminated  by the flames of the huge open fireplace (waste burner of the mill) built on an island in the river, and people sat by the river watching it. In the spring the lumberjacks went roaring up and down the board walk when they celebrated their return from the woods. The men lived in company houses or at one of the big boarding houses build for their use.
_______________________
[PHOTO – Anson Eldred, pioneer lumberman of various towns and founder of Stiles, Wisconsin, which is named for his son, Howard Stiles Eldred.]
_______________________
 
Well, James, Buchanan was elected President of the United States, and Frank and Gus Cole built their home in Oconto, which has endured for so many years. Frank was a courageous woman, leaving the comforts of a city for the hard life of a pioneer woman, but she and Gus were happy and they prospered It was a time of pioneering in many fields, railroads were opening up the vast country in the West for settlement.
 
This was the great Victorian era in literature - dickens "David Copperfield" Thackeray's “Vanity Fair", Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre", and many others were being published, and Frank and Gus were reading them all in their home in the wilds of Wisconsin on those “long winter evenings.”
 
Gus' brother John lived in Troy, N.Y. and later in Philadelphia. His only son was Irving T. Cole, who was born in 1865, he was papa's first cousin, and the families were always close. (Agnes tells me (Dec 1956) that June has worked for years for one of the fine old lawyers of Portland, Oregon, a Mr. Henderson, who has talked to her many times of Irving Cole, Dad's cousin. Mr. H. says Irving Cole was one of the most brilliant lawyers in the West. He was dean of the Law School of the University of Washington for many years.)
 
Gus's other brother, Henry Clay, married Fannie Stewart in Chicago in 1873. They moved to Omaha, their children were Fayette and Fannie, we had pictures of these girls at home, I remember.
 
Henry Uri Cole, our father, was born in Chicago on October 29, 1858, in a house on the corner of Michigan avenue, where the Congress Hotel now stands. Of course Chicago was then a very young city, and practically the whole town was wiped out in the great fire of 1871. When but a child his parents lived both at Stiles and Oconto, and finally built their permanent home in Oconto at 714 Main street, which early in the 1850's was nothing but an Indian trail. For many years Gus was manager of the Holt & Balcom lumber interests, dividing his time between supervising operations at the sawmills and lumber yards in Oconto, and the logging operations in the woods (cutting down the big trees for logs) He invested heavily in timber and later in farm lands, and when he died (my uncles told me later) his fortune was estimated at about a half million dollars, mostly in lands, a good fortune for those days. He became a county commissioner and later Mayor by almost unanimous vote.  He was a man noted and loved for his kindness to everyone, and was “Gus” to all. He kept a diary for many years, mostly a business record, but I will copy excerpts from the years 1879 and 1885, the only ones I have been able to get a hold of, our noble eldest sister having grabbed these, like she did everything of value she could lay her hands on through the years…. Gus died in Oconto, Feb 8, 1892, and was followed by Frank in 1895 on the 26th of November.
 
Henry first went to a private school in Oconto conducted by Miss Julia Magee, and later to Lake Forest Academy,  where Arthur Holt was going at the same time, and I have one of the programs on which each of them played a piano solo. He became quite a fine pianist, and always loved music, and when in Chicago usually attended the Opera during the season. I have a program of  "La Sonnambula with Adelina Patti, under the direction of Abbey & Grau, which he heard at the old (new then!) Auditorium. Lake Forest then was a strongly denomination school, for Presbyterian boys, Chapel and Sabbath School were compulsory. Upon finishing there, he went into the Oconto office of the lumber company, until after his marriage his father set him up in a business of his own. [Handwriting in margin: “I note this was in 1881, probably on honeymoon.”]
 
Henry’s parents had “arranged” in a sort of way, a marriage for him with Miss Clara Bishop, the daughter of old friends, who was invited to Oconto quite often for visits. I have an interesting letter written by him to his Mother, who was evidently down East on one of her numerous visits to Aunt Angie Reid at Babylon, L. I. He had known Agnes Hoeffel for several years in Oconto, and they were evidently very much interested in each other. I wonder, did they dance together on the night of the dance his parents gave in honor of his coming of age, just about a year before this letter was written. A special “pavilion" was built on the lawns just for this occasion, and he had given her a beautiful book for a Christmas present. Isn’t quite remarkable how much they resemble our twins, Cathy and Joseph?
 
This interesting letter was dated
 
Oconto, Sept 26, 1880
Sunday, 4:20 pm
 
My dear Mother –
 
You probably have received my postals from Chicago before this, so as to know of my safe arrival there. Well, I stayed around there all day Friday, and found the time beginning to drag, so left for home that evening, and got here all right yesterday morning. I found Father at the Depot just leaving for Peshtigo. I came down to the house, had breakfast and put away my things, and then went down to the· store (the General Store of the Company – H. S.) and worked hard all day.
 
Today is the gloomiest of the year, and I have not been out of the yard. Willie (Mitchell) stayed with me all night, and we slept until ,after nine, had breakfast at ten. Of course it is awfully dull here. We have lots of work in the store, tho', so we don't have time to pine away much. Tell Minnie (Reid, his cousin in Babylon) if she lived somewhere within a day's ride of here, I would send her some tube roses. We have some in the yard as large and fine as any I have seen anywhere.
 
Father had a letter from you this morning saying you had not received your draft yet. He sent you one for $100,  that will help you out nicely, won't it? (I had to spend $5 of my gold. Have $ 22 left)  I had a nice visit out at Riverside Thursday evening. Allen (Charles Allen, who went to school at Lake Forest with him) is married and has a very nice little wife; she is pretty, stylish, educated and very refined.
 
Friday afternoon I saw Aggie at her studio, stayed there until time for her to go home, and then walked up there with her. I visited with her until after eight o’clock, then came over on the north side and saw Harry Wilson until the train left at nine. Aggie and I talked over all our old times together, and when we parted we were both feeling awfully sad, and she was crying as if her heart would break. Evidently she thinks something of me yet and I certainly think a good deal of her. It is the first time since I have known her that she has cried in my presence. She feels very badly to think of my engagement to Clara, and seems to wonder that I should ever marry a girl of her Temperament. II don't know but that I should have been utterly demoralized if I had stayed there much longer.
 
I caught quite a cold in Chicago and have it yet. With love to Minnie and all, and the same to yourself , I will close-
 
Henry.
 
________
On his 18th birthday his parents had given him a beautiful Steinway piano. It was the first upright to be shipped up to Northern Wisconsin, I remember hearing him say, and had to go by boat, I believe. Everyone else had the big square pianos. My most cherished memories of my father are associated with that piano, hearing him play on it many times early in the morning before we children were up, and lying there in bed listening to the music.
 
Before I was ten I was trying to pick out tunes by ear, so he had me take lessons with the Sisters at the Convent , and he was always interested in my playing and encouraged it.
 
He and his parents were also great readers, and when we went to live in the old house of our grandparents, I used to love to browse around in the desks and bookcases, reading old letters, and trying to read the heavy literature, such as Grant's Memoirs, Dicken’s works, Macauley's History of England, many encyclopedias, etc. There were three large bookcases full of them; besides the bound copies of Harper's Magazines for many years back, Godey's Lady Books, and Harper’s Weekly to way back in Civil War days. Anyway, the library was always my favorite room, for the piano was also usually in there. There was a lovely fireplace outlined with tiles of Kate Greenaway children, and a well-built light oak mantel  with a big mirror over it. And none of us will ever forget the massive engraving of "Sherman s March to the Sea" in its heavy gold frame, which covered almost all of one wall; and the tiny alcove with the safe in it, and the huge Bibles on the top.
__________________
Copy of letter written by Grandmother
Cole to Henry when he was a small boy –
 
Mama’s Darling boy -
I was so glad to get your little letter and hope you will send me another one soon. Mama has a bad headache this  morning so I cannot write much. Hennie must not forget to say his prayers, and take good care of Mama's plants. God bless you darling. With love and kisses,
from- Mama.
 
__________
Letter written to Mrs. Frank M. Cole from
her husband Augustus Cole, c/o Mr. Pennoyer,
Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Sunday eve, 9 pm
Oct 4, 1868
 
Dear Frank-
Your letter of the 1st came  yesterday afternoon. Glad to hear that you are having so good a visit. But you are ahead of me on Dances. But don't believe you are ahead on fun. I am sorry that Father did not go to see Aunt Louisa as she cared so much about seeing him. I will write what she said about it to Father.
 
Well, we have had two or three mild days, today in particular. The carpenters commenced Friday, have sills all framed, ready to put on. Adams has been lining old cistern with brick and cement. We have two splendid cisterns now.
 
Henry sent me two baskets of peaches. Sold one and ate one. “Henry Uri” is getting along well and is not so cross as when you are home. Anne says it is lonesome, hopes you will return soon.
 
We were over to Mary’s to dinner. Luke was here awhile this evening and we all went to church. This week is Court and I expect to be busy Courting.
 
Remember me to those that inquire, to Dr. Gatshell and Mrs. G. in particular.
 
With much love, yours
 
Gus
 
I am sleepy.
_________
Letter written by Aggie Hoeffel to
Henry Cole, before their marriage-
 
Oconto
Jan 2 1880
 
Friend Henry,
Many thanks for the beautiful book. I intended to thank you each time you were here, but somehow I always forgot to. It being a Christmas gift, I could not but accept it.
 
Respectfully your friend
 
Aggie
___________
Well,  finally all obstacles were overcome, and the marriage of Henry and Aggie took place at 10 o'clock in the morning, on Monday, October 10 , 1881, just a little  over a year after that sad meeting in Aggie’s studio in Chicago. Aunt Lizzie, our mother’s only sister, kindly gave me her copy of the report of the wedding in the “Enquirer”, and I shall copy it in verbatim, for I think the whole family is interested in this thrilling occasion, to learn also of the sources whence came most of the pieces of silver plate report of the evening reception, which we knew so well. And also the report of the evening reception, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of  the marriage of our grandparents.
 
"The beautiful and impressive ceremony of the Catholic Church was performed by the Rev. Father Schwebach, assisted by the Rev. Fr. Hillard of Menominee as deacon, the Rev. Fr. Vermare of St. Peters’s Church of this city, as sub-deacon, and the Rev Fr. Shuttlehofer of Marinette, as Master of Ceremony. This was the most brilliant social event that has taken place in the city for some time, and as cards were out for the wedding some two weeks previous, the church was thronged with the elite of our city all anxious to do honour to the young couple, who were raised in their midst since childhood, now entering the state of wedded bliss.
 
Promptly at 10 o'clock the bridal party entered the church preceded by the ushers Mr. Frank Hoeffel and Mr. Albert Boylan of' Elgin, Ill. and the bridesmaids Miss Lizzie Hoeffel and Miss Hattie Holcombe of Fond du Lac; the groom went up the right aisle on the arm of the bride's mother; and the bride was escorted by her father up the left aisle, the bride and groom meeting at the foot and center of the altar. While proceeding to the altar, the organ pealed forth the pleasing strains of Mendelssohn's Wedding March. The LeClair sisters, Emilie, Cecilia and Phenie, of Green Bay, sang the services ,they being what is known as the Solemn High Nuptial Service. The Rev. Shuttlehofer delivered the marriage sermon, containing much good advice to the “two made one” and showing the difference between contract and the sacrament of marriage.  The altar was beautifully decorated with flowers. The bridal party were richly and elegantly attired.
 
The bride wore a handsome robe of plain and brocaded cream satin with Spanish
lace, with natural flowers, the customary veil falling gracefully to her train.
 
Miss Lizzie Hoeffel, first bridesmaid, was dressed in polka dot muslin, elaborately trimmed with satin ,and lace. The second maid, Miss Hattie Holcombe, wore a dress of white muslin adorned with Valenciennes lace. Both bridesmaids wore huge white satin sashes.
 
Mrs. Joseph Hoeffel, the bride's mother, was dressed in an elegant satin de Lyon and velvet dress, trimmed with jet and passementeries. Mrs. Augustus Cole, mother of the groom, wore a beautiful black velvet robe garnished with jet. Mrs. I S P Hoeffel, one of the bridal party, was attired in a dress of peacock satin surrah, trimmed with Spanish lace. Each lady carried a bouquet of exquisite natural flowers.
 
After the services, the bridal party proceeded to the residence of Mr. Hoeffel, where the wedded pair received the congratulations of their relatives and partook of a dinner in keeping with the general elegance of the occasion.
 
At 8 o'clock in the evening, Mr. and. Mrs. H U Cole held a  reception at the residence of the groom's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Cole, and in conjunction with the latter's silver wedding anniversary. Among the presents, the young couple received the following:
 
Case of  Solid Silver, 61 pieces, from Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Cole
 
Pair of Gold Bracelets, to the Bride from the Groom, Mr. H U Cole
 
Check on Bank, from the bride's father, and other presents from the bride’s presents, including elegant lace spread and shams
 
Large Ebony Easel, Panel Picture and Music Rack, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester Hoeffel
 
Ottoman, from bride's sister, Lizzie
 
Set Majolica Fruit Plates, from the bride's
brother  James I. Hoeffel
 
Elegant Havard Lamp, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Cole, Troy, N.Y.
 
Lace Scarf,  Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clay Cole, Terre Haute, Ind.
 
Poetical Works of Longfellow, Mr. and Mrs.  D R Holt, Lake Forest, Ill
 
Framed Engraving, Luke Balcom, Champaign, Ill
 
Ebony Easel, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Dana, Fond du Lac, Wis
 
Panel Picture, from Mary E. Walsh, of Fon du Lac
 
Plush Table Scarf, Albert Boylan, Elgin
 
Spanish Lace  Barb, Mr. H. Thompson, Sturgeon Bay, Wis
 
Set of' Cut Glass Goblets and Pitcher, Mr. Felix Joannes, Green Bay, Wis
 
Silver Card Receiver, Mortimer J. Heath, Green Bay, Wis
Silver Card Receiver, Mr. and Mrs.  C D Heath, Oshkosh, Wis
 
Bronze and Gilt Ewers, Mrs. P H Smith, Oshkosh, Wis
 
Silver Castor, Katie Walsh, Chicago
 
Case Silver Fruit knives and Nut Picks, Mr. Will Irvine, Mt. Carroll, Ill
 
Dresden Vases, Mrs. Amanda Irvine, Mt. Carroll, Ill
 
Dozen Linen Napkins, Mr. and Miss Hume
 
Toilet Set, with Mats, Mr. James Bellew and wife
 
Silver and cut glass vases,  Mesd Chas. Hall, Pendleton, J. Sheridan and Miss Dukelow
 
Case of Nut-cracker  & picks, Dr. and Mrs. Paramore
 
Large Jewelry Case, Mr & Mrs Mitchell
 
Elegant Silver Castor, Mr Wm A Underhill
 
Silver & Glass Vase, Mrs W K Smith and Mrs James Sargent
 
Silver Card Receiver, Mr and Mrs AM Martineau
 
Silver Biscuit Pail, Dr. O'Keefe
 
Gold Lined Silver Card Receiver & Vase, Mr MP and Miss Ella Bellew
 
Individual Castor, Mrs. Dan Hall
 
Card Receiver & Vase, Mr and Mrs George Beyer and Miss Flora Page
 
Silver and cut-glass vase, Mr & Mrs J P Dorr
 
Elegant case of Perfume Bottles, Mrs Henry McDonald & Mrs Henry Sargent
 
Silver & Glass Creamer, Mr & Mrs Will Barlow
 
Solid Silver Pie Knife, The Ballards, Chicago ,
 
Solid Silver Cheese Knife, Mr and Mrs  W A Young
 
Solid Silver Butter Knife, Mr and Mrs O A Ellis
 
Set solid silver forks and spoons, Mr and Mrs TB Goodrich
 
Pearl Card Case, Mr & Mrs M Thompson
 
Case Silver teaspoons, Mr & Mrs Luke Balcom
 
Carved Chinese Ivory Chess Set with regrets to both couples, from the
Robert John Reids, Babylon, L.I.
_____________
Silver Wedding and Reception
 
On Monday evening at 8 o’clock,  the guests invited to the silver wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Cole, and the wedding reception of Mr. and Mrs. Henry U Cole, began to arrive at the family residence on Main street. The house throughout was profusely decorated with flowers and the grounds were illuminated by Chinese lanterns, presenting a gay and enchanting scene. As the guests arrived, they were received by Miss Holcombe and Mr. Boylan and ushered to the waiting-rooms. About 9 o’clock they formed into line and were presented first to Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Cole, who cordially received the congratulations of their friends on reaching the twenty-fifth anniversary of their marriage, and their wishes that they might live many more years in peace and plenty, and then to the bride and groom of the morning, who stood in a  bay-window on the west of the parlour, in the front of which conspicuously hung a beautiful floral horse-shoe expressing the wish of good-luck, and the same was expressed by all present.
 
Mrs. Augustus Cole was dressed in a magnificent gown of wine colored satin and velvet. The rest of the ladies wore handsome evening costumes, and the sight when they were mingled together in the parlours was indeed a charming one. About 11 o'clock the guests were shown
to the supper room and here was a gorgeous and enticing scene, the tables “fairly groaned" under the weight of good things which were most elaborately and perfectly arranged. During the evening some very fine music was furnished by the LeClair sisters.
 
The following beautiful and costly presents were received by Mr. and Mrs. Augustus Cole:
 
Moss Picture, Dr and Mrs. Camm, Fort Howard, Wis
 
Cake Basket, silver, Mesd. Thomas Milledge, Henry Sargent, Charles Hall, James Sargent, Huff Jones and John Sheridan
 
Pair Silver &,China vases, Mr. and Mrs. L A Soyer
 
Handsome Table Bell, Mr. and Mrs. A Rinehart
 
Pair Silver & China vases,  Dr. & Mrs. Beebe
 
Clock, Mr. William Underhill
 
Silver & Glass Cheese Plate, Mr. & Mrs. Luke Balcom
 
Silver Cake Basket, Mr. and Mrs. Alex McCaul, Pensaukee, and Mr. & Mrs. O A Ellis
 
Silver & Gold Nut Bowl, Mr. & Mrs. T B Goodrich
 
Silver & Glass Perfume Castor, Mr & Mrs T H Phelps
 
Silver & Gold Berry spoon, Mr. & Mrs. W H Young
 
Silver Coffee Service, 4 Pieces, Mesd. H. Mott, Royce D Wright, E Hart, C R Burdick, A P McCaul, G Flanders, Wilson, C S Hart, Ed Scofield and Miss Hill
 
Dresden Double Vase, Mr. & Mrs. Will Irvine, Mt. Carroll, Ill.
 
Two Baskets Flowers, Miss Julia Magee
 
Floral Horseshoe, Miss Elisha Morrow, Green Bay
 
These gifts, and the ones made to Mr. and Mrs. H U Cole, were displayed on
tables in side rooms.
 
Among  the guests present from other cities were: Mrs. Dennison, of Clyde, N.Y., Luke Balcom of Champaign, Ill, Mrs. Sayers of Green Bay, Dr Camm of Fort Howard, Mr. and Mrs. E. Morrow of Green Bay, Will Ellis of Peshtigo, Mr. and Mrs. Bartells of  Marinette, Mrs. Wilson of Janesville, Mr. and Mrs. Follett of Green Bay, Frank Wilson of Ferry, Mr. and Mrs. McCaul of Pensaukee, and many others.
 
About half past twelve the party commenced to disperse, leaving behind them their good wishes for the future happiness of the bride and groom of the day, and the stately bride and groom of
twenty-five years ago. It is the wish of the Enquirer that the silver wedded couple may live to celebrate many anniversaries of the occasion, and that the lives of the newly wedded  pair may be as calm, bright and cheerful as was their wedding day. The young couple left on Tuesday evening for a trip to Chicago and Des Moines where they will spend a month with friends and relatives. They have the thanks of the Enquirer force for a generous supply of wedding cake.
__________
Before I go on about my Mother's family, and my parents’ married life, I want to copy a very interesting letter I found in Grandpa's old secretary which we have here at home, It is from my father's Great-Aunt, Amanda M Irvine (mother of Mr. Will Irvine, father' s cousin) to Grandma Cole.
 
Waukesha, Wisconsin
July 30, 1879
 
My dear, dearest Frank -
     When your kind letter came I felt like answering it at once, but Emma said, "don't be in a hurry, wait till Frank writes to me" and so I have waited. I am very glad your health is so much improved. You must have had a delightful time while absent. I wish instead of writing I could sit down with you and hear you give the details of your visit.
 
The mention of those old familiar names revives a strong desire to see them all, even "Aunt-bee" but as I cannot, the next thing is to hear all about them. Is Uncle Alfred living - how is
Aunt R- I am so glad you visited Kate – tell me all about it when you write.
 
Her last excellent letter I never answered- I was sick at the time, and then went East- and so “I have left undone what I ought to have done”. Is her address still Mumford? I do not remember the county.
 
I was hoping dear Frank, you would stop at Waukesha on your return. I do not know why Emma did not write- I think she expected you would give us a call if nothing more- thanks, thanks for your kind invitation to visit you and also one from my dear Gus in Emma’s letter. Nothing would give me more pleasure if circumstances were favorable, but Emma can't spare me now until George comes back which will not be till in the winter sometime.
 
I am sorry to say my health has been failing for some weeks and now I have a terrible cold settled on my lungs with a hard cough, and I think it is not going to leave me for a while, if at all. I never realized as I now do, that I have nearly attained my “three score and ten years", of course my days are numbered,  and I can only say- it is all right.
 
I like it in Waukesha, I like the people, I like the church privileges, but I have not been able to attend church for three Sabbaths. I will say to you in confidence, I feel a little homesick all the time, to be with Will and Ada, though Emma's home is quite pleasant, and she seems to enjoy it very well, and I feel that I am just where I ought to be for the present-I hear from Will and Ada often (Will and Ada were living then in Mr. Carroll, Ill. and Amanda joined them there later). I thought perhaps you would visit Mrs. Mills at Galesburg, were it not for those twenty letters you had to answer.
 
Much love to your husband and son. I shall never cease to love you all. The Lord bless you each and all. Good-bye from your ever loving
 
Auntie
 
Aunt Polly tells me (December 1956) that Will Irvine, our father's second cousin, was a resident of Chippewa Falls, Wis. For many years, during which time he was the Wisconsin representative of the Weyerhauser Lumber Co. (Minneapolis, Minn.). He had only one child, an adopted daughter. There is a public park named after him in Chippewa Falls, presumably given to the city by him. While Agnes and Polly were working in Appleton, Wis. about 1917 he paid them a visit and delighted them with his courtliness and charm, he was a very handsome and distinguished looking man.
 
In the diary of 1879, you will notice that in April our grandfather and grandmother go to Oxford for the funeral of his mother in April. Aunt Amanda's letter refers to Frank’s trip, this is the trip she took to Po'keepsie and to other places when they parted in Oxford. She stays East for 3 months; in the diary he says on
 
May 4- Frank in Po'keepsie
May 11 Frank in Troy
May 24 Frank in Elmira
June 26 Meet Frank in Green Bay.
 
Gus's return trip was interesting too. He made stops at Corning, Painted Post, Curtis and Bath, visiting relatives on both the Balcom and Cole sides of his large family of aunts, uncles and cousins (Remember, there were eleven children of Samuel's and Alice P’s) The Irving Cole he mentions at the funeral, was the son of John Calvin, Grandpa's brother 4 years younger than our father, he was born in Troy, N.Y. in 1863, so he was only 16 years old at the time of the funeral).
 
[Handwriting: “Irving Cole became a lawyer – many years later (around 1950) our Tiaef – sisters June went to state of Washington & lived in _______. Agnes told me that June worked as a secretary to a lawyer & he told her that Irving Cole was a famous lawyer, and at one time, for a while was dean of the law school  at the University.”
 
Augustus Cole’s Diary 1879
Excerpts
 
Jan. 6 Mon. Weather not very cold. P.B. Farm come up here today with ponies & buggy. Good wheeling.
 
7. Take buckboard, go to  Kelly Lake & Peshtigo Lake, they are frozen hard.
 
12. Weather fine. Started to McCaullin brook. Called at Scofield's on Pesh Br. He is hauling on ice-road. Take dinner at Gillett's. No snow. Drive to Wheeler's.
 
13. Don’t like Wheeler's cook. Send for Tarp and wife.
 
29. Sewing Society at our house this evening, large number of ladies present.
 
30. Attended to business in town or about office and shops.
 
Feb 6. About 11 o’clock start for camps. Pat Walsh rode up with me, a fine day.
(He visited many camps, where they were cutting logs for summer operations)
 
10. Snow, sleet & rain. Drove home from farm (where he had stayed the night) in a nasty sleet, but attended Milburn’s lecture on Aaron Burr this evening - it was first-rate.
 
11. N.E. snowstorm, best snow for sleighing in 3 years. 6 to 8” of damp snow. Writing letters and attending to bus.
 
12. Go to Falls on way to Pulcifer. Go in sleigh, first time in 2 years. First use of  “Sweet Common Sense Bobs.
 
13. Drive home, hard drive for roads are not well broken (Below zero!)
 
14. 14 deg. below zero. Attended County Division business, talked over with Farnsworth & Ellis and others.
 
Feb 18. Went up to Scofield's camp & went to the landing on the Brook with him & talked over the scaling business.
 
Feb 19. At home. Start 3 horse teams that came from Neenah to Gillett this am.
 
22. Receiving messages from U(ri) B(alcome) at Madison every day for figures to fight County Division project with. (He spent next two days getting signatures against, but)
 
26. Bill for Co. Division passed the Legislature today. Counties of Marinette & Oconto made from Oconto.
 
27. The coldest morning, 20 deg below zero. Saw Ellis this morning on his arrival from Madison & learn particulars of Co. Div.
28. Up at camps and farm. Chas Hall & Matthew are here tonight on a fishing expedition, have a lively evening. Paddy O’Keefe cooking, does well.
 
Mar 6.  Came home from camps, snow all gone.
 
8.  Order saws, some gang, some circular of Mr. Gage agt Simonds Saw Co., Fitchburg, Mass.
 
9. Sun very warm, this puts an end to log hauling (Camps started breaking up) Spent week at camps, inspecting logs.
 
12.  Spent night at John Seymour's, entertained by John S and his Squaw last night. Go to Pendleton & Sargent’s camp on the Beaver, get dinner & then drive home, muddy hard road & hard and slow riding on buckboard. (Bill overnight $1, paid hostler .25).
 
17. Mon. Frank and I took freight train & went to Green Bay this morning to hear Mrs. Siddons this evening. A splendid entertainment. Recitations from Shakespeare and others. Called on Rosa Follett, Mrs. Hanis, end Mrs. Pardee… Stayed at Green House.
 
Mar. 21 Made agreement with Walsh to stay another year at Farm. Attended an Octogenarian's Birthday & Golden Wedding Celebration & his son's Silver Wedding at the School House. Jensen, the Danish Minister, officiated. Hanson is the family name.
 
26. Made agreement with Ramsey to run the Tug “Queen” and do all he can on her for the season at same wages he had last year.
 
April 1. Mother died at 7:15 a.m. A few minutes before 11 o’clock received telegram announcing Mother's Death this morning. I immediately make arrangements to start this evening for funeral which is Friday. (This was Tues.) Frank goes with me.
 
2. Chicago. We arrive on time this morning. Go to Brevoort house for breakfast. I then go out to see Henry (his, brother) at his store 126 Fifth Ave. We go out & get Hats and order a wreath of flowers for Mother's coffin. I then go to H & B’S office, get check for some money, &  write letter to Uncle Uri. Go to dinner with Henry. Frank meets us after calling on Beckie ... Henry with us, took Erie & Chicago line –Pittsburg Road at 5:15 for Oxford.
 
3. Wake up at Crestline, Ohio & find to 6 to 8" fresh snow. We are 2 hours behind time at Mansfield.
 
4th. Mother's Funeral at 2 o'c this P.M.  There was on Mother’s Face the most happy & contented look I ever saw on one dead. She looked more kind & good than ever, if possible. Was beautifully laid out and all in harmony with her life of quiet work. There was present besides Father and Aunt Bebe, Bro. Henry, myself, Frank, Emmet, Irving, Uncles Lyman & Be., Aunts Sue & Eliza of near relatives, H. C. Wilcox & wife &- Wm. Balcom family. Rev. Daniel Ballon of Utica preached and conducted services in the most appropriate & satisfactory manner. Mother, as was her desire, was laid near Uncle Ransom.
 
Sat . 5 Apr. In afternoon, Father, Henry & I  visited Mother’s grave & called on Wm. Balcom’s family.
 
Sun. We remain at home during the day. Just at evening Frank & I go to evening meeting at Presbyterian Church.
 
Mon. Irving Cole goes home. Write letters to Uncle Uri at Hot Springs, also to Tim at Oconto that I expect to arrive in Chicago Saturday morning, after a short visit in Steuben. Frank & I call on Sam Farnham. Dr. Miller & wife call on us in evening.
 
Tues. A bright, beautiful morning- a regular sugar day. One week this morning since Mother died. I get carriage & all. Father, Aunt Phebe, Frank & self  to cemetery to visit Mother's grave. Express things left by Mother to Aunt Harriet. At noon I bid all Good bye and start for Oconto- Frank stays for a visit East. Arrive at Painted Post at 5:30, take tea with Hodgman & family & than go to Uncle Lyman & find Cousin Margaret there, 22 years since I have seen her.
 
Wed. Char1es came this morning. He took me to Mr. Lovell’s, where I received a cordial greeting, then to Uncle Ben's & Mark's,  then to Hodgman's to dinner. Jennie' home today. Take tea with them, we ride to Corning. Telegraph to Oconto to find out about weather. Take evening train to Curtis, call on Curtis, also John Balcom & family, 9 children & stop with Ben.
 
Thurs. Rode up to Bath (N.Y.) on freight train this morning, took dinner at Geo Haverling's, spent aft. & eve. with Sam Balcom, he took me to his mill.
 
Fri. Cousin Margaret Sailor & I left Bath at 7:30 this morning, arr. Buffalo just in time for Lake Shore train.
 
Sat. Arr. Chicago at 8 o 'c am on time. See Cousin Margaret off the train about 4:30 at Elkhart. I first went to Brevoort to Breakfast, then to barber shop, then to Melcher's & ordered a pair of boots, then to Henry's store, then to H & B’s office. Spent 2 hours with Mr. Holt  talking over business matters. Then to dinner. Strawberries. Called  on Grannis & Clara & took tea. Off on train for Oconto at 9 p.m.
 
Tues. Apr 15. Bargain with Hill Tibbets to paint House for $45. I find Paint. My Jersey Calf is one year old and weighs 600 #.
 
Mon. 21. Start up river to take look at Flat Rock Dam with Mose Thompson, with view of repairing if necessary. Commence getting dry lumber forward for vessel "Starlight" to go  to Racine.
 
Thurs 24. I go up to Esson's Farm & find the grass starting a little so decide to send some stock up tomorrow to get their living. Commenced plowing on Norton Farm- Garden Spot. Plow my garden.
 
Sat. 26. Plant first Potatoes, & early Peas. Receive first Strawberries. Warm day.
 
Sunday. Phelps & I drive up to Farm in afternoon to look at the stock, they are doing well.
 
Mon. Brig "Starlight" first vessel of season commences to load dry lumber.
 
Wed. 30. McCauslin Brook Depot Camp. Want rain, then we will let it go (logs!)
 
May 1. Thurs. No driving anywhere today. Crews below Chute waiting for Head. I return to Farm.
 
Sun. May 4. Frank in Pokeepsie.
 
Mon. See to farming & other work. Oconto Co. report some trespass by Pulcifer loggers so I start up to see about it.
 
Wed. Drive out to Shufelt's Farm to see & hire Frank Rice to go up & cook for Wheeler.
 
May 11. Sun. Frank in Troy.
 
Mon. Started 26 men with 2 teams for McCauslin Brook drive. U. B. came this morning, first time in 5 months.
 
13. Gave order to A. Bosworth to have Father &  Mother's photographs enlarged to 11 x 14 size finished in India Ink, Price $30.
 
15. I go up to Archibald's landing & at 9 o'c they have the Brook open through all the rollways & half the logs afloat. I come to Eldred's farm to dinner, then on to P B Farm to stay the night. Walsh says Couillard is to marry Josephine Gilbert.
 
19. Henry goes to Gillett & Town of Howe with Leand Leists for Assessors.
 
20. Drive to Falls to see how the sluicing is going on. Never sere logs run faster than for an hour this afternoon.
 
21. Henry returns & says there is a bad jam in slide at Falls.
 
22. Load the Mott (ship) capstan on Trucks & send to Falls to use in breaking jam. Eldred & Son come up & take off their drivers claiming they are doing too much of the work. They don't take all things in consideration.
 
24. Warm. Attend to farming today. Plants ordered from Chicago came yesterday. Set them in front yard. Verbena, pansies etc. Came from Miller & Hunt, they are very nice. River down to 18” on Scale.
 
Sunday. Had fire in house for comfort. Stayed home most of day reading & writing. Frank in Elmira.
 
28. We start the Mill today, latest we ever started in Spring. Water very low & everything is suffering with drought.
 
30. A regular Simoon from  SW Sand & dust & smoke fill the air, woods are on fire from here to Gillett’s. Started for Falls about 10 o'c. Stiles came near  burning. Wait until wind goes  down then drive home by Leigh's. Get home at 10 o'clock.
 
Sat. 31st. Got up at 2 o'c & went to the burning of the Reinhart Hotel, burned clean to the ground. Commenced raining at 4 o’c.
 
June 2. Scofield says tonight that he & Blakeman are going to back out of Single Bolt deal. I write to Chicago about it. Chicago says 4th to hold Scofield & B to their contract & sue them if they don’t pay first payment.
 
June 17. White frost.
 
25. Rain beautiful rain, how lovely.
 
26. I go to G. Bay this evening, meet Frank & attend Horticultural Meeting.& show in Armory Hall.
 
Fri. 27. A fine morning, a little overcast but pleasant. We join the Excursion Party at 9 & ride up to DePere & out to Leight House, then return up East River to Mr. Smith s Grove at his house, Have PicNic dinner, then listen to papers read on various subjects relating to Horticulture. Take tea at Mr. Smith's, have spent an interesting & pleasant day.
 
30. U.B. & I attend meeting or the Maple Valley Town Board of Equalization at Hodgin's &: then come home. L am pretty tired tonight.
 
July 12. Turned out to be a good day for haying. We hauled in 11 loads, about 14 tons.
 
Sun. 13. Hot, temp 92.
 
Tues. 22. Tim & wife start for Madison to attend State Convention & Silver Anniversary of the Republican Party in this state. Go this evening to see Ada Gray play in Theatre "Lucretia Borgia".
 
23. Had a dozen men mowing all yesterday.
 
25 Fri. Attended all day till 6 :15 the (Co) Assessment Bd. business. Eldred got his assess reduced, then the Bd did the same for H & B & Oconto Co. Telegraphed & wrote up the proceedings.
 
July 25.  “Mercury” the bright evening star. Ida E. Scripture #
 
27. Sunday. We attend Etta Mulvany's wedding at 3 o’c. at the Catholic Church (1) and called on Etta in the evening.
 
31. In the 90's again. Dry, Dry. I am interviewed by Mr. Pollock, U.S. Indian Inspector, in regard to our dealings with Bridgman, ex-Agr at Keshena.
 
Aug. 1. 50 acres of hay cut yet at Pine Branch Farm.
 
3rd. Went up to Runway to see Scripture shoot deer this morning. None came in. Returning Mrs. S. jumped out of buggy & shot one first fire. I brought piece home.
 
4th. Schroeder from Milwaukee here to see cargo lumber we are saving  for him. Met him & returned him to cars.
 
4th. Got out & attended to business awhile this morning. Not feeling well, I came home, went to bed & got sicker, finally called  Dr. Ambilious Physic & quinine is the course. Feel pretty mean.
 
6th. Hot weather, keep my bed, though the spell is passing & I am improving. Reading today, which I couldn't do yesterday.
 
7th. Cool am up & attending to business & find plenty to do.
 
8th. Cool & pleasant. About 4 start for the Drive, which is somewhere above Flat Rock.
Sluicing just commencing 6 o'c at Stiles. Stop at Scripture's for the night #
 
10. Sunday. Attend church in morning , keep quiet the balance of the day, till evening when Frank & I ride an hour or so.
 
11. Logs very scarce with all except Eldred. We are now depending on Peshtigo for logs. Three vessels, Mott, Naiad & White Cloud in & loading for Milwaukee. Evans replasters Cellar bottom with English Cement.
 
Aug. 12. Start at 5 by way of Esson's Farm for Stiles. Stop for night. “Eve” rides up from Richards.
 
13. Scrip says he will go out with dogs & run in some deer in morning, so I stop to take my first hunt on  the Oconto.
 
14. 8 o’c a,m. I am sitting on bank of river under an Oak tree waiting for Scrip to run  in deer. He crossed with dogs to South side  about 30 min ago. 9:45 no deer running so I leave my station & return home. Attend St. Paul R R meeting at Council Room, am appointed Chairman, a committee of 13 are chosen to represent Oconto at Chippewa Falls Sept. 2nd. I am one.
 
15. A cool pleasant day. Finding logs getting scarce & coming slow from Peshtigo, I go over to Harbor on morning train & engage boom & tugs to help tow over some of our logs. On return, Frank goes with me & we call on Mrs. E1lis & Mrs. Bartels. Mrs. Dave Charles was found dead in bed. Suicide is supposed, Charles having left her.
 
16. Sent men to cutting 2nd crop of Clover near R.R. Mill shut down for want of logs. So windy could not get them from Peshtigo. Water so low, could not get them down river. 1st  time mill shut since May. At 10 started # up river to Drive. Stayed at Scrips for night.
 
17. Drove home by Comstock's then Esson's farm to look at the stock, Jersey heifer & Ewing mare in particular. Ride out with Frank for 2 or 3 hours in evening.
 
18. Go up to Drive. Return to Scripts about 9 & stop for night.  Thompson & Sargent go hunting with Scrip & T. kills large buck.
 
19, Drive home after good night's rest. Attend Mrs. Lamb's funeral this p.m. & called on Dr. Lamb & Mrs. Adams this evening.
 
20. Had heavy shower during night with terrific lightning. Go up river.
 
21. Rain all day, windy, different directions.
 
22. Rain again, I am out in one smart shower. Send man on horse with word to men at Depot Rapids to shut dams at once.
 
23. Drive to Esson's farm to see McEwing mare. Phillips goes with me. She is sure to have  a colt. Engage Washburn  to commence cutting oats first of week.
 
25. Go up to Drive, the drivers do good work but don‘t get into Stiles pond. Pack up Tent to go to Oconto, but pitch it again at Stiles. Mose Thompson makes so much fun. Take dinner at Scrips. Will have plenty logs to keep mill running right along now.
 
27. Mr. Holt came this morning to see the lumber we are sawing. Attend to him most of the day. Frank & Henry go to G. Bay to see Opera "Naiad Queen."
 
28. Attend to business in general, farming in particular. Go to Esson's farm, # no colt yet. Mott arrives this evening with coal.
 
29. About 10 o’c start up river, take dinner at Scrip's, have watermelon. Alex McCau found drowned in Stiles Pond.
 
30. Go up to drive again, start for home about 4 pm & came to Scrip's & stop. My mare is lame in her hip so she can’t travel much faster then a walk. Hot.
 
31. Sunday. Drive home this morning, find it hot & dusty. Write some letters, look over farming with Roda, arrange business & take train for Chip. Falls to attend the R R meeting on Tues. next, I am a delegate from Oconto. Frank goes with me to Eau Claire. Joseph Hall & R L Hall also go as delegates, or committee men. We stop at Bay tonight.
 
Sept. 1 Take Green Bay & Minnesota R R at 7:30, change at Min., arrive at Eau C about 9, stop at the Galloway Home. Getting in Oats at home. McE mare has her colt this morning.
 
2. Take Horse & Buggy after breakfast & ride about Eau C. awhile, & then drive to Putnam's and leave Frank. All home, except Mr. P who is out on Northern Pacific. So to Chip Falls at 10. We call on Gintz, take dinner with him. Attend R R meeting in afternoon & evening. Gov. Pound is the main man. A number of prominent men take part in organizing a new company to run from St Paul east to Green Bay to be called the "St. Paul Eastern Grank Trunk R.R.” We work in committee till midnight.
 
3. Wed. Weather fine, very dry in this county. We attend to R R business till 11 o'c. Named WH Young as Director in new Company. Returned to Eau C. & spent afternoon & evening with Eliza P.& Frank. We drove to the Dells & viewed the improvements there. Called on Mr. Callahan, Mr Willcox, Mr. Bartlett. Visited until 12 o'c. train & took that for Merrillan.
 
4. Thurs. Went to bed at 3 am, got up at 9 for breakfast & took cars at 11, arriving at G.B. at 6:15. That is a most miserable country along G.B.& Minnesota R.R.  Mr. Hastings called on me to make affidavit in case of  Coleman against H & B  Tax title on 40 cut by Scofield last winter. See the FacSimile of the Strasbourg clock on exhibition at G. Bay. Called on Mr. &
Mrs. Parda (?)
 
5. Came home this morning & found all going well except the Naiad was allowed to go
to Chicago,  instead of Milw. where she was loaded for. A neglect of Young's & inexcusable too.  Tis provoking.  I am very lame & my leg has ached a good deal from fatigue given it in going to the drive last Sat. (the day he “sweated")
 
6. Start for the drive after arranging farming business this morning. Get dinner at Scrip's & stop for the night. Read “Peck's Sun” for amusement this evening.
 
7. Sunday. Rained. nearly all day. I rested well while it rained, hoping it would rain enough to help the river. Slept fine in the night after John White got through talking & went home.
 
9. First Frost. Henry Sargent accompanied me to go to Drive, get back to Scrips at 10 pm, chilly riding this evening.
 
10. Drive home this morning, find that Young has gone to Chip Falls, so I have all the business to see to. Oconto County Fair opened yesterday. I enter variety of Potatoes, several head of stock, big Pumpkin, etc.
 
11. The Fair turns out to be almost a fizzle, the farmers taking no interest. River very low. Can scarcely get logs down over the dam.
 
12. Frank returns from Eau Claire.
 
14. Sunday. Write Mr. Holt that the Drive is where we can handle it now. Mr. Farnsworth here inquiring anxiously about the Drive. Young returns from Chip Falls, Railroad prospects good for Oconto.
 
15. Corn all cut, commence digging potatoes. Farnsworth & Ellis agree to pays us $1,000 tomorrow.
 
16. Get ready to go to state Fair at Oshkosh . Corniff, Archibald & others go to Dakota. Meet Geo Giztz on train. He favors Oconto as terminus for R. R. Stop at Seymour House, Oshkosh.
 
17. See  some good Clydesdale Horses from Waukegan, one of the best features of the
Fair. I show 16 varieties of potatoes & 1 mammoth Pumpkin that beats all. Sell
Potatoes & Pumpkin to Noble Dougherty for $2. Call on R C Brown for a few minutes only. Meet Gov. Pound in the evening at Beckwith House & talk RR matters over some. Have social chat with John Fairchild, only Oconto man except some I don't care for.
 
[Pages 56 through 59 appear to be missing]
 
18. Receive first letter from U. B. Return home this morning. (Tom Porter on
train,  just from Dakota, reports a fine country) attend to farming, Potatoes are
splendid; getting in 2nd crop of Hay. See to orders for sawing & shipping lumber
& other matters, one of which is to dun Ellis for money again. At 4 o’c start for the drive, stay all night at Scrips #
 
19. (After seeing to Drive) get dinner, then drive to Farm, oats threshed today, 500 bus.
 
20. See to Farm work, loaded buggy with watermelons & started homeward. Engage Tourtilotte boys to go to Oconto & do our threshing, get home about 7.
 
21. Sun. Attend Church in morning. Miss Brewster from the Newsboy's Home in Chicago at Church & seeks subscriptions to their paper. Ride out in evening & see Ramsey about logs, vessels, etc.
 
22. A fine day. Commenced threshing our grain. Three Vessels in & loading. Rec’d Fruit-Grapes & Peaches-by Mott, 2 bu. of the latter.
 
23. Have been looking over & figuring  out  Improvement Acc’ts from the year 1872 –with O A Ellis for the Oconto Company. Uncle Uri & Farnsworth came from Chicago.
 
24. Figuring all day again on the Improvement Accts & have got them straightened up and settled up. They amount to about $10,000 on each side.
 
25. Bargain was also made by U.B.& Farnsworth with Jennings, Henry & Jim Sargent, for doing our log driving for the next 5 years, & to take care of the Dams also.
 
27. After mail arrives, I take U.B. drive direct to Falls, find logs running over at a tremendous rate.
 
30. After waiting since yesterday morning for Scofield to settle up messenger’s Drive accts, he finally arrives this evening, & we settle up. The worst driving job on record. Cost between $3  & $4 per million ft.
 
Oct. l. Rainy day, warm. Frank has a Sociable. Start about 10 o'c & go to Falls. U. B. goes home tonight.
 
2. I this evening buy me a double-barrell shotgun of Underhill & Mott, pay $25, first gun I ever owned. I intend to carry with me on the road.
 
4. Drive up to Falls ... to P.B. Farm, digging potatoes, they turn out well. Beauty of Hebron yields 75 bu. from 4 potatoes planted last year.
 
5. McKillop says all the drivers are on Strike for two dollars per day.
 
6. Conclude to let the men go to work at their price (two dollars)
 
7. G to Peshtigo to see about the drive there. Hire Cavoit to take me to Marinette where I look over the new Dam, meet Stephenson, Ellis & others. Return on train.
 
8. Find the Queen' with the Core wheel badly broken, new one required. Get measurements & go on evening train to Oshkosh to get new one.
 
9. Go to CC Paige’s Foundry & arrange for core wheel & pinion to match for the tug to be cast…  Call  on R.C. Brown & have quite a visit with him.
 
12. Sunday.  in afternoon took Frank a ride. Went up the straight road to Leigh's & came down the river road, a pleasant ride.
 
13. Attend County Convention this afternoon to nominate Co officers.  Help Hall beat Barlow for Clerk of Court.
 
21. Put up our coal stove, 3 weeks later than last year.
 
24. Mr. Westcott comes from Marinette & interviews us on PuIcifer for Assembly. We go dead against him. U.B. bought 8500 $ timber from Coleman on Little Peshtigo.
 
Oct. 25. Go at 4 pm to Jake Couillard's to settle his last Winter's Trespass ..Go on up to Scrip's to have hunt in am.
 
28. Build Pavillion for dancing at party to be given tomorrow night for Henry. (My father's 21st birthday -coming of age!)
 
29. Fine weather. Henry's Birthday Party this evening, it is a fine one…...(Wish he had given more details!)
 
30. Take down Pavillion & clean up the premises.
 
Nov. 4.  Temp down to 12 deg this morning. Election day. Tickets badly split. State goes Republican (that is state ticket in Oconto County.)
 
6. Drive up to Gillett this morning & buy 6 horses of Renwick, E.Gillett's brother-in-law, to pay $600. U.B. comes from Chi. Election news all Republican.
 
9. Started at 8 this morning for Jones Creek, to Brower’s. Hired him & wife to cook at Camp 1 this winter for $35 per mo.
 
11. I deposit $3,000 at Farnsworth & Smith's Bank on interest at 7 per cent.
 
12. Arrive in Chicago. With 6 Oconto men go to Brevoort House for breakfast. Call on Bro. Henry, then go to Office till noon, then Henry & I go out to see Grant & the People & remain until 5 pm. Have a good view of the General & the largest crowd of people ever gathered in Chicago.
 
13. Go to office. To dinner at Fremont House with Mr. Holt. Meet W. H. Seward. Call at Uncle Uri's, dine With Henry & Fan. Take 9 pm train for Home.
 
18. Start Rasmussen with team & double Buckboard up to Little River for Brown & wife to take to Camp 1. Co myself about 10 o’c & take Mrs. Brooks for Camp 2. Come back as far as Scripts on way home. No hostler tonight have to take care of my own team.
 
Nov. 18. Mott sails with her last cargo.
 
24. Finish up season's sawing. 1000 M left on Peshtigo R.
 
28. Attend the Ellis and Wilson party at Music Hall. A pleasant affair.
 
30 Sun. Read this evening.
 
Dec. 2 – 4.  snow fell, good sleighing
 
3. “White Cloud” froze in, sailors come ashore on ice.
 
6. River all open again. Schooner White Cloud sailed yesterday.
 
8. Mon. Attend tea Party at Goodrich's given for Mrs. Robinson & daughter. Frank quite smart tonight.
 
10. My knee is real lame and it bothers me to get around.
 
11.  My leg feels so weak & lame I stay in house all day, read papers and Lincoln stories. U.B. comes from Chicago.
 
14. Sun. Henry has girl company to dinner.
 
15. start this eving for Milwaukee to look for horses.
 
17. Go to Freeport to look for horses. Have bought none yet.
 
18.  Therm. 20 deg below zero. Cold. Get another train to Mt. Carroll, find Mrs. Will Irvine at Mrs. Beardsley's, visit with her& stay all night.
 
19. Had a very pleasant visit with Ada. Drove out to Carroll Co Poor Farm, bought large pair horses. Drove to McKay s Stock Farm, see some fine colts and Stallions. also a fine Morgan pony.
 
20. Buy one pair mares & 2 single horses. Go out to Fleming’s buy two more. I draw on H & B for $1200.
 
22. Freeport. Charter car for horses. Have it battened. Collect horses & pay for them. Pay for little Morgan mare, buy her for Christmas present for Frank. Settle all bills, take 7:50  train via Rockford, Harvard & Janesville for home.
 
Arrive at Ft. Howard 6 hours late. Go to Hoffman House, have had a slow tedious ride from Freeport. Decide not to move horses, but take them through in morning.
 
24. Arrive Oconto about 10 o'c on freight train. Unloaded horses & found them all in good shape. Sold McKillop team of grays for $350. Present Frank with the little Morgan pony I brought her – “A Christmas Gift." Frank drives her pony and is charmed With her. Sleighing very fine.
 
25. A fine Christmas day. Receive foot-rest, present from Frank. Individual Pepper box, Salt & Napkin Ring from Henry.
 
26. 17 deg below zero this morning. S tart for upper Camp about 10. Drive Ponies & light sleigh. Cold riding. Pete Rasmussen & 10 men go up. Load 3 Supply teams tonight for Camps.
 
27. Start about daylight, go to Archibald’s and Wheeler’s. Gillett will have in two millions by New Years day.
 
28. Snows all day. There is some 15 or 16 in. snow on McCauslin Brook and 10.
or more down on Main river. Direct Archibald & Wheeler to build more stables.
 
30. Go down to barn in evening & look at the horses - call in at the store & at Frank’s urgent request hurried home to meet Tim and Mary. What should I find but a house full of company gathered to give me a Surprise on this my birthday. Have a pleasant social evening and a nice Supper.
 
31. A beautiful day. Did not get up very early this morning, being up late last night.
 
 
                                                            Rec’d
Hair Trim                                              256 Jan.
                                                            H&B -$1,500
                                                            Feb
On train                                                H&B - 2,500
Dinner & supper                                   $2.75
Porter                                                       .25
Supper on hotel carl                                  .50
Hat at Brewster's                                    5.50
Telegram Corning to
 Oconto                             .65
Pullman to Chicago                                  3.00
 Porter                                                     .50
Bass A1e                                                  .25
3 mos. Tribune                            3.30
Beer                                                           .10
4 loads Sand                                              .80
Hostler at Scrips                                         .25
Dr O'Keefe                                               2.00
Shot Gun & case                                     27.50
Cologne Hair Dressing, etc.                       5.00
Gal Whiskey                                              3.00
Turkish bath                                               1.00
 
(He also kept a daily expense a/c and I thought a few items would be interesting to show  the difference in prices!)
 
"Aunt Eunice" was the eldest child of Samuel Cole. Born in 1800, she married Lyman Wilcox in 1818. Their great-grand-daughter was Jessie Wilcox (born 1880). I have often wondered if this lady was the famous artist and illustrator of children's books, Jessie Wilcox Smith.
 
Copy
 
Letter written to Grandmother Cole,
from her sister-in-law Georgie. It was found in
the old walnut secretary in June 1943 - -60 years later.
 
Elizabeth (N.J.?)
August 14, 1882
 
Dear Sister Frank -
I received your card, announcing the arrival of the little stranger. Allow me to send my warmest congratulations, as I know it is a cause of great rejoicing in your house. I suppose it is the nicest baby that ever lived. Well babies are cunning and is it not strange that just as soon as they come, the love is ready for them ..  .. I had just returned home when your note arrived, having been to Staten Island with my mother to visit one of her sisters. We are suffering at present from drought, while I see by the papers, that you have an abundance of rain out West. I wish you could spare us a little, as we need it sadly. We are obliged every night to water the garden, but that only keeps things alive.
 
Since you were at our house we have had company incessantly, of course you know that occupies your time. I am now making a summer dress for myself. It is late in the season, but I had a present of the material. Dear Frank, I must close as the tea bell will ring in a few minutes. Remember me kindly to Gus and Henry and to my new niece Aggie, and kiss the baby for me, and keep a large share of love for yourself. You do not know how much I missed you after you left here.
From sister
 
Georgie
 
DIARY OF AUGUSTUS COLE
-Oconto, Wis.
 
Excerpts for the year 1885
Jan. l Thurs. -2 deg. 6 - 4 - Calm and pleasant. Trees still loaded with ice from storm of Dec. 30. Streets covered with ice. Sleighing fine. A Holiday, not much doing. I take Frank, Aggie & Hattie Holcombe out to Green Bay to attend R.R. Party. Stop at Cook House, Call at Morrows and Folletts. See many old acquaintances and friends.
 
Jan. 2. -16 – 0 - 4. W. West by S.
We return on early train after a most a night up. I attend to business again, hire some men to start up in morning to Camps.
 
Jan. 3   -8- 20-20. W. West
Weather pleasant. Loaded teams for Camps. W. R. Young having been elected to Legislature is getting ready to leave nowadays. (Mr. Young, Ina Gallagher's father, was Grandpa's assistant manager at Holt & Balcom Lumber Co).
 
Jan. 4. Sunday. 18-28-.28. W. West.
Weather moderate & ice begins to waste from the trees. We go to church in the morning, stay home -most of day and rest. Fine sleighing.
 
Jan 6. -32-32-30 W.N.E.
Bro. John's Birthday, 51 years. Find it snowing hard this morning. Makes heavy roads. Not much doing.
 
Jan 7. -l8- 32- 16. West, very pleasant.
Was going to camps, but roads too heavy. Drive out to Essen's Farm after the Hay Pressers. Frank & Hattie go along. Teams from Beaver & Waupee come in tonight with wants to fill.
 
Jan 8.  22-36-29. W. West. Pleasant.
Started out for visit to Oconto River camps (logging). Mrs. Capt. Coburn goes to P.B. Farm with me. Start at 10:30 arrive about 6 P.M. Drive George and Lucy Hard traveling roads not well broken yet. Goodrich and Arthur Holt up there paying taxes.
 
Jan. 9. 26-30-16. W. West, very pleasant.
I drive into Camp 1. this morning, see Mr. Graham and learn how is business going. Has commenced hauling logs down to camp. Drive to Camp 3 for dinner, find horse sick with lung fever, Prescribe- drive to Gillett's landing and with Capt. Coburn to G's Camp to stop.
 
Jan 10.  2-21-14. W. West. Pleasant.
Drive out through Gillett's works, then with him examine landings, then to Depot Camp for dinner. Return to old Camp 1. to see Fred about his work on sleds etc. Return to Depot Camp.
 
Jan. 11. Sunday. 30-33-16. Cloudy, a little snow in evening. I drive to old dam, then across by old logging roads to Camp 2, on the Waupee to dinner. See about work there, then come to Farm, calling at Camp 3, where I find sick horse recovered & extra horse arrived from Town. A hard drive.
 
Jan. 12.  6-5-0- N.W. Windy, Chilly.
Mrs. Coburn comes home with me. Start at 7 and drive right through, arrive at 12:30. Lucy in pretty good trim. I hurry home because Young starts for Madison this evening.
 
Jan. l3. 26-6-12. A cold one. W. Fair
A pretty good-day to attend to business inside an office, so don't circulate much outdoors.
 
Jan. 18. Sunday.  16-8-12  W. West
A cold one. Delia, Luke & Ed. Balcom arrive from New Orleans. Visit with them all day, after attending church in the morning.
 
Jan. 27. Tuesday. 30-6-24. S.W.
Another solid cold day. Get horse shod at Henry Johnson's, then drive home. Arrive early, go to A. Ellis' to party. Mrs. Ellis’ Birthday.
 
Jan. 29. Thursday. 20-6-8, S.W.
Office work part of day. Drive Cole "Lilly" in afternoon, then get her shod on fore feet. Men finish putting up ice at Young's. All houses filled . Attend party at Ford’s.
 
Feb. 3. Tuesday. 22- 32-30. W. S.E.
Misty, mild, slippery. I drive up to brick yard farm & buy new milk cow for Boarding House (Company), also take Mrs. Caldwell up home. Have Jack and colt "Lilly". She drives well. Attend progressive Euchre Party at Ellis’.
 
Feb. 7. Saturday. 2-18-12. Fair.
Get some medicine for McCarthy's Oxen and drive to Stiles Jct & send on train to Beaver. Drive colt “Lilly” she kicks over tongue and tries to run, but “Jim" and I are too much for her. She drives splendidly 18 miles in 2 ½ hours.
 
Feb. 8. Sunday. Weather pleasant, yet real cold. Frank and I drive out with pony, take Fanny, “Nanna”. In evening call at Royce’s. Mr. & Mrs. E.P. Royce and Allie there. Attend church in evening.
 
Feb. 9. 2-0-8  Wind N.E. Snowing, blowing and drifting. Worst storm of the winter. Supply team comes from farm
 
Feb. l0.   16-8-12. Still blows but not so hard. Highways & Railroads blocked with snowdrifts. Another 4-mule supply team comes in, reports roads so bad going to layover with teams till Thurs. Mrs. Balcom has Progressive Euchre party. We attend.
 
Feb. 11.  28-34 2-8. Wind S. W. Fair.
An awful cold morning. (Notice these are minus zero markings) Load teams, etc. Have walks shovelled out.
 
Feb. 12.  -13, 14, 15, 16. Visit camps.
 
Feb. 17. Tues. -14, 8, 2. Cold & pleasant Drive down by Pottowattomie Settlement and take a look at Henry Brook's logs and then drive on river (snow deep) to Caldwell's logs and on to Bill John's for dinner, then drive home. Attend party (a large one) at Scofield's.
 
Feb. 19.  -8, l0, 6. Weather Fine.
Attend to business. Drive colt "Lilly", give Scofield  a ride after her. She develops finely.
 
Feb. 22 Sunday. 10- 22. Pleasant & bright.
Drive "Flora" and take Frank up to see if Glynn is home. Attend Church in the morning.
 
Feb. 27. Finding an invitation from W. H. Young to attend the Legislative Party at Madison, the 5th of March and a pass for self & wife sent by him to go with. I decide to go. So look over the work in hand in order to start tomorrow for A short trip to Camp.
 
Feb. 28. - Very fine pleasant day. Start up river about 10. Scofield going to Falls with the ladies. Mrs. S. rides with me. I take dinner at Caldwell’s and drive to farm.
 
March 4.  Milwaukee.  Attend to business in forenoon. Frank & I, Ellis & Carrie
take 1 P.M. train for Milwaukee on way to Madison. Play Euchre on trip all the way, find Luke & Delia Balcom there. We go to Skating Rink, Plankinton.
 
Mar. 5. Thursday. Madison., Snows & blows.
We: take 11 A.M. train out to Madison, look around the Capitol in afternoon and call on the Governor. Met some acquaintances. Attend Legislative Ball in evening and I dance once. A large crowd in attendance. Goes off fine. We stay at Park Hotel.
 
Mar. 6. More snow this morning. Attend Session at both houses this morning. Call on Senator Minor in reference to the "Eldred Bill". He hasn’t reconsidered and is going to kill it. Frank leaves at 1 for Waukesha, Carrie for Milwaukee. Oak and I take 6 P.M. train for same places. B.M. Holmes out here on town affairs.
 
Sat. Mar. 7. Weather fine. We Stay at  "Winan's", find Emma quite well and him away. Have a short, good visit, and come in to Milwaukee on 10 o’clock train. Go to B. M. Holmes and spend the day and evening. I take an  Electric Bath. Oak and Carrie Went home in afternoon. We take sleeper at 10 o'clock. Left Luke at Madison.
 
Mar. 8. We arrive home this morning. Find Luke & Delia on same train. I attend Church in morning. In afternoon we attend funeral of Sylva Hoeffel's child “Ruth.”
 
Mar. 9. Bright and warm. Get telegram from Young to come to Milwaukee to help look out for the Eldred Bill in Senate. Eldred was going to make a fight on it. Wednesday Farnsworth will go.(he is Pres. Oconto (lumber ) Co., Carrie Ellis was his daughter, and wife of the Gen. Manager, Oak Ellis).
 
Mar. 10. Cold again. Fair.
Farnsworth comes down to our office and reads and discusses the Eldred Bill. Hudd introduces in Senate. He takes the noon train for Madison. I go on evening train. Beyer and Smith go also.
 
Mar. 11. Madison. Fine, pleasant.
We breakfast at Plankinton (Milwaukee) take 7:45 St. Paul train for Madison. Eldred on train. (He is head of the Eldred Lumber Co at Stiles, near Oconto) We all appear before committee. Senator Minor in opposition. We get lawyer Gregory to argue it. Farnsworth talks. Mr. Holt comes up from Chicago & is present. Hudd speaks. Eldred is silent.
 
Mar. 12. We think the Eldred Bill is doomed. He takes first train home. Farnsworth & I  take 1 P.M. train to Jefferson Jct, and change cars. Home 9 p.m.
 
Mar. 16. Eclipse of Sun. Drive Lillie and Jack, take George to drive to Reservation (Indian)
 
Mar. 17. Tuesday. Cold, Cold, Coldest St. Patrick’s I ever saw. Take Crawford and make trip from Farm to Reservation. Get Pete Don Levy & look at Indian logs.
 
Mar. 22. Sunday. Clear and pleasant.
Attend Church in morning. Stay in in afternoon. Frank sick with sore throat.
 
Apr. 8. Attend Whist Party at Beyers' in evening.
 
Apr. 10. Friday. Stay in office most of day. Frank teaches me to play chess in evening. We play till 12 o'clock.
 
Apr. 11. Play Chess with Frank till midnight, beat her several times.
 
Apr. 15,16 . I hitch colts together and drive to Marinette to Scofield mill. I came over to see how a mare Scott has will match with "Lucy". Drive them  and find they match well. Scott asks $500 for her. I don't want , buy unless Uncle Uri wants team. Going to telegraph to find out. Leave Mike to take care of colts and go home on train.
 
Apr. l7. Chuck full of business today…. Send telegram to U. Balcom at Fortress Monroe and receive answer in 4 hours. Buy if you think best.
 
Apr. 18. Saturday. Fair and pleasant. Go to Marinette on train. Scott sold mare to Carney, Scofield gets Carney to let me have her. Give him $500 and take her, get her shod and drive them home. Leave “Lilly” with Mr. White. Mares drive first rate together.
 
Apr. 10. Sunday. Cloudy, not chilly.
Hitch up and drive the mares before buggy, take Scofield a ride. We think they make a splendid team together & will suit Uncle Uri. Attend church in evening.
 
Apr. 21.  59-75-60. (80 at Shawano)
Fine, but heat oppressive. Ellis & I go to Keshena to the Indian log sale.
 
Apr. 23. Thurs. Uri Balcom arrives in Chicago from Virginia.
 
Apr 26. Sunday. Attend church in morning. Drive out in afternoon and take Frank and Delia after the black mares.
 
May 2. Saturday. Attend to business in forenoon. In afternoon I go to Green Bay to get annual licenses for Tug Boats renewed. Return on evening train. We attend the Dafter Surprise Party, Gift of dishes.
 
May 7. Thurs. Start Mill (saw-mill)
 
May 10. Sunday. Fair and cool. Drive out with mares. Have driven them most every day the past week. Attend church in morning Mr. Murdick preaches.
 
May 11. Weather fine. It is getting very dry and dusty. River getting low.
 
May 12: Weather very fine. Dry and fire running.
 
May 15. Strong W.S.W. wind. Fires are spreading more and more through the country. Stiles in danger of burning. Fire Steamer there from Fort Howard to protect the town.
 
May 16. Country full of fires. Wind W.S.W. strong, blowing up the fires & filling  the country with a gloom of smoke same as in 1871 (year of the great Chicago and Preshtigo fires) Fires have raged freshly today. Wind goes down at night. Sprinkled a little rain tonight.
 
May 17. Sunday. Warm this morning, but wind soon changed from S.W. to N.E. & turns cool and rains, which will put out all fires. Attend church in morning and stay in the rest of day.
 
May 18. Rained in night and today. This has effectually put out the fires & will raise the river (they needed high water as the logs were sent down to the mills from the logging camps by water in those days). Will also start grass to growing & help vegetation generally.
 
May 19. Freeze. Ice on sidewalks this morning.
 
May 20. Weather fine. Grass green. Turn horse out to pasture for first time this season. Start Mill on night Tour.  River well up again.
 
May 27. Won't run mill tonight, logs scarce. Whist Party at Phelps this evening.
 
June 5, Friday.  Aggie with “Nanna” goes to Fond du Lac visiting. (“Nanna” was pet name for Aunt Cecile, who was baby)
 
June 7, Sunday. Attend church in morning. We call at Oak Ellis' this evening.
 
June 14. Thursday. Fine weather. Attend church. Call at Scofield 's in evening with Frank. Drive the blacks in the afternoon.
 
June 17. Wed. Weather fine. Uncle Uri came this morning. First since November. He rides with me up to Upper Boom after the blacks.
 
June 18. Weather fine. Talk business with U.B. part of the time. Take him riding after tea after the blacks. They go fine. He says nothing.
 
June 20.  Fire broke out in Oconto Co's lumber yard N. of Planing Mill at 4:00 o’c this morning and burned 1 million feet of lumber. Hot fire- water tank in danger.
 
June 21. Sunday. Weather fine. Cool.
Attend church. Drive with Underhill out by 3 mile House. Give Scofield short ride.
 
June 30. Big fire in Peshtigo today. Hotel, stores, etc. burn.
 
July 28. Tues. Hottest day. Busy as usual. Julia Farnsworth and Oak Ellis took tea with us this evening. Go with young folks on excursion out on Bay on Tug “Balcom” this evening. Pleasant. Arthur Holt here today.
 
Aug. 2, Sunday. Attend church twice. Mr. Kerr's father preached in morning- a smart old gentleman. Yesterday I ordered an open buggy from Wallis Carriage Co.
 
Aug. 3. Attend business in forenoon, go to Peshtigo in afternoon. Joseph Hall and wife start for England.
 
Aug. 4  Uri Balcom comes, his errand is to see about Refuse Burner.
 
Aug. 9. Sunday. Spend the day reading and visiting. Maj. Hubbell and wife spend the afternoon here.
 
Aug. 11. Laying tile drains in my yard from cisterns and cellar.
 
Aug. 14. Fri.  I am going to Fond du Lac tonight to buy some wagons. Attend tea party at Young's.
 
Aug. 15. Palmer House, Fond du Lac, for breakfast, arrived midnight. Get horse and go to buy five lumber wagons for $388. Then take Hattie Holbomee for a ride about the city in the forenoon & her mother in the afternoon, came home in the evening. Also took a Turkish Bath.
 
Aug. 16, Sunday. Attend church in morning. Drive out with "Flora" in afternoon, Frank and "Nanna" escorts. Henry went to Idlewild last night, came back today on “Balcom”.
 
Aug. 17. Go to Course and see Scott mare trot. She does well 2:40 … a beautiful evening drive with Frank until 9 P.M.
 
Aug. 18.  I attend to some personal business. Pay $1550 for half interest in 25 forties of Pine Timberland on Pike River, Marinette Co. deeded by George Knapp, buy of Flanders & Orr.
 
Aug. 20, Thurs. Send "Balcom" to Idlewild with Beyers picnic. Go to see the girls play baseball.
 
Aug. 22 ..... Get letter from John that he is coming to visit us first of next month with Emma.
 
Aug. 24. Fine. Luke and I go to Marinette to decide on kind of Refuse Burner we want to build. Look at Scofield's, Stephenson's and others.
 
Aug. 28. Louis Young is over with draft of Burner as we ordered and makes price for building same $2700 for Iron work  complete.
 
Aug.. 28. Attend to business. Start Scott mare tomorrow morning for Brown Co. Fair with E. Swan.
 
Aug 29. Sat. I go to Chicago tonight to see about building burner.
 
Aug. 30. Arrive in Chicago. Go to Sherman House to breakfast. Then go to Panorama "Seige of Paris" then to South Park, then call on Ballard's, then go out to Waterworks Crib, then go to Uncle Uri's to tea and stay overnight. A fine day, passed very pleasantly.
 
Aug. 3l, Mon. Talk Burner with Holt & Balcom, but the cost figures up so much they don 't decide to build. Look through Uncle Uri's house this morning, being rebuilt and repainted; take dinner with Mr. Holt at Fremont- go to Lake -Forest with him to Tea, then take 11 P.M. train for home. Look at his team of horses.
 
Sept. 3. Attend to business in forenoon, and Brown Co. Fair at DePere in afternoon. Frank and “Nanna”  go to Bay and call at Morrow's. Nanna has a splendid time. Go to train expecting brother John and wife.
 
Sept 4. Attend to business in forenoon & go out to DePere in afternoon to races. Put Scott mare in one race as Lady C. She makes 2:45,a  fine display. Sent  Holt & Balcom yesterday estimate of cost of Burner $6,050.
 
Sept. 14. Mon. Commence Foundation to Burner, order suit from Hoffman's (Green Bay tailor).
 
Sept. 16. Weather fine. Attend N.E. Fair (Oshkosh) Lady C. trots in 3 minute race, does well, in two heats, breaks badly in 3rd heat, and with Green Bay and another  gets distanced. Time 2:41 first heat. She does well. Scofield here tonight, we go to theatre.
 
Sept. 17. Thurs. Stay to Fair and see horses work in morning and race in afternoon. There is some fine racing.  A great crowd at Fair. Menominee, Marinette and Oconto well represented. Come home this evening.
 
Sept. 19. Attend to business. Attend Wilkins Concert in evening.
 
Sept. 21. Ellis and I go to Oconto Falls with John Herald to see about feasibility of blasting out obstructions the ledge under the Falls that break and damage logs so much. Decide to set him at it and put in Slide at Dam. Swan and the mare return from Oshkosh.
 
Sent 22. Frank and I with Tim and Mary (Goodrich) go to Green Bay this evening to attend Birdie Morrow's wedding tomorrow.
 
Sept. 23. Wedding takes place at 11 o’clock. Mr. and Mrs. Lalla leave at 2 P.M. for their home in Dakota. We return home on evening train.
 
Sept. 26, Sa t. Attend business. Decide to send "Lady C" to the Menominee Fair. Swan has been working her out this week in good shape.
 
Sept. 27. Fine and pleasant. Attend church in morning. Drive “Lillie” in new buggy and show Scofield in afternoon. Swan goes to Menominee with "Lady C”.
 
Sept. 28. Get word from Swan that he has entered Mare in 45 class. She was to go in 3 minute class also, first race tomorrow.
 
Sept 29. Attend to business in forenoon. Go over to Menominee Fair in afternoon. “Lady C”, Scofield's gray, Dr. Jones' Black “Col” go in 2:45 race. First & last get 2 heats each & Scofield's one. Race adjourned till tomorrow. Come home & arrange to go back in  morning . Sell Lady "C” to Hon. Isaac Stephenson, for $750.00.
 
Sept. 30, Wed.  some cloudy, but a pretty good day. Take Frank & Delia Balcom over to Menominee Fair, see yesterday's race finished. It has been the most interesting I ever witnessed. Lady C winning the race, 7 heats trotted.
 
Oct. 1. Weather fine. Attend to business in morning, to Fair in afternoon. Lady C wins in  3 min. race. She has done well. might have got $1000 for her had  I waited.
 
Oct. 2. Weather fine. Business in forenoon, Went over to finish of Men, races in afternoon. Lady C trots against “Black Col” and takes three straight heats, ,she behaves herself splendidly, trots in 4). I bid her “good-bye” and come home.
 
Oct. 3, Sat. Swan comes over and brings sulky and harness. I pay him $30 for his week's work.
 
Oct. 4, Sunday. Attend Church in morning, drive out in afternoon with mare “Lillie” in new buggy and harness. The whole thing makes a fine rig and she drives nicely too.
 
Oct. 5. Henry and Aggie commence housekeeping in Mott's house. Leaves us a small family. I sent Uri Balcom $520, money he paid for Scott mare and interest.
 
Oct 8. Thurs. Weather fair... Lake Superior Presbytry meets here, have two ministers with us.
 
Oct 9. White frost, a very fine day. Arthur Holt comes this morning, stays the day, returns this evening.. .Our 29th  wedding anniversary.
 
Oct.  12. Drive to farm. Goodrich goes to Chicago to buy goods.
 
Oct. l3. Arrange farming & other work so to be gone a few days. Frank & I take noon train to Milwaukee to attend Exposition, and do some shopping. We stop at Plankinton, attend theatre, “The secretary” played.
 
Oct. 14, Wed. We go to Expos. in forenoon, after looking at Panorama of Grant's assault on Vicksburg, Expos. is pretty fair. Buy some furniture at Matthew's for ourselves and some for Phelps. Also handkerchiefs and shirts. Call at Holmes this evening.
 
Oct. 15. A very fine day and mild. We find Mr. and Mrs. Gus Foster and two daughters at hotel. We go to oculists in forenoon and order two pairs glasses. Frank does some shopping. We go to. Expos. in afternoon, but I can't stay long. Go to Chicago on telegram from Uri Balcom, go to his house with Tim Goodrich. U.B. agitated because Holt wants to change style of Firm.
 
Oct. l6. Frank goes home. Pleasant & mild day. Go to office with U. B. & Tim. Meet Mr. Holt and Arthur & George (sons). Talk about the general business, but nothing said about any change. Tim & I go to Expos. in afternoon, to U.B.’s to tea. Grannis takes us to Calumet Club, Tim and Grannis go to Theatre, I stop at the Sherman house.
 
Oct. 17. Pleasant. We go to office in forenoon. U.B.  and Mr. Holt have a talk about change of management, comes to nothing except to set Tim to buying goods - a little warm talk indulged in .. I go to see Battle of Shiloh in Panormma after dinner. Come to Milwaukee to see D. Thompson & Josh Whitcomb in evening & then take cars for home.
 
Oct, 20. Ground white with snow.. Progressive Euchre at Oak Ellis'.
 
Oct. 21. Attend business as usual, Euchre at Phelps'- pretty thick.
 
Oct. 22. Have Evans lay cement wall about my cellar door. Tournament of Fire Dept. in afternoon with dance in evening. H.W. Mott stays with us tonight.
 
Oct. 25, Sunday. Very fine day. Goodrich returns from Chicago. Aggie and children here to dinner, Henry away, up the Waupee.
 
Nov. 1, Sunday. Attend church in evening and morning. We go to Henry's this afternoon and have play with the children.
 
Nov. 13, Friday. Frank has prog. euchre party.
 
 
Nov. 15, Sunday. fair, pleasant. Church in morning, Henry, Aggie & children here to dinner.
 
Nov. 22. Sunday. Frank has been sick with bad cough, in bed 4 or 5 days. Mrs. Joyce nursing her. She is some better today. Dr. O’Keefe attending her. Henry, Aggie & children up to dinner today, I stay home all day.
 
Nov. 23. Attend to business, Frank still very, very sick, has terrible cough.
 
24, Scaffolding down at Burner, painted. Frank still very sick.
 
Nov. 25. Frank slightly better.
 
Nov. 26. Cloudy, Hiring & sending men to woods. Frank about the same.
 
Nov. 27. Bright & fair, busy as usual, Lake Shore R.R. putting culvert in at my lot & and are preparing to put in a spur track. U. Balcom here today. Aunt Jane is with him. Frank quite bright.
 
Nov,28. Sat. Busy with U.B. & Luke looking over mill with view of changing machines. Talk all day on this business. He and Aunt Jane go back tonight.
 
Nov.29. A fine day for driving. Frank is  not improving very fast, but is quite comfortable, no appetite.
 
Nov. 30, We finished. taking down staying in Burner this morning & built a fire in it to dry it out. So it is now complete, all but the grates.
 
Dec. 6, Sunday. Cold, first zero, Drove Lillie this morning, then go to church. Remain rest of day at house. Frank has been improving slowly but does not sit up much yet, though the cough has almost left her, weak yet.
 
Dec. 7. Clear, cold, but snow on ground will prevent it freezing hard. Dispatching more teams for supplies to camp is my chief business nowadays.
 
Dec. 8. Vanderbilt dies.
 
Dec. 13.  A pleasant day. Frank discharged her nurse last night, Went out to table today for the first time. I went to church
 
Dec. 19, Sat.  Fair. Having got the teams away and camps full of men, I start for a trip among them for review. Go with old team and sleigh, arrive at farm before dark. Find things here in good shape.
 
 
Dec. 20, Sunday. Fine day, I drive to upper Waupee Camp l. Take dinner there, then go on to Camp 4  on the Thunder, take supper & stay night. McCarthy’s, this is a very good camp covered with matched fencing & roofing paper.
 
Dec. 21. Fair. No logging roads broken yet here, go on to Wheeler's Camp 2 on Upper Thunder and drive out to his work on Sec 9-33-17. His logging road not broken, too Soft yet no bottom, no frost. Find Crawford and Glynn & plan work for them. Return to Camp 1 for the night. Meet supply team from Depot.
 
Dec. 22. Cloudy & mild. I drive across to Branch & to Depot. Direct about Hay pressing, get dinner & drive to Gillett Camp. Meet Gillett & Coburn and fish a little while.
 
Dec. 23. Cloudy & thawing till evening. Come to f'arm with sleigh ,but sleighing is very thin, none at all in fact. Go to Thomas' Camp with Paul in afternoon with wagon.
 
Dec. 24. Hitch to wagon this morning & drive home to dinner, ground frozen quite hard. Christmas Eve. We take our presents down to Henry, Aggie & the children. Set dishes, toys for children.  I get Seal Cap, silk scarf, Frank a book of etchings.
 
Dec. 25. Friday, a very pleasant day. Frank and I go down to Henry's early to see the children view their Xmas tree. It was a pleasant sight. "Fann" wanted to know if Santa Claus brought it all. All to dinner with Us.
 
Dec. 30, Wed. I am 55 years old.  Rains, then snows about 1 inch. Exercise "Lillie” before cutter. Attend Prog. Euchre party at Maj. Scofield's. I am well, on this my 55th birthday anniversary.
 
Dec. 31, 1885.  Find about 3 inches of snow this morning, this makes a little slipping to end the year with. Roads in excellent condition for cold weather, but no logging of account is being done, no ice and no frost in the ground. Attend Euchre party at Pete Shufelt’s. Luke has his mill office almost finished. Boiler moved but Pump not set up.
 
 
 
My Father and Mother
 
My mother, Agnes Cecilia Hoeffel, was the younger daughter of Frances Knowles and Joseph Hoeffel of Oconto, and was born December 23, 1859 in  Green Bay, Wis. Her parents moved to Oconto in 1872. She went to St. Joseph’s Convent School taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame. Latter she attended an Academy taught by the same sisters in Milwaukee. She became a proficient musician and artist. Later she studied art in Chicago with Professor Gregori of Milan, Italy, who had come to do the murals in the chapel at Notre Dame University.
 
Frances Knowles was born in Ballinhasig, near Cork, Ireland, in 1825 and, came to this country with her mother and sisters when she was 18 years old. The sisters were later: Mrs. McGowan, Mrs. Dulea of London, England, and Mrs. James Murphy of Marinette, Wis. Frances taught school for a while in St. John's, New Brunswick. She had been educated by tutors in Ireland. Her father was Maurice Sheridan Knowles, of Scotch-English ancestry, his cousin was Sheridan Knowles, the renouned dramatist. Her mother was Catherine Plunkett, of the illustrious Plunkett family in Ireland. Maurice was an architect, and his estate, on the Bandon River was confiscated by the government when he and his wife were  converted to Catholicism. He died soon after, and his wife and daughters then emigrated to Canada. Moving later to Milwaukee, Frances met Joseph Hoeffel and they were married there by Bishop Henni in 1850. Frances Hoeffel died in Green Bay in 1901.
 
 
Anthony, father of  Joseph Hoeffel ,was born in Strasbourg, France, in 1800, son of  Dr. Anthony and Helen Hoeffel of Nancy. He came to Norwalk, Ohio,  with 6 children when Joseph (our grandfather) was 3 yeas old ( in 1828).
 
Joseph was born in Luetzelbourg, Moselle (Alsace-Lorraine), France in 1825.  There were four sons and two daughters-- in the family: Jacob of Norwalk, Louis of Green Bay, father of Kate, Annie, Cornelia and Louise (Garvey), Anthony of  Appleton, father of Peter, and Angeline and Sabina. One of the daughters was the mother of Florence Starr, who is now Mrs. Charles Baker of Bellevue, Ohio.
 
There is a large branch of the Ohio Hoeffels living in and around Napoleon, and Father Louis Hoeffel, a well-loved priest, was pastor of St. Mary's Church in Delphos for 50 years, dying in 1910.
 
A relative of the family in Europe, Dr. Edward Hoeffel, lives now (1940) in Nancy, France. Dr. Gerald Hoeffel of Boston travelled in Europe then, and called on him. He was then President of the Parliament of the Province.
 
Frances and Joseph Hoeffel raised a family of four sons and two daughters.  John Francis, the eldest, was born in 1855, later married Adelaide Doolittle of Whitewater. Sylvester, born in 1854, married Genevieve Heath of Oshkosh. Joseph Peter, born in 1861, married Christina Waite, and James, born in 1863, married Elizabeth Reuland. Elizabeth, born in 1858, and our mother, Agnes …. [pages missing?]
 
 
 
- Blasius Hofel, in Vienna, engraves the Latronne crayon drawing of Beethoven- (from Thayer's Life of  (Krehbiel) Beethoven, vol 2, p.281)
 
 
 
"Another consequence of Beethoven’s sudden popularity {in 1815), was the publication of a new engraving of him by Artaria, the crayon drawing for which was executed by Latronne, a French artist then in Vienna. Blasius Hofel, (n.b. by mother Sainton: to those who unfortunately do not know any German, the 2 dots over the "o" denote the pronunciation of "oe", so you will all see why I think this young artist must have been related to our ancestors in Strasbourg, of that I think there can be no doubt.) a young of man of 22 years, was employed to engrave it. He told the writer (Thayer, an American spent his whole life investigating and writing this monumental life of Beethoven. He called on Hofel on June 23,1860 in Salzburg) who very desirous he was of producing a good likeness- a matter of great importance to the young artist- but that Latronne’s was not a good one, probably for want of a sufficient number of sittings. Hofel often saw Beethoven at Artaria's (a music dealer and publisher) and, when his work was well advanced, asked him for a sitting or two. The request was readily granted. At the time set, the engraver appeared with his plate. Beethoven seated himself in position & for perhaps five minutes remained reasonably quiet; then suddenly springing up went to the pianoforte and began to extemporize, to Hofel’s great annoyance.
 
[page missing?]
 
The servant relieved his embarrassment by assuring him that he could now seat himself near the instrument and work at his leisure, for his master had quite forgotten him and no longer knew that anyone was in the room. This Hofel did; wrought so long as he wished, & then departed with not the slightest notice from Beethoven. The result was so satisfactory that only two sittings of less than one hour each were needed. It is well known that Hofel's is the best of all the engravings made of the master. In 1851, Alis Fuchs showed to the writer (Thayer) his great collection, and when he came to this, exclaimed with strong emphasis: "Thus I learned to know him!  “…. Hofel in course of the conversation unconsciously corroborated the statements of Mme. Streicher, as reported by Schindler in regard to Beethoven’s wretched condition in 1812-13. The effect upon him of his pecuniary embarrassments, his various disappointments, and of a mind ill at ease, was very plainly to be seen in his personal habits and appearance. He was at that time much accustomed to dine at an inn where Hofel often saw him in a distant corner, at a table, which though large was avoided by the other guests owing to the very uninviting habits into which he had fallen. Not infrequently he departed without paying his bill, or with the remark that his brother would settle it – which Karl did. He had grown so negligent of his person as to appear there sometimes positively "schmutzig (dirty) Now, however, under the kind care of the Streichers, cheered and inspirited by the glory and emolument of the past 8 months, he became his better self again, & “paid attention to his appearance."
 
Vol 3 "Thayer (Krehbiel), page 42
 
"In April, 1860 (this anecdote is recorded in Thayer's note-book as a memorandum of a conversation had with Hofel on June 23, 1860), the author had a conversation with Horzalka….. in 1820 Professor Hofel, who lived in Salzburg in the last years of his life and who engraved the Latronne portrait of Beethoven for Artaria, was appointed to a professorship of drawing in Wiener Neustadt. A year or two afterward, as he said, he was one evening with Eisner and other colleagues in the garden of the tavern "Zum Schleifen”  a little way out of town. (Follows the well known story of B. being arrested as a vagrant, though he kept protesting “I am Beethoven". The episode ended by his being personally escorted home by an important person who had been called to identify him….
 
p. 41. “--- Schindler writes (in the conversation book) that he (Beethoven?) prefers the portrait by Schimon. “There is more character in it -all agree on that- You were very well 2 years ago; now you are always ailing."
 
My (Mama Sainton) favorite is the Schimon, I have a copy somewhere. I can't find the reference right now, but I saw somewhere that B. Hofel was born in Strasbourg, so that makes it almost certain that he is related to our Hoeffels, as Grandpa H.'s father was also born in Strasbourg (Alsace-Lorraine).
 
Aunt Elizabeth married Dr. Patrick O'Keefe in 1883. He died in 1899. They had four children, Horace, Carroll, Jessie and Gertrude. Jess was born the same year as myself, only on October 9th, and we have been good friends since childhood.
 
Sylvester married Genevieve Heath in 1881. Their children: Dr Paul M. (dentist) of Chicago, Dr Gerald, (pediatrics) of Boston, Captain Kenneth, U.S. Navy, and Marion, Mrs. George Bentley of Boston. Aunt Gen as we called. her, was a charming woman, and she and my mother were very dear friends.
 
Our father was in the drug business with his old friend ”Billy” Mitchell, the firm was Cole & Mitchell, and continued for some time, although later Mitchell withdrew. Then, some years after, Granpa Cole opened a coal business, with office and yards back of their property on Main Street, which Papa managed also after the death of his father in 1892, together with his extensive land and timber interests.
 
I think, besides music, his greatest interests  were horses and the water. First, we had a fine team of  black horses Jim and Lizzie (named for James Blaine and the wife of Logan, current political favorites; these had been his father's, together with several carriages and sleighs for winter driving- we used to have wonderful rides around the countryside in both summer and winter. Later, Papa sold the black team and got a beautiful pair of bays, he called "pet and stockings" (one of them had four white feet). How he loved those horses, they were splendid spirited creatures, and he always said that no one but himself could drive them. He loved sailing boats, and in his younger days did a great deal of sailing, sometimes competing in the yacht races from the Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago to the Straits of Mackinac. He and. his cousin, Ed Balcom, were joint owners of a fast sailing vessel called "Infanta”, and Father himself was skipper on two occasions when the yacht was the winner of these historic races. At other times, he often “put in” at the lovely harbour at HarbourPoint, on Little Traverse Bay.
 
For the coal business he had a great dappled grey horse, we called “Old Bill.” I remember he scarcely ever broke into a trot, as his walking stride was so long that he did as well walking as an ordinary horse in a run; and Albert, 'the man of all work about the place, delivered coal, tended to the horses and cow and chickens, took care of the garden, put up ice in the ice-house in the winter, and also set up a huge toboggan slide in the side yard every winter on which we had wonderful times. Albert was a great character, stable end substantial and faithful, and was always a general favorite with us all. I can see him now, as I think back, coming in the kitchen in the evening with a pail full of warm rich milk, always with a friendly smile on his good face, stoking up the fires, and keeping the old wood-box in the kitchen filled up, and always pausing to joke a bit with Annie Arndt, our cook when we were little, who was always busy cooking up something in the huge kitchen. Those were indeed the good old days. There were so many of us to feed, always nine or ten at table, that Dad used to stock up with provisions it seemed in a wholesale way. In the pantries I can see now, bunches of bananas, oranges by the crate, boxes of figs, nuts, big cheeses, barrels of apples and potatoes, and of course dozens and dozens of preserved fruits and jellies. And of course all the baking in those days was done at home, how good the fresh bread smelled on baking day, and how we devoured it, spread thickly with fresh butter, this also churned at home when we were little.
 
For some time after their marriage Papa and Mama lived with his parents in their large fourteen room house, the grounds in those days occupied a whole city block. Grandfather in the early days had planted elms around three sides, with some maple and apple trees in the yard, and he planted the elms not too close together “to give them room to grow" (as Oak Ellis told me so many times) and now they are really magnificent, towering to majestic heights, and admired by everybody who visits Oconto. About five years later they moved into a house of their own out near the Catholic Church on Section Street, now Park Avenue, where I and the younger children  were born and grew up, and we lived there until 1855 when both our mother and our grandmother died, when we removed to the big house on Main Street, which until this year (1942) when it was sold by our step-mother, has never been occupied by any but our family. In fact, I don't believe the dear old place has ever been left alone, someone has always been there, the doors were never locked except late at night.
 
There were eight of us children, seven girls and. one boy: Frances Marie, Minnie Cecile, Helen, Henry Uri Jr., Pauline Agnes, Agnes Charlotte, Florence Marguerite, and Kathleen. I remember our Mother very little, just a few vague memories stand out in my consciousness. I was only nine years old when she died, and the youngest, Kathleen, was only 13 months. One lovely Sunday morning, in summer, we were all dressed up in white and taken to church with her, that is the ones who were old enough to go, and we trailed up in the middle isle to the front of the church where our pew was, behind her one by one like a procession.
 
She, or someone, perhaps the nurse-girl, would brush our long hair carefully every morning, and mine took quite a while because sometimes she would wish to separate it into curls, or ringlets, and they had each one to be brushed around the fingers very carefully. Papa and Mama's bedroom was a large room on the right wing in front of the dining-room, a nice sunny room with many windows on two sides, one side facing on the large lawn with south exposure. There was a large "wardrobe" along one wall. When we had measles, I remember there were two or three of  us installed in there with our parents, in our own cribs, to be isolated from the other children, but I suppose they all caught it anyway.
 
I can remember my god-parents, Uncle Jim Flora Wilcox, coming to visit me when I was sick, and bringing me presents, one a box of candy in a little sewing box, smaller than the one my grandchildren gave me years and years later!
 
There was a large nursery just over this room, with two or three beds in it, and two more bedrooms upstairs also, and a small maid room. I was confined alone in  the big room over the parlour when I had diptheria, and had. to be iso1ated; I was very ill, they thought I would die, but instead little Florence caught this dread disease, she was only two and a half  years old, and she died. It was our first great sorrow, except for Grandpa Cole's death just the year before, and from then on I don’t think Mama was ever very well, for died less than two years later. Aunt Lizzie also gave me this about dear little Florence:
 
“Died November 5, 1983, Florence
Marguerite, fifth daughter of
Henry and Agnes Cole, aged two
years, six months, The little
one whose life was so brief had
twined herself around the hearts
of parent sisters and brother
by her winning ways. In her
childish fancy she called herself
“Angel” and would answer to no
Other name, and now those who
loved her, can think of her as
one of the shining ones above,
forever free from sin, sorrow
and suffering.”
 
Only the previous summer we had the precious picture taken, "the steps and stairs" which we always called it, for there we all stand in our long white dresses, made just alike, trimmed with fine lace. I remember the day Quite well, Florence made a big fuss, she would not have her picture taken without her sash, so there she is, the little angel, different from the rest of us, with her little blue sash. Kathleen is not in this picture, for she was not born until the following summer, Agnes is the baby sitting on the floor with the little stuffed kitten which was her inseparable companion. This picture was so much in demand there must have been a great many copies made, for most of our friends and relatives had it framed in their houses.
 
Nearly every day Grandma Cole would drive down in her carriage and take some of us for a ride. Hex little “phaeton” had a small seat that folded up in the front on the dashboard, and I usually had to sit on this. She always wore “silks and satins” and would not take any of us on her lap without first lifting up her dress and  folding it back carefully, so that it would not be wrinkled.
 
I have only one letter in Mama's handwriting. It is dated Oconto, Oct. 12, 1883 (?), and was addressed, to "Mother”, that is Grandma Cole, she must have been away on a trip, for it was in her house that I afterward found the letter. She says,
 
”I have finally made a break as you
see. I have been a long time thinking
of it, haven't I, but you know how
it is with me. Baby is sleeping beside me
hope she will not wake up until I finish, or I may
not get started again .... Oh, you
would be surprised to see the improvement in
Miss Frances Marie (then 14 months old) why she can
walk as nicely as most anybody
now, she's on the go from morning
until night, there isn't a corner
she don't visit every day. You
remember, perhaps, I was wishing
in Milwaukee that she would be
walking when I got home, well she
began to walk the day before, so
you can imagine how pleased I was.
 
Henry is very nearly settled
in business now, and he feels quite
delighted in being his own master,
etc. The store looks very nicely
with its new proprietors, and I
understand they are working up
considerable of a new trade. Everybody
seems pleased with the change.
 
A great many seem to be moving.
Watterich has just moved into his
new store, and Mrs. Sterns is preparing
to go into his ole place. My
folks are going to move to Smith’s
the first of the month. Mrs. Ellis is
is getting ready to settle her new
house. Aggie Boss came home the
day after I did, we have all been
in to see the baby of course, and
I must say it is a very bright one
for its age. Lill Barlow has a new
red plush cloak for her boy, she
sent to Chicago and paid $12 for it .
She can say in truth this time she
has got something Aggie Cole won't
get for her baby. This was so important
I couldn't get along without
telling you.
 
Henry and I received a letter
from Mrs. Winans and also her's and
her husband's photographs, I should
say 'cabinetc'. She sends love to
you and says that if you return
before they move, she will be
pleased to see you at the Hawkins
House, an hotel that does not
close at the end of the season.
Well, I think I have said
everything, so I will close,
with love. Your daughter,
Aggie.
 
Both Mama and Grandma Cole loved to draw and paint, and our houses were filled with paintings, large and small, in heavy gilt frames, which they had done. Life was taken in a more leisurely way in those days, otherwise I don’t see how they ever found time to accomplish so much, but of course they always had servants, and that accounts for some of their leisure time. I remember just once seeing Mama draw, she loved to work in charcoal too, and once she had several of us sit in a big chair while she sketched us, but maybe she never found time to finish it, for I have never seen the drawing.
 
After we were put to bed at night, I often lay awake and heard Papa and Mama in the parlour, one of them playing the piano, and sometimes they would sing together, but I remember the name of only one song, it was from Gilbert & Sullivan's “Mikado” – “The flowers that bloom in the spring. tra-la, have nothing to do with the King." How happy and gay they must have been then.
 
In the summers we went to Berry Lake, near Shawano, Wisconsin, where we had a cottage. There was quite a colony of Oconto people had cottages there, and they had a unique system which I often have  wished other resorts would adopt, so that mothers of families could be relieved of housekeeping duties and be able to enjoy a vacation as well as the Children. Instead of each family doing its own cooking, there was a community dining room, maintained by the friends and neighbors at the Lake, a sort of club-house, for it was an exclusive colony. This meant the sociability  was constant and no one was isolated, everybody met every day at meals, and, I don't remember, but I suppose there were parties in the evening there too.
 
Those were wonderful summers we spent there when we were children, and our mama was with us. I can remember picking blueberries in the woods, someone always had to go with us. Our papa had a motor-boat called a “launch”, and he always spent the weekends with us. We had to drive up to Berry Lake, because the railroads did not go near there, and we would see many red Indians (there was a reservation near by) squaws with  papooses on their backs, braves
dashing wildly through the woods on horseback, bareback of course. About halfway up to the Lake, we would stop at a little town “Underhill” which consisted solely of a sawmill and the usual general store and boarding house for the mill-hands we would then stock up on things we needed.
 
The owner of this village was Mr. Wm. Underhill, he was an old friend of our Grandfather Cole. Sometimes there would be Indians trading in the store too, so we children had a chance to get a real close-up view of them, and were especially interested in the little children, and how we would stare at each other!
 
Papa would make that trip so often in the summer, driving all the 40 miles or so ea.ch way, and I remember his telling us that the horses knew the way so well, "sometimes he would fall asleep and find himself in the barn at home, with the tired horses patiently waiting to be un-harnessed.
 
In the winter of 1893-94 after little Florence died, and Kathleen was not born until the following June, our mother was not at all well. My Father and Grandmother Cole went to see the Sisters at the Academy in Marinette, and asked them if they would take his four eldest daughters for the second term, and our dear old nurse, Delia Quinn, was engaged to take care of our Mother and baby Agnes, who was only a year and a half. Henry was now five and a half and would not start in school until the following year.
 
Fan was eleven, Cecile ten, I was only seven and Pauline only four and a half years old. But the house had to be quiet, and they begged the nuns to take us. They said they had never had anyone as little as Pauline, who could not even dress herself. But Papa told the good Sisters that if they would take us, Fanny would take entire charge of little Pauline (you will see later how she fulfilled this duty) and Cecile would look after me, so they consented.
 
I was not very strong myself, having only recently recovered from diphtheria. I had a very poor appetite, and had to be tempted to eat with bits of steak and breast of chicken at home. Papa took us then on the train to the school in Marinette, about 25 miles north of Oconto, and he and Grandma Cole drove up in the spring several times to visit us when the weather got nicer ... Polly and I were the youngest children in the school, and they babied and spoiled us a bit, I think. I was so fussy about eating, and I can see the nun holding a piece of candy in her hands, promising it to me if I would only clean up my plate! We had our meals at long tables in the refectory, and at one of them, I think it was the evening meal, or supper, we were not allowed to talk, but had to listen to one of the Sisters who read aloud. I was ill for while that winter too, with jaundice of all things! (I was a homely little yellow thin child in those days), and. I can remember lying
in bed all day in the infirmary, trying to amuse myself and pass the time by learning to say the alphabet backwards!
 
The old convent a little garden all enclosed with a high wall, there we would walk on pleasant days during our recreation periods, there was a little house in it called an "arbor". For a long time after, I used to think of those days at the convent, and the garden seemed to me as a child to be quite a large one, but in the summer of 1930 we drove over there one day from Qconto and went by the Convent, and it really was not large at all, it was quite small! Like David Copperfield's beloved Tarmouth when he went back to it as a young man,  after not having been there for eight or nine years. One's world in childhood days is such a small world.
 
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We sent the summer of 1894 at home, I think, for Kathleen was born in June, and the Lake was no place for a small baby. Mama was not well that summer and kept Miss Quinn on as nurse, and in the fall it was decided only Fanny and I would go to St. Mary's in Marinette. Cecile was a "big girl” of eleven now and could help look after the little ones at home. (Forty-seven years later, when our house in Oconto was sold, old letters of mine written at school this year were found in a desk at home. I did not go to Oconto when the furniture was divided, but asked Aunt Polly and Cecile to secure several pieces for me, tile big bookcase, and Grandpa Cole's old secretary, which I had refinished here in Toledo by Mr. Wilhelm). Aunt Kathleen kept the letters and gave them to me a few years ago. I enjoyed reading them. I thought them not badly written for a child of eight, so I am copying them for my own children and grandchildren. One included here is an original, to show you that my handwriting was pretty good for a small child.
 
When we came home in June, our darling Mother had only a few weeks more to live. She was taken to the hospital in Menominee for an Operation (This is in Michigan, but just-across the river from Marinette, Wisconsin), and never recovered. Everything went black for me. I do not remember anything of our life for many months after, when we found ourselves living in our grandmother's house after her death, which was the following November. Miss Quinn was now our housekeeper, and nurse for our baby Kathleen.
 
105
Letters written by 8 year old little Helen Cole to Mother, Father and Grandmother from boarding-school in 1894-95
 
St. Mary's Institute
Marinette, Wis
Sept. 16, 1894
 
Dear Papa -
 
As I have not written to you yet I will do so now. How is Grandma, I hope she is well, and you too. When are you and Mamma coming up to see us, I hope you are coming soon, tell Pauline that she and Cecile must write to me, and Mamma too. I have not very much to say so I think I will close. So Good bye,
From your loving
Little Helen
 
0 (kiss)             kiss each one
0 from Fannie                           for Fannie
0 from Helen                                        and I
 
 
                                                Sept 22, 1894
 
My dear Mamma-
I received your loving letter the other day and was very glad to hear from you. Fannie received a letter from Grandma, she said that Papa went to Green Bay. have you got a sewing girl yet. Tell Cecile she must write to me. Does Pauline and Henry like to go to school. We are going to have a interterment  today for Rev Father Fox. I have not any more to say today so I think I will close. So Good Bye. From your loving little
Helen
 
P.S. My dear Mamma, I sent my last week's composition. I know you will like to read it.
 
106
 
A River                                                                                    September 15
 
I see on this picture, some trees, a house, some bushes, a boat, a man and a lady in it, the trees are tall, and very wide, the house is covered with bushes and the trees are pretty, there are lots of flowers on the bushes.
 
Helen Cole
 
Sept. 30, 1894
 
My darling Mamma-
 
I thought I would write you a few lines to let you that I am well and hope you are the same. How is Jessie O’Keefe that she don’t write to me. Fannie and I are all well. Did Misses Martineau come back from St. Louis yet. Rev Mother is coming to Marinette Tuesday and we are going to have a little intertinment for her. Mrs. And Misses Porter came up to see Babe Saturday and they are going home to day. I wrote to Cecile and told her all the news I could think of. There is a fire here the other day. Tell Pauline and Henry to write to me. Cecile sent our proofs up to Marinette yesterday, Fannies, Mine, and one of Pauline’s  I think I will have to close so will say good Bye. From your loving little
 
Helen
 
                                                            Oct. 7, 1894
 My dear Mamma-
 
I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know that I am well, and hope you are the same. Rev Mother said she thinks I am a nice little girl. She went away to Milwaukee last Friday afternoon. When is Grandma coming  up to see us. I have not very much to say to-night. So I think I’ll close. From your loving little
                                    Helen Cole
 
For You           Kisses from
For Papa                      Fannie and I
For Cecile
For Henry
For Pauline
For Agnes and the Baby
 
Oct 14, 1894
 
My dear Mamma-
 
I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope you are the same. There are twenty-two borders here now, a new border Came here some time last week from Chilton, and one of the old borders came back last Tuesday noon, her name was Clara Bottkol. We have Mass in the Chaple nearly every morning now. I received a letter from Jessie O'Keef last Wednesday and her birthday was the 9th of Oct, and I also received a letter
from Jennie Davis last Thursday. I wrote to Grandma today for the first time. I have not any more to say so I think I will close so I will say good bye. From your loving little
Helen
 
October 28, 1894
 
Dear Papa-
I thought I would write you a few lines to let you know that I am well and hope you are the same. Fannie received a letter from Grandma Saterday, and sent her a peice of Cecile's dress, and each of us a little flower, it is getting very cold up here now.  The leaves have fallen off of there trees. When are you coming up to see us again. Tell Mamma to send up our rubbers soon.  Why don’t Pauline Henry and Cecile write to me. Their  are 23 borders here now. Rev Father Lochman was here Friday and said mass in the Chaple for us. Ask Mamma to send up some envelopes and writing paper to us? I have not any more to say today so I will have to close so I
will say good bye. From your loving
little daughter Helen
 
Answer soon.
 
                                                October 28, 1894
 
Dear Mamma-
Did Lulu Martineau and her Grandma come back from St. Louis yet. Fannie and I are well. We go for walks nearly every dry now. Tell Pauline and Henry to write to me soon. Do they go to school every day now. I will say good bye, from your loving little
Helen Cole
 
November 1, 1894
 
Dear Mamma- I received your pretty hood and I know  it is going to be so nice and warm on a cold day and my overshoes will be very snug. My  brown hat looks real well yet, dear Mamma many thanks for all the pretty things from your loving
Little Helen.
 
                                                            Dec 2, 1894
Dear Mamma –
 
As Sunday is here I shall write to you again. As last Thursday was Thanksgiving  we had a very nice time.
 
We slept quite long in the morning  of Thanksgiving as soon as we were going to get up  one of the sisters opened the door  and out in the passage the big girls played for us.
 
We had a very nice dinner too that is
Turkey & dressing
Cramberries
Mashed Potatoes
Gravey Brown
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Turnips, Cheese, Celery, Olives
Pumpkin Pie
Oyster Supper, and Candy Pull
 
Right after a nice dinner we went to the dam for a nice long walk. We spent a very nice day Thanksgiving.
 
It is only three more weeks before Christmas.
I have not any more to say so I will close so good bye.
 
From your loving little
Helen
Answer Soon.
 
                                                December 2, 1894
My dear little Brother,
As I have not written to you since I was here, I shall do so now.
 
I wrote Pauline quite a long letter last Sunday, so I shall write to you this Sunday.
 
We slept long in in the morning of Thanksgiving, as soon as we got up from bed one of the Sisters opened the doors and out in the passage all the big girls played for us. We had a very nice dinner for Thanksgiving. In the afternoon we took a long walk to the dam.
 
Fannie received Grandmas letter yesterday evening and was very glad to hear from her.
 
I have not any more to say so I will close so goodbye.
 
From your loving little sister
Helen
Answer soon
 
                                                            December 2, 1894
Dear Mamma-
 
As Sunday has come again, I shall write to you. Fannie received your loving letter Friday and was very glad to hear from you.
 
Fannie wrote to Grandma Friday afternoon, she said she would pray for her. I have finished three doylies and have just commenced another one Friday night.
 
Christmas is coming very soon. I expect Pauline, Henry and Cecile will get quite a lot from Santa Claus.
 
Fannie and I are well and I hope you and papa and the Children are the same. I have no more to say so I will have to close so good bye.
 
From your loving
Helen Cole
Answer Soon
 
Jan 6, 1895
My darling mamma,
 
I received your loving letter and was very glad to here from you. Fannie also received your letter.
 
We were very much surprised to hear that Kathleen had another abscess in her left ear and a cancor sore mouth. I hope she will better soon. Did Pauline and Henry start to go to school yet?
 
Christmas week beginning with Wednesday we had a grab bag of coarse I wasn't here but the girls had one, one of the girls about Fannie's age got a potato doll. Thursday the girls played
games. Friday we had free and the priest came over and we had a little intertainment for him. Saturday the Christmas tree was untrimmed and I told you the things I got but I forgot to tell you that I got a sacred heart scapular. Monday we played "cash-cash," and this is the way we spent our Christmas week in the evenings.
 
We dear Mamma as I have no more to say I will close, so good bye,
From your loving
Little Helen
 
P. S.
Will you please send me some more doilies?
 
                                                                        January 21, 1895
My darling Mamma,
As I promised you that I would write to you this Sunday I will do so.
 
Fannie and I slept Saturday morning and I slept a little longer than she did I slept till eleven o'clock and Fannie slept a little while after half past seven and just as soon as I got on my skirt  Sr. Superior came up stairs and washed and combed me and put on my gray  dress because Fannie was mending my blue dress. And afterwards she asked me where I wanted to go to the study hall or kichen and I said the study hall, as soon as I got in there Fannie gave me a piece of candy and a banana I did not eat the banana until after dinner I ate four cups of suip for dinner and eight crackers.
 
Did you get home all right Friday night, did Henry go to sleep on the train, I suppose he was sleeply when he got home wasn’t he and also you?
 
Sr. Superior gave me some of Dr. O’Keef’s medicine before I had my breakfast yesterday morning.
 
 
Well dear Mamma I think I will have to' say good bye with lots of love and kisses I remain your loving daughter
Helen Cole
 
P. S.
This picture is from Sr. Superior to Henry. Sr. Superior sends love to you. Saterday we had examination. We took the things off of the Christmas tree Saturday night and I will tell you the things I got, A pink stocking of candy, a little white needle case, a Scapular from Sr. Sup, a little Medale and a Gospel and a Holy picture. How is Grandma and the children I hope they are well. Well dear Mamma as I have no more to say I
will close so good bye.
From your loving little
Helen,
 
March 3, 1895
 
Dear Mamma-
I was so sorry to hear that you were sick, in bed, and I hope you will soon be better.
 
Aunt Jennie was up here to see Genevieve and also Mrs. Joannes, and Mrs. Murphy and they called Fannie and I down to the parlor.
 
Last Tuesday evening all the girls had a masquerade among them selves. They had Uncle Tom's Cabin and Fannie represented Eva. Four young ladies got the prize. They also had Coxey's Army. I was Page to Miss Grace Armstrong the Godess of Coxey's Army. After the Sisters saw it we went over to Father Richard's and sang him a few songs. He also sang for us, and after a little while he gave us a treat, we enjoyed the evening very much.
 
We have the stations of the cross only once a week on Friday.
 
We dear Mamma as I have no more to say I will close, hoping to hear from you soon. I remain your loving little
Helen
 
St. Mary's Inst.
May 9, 1894
 
Dear Grandma-
 
I thought I would write you a few lines to tell you that I am well and I hope that you are that same. I am in school now. I went out for a walk this Afternoon, we do not go very far. How is little Henry and Agnes, does Mamma go out very often. It is a nice day to-day, we wore our hats Sunday and we liked them very much. I think I will close.
From your little
Helen
Kisses for
Papa, Mamma, Henry, Agnes, Grandma
 
[Photo Caption: The mother of other days, even with
unbounded devotion, was unable to
guard against diphtheria.]
 
Mrs. Cole was an artist, an accomplished musician, a model wife and mother, devoted to her children, self-sacrificing and seemed to live for others, finding happiness in the enjoyment of those about her. She was a most devout Christian, and her religion was a joy ever constant and which made her last moments so beautiful. She was conscious to the last and bade loving farewells  to those of her family who stood by her bedside.
 
The body was brought to this city late Monday night, and the funeral held from St. Joseph‘s Church on Thursday morning, three priests being in attendance, Father Lachman, celebrant,
assisted by Fr. Valliant of St. Peter’s Church, and Father Cleary of Menominee. The Society of Christian Mothers, of which deceased was a member, being pre sent in a body, and formed in line upon either side of the walk from the church to the street, as the funeral
party passed into the sanctuary.
 
Floral tributes were profuse and beautiful. A handsome pillow inscribed “Mama" from the children, three crosses, gates ajar, a broken wheel, lilies and palms, cross and crown. Mrs. Harteau, of Green Bay, who sang at the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Cole, sang at the funeral. Her selections at the latter were "Jerusalem, my Happy Home” and when we shall Dwell with Angels Bright."
 
The pall-bearers were Messrs. W H Grunert, James DonLevy, C L Keith, M P Bellew, T H Phelps and A M Martineau. The following relatives from other cities were present: Mr and Mrs
 
[Page 116 Missing]
 
Aunt Lizzie also gave the copy to me that she had of the beautiful obituary which was in the newspaper when Mama died on July 8, 1895.
 
”No similar event ever came to the people of Oconto with keener sorrow than the death of  Mrs. H U Cole at the hospital in Menominee, on last Monday evening where she had arrived for treatment but a few days before. Friends knew of her illness but were not prepared for the sad news which has cast so universal gloom over the community.
 
Mrs. Cole was born at Green Bay and when but a child came with her parents to Oconto. In the autumn .of 1881 she became the wife of Henry U Cole, the wedding being a most prominent social event, for the date, October 9th, was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the marriage of Mr. Cole's parents, and both were celebrated together. Rev. Father Schwebach conducting ceremony at St. Joseph's Church, where the people came out in great numbers, and the reception which followed was an occasion long to be remembered.
 
Five years later they moved into the Luby house on Section Street, where they have since resided and where eight children were born to them the eldest Fannie now twelve years of age, and the youngest the baby thirteen months. Two years ago they lost a little girl at the age of two years and six months.
 
[Page 118 Missing]
 
Joseph Hoeffel, father and mother of the deceased, Louis and James Hoeffel, Joseph Hoeffel Jr. and wife, Mrs. Thomas Joannes, Mrs. Mary Smith, Fred Heath, all of Green Bay, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hoeffel of Chicago, Peter Hoeffel and Mrs. James Ritchie of Appleton and James and Lizzie Murphy of Marinette.
 
The internment took place at the Catholic cemetery, and the procession was one of the longest ever witnessed in this city. The children will not be separated, for the family home will be maintained. Miss Delia Quinn, in whose care the children were left during Mrs. Cole's last illness, will be installed as housekeeper. The many friends of  the family extend deepest sympathy in this time of affliction.
 
_________
Grandma Cole's health had also failed since dear Gus's death three years before. They had been devoted to each other for 36 years, and everyone who knew him (and everyone seemed to know him in Oconto) always said that no kinder or better man ever lived than Augustus Cole. He never fully recovered from an injury to his hip that he sustained when he slipped on the icy walk in front of the house, as he was assisting a lady into her sleigh. Grandma had been forced even to give up her daily drives and was confined to her big room in the east wing downstairs, with the pleasant bay window facing south. She had with her besides her faithful cook Annie Arndt, who had been with her for over twenty years, a companion and nurse, Miss Julia Lakin. I cannot remember Grandma Cole very well either  - I have only a faint picture of her in my memory- dressed in a long sealskin coat and widow's weeds.  I thought she looked so aristocratic with the black bonnet lined at the top or front with a white narrow band, and the long heavy black crepe veil draped long at the back. Her old friends, Mrs. Goodrich, Mrs. Phelps and others, never tired of telling what a "fine lady" she was, and one can see that, from her pictures. She had beautiful clothes and lovely jewels, the latter were divided by papa among us girls. She died 26 November, 1895, about four months after our mother.
 
Before I go on with our own family story, I want to stop and tell about our dear friends the Goodrich family. Timothy and Mary Goodrich were also from New York state, and they were Gus's and Franks very best friends, and close neighbors, and later after Tim's and our grandparent’s deaths, Mary Goodrich was always wonderfully kind and good to all of us. They were partners with Antoine M Martineau, in the largest dry goods store, sort of a department store, located next to papa's drug store on the business part of Main Street.
 
When her husband died, Mary did her best to keep up her end of the partnership, and I don't think a day passed until her last illness, that she didn’t go down there to “keep an eye on things.” She had a lovely home, across the street on the next corner from ours, and their’s also occupied an entire block, with a large flower and vegetable garden in the rear. It was furnished unusually well, with beautiful pieces in walnut and mahogany  (lovers of antiques especially enjoyed looking at her things), there were wood or coal-burning fireplaces in every room almost, with handsome marble mantels. She had an unusually fine collection of lovely china and many times I have  spent enjoyable hours with her niece, Frances Magee, in examining these things, and also dining off of them at the many meals I enjoyed in their house. She never had any children of her own, but after she was widowed she was never alone, for she had plenty of relations to look after and she was kind and generous with them.
 
Julia Magee, her older sister, had been with her for many years. She had been formerly a school teacher, had been Papa's first teacher in a little private school of her own in the early days of Oconto. Julia was “death" on drink and no wonder (there were at one time about 25 saloons in this town of three or four thousand people, during the time when there were about six saw-mills in the town!) she was always lecturing on the subject of temperance, yet sometimes at the table would be their poor, brother Charley, who was anything but sober most of the time.
 
Then there was Frances, another one she befriended, who was Charley's daughter and motherless. She brought her up, sent her away to good schools, took her and Julia on a trip to Europe, and gave her every advantage, but poor Frances never did come up to her hopes
 
122
and Expectations. She only lived a few years after her father and two aunts died, so finally all those lovely things were sold and the family died out in Oconto.
 
Whenever we came home on visits, one of the first things we were required to do by long custom and tradition, was to make a call on Mrs. Goodrich. But it was a duty that I always enjoyed, for although I was always a little in awe of her, she was such a "stickler for good form” and especially good English and no slang allowed in her presence, yet I always loved her and she was very kind. When Frances was home, she and Julia loved to give big parties for her, and such good things we would have to eat, such feasts at the long table that stretched the whole length almost of the big dining room. And how poor "Biddy” (that was our pet name for Julia) would tremble with excitement and nervousness, many times the coffee cups would shiver in her hands, and we would watch fascinated to see whether or not the coffee would be safely poured.
 
Both Julia and Mary dressed always in the styles of the 60's and 70’s, with long full skirts and tight bodices buttoned severely up the front to the neck, and little bonnets tied under the chin and also the shawls of this period. They modified their niece's costumes to some extent, but even poor Frances's clothes were always just a little different! I remember she wore high buttoned shoes and sashes long after we had discarded them. When they travelled in England, the people in London must have thought they were Betsy Trotwood and Dora's Aunts come to life again!
 
[Page 123 Missing]
 
125
They were true Victorians, and never took to modern ways.
 
We were very sad when we learned that Mrs. Goodrich was dying of pneumonia, we went to see her, and she wept when we said goodbye to her for the last time. And when we went out of her bedroom, Miss Magee broke down, put her arms around us and cried bitterly, she told us how they both had always loved us all. Except for our Father, they were the last links with the old, old days of' Grandpa and Grandma' s life in Oconto.
 
No wonder Papa went to pieces, he must have been lonely and heart-broken, to lose four of his closest and most beloved ones within the short space of three years. We hardly ever saw him now, he would go hunting deer in the season, on fishing trips in the summer, off with his horses driving wildly about the countryside, leaving his business in the hands of strangers whom he hired, went off spending-his time with people we did not even know, and finally, about three and a half years after our Mother had died, brought home as our stepmother a complete stranger to us all.
 
One day, I remember, shortly before Christmas, when I was a little over twelve years old, I was on my way home to our noonday dinner from school. I wanted to see Papa. I was in a furtive way rather afraid of him, he was strict with us, but I loved him deeply. So I stopped in at the store that day to see if he happened to be there, and he was,
 
126
I found him sitting at his roll top desk in the swinging chair, beside the huge stove in the back of the store, he had' to be there while his druggist went home to his own dinner.  I jumped up on his lap, and asked him what he was going to give me for a Christmas present. He said, "I ‘m going to give you a new Mother." I said, "Miss Quinn?", for we all loved her dearly and did not want her ever to leave us; but he said, "No, someone else." I rushed home crying all the way, and burst in on dear Miss Quinn and told her the news, but she already knew and was crying herself. So again our home was broken, a complete stranger, an alien, came in and it was never the same again. Soon we began growing up very rapidly it seems to me now, and we were all anxious too to
leave that broken, unhappy house and go out and find each one of us, one for ourselves.
 
I asked Aunt Lizzie while I was first writing this memoir, a few years before she died in her eighties, to tell me a little about our mother's life and our home life when we were all so little.
She wrote me a letter in reply,
 
"Your mother's marriage and her death were the high lights of her short, busy life. In her thirteen married years she had eight children and they were her life, end took all her life, which she gave voluntarily. She never had a trip, no social or neighborhood life, never got out alone, seldom as far as
 
127
my house. Henry sealed her lips, so I respected his wishes, as she did, and never knew anything personal in her life. Grandma Cole rode out there daily, so she kept in touch, I presume. Aggie was religious and a wonderfully sweet, kind mother, and her early death was a tragedy. Her spirit had permeated her daughters, and carried them through a motherless childhood to a fine womanhood and motherhood."
 
Cecile remembers our Mother very well and has told me another story. Our Mother and Aunt Gen were very close, dear friends, and maybe she saw more of Syl’s wife than of Aunt Lizzie. Everyone always said that our Mother was devoted to her family, but I know she had trips and good times, went to parties, and always had good servants to help run the house and help with the children. On the contrary, my Uncles have said that Aunt Lizzie loved to go out a lot and there was a difference there in outlook and daily living. My father always despised gossip and any interference in his affairs was simply impossible. Every human being has his own “boundaries" and it is best not to try to peer into what is private to each person. Some of our relatives were inclined to "peer” and “the Cole girls” got the reputation of being "very close-mouthed" we heard later that one of the aunts remarked, "you simply can't pump those Cole girls."
 
Cecile told me she remembers well our Mother going to parties and having lovely clothes, she had a full-length sealskin coat and cap my father had given her and it must have been lovely with her chestnut hair. She was very beautiful
 
128
as you can see by her pictures, and  her goodness and  spirituality made her even more beautiful. My cousin Paul Hoeffel told me he remembers well the day our Mother died, he was about twelve. He said they were all broken-hearted, no one who was close to her ever recovered from that awful blow. Paul told  me that our Cathy resembles her more than anyone and I am so happy about that, and I can plainly see the resemblance now that he pointed it out to me…. Hers was a short, happy, beautiful life.
 
Cecile told me other interesting things about that time. She said one day Mama told her to hurry, hurry Cecile go get my dress from Mary Corboy, or I will be late to the party.
 
When we were all little, and living on Section Street, we had a cook whose name was Amelia Olson and a nursemaid named Tina (Teena) Christiansen. Many years after, when Cecile was married and  was raising her young family, Amelia, now for a long time married herself and with
a family of her own came to Oconto one day (she lived in the country on a farm not many miles away, Oconto was the seat of  the county) and enquired if there were any of the Cole “ children” still living in Oconto. They told her of Cecile, so she went to call on her, and when she told C. who she was C was of course very much surprised. Amelia came in, and they had a good visit, and Amelia told her many interesting things of her life with us when we were all little (like in the steps and stairs picture) … She said that even then, as a young child, Fan was domineering, wanting to “grab" everything for herself and treating the rest
 
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of us as if we were “pore white trash.” Our parents tried to eradicate this trait but no one ever succeeded in doing so, she has always been utterly selfish and cold of heart….
 
A few years later Cecile also met Edmire and Stella Quinlan (the latter married Earle Murray and lived in Green Bay). Edmire never married, she became prominent in Catholic Women's clubs, and in 1942 was elected one of the Vice-Presidents of the National Council of Catholic
Women. Jess Early and I met her here in Toledo at a convention and had short talk with her.
 
The Quinlans were from Menominee, Michigan, and were good friends of Aunt Lizzie's while she lived there, their father was a prominent lumberman, and they were at St. Mary's in Marinette while we were there. Much to Cecile's surprise their impression of Fanny even in those early days was the same as Amelia's. While the four of us were there, Fanny had been instructed by Papa to look after Polly, who was the baby of the school, and the Sisters only took her in because
Fanny was to look after her, dress her, bathe her and take entire charge. Yet, as soon as Papa went home, Fan neglected her charge of the little one, and tried to force Cecile to look after both Polly and Helen. The Quinlans remembered this all those years. Fan’s selfishness had made such an impression on these nice girls.
 
In later years, after our mother's death, and while Delia Quinn was our housekeeper and baby Kathleen's nurse, we went to day convent school in Oconto. Papa would tell us to keep together as
 
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we walked to school, and to go a certain way so that we would be safe (although there were no cars of course, just horsedrawn vehicles in those days. On bad days, I mean in bad weather, he would always come for us in the carriage or send Albert for us. Cecile says that as soon as we were out of sight of the house, Fan would say to her, “now we will go this (another ) way today, I don't care what papa says. If you don't want to come with me, you can take care of  ‘them’ yourself. She repeated this many times, but finally one day Cecile rebelled against her tyranny, and said she would tell Papa about everything, and she did. She made trouble for everyone, she was utterly incurably selfish.
 
When Miss Quinn left us, Polly, Agnes and Kathleen were still very little and Papa said we older ones should look after the little ones at home, helping bathe them, etc, brush and wash their hair, do their mending, sleep in the same bed with our charge, etc. Fan was appointed to take care of Polly (or was supposed to), Cecile of Agnes and Helen of Kathleen. Although we older ones resented the presence of' our stepmother, we still had to endure it while we were home, and if you  care to know more in detail, read it in the appendix to this memoir.
 
Newspaper Clipping:
50 Years Ago, March 19, 1899
H. U. Cole has brought his steam
yacht from Berry Lake for which
he is building a floating boat house.
 
 
 
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Grandma and Grandpa Hoeffel lived in a big house in Green Bay, and we all spent Christmas there several times. There were so many grandchildren gathered together and so many grown-ups, that all the children has to be put at little tables, and the Aunts and Uncles were around the big table. Grandma Hoeffel was a wonderful story teller, and in the evening before we went to bed, she would gather us all about her, most of us sitting on the floor, and she in a big armchair, and she would tell us enchanting stories, some were about little “fairies” in Ireland, Leprecauns I think they are called by the Irish people, who have thrilling tales about these strange hobgoblins.  Grandma Hoeffel died about the year 1900, soon after Doctor O'Keefe's death, and Aunt  Lizzie went to live there with her family, and remained with Grandpa, until his death in May, 1906.
 
Uncle Jim was just about our favorite Uncle, he was my Godfather too, and never forgot that role. He was a bachelor for many years, and always seemed so carefree and happy. We would love it when he would come to our house, for after dinner he would always go right to the piano, and we would beg him to sing, and he would sing all the songs in his repertoire, such as "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true.” I wish I could remember the names of more of them. He accompanied himself principally by a series of various chords, with a light bass, but it always sounded very good, and he would act out his songs in an inimitable way, and how his eyes would
twinkle! Then he had a store of tales
 
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in French-Canadian dialect, and he would have to go through these too- about "ol’ man Pecor and his cow, and how she lay down on track, and the train she came and the train she go by, and my dow she say no more.” - and many more. That fun we would have when Uncle Jim came to our house! He was the youngest of our Mama’s brothers, he was born on April 1, 1863, and this was always a cause for merriment too! He was a gay bachelor until he was 43 years old. He was a shoe merchant in Green Bay for 50 years, but had no children.
 
When our darling Miss Quinn left us, she did not forget us, and we never forgot her, and we would see her once in a 'while; and many years later when we were all in Green Bay at Jessie’s wedding, we learned that she was very ill in the hospital, and we drove out to see her, and found he helpless with arthritis, she could not even lift her arms. We had a tearful reunion, and it was also a final parting from us all.
 
You can see us in the picture Dad took with his new camera, gathered together in the library at home. Cecile is holding “Curley” the little black spaniel, on her lap, you can just see his eyes. And there is another one taken on a lovely summer day, it must have been Sunday for we are all dressed up, and we are lined up in the yard inside the picket fence. Cecile is on her bicycle and Jess is there with us, all dressed in her pretty green silk dress and parasol. How I envied the girls that had nice mothers, who took an interest in their
 
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clothes, and in their friends, and gave them birthday parties, and surrounded them with love and happiness! We had none of these things. In the summers I often went to Jessie's house for visits and we were devoted friends.
 
We did not go to Berry Lake any more. My father brought his boat to Oconto and had a boat house built on the river in which to keep it, and in the summers we went on many boat rides out into the Bay and drove often to the Bay Shore for picnics and bathing. We had several bicycles and enjoyed riding on them on the quiet country roads for there were no automobiles then.  Dad got a nice gentle black horse called Jim whom we could drive ourselves in the single buggy and a light surrey with a “fringe on the top”. Jim had been bred to the saddle and Polly, Agnes and I learned on him to ride horseback.
 
As for me, and I suppose it was the same with my sisters, incredible as it seems we were brought up with no instruction whatever in the “facts of life". I had no idea, either, that money was to became an important factor very soon. When we needed clothes or things, we simply charged them, and when our friends started talking about going to college to eastern schools or to the University at Madison, I did not know that no such plans had been made for us. The bare brutal fact that we were to be thrust into the "world" almost unprepared was made evident to each of us, one at a time, in broad hints cast out by our stepmother. Our convent training did not prepare us
 
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for the world, nor did anybody. We just learned the hard way.
 
Cecile stood this cheerless life with a stepmother such as ours, for about five years. When she was not yet nineteen years old, she eloped one rainy cold November day in the year 1903 to Menominee, Michigan, with a lad whom we all had known for several years, Edward Huff Mullen, the grandson of the Huff Jones’ s who had been at our grandparents wedding anniversary reception. Our father was on a hunting trip and when he was told, he was quite furious. They were married by a justice of the peace and were re-married (if that is the correct term) a few days later when they returned to “face the music". Cecile was supposed to be making an effort to get a job to teach in a country school, and I guess she simply did not like the idea. He had no Job, had had several years at a military school, St. John's at Delafield, and we had known him for several years when he came to the house with Paul Hoeffel our cousin. He had a good voice and we used to all sing around the piano in the evenings, I playing the accompaniments. The Mullens were none too happy at their only son bringing home a bride, they had to live on his parents and grandmother until he found a job in the lumberyards. He  had been brought up in the Episcopal Church, and while they were living under the parental roof, for ten  years or more none of their children were allowed to go to the Catholic school. Their first child, Oakman,
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(named for the old friend of both families, "Oak Ellis”) was the first baby of our generation of the family.
 
Soon after Fan and Cecile finished the high school course at the convent, the Sisters discontinued these four upper grades, and the rest of us children were transferred to the public high school. I entered there in my junior year in September, 1903, and the following year, soon after my graduation in 1905, Fanny was married, and as she was the only one of us who had a big wedding. I shall copy the newspaper account.
 
Fanny had decided she would rather work in an office than teach a country school, as so many girls were doing then; she had tried it for a year and disliked it; so she, went down to Green Bay to a business school for a while. Later, while working at John Kittell's law office, she lived at our Aunt Lizzie's house. There she met Henry Patrick Conway, whom everyone called “Pat". He had been Horace's teacher at Saint Thomas's College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and when he came to teach for awhile at St. Norbert's in DePere, which is near Green Bay, Aunt Lizzie looked him up and invited him to dinner. They became engaged, and the next year he went to work for Ginn & Company, textbook  publishers at their Chicago Office, later he was put in charge of their middle western business in the Catholic schools. Pat was a fine fellow, a graduate of Dartmouth College, and a native of Old Town, Maine. Although he had worked his way through college, he made one of the best fraternities, Psi Upsilon, and made his mark in athletics and scholarship.
 
 
138
Following is an account of the wedding of September 5, 1905:
 
“One of the prettiest weddings ever celebrated in Oconto was that of Miss Frances Marie Cole, eldest daughter of Mr. Henry Patrick Conway of Chicago, at St. Joseph’s Church. To the strains of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, the bride on the arm of the father and preceded by the ushers, bridesmaids, and maid of honor, walked up the center aisle, and was met before the altar by the groom attended by his best man, where they were united in the sacred bonds of matrimony by the solemn and impressive ceremony of the Catholic church, the Rev. Father Selbach officiating.
 
The bride, who was beautifully attired in a dress of embroidered white lace over white chiffon and silk, with a veil of tulley was attended by her sister, Miss Helen Cole, as maid of honor, who wore a dress of white dotted net and white picture hat, and the Misses Jessie O’Keefe, Genevieve Joannes and Ella Davis as bridesmaids, wearing white net dresses with pink Dresden sashes and white chiffon picture hates, and carrying bouquets of pink daybreak roses. The groom was attended by Mr. Arthur C. Folsom, Jr. as best man, with Messrs E W Alexander, Louis Blanchard and John Case Taylor, ushers.
 
On entering the church, the beautiful bridal bouquet, a shower of roses and lilies of the valley, was carried by the maid of honor, and the bride carried a white prayer book, the gift of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Following the church service, the ushers, Messrs Ellis Shufelt, Will Noonan, Paul Hoeffel and Henry Cole, formed an aisle of white ribbons down which
 
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the bridal party, after a beautiful rendering of' the “Ave Maria” by Miss Agnes DonLevy, retired to the awaiting carriages which conveyed them to the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. H U Cole, where a reception and exquisite four-course breakfast at half-past eleven was served to about one hundred and fifty guests.
 
At the church the chancel had been beautifully decorated with potted plants and green, white and gold flowers, while each of the downstairs rooms at the bride's home had decorations in flowers of different colors: the parlour being in pink and green, the library in yellow, the  sitting-room in purple, and the back sitting-room in blue. Over the bride's table was formed a green and white bell of flowers hanging from the chandelier, from the sides of which were suspended the bridesmaids bouquets of roses.
 
After a honeymoon trip in the East, the couple will reside in Milwaukee.
 
About a year later they moved to Pat's headquarters, Chicago, where they had an apartment on Sheridan Road for a year or two. By that time I was his private secretary, and I remained with him at Ginn s for about five years.
 
In March 1919 their only child, a son named for his father was born, and soon after they moved to Wilmette and later bought a house in Glencoe still farther out the northern suburbs of Chicago, where they were living when Pat died after a prolonged illness in September, 1932 at Passevant hospital in Chicago. About ten years before Pat had become a member of the firm of Ginn & company.
 
 
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Mr. Thomas B. Lawler, an old friend and one of the senior members of the firm wrote a beautiful memorial to him, which was printed, and I will quote from it gives a fine description of his best characteristics:
 
“A striking note of Mr. Conway’s character was his broad culture. He read and loved the classics of Greece and Rome. To him the epic of Virgil was the Stateliest measure ever molded by the lips man. He read and re-read the best of the English works till they became a part of his very nature. He loved to browse and commune with the English worthies, far from the madding crowd.  On the other hand, he followed the world of sports with the keenest interest, especially of school and college. He strongly believed in the value of clean, virile sport for the up-building of the character of the youth of the land ... He appealed to and made friends of men of ideals, purpose and achievement. He was not interested in battles of cranes and pygmies. He loved the contests of Titans. He never carved cherry stones, he admired Phidias for the boldness of his conceptions and accomplishments….. He had a genius for friendship, and his untimely death showed how far flung was the company of his loyal friends. One of his classmates wrote, 'his appreciation of friendship was his finest characteristic  …. he loved nature and all her works, and never forgot the hills of old New England. It was therefore no surprise when he expressed a wish to be brought back for his final resting place to the land of the pine, the fir, and the hemlock. He often quoted with deepest appreciation
 
141
the line of the poet: ‘The groves were God's first temples.”
 
After I (Helen) left Ginn & Company I was in Oconto again for several years as secretary to Mr. Ellis, general manager of the Oconto (Lumber) Company, and later to Mr. Leavitt, his successor. I left them to accept a position as secretary and accompanist to Mr. Frank A Beach, Dean of' the School of Music at the State Teacher's College at Emporia, Kansas.
 
The following summer I accompanied Mr. & Mrs. Beach to Madison, Wis. where Mr. B.
filled Dean Dykema's post as Director of the School of Music at the University of Wisconsin for the summer session. There I became interested in dancing, having taken a short course at the University and decided to go to the Hinman School of Dancing in Chicago to prepare for teaching this subject. I undertook to do the two year course in one year, and graduated in the spring of 1916. I soon obtained a position as teacher at the Northwestern Conservatory of Music in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was there for a year and it was there that I met Joseph Sainton who was conducting the Municipal Summer Concerts at Lake Harriet, which attracted vast audiences; and in the summer of 1918 we were married and went to New York to live after the season closed.
 
Before I go on, wish to go back to that memorable year of 1914, when the great war broke out. I had come back to Oconto for a brief vacation, and I remember sitting one evening on the front porch
 
142
with my Father, and his saying how beautiful and peaceful it was there with us, and how hard it was to realize that a terrible war was going on in Europe. Little did I guess that all was not well with him, either, for at the time he knew that his heart was in a serious condition, he had told only one other person that the doctor had given him less than a year to live.
 
I came home again during the Christmas vacation as I had been invited to act as a bridesmaid at Jessie O'Keefe's wedding, which was to take place during the holiday season; but I had been back in Emporia only a few weeks when I received a telegram from Fan, who had been home some weeks as our Father had become very ill soon after Christmas; telling me to come home at once; we all arrived before he passed away, but he just barely knew me and could speak to me when I went to his bedside on my arrival, and he died very shortly afterwards. This was on February 9th, 1915, about four-thirty in the evening, just a little over twenty years after his beloved Aggie's death. I will quote from the newspaper account of the funeral:
 
"After an illness of but four weeks, Henry Uri Cole, one of Oconto county's pioneer residents, passed away at his home on Main street, about five o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. He had been ailing with what the physicians term chronic myocarditis, or inflammation of the membrane lining the heart which, during the past six months, developed into conditions that could not be controlled by medical aid. In his death
the community loses a kindly, generous
 
143
neighborly citizen, whose friendships went out to all alike.
 
Henry Uri Cole was born in Chicago on October 29, 1858, and when three months old came with his parents to this county, and settled in stiles, being among the earliest settlers there. When he was three years old, they moved to Oconto, where his father, Augustus Cole, for some years was manager of the Holt & Balcom mills. He was a county commissioner and in every way a man of affairs.
 
Deceased was fifty-six years of age, and up to a few weeks ago was about in apparently good health, the personification of physical vigor and energy.
 
Mr. Cole was a graduate of Lake Forest Academy and up till 1909 conducted a drug store here for many years, previous to that after his father's death having been for a time also engaged in the coal business. For some time past he had been retired. He was well and favorably known throughout Oconto County. He was a member of the Elks Lodge and at the obsequies today, the interment was made in conformity with the ritual of that order, after the pronouncement of the Episcopal burial service by Rev. Father Campbell of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who was formerly pastor of Saint Mark's. The funeral took place at noon today, at his late residence, Miss Janet Merrill sang “Lead Kindly Light” during the religious service. Interment was made in Evergreen Cemetery.
 
The pall-bearers were Messrs. P G Esson, S W Ford, C R Keith, Ed Milledge, M P Bellew and George R Hall.
 
On October 10, 1881, Mr. Cole was married in this city to Miss Agnes Hoeffel who died July 8, 1895. He was again
 
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married on December 19, 1898, to Miss Mary Magdalena Buchberger, who survives to mourn his loss, together with one son, Henry Uri Cole, Jr. of Chicago, and eight daughters, Mrs. H P Conway, Chicago; Mrs. E H Mullen, Foster City, Mich; Miss Helen, Emporia, Kansas; Misses Pauline and Agnes, Appleton; Kathleen, Fayette and June at home, and five grandchildren.
 
Mr. Conway and Mr. Mullen and Mrs. Elizabeth O'Keefe of Green Bay are here, besides all the children, to be present at the funeral.
 
 
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Copy of Record of Birth's, in our Mother’s Handwriting -
Agnes Cecilia Hoeffel and Henry Uri Cole
Married October 10, 1881
Births
 
Agnes Cecilia Hoeffel - Born     Dec. 23, 1860
Henry Uri Cole, Chicago           “          Oct. 29, 1858
       Children
Frances Marie Cole                  -           Aug. 3, 1882
Minnie Cecile                           -           Dec. 15, 1883
Helen                                       -           Aug. 9, 1886
Henry Uri                                 -           Apr. 26, 1888
Pauline Agnes                           -           Jly. 15, 1889
Florence Marguerite                 -           Apr. 10, 1891
         Died -
Agnes Charlotte                        Born     Sep 27, 1892
Kathleen                                   -           June 9, 1894
 
Agnes Hoeffel Cole,                 died      July 8, 1895
Henry Uri Cole Sr.                   “           Feb. 9, 1915
 
Augustus Cole,                         died      Feb. 8, 1892
Frances Davis Cole,                 died      Nov. 26, 1895
 
 
Henry Uri Cole, Sr.
married
Mary Magdalena Buchberger,   Dec. 19, 1898
Births
Lena                                         born     Jan 15, 1875
Fayette, child,                           born     June 15, 1902
June                                                     June 1912
Fayette,                                    died      Sept. 1919
 
 
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Diary of a High School Senior- 1904 [Helen Cole]
 
Jan. l .. Spent New Years Eve at Mayberry’s Reading “The Deliverance" by Ellen Glasgow. Very good. Work on my lecture.
 
Jan 4. Frances Magee’s party last night, Received present of lovely music from the singer – “Eliland" by Alex von Fielitz, Text in German, so I can practice my German as well as the very difficult music.
 
5th- Reading  “The Little Minister” by Barrie. Fine.
 
9th- School again. Reading "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come." By Fox. “ If one wishes to succeed to the full extent of his hope, one must throw one’s self without reserve into whatever he resolves to do"
 
15th- Plans for Commmencement begun.
 
20th- Fri. Mr Royce (our principal) entertained the Seniors at his home this evening. Elected new officers of O.H.S.L.S. End of first semester
 
23rd- Senior Class meeting, Martha Schedler Pres. for 2nd semester
 
27th. Eight senior lectures given this afternoon. I played "Adagio" to Moonlight Sonata also. P. sang “If I But Knew" Reading “A Castle Comedy".
 
Feb. 1. Mr J B Chase talked to school on the murder of Goebel. I played Rubenstein’s “Melody” Friday afternoon at Lit. Soc. program. Port Washington played Basketball here Thurs. night. Stayed to the dance. Seven Senior lectures given Friday.
 
148
Section 2 – Thursday, October 31, 1963
Oconto County Reporter
Editor’s Mailbox
Early Oconto Memories
 
Dear Sir:
As I told you in a recent letter,
When I sent you my article on the
"Old Swimming Hole", that I was
on a nostalgic binge on my memories
of Old Oconto. I hope I do not
bore you and your readers with
these Mignettes which I hope to send
you from time to time.
I am enclosing one now on "Cole's
Drug Store". It has long been out of
existence but in my day, it was like
the other drug stores, doing a thriving
business. But it was not because of
its, drugs that I look upon Cole's
with a grateful memory, but because
it had a profound influence
on my life for better music.
 
Sincerely yours,
Hugh B. Murphy.
 
 
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Mine one of them- "Richard doeur de Lion"
Genevieve Joannes visiting at Hoeffels.
 
13th – Mr. W.K. Smith talked at Assembly. 24 deg. below zero. Hugo Stoelting's organ recital Thurs. eve. Prelim. debate Friday P.M. Went to Elk's Dance at K.P.Hall Fri. night with Papa. Fine time.
 
Sat. at 4 P.M. Fan, Pat, John Kittell came up till midnight. Will (Noonan) and Agnes (Kelly) down too. Pat brought score of  Herbert's "Babes in Toyland” and I had to play it through of course.
 
19th. Pat & Fan staid till Monday morning Thawing. No school Wed. Went to St. Mark’s Guild Ball in the evening with Papa. Wore my lavender. Staid till 12. Worked hard Thurs. cleaning up my room from 8 to 11, slept down with Marion Friday night. Served for Mrs. Ferguson at a euchre party Sat. evening. Fine time, good eats. Martha, Gay, Sophia, Georgia and myself.
 
Sun. night same crowd served up at Mrs. MP Bellew's at euchre party. Played & won
3 games. Fine eats. About 60 played.
 
March 1. 1 AM, just got home from Bellew's. Had a wonderful time.
 
Mon. Mr. Holt gave a fine talk on "Forestry" this morning at school. "How's your pride?" Well, I never… Compensation …. Prelim. declamations this afternoon. Thurs. Cora Davis first. Agnes (Don Levy) sang “Toyland", accompanied by me. Mr. Royce rated me on my behavious- yawning in physics class (he teaches it).
 
Sat. served at Mrs. Jones reception at Mullen's. Miss Best called with Mrs. Best Baby Mullen in short clothes. (Oakie)
 
150
 
Newspaper Article:
Cole's Drug Store
I wonder if there are  many persons
still living in Oconto who remember
Cole's Drug Store? There were two
other drug stores in town equally well
known, Fords and Luckenbachs, but Cole's
stands out in my mind because in addition to
handling drugs, filling prescriptions, etc., it
had the agency for the Victor Talking Machine
which had recently come on the market.
 
 At the time Cole's received  this agency,
I was a freshman in high school,  about sixteen
years old  and a friend of Henry Cole Jr., son of
the owner of Cole's. The store was located just east
of the Goodrich &
Martineau Department Store. now
Lauermans. Mr. Henry Cole, Sr., the
owner of Cole's, had other interests, and
was seldom around,  so the management
of Cole's was turned over to L. M. Young,
recently from Cadott, Wisconsin. He was an
experienced druggist and a very and amiable man
or he wouldn’t have tolerated the gang that hung
out there every afternoon after school and in the early
evening hours. hours. The reason for this affinity
for Cole's was to listen to the most
wonderful music we ever heard coming from the
Victor Talking Machine thru its large morning
glory horn. The machine was mounted on an
oversize safe at the back of the store right next to a
large coal stove. What a sanctuary for
cold winter days!
To advertise the machine and the
records to the customers of the
store, “L.M.", as we called Mr.
Young, was anxious to keep the machine
playing as much as possible
so he had young Henry and his
friends play the machine whenever
they were around- and that was
pretty much of their spare time.
This arrangement proved to be tail
That wagged the dog. In no time
there was a  select group of young
fellows ranging in ages from sixteen
to twenty-five who were more than
willing to take on the chore of
keeping the machine playing.
 
Outside of myself and Henry Jr.
and a few others our age, most of
the helpers were in the eighteen to
twenty-five age group and were considered
the Beau Bruinmels of the town. Here are a few I remember:
Ellis and Carl Shufelt, Wilbur Ford, Chet Noonan,
Ed Mullens, Nat Ingram, Everett Post. Harry and
Charlie Keith, Mark and Dave Millberry,Ray Gilkey, Frank and Hugo
Lingelbach, and Charley Burke.
These young men about town became
so identified with Cole's that it
turned out to be the meeting place
for them and their dates.
 
In these days of juvenile delinquency,
I often think of the really sheltered life we teenagers lived in
the early days of the nineteen hundreds,
a few puffs on a hand made
cigarette of Bull Durham or an occasional
glass of beer, or a trip with our girl, when we had the
money, to Jack Carrs 01' Sawyers
Ice Cream Parlor for a  soda or a
dish of ice cream was about it for
dangerous living. Of course we had
mixed parties at friends houses
where we played Musical Chairs or'
Post Office, topped off  with party
food. Then we took our gir1s home
with a good night kiss which was
seldom more than a peck.
 
As for myself, I will always think
kindly of Mr. Henry Cole, Sr.,  and
Mr. L. M. Young for allowing me
to hear, at an impressionable age.
some of the great music and  great
voices or the time, such as Caruso,
Scotti, Calve, Melba, Schumann, Heink, and others.
This early age privilege stimulated my love for
good music to this day. If there
was a teenage problem at that time,
I was not aware of it, thanks largely
to Cole's and the simple pleasures of
the day.
 
151
Mar. 8th.  Beg. Lent. on Sunday Mr & Mrs. Bellew entertained 10 girls at dinner at the Beyer House, those that served at her party & Miss Best. About 13 more weeks of school!
 
Fri. eve. played cribbage with Miss Cramer (Librarian at Farnsworth Pub. Library). Learned the “Lost Chord" by Sullivan in singing Fri. morning,& started “Magnetism" in Physics class. I still can't learn it.
 
Mon. l3th. Spent evening in dark room with papa, developing his plates.
 
Wed. eve. visited up at Noonan's.
 
Fri. St. Pat's day, & the great Declam. contest with Shawano . Big night. Cora D. came second, Flossy (Badour) first. Hugh Murphy third. Shawano had no chance, but I liked one of their's "The Soul of the Violin".
 
Sun. Mar. 19th, Big Reconciliation. We practice music every morning now in the auditorium. I play the march. Called on Noonan's Tues. eve.
 
Wed. Gen. Charles King of Milwaukee large crowd in Auditor & in eve. crowd of us went to see him inspect Co. M. at Armory. Had 4 exams. this week. Worked hard.
 
Mar. 26th, Spring Vacation week. Today, Monday, a perfect day. Warm & sunshiny. Heavy date…. Lots of rain all week, River very high. We walked to bridges & gased at roaring river. Mrs. G T Porter buried Friday. All her children were here except two sons, one in Alaska, one in Cuba. Declam. contest with Gillett.We won, Cora D. 1st place. Big crowd. I played “The
Flatterer" V " Wireless telegraphy" and many messages …
 
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Apr 1st. Sun. Went to church 9 o' c. Went riding with May Thompson. Fan came, stayed till Monday morning. She is planning to be married in Sept.
 
Sun. afternoon we had a great many callers, all the girls, in the evening again ... Papa went to Detroit Tues. morn. Snowing, wet & disagreeable. B. B. boys went to Appleton Thurs. to enter state tournament at Lawrence Univ. Neva (Mayberry) brought me some lovely cake tonight.
 
Thurs. P M class meeting, Got our standings & Mr. Royce gave us our parts in the-class play "The 'Princess" (by Tennyson). Henry gave paper on "Growth of Oconto" at the Lit. Soc... Boys lost 1 game already. Papa got home from Det. Sat. morning. Sick with bad cold (me ).
 
Sun. 9th. Heavy date…. Agnes & I got some violets in the country in the afternoon, she stayed to supper, and the boys came down in the evening. B.B. boys came home early this morn. Did not get a place on the tournament. Class meeting Tues. & first reading of  "Princess" under Miss Post … Played cribbage for awhile with Miss Cramor, She smiles so sweetly & calls me "Sweetness.” We got our assignments for commencement. I shall play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, all of it, am working hard with Mr. Pellow. Wrote him concerning my music for Wed. night, as I have to play…. Read "An Iceland Fisherman" Weird but fascinating. Gand and Yann .. Fri. boys went to Marinette to play basketball. Mr Royee & Paul went with them, Lost.... Sat. morning before I was awake Prof. Pellow came and I was down talking with him in no time, broke all records …. Aunt Lizzie here.
 
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Apr.16. Will (Noonan) the unfortunate came near having a bad accident Sun. morning, falling through the church steps after Low Mass. I went up to see him in the afternoon, but the Bird had flown, they asked me to tea, and drank coffee for the first time in my life. Ellis (Shufelt), Agnes & myself besides family, had a fine time.. Sick Mon. & Tues, home but felt better Tues. night & went to see Miss C at Lib…Had a nice talk too. Merrill (Joe) Hoeffel here. Went to
Communion Thurs. morning. In the evening Will, Agnes & I went up to the 9:37 to see Glenne.( Emerson, of Menominee) Met  Mr. Taylor Jack's father .. Piano lesson Sat. am 9:45 1 hour, made heavy date for Sunday, would like to keep it, but-- Did the marketing Sat. night.
 
Apr. 23rd, Sunday, Easter. Lovely day, walking.
 
Mon. Very happy, a fine day.
 
Tues. Went to Bazaar supper with Agnes & Mary Cook. That girl is certainly a darling Roses. Practiced the Princess. Went to the supper again Wed. stayed till 10. Had fun. Made a nice mess with Neva, broke an engagement, hope she will let me fix it up. Jennie (Davis, Lou (Martineau) & I had cream with Chris. Thurs night good time.
 
Fri. night the crowd was there. Had good time with Will... Friday, Arbor Day. Book Reviews in p.m. Mr. Royce accom. Flossie Badour to Oshkosh where she speaks at Declam Contest, but did not get a place ... The big building near the Richard House burned  Sat. night. Took a walk to see it Sun. & Agnes,  Earl & I got the horse- white roses. Reading “The Marriage of William Ashen” by Mrs. Humphrey Ward
 
May 1st. Put on the decorating committee to decorate Audit. For Fri. night’s debate.
 
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Practise every night now, the "Princess”. Pat sent us some pure maple syrup from Vermont. … Played cribbage with Miss C. Monday night ... Sent out of Reviews class Tues, morning, Martha and I for laughing. Took Gertrude (0 'Keefe) up to train Mon. morning at 8; Papa went to Green Bay Wed. to see Fan …. Worked hard all week- good time decorating .. Fan came Fri. Took my lesson at 9 on Sat then went over to school. In P M Agnes, Neva, myself and other girls served at Nat. Biscuit Co's reception at the Armory, from 2 to 5. We had a good time. Carl was the Chef! Fan will stay home now. (I will explain the custom of those days of young girls "serving" at social affairs. Oconto was a town of 5,000 and at times quite gay socially. Most of the families on "Main Street" had cooks, but when they entertained in those days, the food was a most important item, it was always abundant and delicious, all prepared in one's own kitchen with loving care. So the young girls were asked to parties given for their mothers, and helped serve the refreshments (either at dinners or card parties) In this way we had a chance to go to many parties, and also had fun by ourselves (and in observing our elders) and, need I say, had perhaps more than our share of the delicious food- hot Parker house rolls, chicken salad, relishes, many kinds of cake, ice cream, etc.)
 
Sunday, May 7th- a beautiful spring day. Eva P. came to school this afternoon & went
to Marinette at 4. (Eva Pendleton, daughter of Frank Pendleton, son of pioneer lumberman,
they later moved to Oregon, he founded the town of Pendleton, Ore) …. Went down to
Don Levy's & had a fine lunch. Agnes asked me to play for her at commencement. Got the
lace for my petticoat & picked out pattern for my graduation dress, "Princess in Audit”.
 
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Everett Post and Nat Ingram were expelled from school. They and some other boys went out for a time Thursday night, heard W.N. was with them …. Wed. a great day, piano up in the auditorium, I play all the marches. Agnes & I practised her song up there at noon. Tonight had a dandy talk.. . I will fight your battles" ..... We do nothing but practice.
 
Fri.; am Reviews class visited grades, Edna and I in Miss Messenger's... In evening Mr. Royce took us down to Dr. Hopkln' s office where she. demonstrated the X Ray machine to us. Edna and I had picture taken of our hands. To ward’s after. A perfect day, wore a crash suit all day. Took lesson at 9 and "bummed" all day. Pat came at 4, Agnes and Earl & Will and I took a stroll.
 
May 14th …. Rained all day Sunday, we all stayed in of course. Pat still here.
 
Monday beautiful, Full rehearsal of Princess. Teachers of Oconto schools had banquet at Guild Hall.
 
Tues. P.M. Two actors came up to school and gave some readings .. Ernest Richard gave a
fine reading from Julius Caesar. Went to their show in the evening with Will, nothing extra…. My dress came Thurs. went to dance with Will at Armory Thurs. night. Fine time. Stayed till 2 A M. Fan there with Papa & Mama. Friday a dream day. Practiced in Opera House for first time from 3 to 6. Lots of fun but hard work. The music Thurs. night night was great, a harp orchestra from Appleton. Had one grand waltz ….Took a lesson at school at 8:30, practiced there till 10, then at Opera house till 12 ... Got a new hat and hate it and everything went wrong.. .
 
May 21st… Final examinations week. Agnes made her First Communion….Rainy. Spent afternoon at Kelly's and after supper we went to Noonan's.. Got our reserved seats this p.m. went to dressmaker's, Fan & girls
 
 
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went to show. Took my hat back and ordered a new one, Practice Tues, and 2 exams. Got our invitations. Carl, Martha and I got together and sent out a few. Slept at Agnes' Wed night.. German exam, Wed. (Our German teacher was Rev. Breitenbach, the next year he and my friend Miss Cramer were married, they went to live in Elmhurst, Ill, where he was Prof. in a German college, I had dinner with them several times)
 
Thur. Geometry exam. Music practice till 2:30, Princess Rehearsal at Turner hall. Fan is making my costume for the Princess. Fitting on my grad. Dress. All invitations out.. Agnes, Fan &  I went to organization of Humane Soc. at Sch. Auditorium. Presents began coming Sat. Silk stockings (my first!) from Bellews. Fri. afternoon when I got home about 6, found Mr. Ellis had sent me a gold watch! Got my hat Sat. Will didn't work all week, has bad cold. Took my lesson at H.S. Sat morning. 90 in Geom. 84 in Physics. Got a dandy letter from Miss Quinn!
 
May 28th-- Went to High Mass, a wonderful day ..Agnes stayed to dinner and in the after noon she and Carl and Will and I drove to Stiles with Noonan's big horse. Called at Colburn's but Jessie was not home. Got home at 5:30, spent evening at Davis's. Music practise at school Mon. morning. Did some shopping, then school again 1:30. Home all afternoon primping, went to Turner hall at 6 o'c, got dressed, Miss Post fixed my hair, and Mr. Spies made us up. The play a great success, even if Carl did have “fragrant” bouquets thrown at him, everything passed  off smoothly, a full house even if it did rain all day. Got loads of presents today ... Class night rehearsal. ..Got a pair of beautiful black silks.. .Went to Corboy's (dressmaker.)
 
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Got numerous presents, the whole bunch was on our porch to watch Decoration day parade, papa woke us up at 6 o'clock when he put up the big flag .... Got my dress, saw Martha' s presents    Went to communion Class night exercises went off fine. Juniors had a candy sale all day to raise money for Prom. Very warm, Mr. Ward entertained class of '05 at his restaurant after the exercises (we have been pretty good customers!)   But we had a fine time, Mr. Royce was there too. I do like him so much. My piece went pretty well, but blue because Papa could not go.  Agnes song went well.
 
Thurs. June 8, Commencement Day, Assension Day also…Tues. Papa went to OshKosh, am so disappointed, he won't even see me graduate.  Cooler tonight fine crowd, but I am not happy… Returned our books Fri. am. and had my diploma signed. Went to Junior Prom with Will, danced one waltz with Paul.  Pretty good time, wore my White voile. Took a lesson Sat. morning, beginning some hard work, Bach. Will took Agnes, Carl and me out for a grand ride in the country Sat afternoon, picked violets.  In the evening Clara and her friends called … Went riding in the country Sunday afternoon with “Darky” Pretty swell, will remember
 
Mon.  rained all day, went to Winniger Bros show with Will, also ditto Tues. evening.
 
Wed. went with Agnes, date after show" don't be in a hurry!
 
Thurs. beautiful day, dressed up and rode awhile. Fan went to Chicago
 
Fri. Agnes & I went with Mr Goode for a row and had a nice time. Went to show with Will. Cephas (Adams) was pretty much in evidence this week. Went to matinee Sat. with Agnes and evening show with Cephas. Members of cast of “Princess" were: Cora Davis, (Princess), Vina Germond(Blanch)
 
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…Clare Routheau (Queen),  Helen Cole (Melissa), Carl Shufelt (The Prince), Georgia Ingram (Lady Pysche), others in class: Martha Schedler, Everett Post, Edmund Classon, Ruby Sharrow, Mary Carroll, Agnes DonLevy, Edna Bridger, Tina Routheau and Marie Freund
 
The first Monday after school life is over. I've had one week of real vacation, now I am going to settle down! What am I going to do? I don’t know.
 
Winniger's here all day Sunday, did not see any of them, as they went to High Mass. (One of these brothers of this family theatrical troupe, became famous, he was Charles Winniger. Then he was the handsomest and youngest of the family, now he is quite fat. At the height of his success on the New York stage, he and Blanche Ring, the famous actress, were married) They were a Wisconsin family, from Baraboo, I think. Went to first lecture of Father Sherman's at our church (Fr. Sherman, a Jesuit, brother or son of the Civil War general, was giving a Mission for the week). Date with Will after. Went to Mrs. Adams Tues. eve. After lecture, had a fine time. She wants me to marry Cephas, but I do not care to do that. Mixed dates Wed after church, Paul went with me, so forgot about Ceph. They almost came to blows after. Ceph. went back to Milwau. and Paul went west to Spokane, Wash, next day. Party at Germond's after church Thurs. very warm. Will has quit working, looking very badly. Went to  lecture  & out to Mrs. Campbell's to another hen party after. Mae B. came home, also Frances Magee.
 
Fri. a grand, day,worked all morning mending. Fan came home at 4. Mae, Birdie, Will, Agnes &
 
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I went for a ride with “Darky” Bay Shore, etc. Date in evening, exciting time .... Fan blabbed about Goode affair. Sat. very warm, Agnes & I “ bummed”. (Mrs Goodrich hates us to use this word or any slang at all. The other day she gave Frances and me a very severe lecture on the subject, although poor Frances scarcely ever uses a slang word, especially within hearing of her aunts) Well the above word expresses a long aimless walk on a beautiful day, usually ending up with ice cream somewhere. Went for a lovely ride in evening with Will, Norine, May with “Angel”.. Smith girls home from Smith. (college)
 
June 18 - High Mass and very warm, dressed up in white voile, white shoes, etc. Met a Miss Doyle visiting Noonans. Ellis is mad at us, principally Agnes and Will. He'll get over it. Went to lecture with Will and Agnes, church was packed .. Mon, washed my voile in gasoline. Up Frenchtown in afternoon, fudge (we made it), but no ice-cream. Will had Fr. Sherman out riding. Mrs Bellew asked Agnes and me up for Wed. Will was very sick today and did not go to lecture. It was grand. Tonight on the Real Presence. Tues. afternoon Will had Fr. Sherman for a ride again. Was up to Mrs. Bellew's for a while then started “If I were King”.  Took Miss Cramer to the lecture concerning "Confession”, there was a band concert after, after which the whole bunch rode up Frenchtown in a dump-cart, “ice-cream & everything". Wed. Neva, Agnes & I served at a swell luncheon up at Bellew's. Covers for __. Met Fr. Sherman, he was guest of' honor, and played part of old Moonlight. Convent school had finishing exercises in P.M. Did not go. Took Frances Magee to lecture on
 
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Pope in evening. Had a dandy ride Thursday afternoon with May and Agnes. Evening, Fr. Sherman gave benediction and was last lecture. No date, Will went to  Green Bay yesterday and today. Rode in the country Friday afternoon, Agnes coachman. Twins (Hoeffel) went to Green Bay and Oskosh. Fr.Sherman left …. Saturday Eva P. was 15. She came to supper and stayed all night with me. Sunday very warm. German picnic, papa gone all day, very quiet, Carl and I walked up Frenchtown
 
Sun. & Mon dead, dull days. Miss Cramer & I wrote our initials in Rinehartrs cement walk Mon. afternoon & had sundae. Sewed all day Tuesday, never stirred till evening. Fan went to Green Bay to work a week for Kittell. We all went to train and had a dull heavy time after. Stayed with Agnes from Wed. noon till Thursday afternoon. Heavy date, icecream, etc. Will took us through the sawmill Wed. evening. Very interesting. Hugo Stoelting was up Thurs. evening. Went down to Cecile’s Friday, dull and damp. Expected to go out in boat, but Henry used it. Band concert in evening. Agnes and Carl and Will & I had a little fun… Heard today that Paul S. was in Seattle. Wash…Frances M. called.
 
July 1st..  Went up Frenchtown. Agnes made fudge, then she & I went to 4 0’clock train to meet Paul (Hoeffel?) We also missed a nice ride. Ellis took me home from down town and stayed about an hour. Said Jack was coming soon. Warned me not to get too interested in him, was afraid we might wish to marry, he said Jack might take after his father, and that he (his father) had treated his mother very badly, she was very unhappy. Jack is lucky to have a good mother, Ellis
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and Carl and we all lost our mothers … Fan and Pat came, train got in at 11:30.
 
Sunday very warm, Pat and I went to Low Mass. Visited Miss Cramer for awhile in afternoon, then read "Freckles". Will and Agnes down in evening. Worked hard all day Monday. Went to Fourth of July dance in the evening with Will, stayed till the "Home, Sweet, Home", 3 o’clock A.M. Had a wonderful time, harp orchestra. Had 5 dances with Hugo. How these Germans can waltz! Rained hard all night, but beautiful weather around 3:30. Slept till 12 on the Fourth and the four of us went to Bay Shore, dull time till 6. Date in evening, Hugo, long walk, "Queen’s walk" and around.
 
Wed. beautiful weather. Pat & Fan left at 8. Rained, but cleared up for the evening. Agnes, Carl, Will & I went to Grace Charlesworth Recital, very small crowd. Carr’s afterward; Agnes slept with me. Thurs. rained all day, Miss Cramer and I were going to Couillardville, but put it off. Up early Friday morning, another rainy day. Mrs. Scofield phoned Sat. noon asking Pauline and me over to meet Agnes Arnold’s friends the Brown girls from Marinette. It rained but we had a fine time in the house.
 
Sun. July 9- Billy Underhill and I had a row Sunday morning. Hugo phoned but we postponed the ride. A perfect day, went to confession and communion. Papa was gone on the river all day. The Mullens and our crowd were down in the afternoon. Carl and I went up to Noonan’s to lunch and after and had a fine time. Will and I walked down to the mill. The Brown girls and Agnes Arnold came over in the evening but I was not home. Polly saw them. Monday morning was going to take the girls rowing, but they were out riding. Mrs Scofield asked us down to dinner at the Bay Shore with them.
 
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Had a wonderful dinner and a good time. The girls went home at 4 o'clock. Agnes Arnold came over in the evening. (She was Mrs. Scofield, the ex-Governor's wife's niece, and a very attractive girl. She later marr1ed Frank Pendleton Jr. Eva's brother, and is living in Oregon) Mabel Hart had a launch ride, was not invited but Hugo S. telephoned and asked me to go riding. Had an elegant ride in which some things were squared … Tuesday was circus day in Menominee. Mama went. Raining of course. Was down to Cecile's in the afternoon and then she and I came uptown with Oakman. On my way home met Hugo and he came up and stayed on the porch till 6 o 'clock. Called on Frances M in the evening. Heard today that Asa Royce and Miss McDonald had resigned, and that Paul S. is in Bellingham,Wash. Mrs. Goodrich showed me her treasures. Agnes Duffy married Wed. morning. Will, Agnes, Carl & I had a little row Wed. evening. Will and I rowed way up to Holt's mill, the mosquitoes were awful.
 
Thurs. hot, Agnes, Anna and I had a sundae. Wind storm then went over to Ford's and played tennis with Hugo,Wilbur , etc. Pauline is 16 today.
 
Sat. Wilbur, Hugo, Mae and I played tennis. Miss Cramer, Anna, Agnes & I had a fine lunch in Miss C.'s office. Will & I and Miss C. went to soldier 's dance in the Armory in the evening, stayed till 2:30, good supper at Pierce hotel. Dead tired.
 
Sat. Had Oakman in morning. Bunch of us lunched in P.M. Nice and cool all day, but
we were all of us tuckered out.
 
July 16th. Sweltering hot day, 95 deg. in shade .Nearly prostrated, lay around all day trying to keep cool, Will and the crowd down in the evening, a glorious electric
 
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Storm. (I can see myself now- terrified but watching between the horrible crashes the huge elms in yard swaying back and forth. The parlor was all windows so it was not a good place to hide.)
Lunch at Ford's. (Miss Cramer had rooms at our neighbor's the Ford's, on whose former property just across the street from our house, the Farnsworth Library was built. So Wilbur “Shepherd” (as his fond mother called him) was about my age, we practically grew up together, but I never liked him so very well, and his poor mother used to scold me when we were little because I was not nice to little Wilbur, especially when he had his birthday party) I was up at 4 o'clock Monday morning. (Why, I do not know, except that sometimes I know we went horseback riding on old Jim at that lovely hour when it was cool) Pretty hot, and rained cats and dogs all afternoon.
Dressed about 5 and went down to Aunt Jen's and stayed to supper…. Tuesday, warmer than ever. The "Pierpont's went to the “Holy city" with Jack's after. Fine time. Wed. a little cooler. Pauline and I went for a dandy row in the evening. Thurs. cooler, certainly fine weather. Had a lonely row by my lonesome down the river about 5 o'c. Fan came home at 4. Papa went up the “line" on business. Went to a launch ride in the evening given by Ellis and Mr. Weise (I think, I can't make out the name clearly) A perfect night, and a jolly good time. Will didn't go. Stubborn or melancholy(?) Hugo and Helen under the stars, oh, it was lovely. Met a nice Mr. Walter Taylor from Chicago. We all went to the Guild Hall social after and certainly raised "Ned". That's where my little blue bowl came from. Home at 11 A.M. Sewed all Friday morning. Agnes came down. Band concert, but no Will,
 
 
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although I talked to him awhile over the phone. Went up to the train to see the soldiers come, home from camp. Rained Saturday, mad as everything, sewed all day.
 
July 23rd. Harry Heath (Aunt Jen's gay nephew from Louisville) came last night. Went down to Cecile's this afternoon, and Harry and Paul (Hoeffel) came up to our house and rang me up. Harry stayed for supper. Went for a little ride with Mabel (Landreth, who was visiting her aunt Mrs. L. up on Main Street, she was from Battle Creek, Mich. I think. The Landrethrs were "quite new in Oconto, he had come there to be manager of the new industry, the big pea-canning factory) and then she came back with me and spent the evening. Made my sailor blouse. Harry was up Monday several times. The twins came home at 4. Last day of Chautauqua. Neva and Lou M. went up to (Marienette) to see the “Little Minister". Will and Agnes came down Tuesday night, but I was cross, so there was “nothin doin”. Harry and Paul came up with Fan. Will phoned Wednesday noon asking for a date. Anna phoned too and asked me to serve at Laura Heath's wedding. Am going riding with Will Thursday night ...Saw Mr. Taylor today (Jack's father) and had a fine talk with him. Pat came Mon. night from 10 till 2 and again Wed. afternoon atpp 2 until 8 next morning. Rained all Friday. Agnes and I went out just the same. Had a lunch up in Allan's office. Agnes stayed for supper and the boys came down in the evening. No band concert. Rained Sat. too. Slept till 3:30 then went to Hoeffel's with the boys. Uncle Syl got his stock back. (He was a merchant, almost went into bankruptcy, but Aunt Jen's brothers &
 
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her rich  brother-in-law Thomas Joannes of Green Bay, paid off his creditors and saved the business. But he sold out in a year or two anyway, went to Green Bay to live with the family, starting in the Insurance business in which he did very well, and was active almost to the end of his long life, going to the office every day until he was over 80 years old.) I went over to Neva's (Neva Mayberry, she lived now in Martineau's former home, across the street from the house we lived in when our mother was living, and in which Aunt Jen and her family now lived. Neva and Paul were good friends from that time until she married George Averill of Milwaukee, where she went to live and has lived ever since. She never had any children, but from the beginning of her marriage was a club woman of the extreme type- bridge and D.A.R. absorbing most of her time), There are several picture of her in our row boat in my old kodak book, she was a lovely looking girl then.)
 
Then Harry came after me and took me home. Pressed my dress and Neva and I went up to Landreth's in the evening. Mr. Landreth has some wonderful records which he plays, he loves music, Neva & I do too.  Lovely day Sunday, all of us dressed in our best, went to High Mass and promenaded for a while afterwards. (It was very pleasant then to walk on a lovely day, one met practically everybody doing the same thing. The coming of automobiles spoiled this lovely feature of life in smaller towns.)  The Joannes family came, so saw nothing of Harry. Will came in for a little while, but left early… Worked hard Monday morning, dressed about noon. Went
 
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For a swell ride in A. Irene MacAllister’s “auto”. (She was one of the first of the “career” women in our town, and had one of the first autos, which were strange contrivances indeed; it was quite a thrill to have a ride of course, we usually swathed our heads in veils the dust was usually so bad, and, and we were lucky if we got home without a breakdown)… Had a little row down the river with Agnes, then strolled up to the Library with Paul and Edward (Mullen, Cecile’s husband) and Neva… Agnes, Mae, Nora and Anna (David) (all older girls in Fan & Cecile’s set) went to Green Bay on the “Northern” on a lark… Went down to Cecile’s…The Hoeffels and Neva were here. Called up at Ellis’s in the evening with Aunt Jen. Met Miss Jennie Ellis of Brockville, Canada.
 
I’m so lonesome, Miss Cramer said “good-bye” tonight, goes away tomorrow for a whole month.
 
August 1st. Pauline went to Kally Lake to visit this morning.. Saw Harry and Marion at noon. In the afternoon the twins, Harry  and I went up to call at Noonan’s. Came home about 4, then met the girls and walked back. We all went up to the train with Harry at 7:30. Dear, how we hated to see him go.. he kissed us all goodbye and we all had tears in our eyes….
 
Wed. a glorious day, wrote to Miss Cramer, and went out to pick wild flowers, got the most beautiful browneyed Susans and blue bells, my favorite “blue-bells of Scotland”. Agnes and I drove Mae and Anna around in the P.M. while they made a few calls. Saw the boys in the evening and went strolling. Ellis took my ring. (The amethyst Papa gave me when I graduated, left me by Grandma Cole.)
 
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Fan, Cecile and I were going calling Thursday afternoon, but Fan was sick so we didn’t go. Anyway, it rained… Agnes went up to Lakewood for a picnic with the MacQueen’s (neighbors). Martha and I were at Landreth’s in the evening. Mr. MacCartney came and entertained us with stories of the west. (He was the brother of the Presbyterian minister, they were both unusually brilliant, young and attractive. The minister, Clarence I think was his name has become very famous in his church) Heard cheering news of Paul.. Played games up in Landreth’s attic, ping-pong etc.. Hortense Joannes and Harry gave the Hoeffel’s a great surprise by coming down in the morning. It was a grand day and they had quite a lark.. Band concert, we all had lots of fun. Wrote to miss Cramer.. Jack Taylor and his friend from Boston (Jack had gone to school that year to  Phillips Exeter Academy at Exeter, New Hampshire and later, in Sept. entered Amherst college) came down on 2 o’clock train and left at 4:40 for Shawano Lake for a camping trip. Just saw them for a few minutes, Jack came to say hello.
 
Sunday, Aug. 6th, a grand day, went to early Mass, and slept after dinner till 3, Papa gone all day. Then took Oakman, Fayette and Agnes out riding, we went up Frenchtown and Agnes gave us a lunch. Date with Will in evening… Monday morning, Irene gave me a dandy ride and Fan one later. Papa went up the line on business…Fan invited to Ellis’s to tea Thursday. Went out and picked wild flowers, then took down Henry’s dinner.. Fan Cecile and I dressed up on Thues. P.M. and made a few calls. A grand day. Fan got her engraved wedding invitations, and as it rained on
 
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Wed. we spent the morning addressing some of them. Played ping-pong about 4:30 up at Landreth’s.. Pauline came home Wed. It was my 19th birthday. Having my room (the big front room upstairs with bay-window. I loved this room, it had a little alcove in which a beautiful old bow-end solid walnut bed, little walnut tables of my grandmothers, two big closets, and a lounge in the big window which made a sitting room out of it also. My mother’s old cherry desk was there  also, at which I sat to write this diary. The baywindow looked out on our beautiful lawn and the majestic elms which my grandfather had planted years and years before went three sides around the block, at night it was lovely in summer looking out those windows in the moonlight, and many nights I used to sit on the floor, fr the windowsills were only about a foot from the floor, and lean on  them enjoying the quiet night.) papered in a pretty yellow and making new curtains for all the windows.  Got a beautiful pin and a letter from Cephas. He did not forget my birthday.. A bunch of us girls went out to Bay Shore bathing and lunch. Eight of us, not counting Oakman, and two carriages. Fan out riding with C.A?A. Magee and Jager and Irene.
 
Thurs. beastly hot. Gentry’s Circus. Mr. Leland came down from camping. Agnes and  I and the twins served up at Ellis’s at a swell tea. Fan and Cecile both there. Introducing George Ellis’s bride… Met Mr. Leland, Jack’s friend. Went to the circus in the evening with Will… Jack came down Fri. morning and was up all the afternoon. He and Mr. Leland came up again in the evening. They went home (to Marinetto) at 9:35. Rained, and a big crowd up on our porch.. Fan got her green hat.
 
 
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Saturday, went to confession. Tennis Tournament over at Scofield’s. Band concert, no fun. Large crowd up on our porch. Bessie Farrell’s Nava’s cousin, visiting here, also Irene Gilkey is in town.
 
Sunday, August 13th. Fan and I went to Communion. Had my first  shorthand lesson. Fan is teaching me, pat says I can work for him when I learn enough to take his letters and to type them too… Took Oakman for a little ride in the country. Pauline and I went down to Hoeffel’s for a little while. Fan and Papa and the kids went out in the boat and had supper down the river near the Island.
 
Monday it rained. Agnes came down, I wrote some letters, then we bummed for a while. Aunt Jen phoned for Fan, Pauline and me to  go down to see Mrs. Dana and Mrs. Hogan of  Fon du Lac, old friends of Mamma’s, in the evening. Very pleasant visit.
 
Tuesday, Holy day, went to 9 o’clock mass. Cecile came up to dinner with us. Fan and I and the Davis girls spent the afternoon at Kelly’s. Talked a while with George Murphy at the Post office and had a dandy chat. Read a postscript (a message for me) in “a letter”.
 
Wednesday, went on a picnic with Mrs. Mullen and a big crowd out past Coulliardville. Edna Kelley and I were the only young girls. Had a fine lunch and a dandy drive. On the way home, Martineau’s horses “ran away” and Mrs. Gaunt jumped and sprained her ankle. Lost my watch, but found it again. Fan went calling today and stayed to Davis’s for supper.
 
Thurs. Home all day, sewing, studying, etc. Looked through the china safe for the first time (for me). Fan cleaned some glass and got out our best silver. Got all the invitations out this week. Heard today that
 
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Mr. Webster is dead, and went to his funeral Friday afternoon. A very small funeral for such a well known man. (He always seemed a  great man to me, he had fine manners, was a fine gentleman and a very fine lawyer, so I have been told) Worked hard Sat. morning and went to a party at 3 o'clock  at Mrs. Atwood ' s given for her sister, Edna Kelley. Martha, Mabel, Landreth and I were the only ones in our set there, had a very good time… William Owen played here in “Othello” tonight, but I did not go. Some of my “friends” seem to be on the “outs” with me. Well, I can live.
 
Sunday, Aug, 20th. Fan and Pat's first call in church today, went to Low mass, and drove around until dinner time. Pat came on the noon train, unexpected. He brought
Fan a beautiful silver mounted toilet  set. Slept all afternoon until 5 and spent the evening at Landreth's. Monday,Pat got the marriage license and went back at midnight.
I got a postal card from Jennie Davis. Agnes telephoned and gave me her explanation
which took me back about six months….
 
Tuesday, sewed all day. Phoned Will, and he came down in the evening, we also squared up. Am reading “Nancy Stair” a sweet story. Mrs Mullen asked me to serve at her house Wed. afternoon at euchfe party, but was invited to a party at Flossy Badour's, a five o'clock tea, so couldn't. Met the Butterick twins and Minna Lants- they are lovely girls. Slept with the twins all night as we were caught in a rainstorm, but Thursday it cleared up, so I hope it will stay this way awhile. The girls stay till Monday. Awfully busy about the wedding. Played up in school for Agnes's song "Oh, Dry Those Tears" for  the Teacher's Institute Friday afternoon. Hugo played the piano for
 
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Roland’s violin solo. (They were brothers, only children of Dr. Stoelting, who had been our family physician for years and years. Both boys and their father were musical, Hugo also played the organ and their father the cello. Both the boys later became quite prominent in Milwaukee). Agnes gave me a seal ring, Band concert. Hugo got my ring on and couldn’t get it off. Came down with Will, ice-cream at Ward’s as usual.
 
Sat. morning, worked hard, played ping-pong at Landreth’s for a little while. Made a call at Badour’s and then Hugo walked home with me and gave me my ring.. We asked him to play the wedding march, but he won’t.
 
Sunday, Aug. 27th. A dull, dark day. Fan has quite a few wedding presents already. Fan didn’t go to Mass but stayed in bed till noon as she was sick. Took a bath and washed my hair, in the midst of the drying Will and Agnes came down and they teased me about my wild “mop”. Will came down again in the evening, and we went for a long walk and had a nice time. The Hoeffels and Davis were up… Monday we cleaned silver all day long. A few presents came in. Papa gave Fan the silver service! Grandma’s, and three oil paintings … Tuesday, Pauline went to Hart’s to a party at 3 o’c. to meet Marjorie Hubbell of Green Bay. The Jennings (Mrs. Martineau and Mrs. Gaut’s brothers and sisters) came from Milwaukee for a visit. I guess Pat and Fan will live there. A very hot day, worked like fury, all day, and it rained in the evening, so did not dress at all. Lots of presents coming in. Pauline gave Fan a hand-painted picture she got at Hart’s… Wed. a nice cool day. Worked hard all morning and in the afternoon went to a party at Gaunt’s. We all went to
 
[Page179 Missing?]
 
 
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Little Guild Hall dance in the evening, had a purty good time, seeing as only about ten of us were there. Agnes stayed all night at Davis's, and as I went wither and Carl, I came home with Hugo S. who played the piano. We went to Carr’s and talked till twelve.
 
Thurs. cool. Martha S is going to Menominie, Wis. to college. Miss Cramer came home at 4. Worked all day till about  3, then got dressed and went to "The New Minister"
with Will. Dine. Fri. Agnes came down early and also the Davis girls, and we washed
and dried Oconto Company dishes all morning. Rained all day. Pauline and I went to a
party at O. A. Ellis's at 3 to meet Ethel Fisher of Chicago (her niece). Stayed till 8, Ethel begged us to as her aunt was out to dinner; we had a circus, playing, singing and dancing…Hustled all day Saturday, Counted silver, china, etc. Genevieve J came at 4. Ironed and counted linen. Marion, Pauline and I met Aunt Lizzie at 10. The Eberhardt girls of Memphis, Tenn  came also to visit the Linglebach's.. Pat and his best man Arthur (Kid) Folsom arrived at 5:30 Sunday morning, Sept. 3rd. Rained hard all day, Pat and Fan went up Frenchtown to Mass. "Kid" and Pat were up to dinner. They are both grand and such fun, 'we were all so happy,except worried about Papa. Will came down in the evening, and we all practiced for the wedding.. Kid and Pat were up most of the day Monday- it was really a week in a day..  Met, Jess, Miss Quinn and Mrs. Harth (the caterer) who all came at 10:40. Jack was up at the house, helping to decorate, when I got back. Mrs. Scofield phoned asking me to pick all the flowers we needed in her garden, Jess and Jack went with me. What fun! Jack said later. These are the happiest days of my whole life. Jess & I thought so too.
 
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If the day could only last a week or more! To have Jess and Jack here together, and to pick flowers together, then hand them to Jack who stands on the ladder and decorates the chandliers, and helps us put them in vases, and helps us do everything, then we all eat lunch together in confusion in the dining room, while in the kitchen there is more confusion still, out all such fun. Aunts and Fau and Cecile and our Helen Koeppen (our cook) are all out there helping Mme. Harth the caterer, they are making wedding cake, and other cakes, angel foods, devil foods and all kinds of luscious things to eat for the breakfast and reception tomorrow. And Miss Quinn is here, and she is so dear we love her so much, we would like to keep her, but where are  there only two days to see her, and Jack and Jess, and all the dear Aunts, and Pat and Arthur Folsom, and Mr. Blanchard and all the handsome men who are here to be Pat’s best men, and who were classmates of his at Dartmouth… People running in and out all day, people telephoning to offer their assistance, or do we need anything, linen silver, anything?- little Agnes and Kathleen the babies in the family so excited running all over, Henry running errands and helping, oh, such excitement-- I am writing this page forty years later, and I can still remember almost every minute of those two days. We were blessed with perfect, warm weather (and it was a good thing, for our dresses were for warm summer weather, and of course we did not wish to cover them with wraps… The whole town lined the streets to see the wedding party go to the church and back, and they talked of it for weeks afterwards and said it was the lovliest wedding in their memory… At the reception
 
 
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Pauline and the Hoeffel twins, Mildred and Marion, and their set among the sixteen-year olds, helped with the refreshments (and if my memory does not fail me here, I think they served the breakfast at the bridal table too.) but I was grown up now. I was part of the wedding party, and stood grandly in the receiving line in the parlor in front of the lovely old bay window, whole room a mass of flowers, in the same spot where our mother and father and grandparents received, at the wedding and golden wedding just 24 years before … All of their old friends who were still living came that day with their congratulations and most of them had tears in their eyes. But we had no time for tears, all was fun and laughter and excitement. Arthur Folsom was a cut-up and during a momentary lull he decided he would kiss the bride, then the bridesmaids, then the other men decided quickly they should have that privilege too, so of course all was a-flutter among the girls but they were so gallant we could not object, but we all had to assume our dignity again for the guests were arriving, so into line we went again…. That wedding, that started so well, for which the whole town it seemed wished everybody well, and everyone was so generous and lovable, it started well, but did not continue or end well. of all the marriages in our family (and that was the only big wedding, although Pauline did have a nice small wedding at our apartment in Detroit a few years later) that was the only one in which things did not go well, they did not get along at all, one was selfish and the other was peevish, and so it went from bad to worse and ended in misery….
 
 
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Mr Howard Rumery, another real old friend of  Pat’s from Chicago. but an Easterner too also came this morning on the 5:30 train, so he also joined in the merriment all day. They never left the house, lunching with us and dining with us, there was plenty to eat, there were dozens of people cooking in the great big kitchen that stretched across the back of the house. Our chicken yard was greatly depleted for the feastings.. Will went to Marinette to a K. C. banquet. We had to move the presents upstairs in the front room… John Kittell of Green Bay and a nice Mr. Alexander of Milwaukee, and the Appleton Hoeffels came on 4 o’c. train. Tuesday, the wedding… (see copy of newspaper account) Jack stayed with us all evening, went home at 2 A.M. train. "Kid" Folsom and Blanchard left for Chicago at 12 midnight.... Wednesday, we all worked hard all day, cleaning, sorting borrowed dished linen and silver and returning it etc….
Jess went home Thursday, how I hated to see her go…. We were going to the County Fair in the afternoon, and went to the dance in the evening, but did not enjoy it. Was too tired out to go to the Fair Friday, but dressed and went to the Band Concert… Sunday a nice day, felt pretty good. Made a call on Ethel Fisher in the afternoon but she wasn't home .. Got a dandy letter from Fan and sent her things to St. Paul where they will be for a few days.
 
Sunday, Sept. 10, Went to High Mass and spent the afternoon at Mrs. Bellew's. We walked down to Carr's and were having ice cream when Irene Packard and her uncle and Aunt (the Leisens of Menominee, parents of Mitchell Leisen the prominent movie director of Hollywood) and Harry Thurlow movie director of Hollywood) and Harry Thurlow
 
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(whom Irene married a short time after) who were passing through in their automobile came in and we had a good visit, they stayed for about a half hour, Irene pressed me to go over for a visit… In the evening the twins and Pauline and I called on Ethel Fisher …. School started Monday morning, it seems queer not to be going .Worked in the kitchen all morning and took a ride with old Jim in the P.M. Got a postal from Jack from Brookline, Mass.
 
Tues, drove Aunt Eliz. around all afternoon.
 
Wed. very warm, put on my organdie waist and rode around all afternoon. Got a note
from Jack, from Boston. Went over to Ford's in the evening, had tea with Miss Cramer.
 
Thurs. very cold. Returned all the linen that Helen and I ironed Wednesday.. Got a letter from Fan and Pat and a lovely one from Jack from Boston. Rained all afternoon and evening, the letters cheered me up... Someone entered the Catholic cemetery and mutilated it terribly. Didn't do much Fri but eat and sleep and ride around, with Fayette of course. The Harts called, then I went out to Neva's and found her sick. Had supper  at Goodrich's with Frances. Went down town with Mrs. Bellew to the band concert. The DonLevy girls came up later. Mrs Mullen, Cecile, Agnes, Fayette, Oakman & myself drove in the surrey up to the cemetery in the morning to see the sights, it rained and rained all day.. Got a postal from Jack. Edward got one too… Had a long talk with Hugo. Quite ardent on his part….
 
Sunday, Sept 17, Went to Low Mass. Papa went down river, I asked Miss Cramer over
to dinner and we went for a ride with Jim in the afternoon. Fayette swallowed a pin
about seven o'clock, so that broke up the
 
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Evening. Just a year ago today Oakman was born, and I was down river on a boat ride, went with H.A. (?) Mon. Sept. 18, Oakman a year old. A rainy day, had a lot of trouble with Fayette, she got something in her eye.. Rode all afternoon with Mae Thompson. Went over to the library about 8, and after closing, Miss Cramer and I went for a little walk, as the moon came out after the rain, it was fine.. Pauline and I went up to the train to see the Brown girls Florence going to Downer, and met their mother. Tuesday morning went up to the same train end saw Glenne and her mother.. Served up at Linglebach's at a 3 o’clock tea. Neva, Mildred, etc. We had a circus and lots of good eats … Wed., Cecile came up and we bummed. Mildred and I drove all morning. Holt's Planing mill caught afire and burned for about an hour in the evening about seven. Hugo Stoelting phoned about 7: 30 but we were all watching the fire Miss Cramer and I walked until 9 then I went over to her room with her. Saw Hugo Thursday morning, he is going to Madison Friday, to attend the University. Was over to the Library in the evening and Hugo came in and we had a chat and said good-bye. Went to the reception at the Presbyterian church for the Macartneys with Miss C. and Miss Haskins (her roommate, a music teacher) Invitations out for Linglebach dance. Sewed Friday and my poor eye showed it. The Scofields and Smiths called. Didn't go to the Band concert. Fan came Saturday night alone from St. Paul. We didn't expect her and I was in bed.
 
Sunday, Sept 24.. Went to early Mass, then after breakfast went to the boathouse at 9:30 and started out for the day with the Linglebach's and their guests. Papa took
 
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them all in our boat and Henry and I were asked to go too. We had a good lunch at the Bay Shore, then went to Pensaukee and got soaked coming back. Papa took a lot of pictures. Besides the Eberhardt girls of Memphis and the Linglebach three boys, were also Carl and Joanna Roenitz of Sheboygan. (Johanna later married Sigmund Linglebach) (Hugo, the youngest boy was a good friend of our  Pollys, Frank the next youngest married Mildred Beyer, and Charlie the oldest, married Martha Linglebach) (As I write this, in Feb. 1944, Cecile writes me from Appleton that she has seen Martha lately at a party and Martha's son Charles Jr. is a Major in the U.S. Army Air Force and is now stationed in North Africa.) Many of the pictures papa took on that day are in my old kodak book….
 
Monday,  May Thompson took Fan, Cecile and the baby and myself for a drive, and in the evening went to the Linglebach dance with Wilbur (Ford) and Miss Cramer. Had a fine time. Will didn't go, Fan, Henry and Pauline did… Tuesday served at Mrs. Armstrong's at a five o’clock tea. Mme. Harth catered, a Miss Doering sang... A crowd of us went to the "Heart of Chicago" it was pretty good… Papa went fishing Wed. morning and Mama went to Green Bay and got a coat. Up to Bellew's in the evening, the Linglebach crowd was there, music, etc. Cecile was up to Dinner and Fan went down to Davis's for supper … Thurs. very warm. Got a film and learned how to take pictures. Used one film today and one Friday. Fan & I spent the evening at Goodrich's. Friday morning Fan got word from Pat to go to Chicago, she left at 2:1O. Mama and I preserved six cans of peaches for her and
 
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Runkle came up and packed her presents. Band concert in evening. Agnes came out of Noonan's rig and talked to me. I developed my two films today. Will is going to Omaha Monday. Sat. morning Agnes and I developed films at the store. In the afternoon went on a boating party in Mr. Hart’s boat. In the evening Agnes and I were  going to print pictures but we didn't. Pauline was at Oconto Falls all day. Went with the Physical Geography class of H.S. Rode up Frenchtown at noon with the bunch in Irene's auto.
 
Sunday, October 1st, 1905- Beginning of Forty Hours Devotion at Low Mass. A lovely day, printed pictures all afternoon. Will came in the store and stayed awhile. Went to church and made a couple of visits about five and went to confession. Went to church in evening and sat with Agnes and Mae. Went to say goodbye to Will and he was going to do the same to me and he came home with me and stayed till ten thirty. Went to the train next morning to see him and Mae Thompson off. Rode around awhile with Irene and then went to the store and stayed till 1 o'clock. Went down river in Neva's boat with her in the afternoon and took some pictures, and then printed some till 6:30. Went to rotten show in the evening with Henry… Tuesday cleaned my room and printed pictures and went to church in the evening … Wed. and Thurs. lovely summer (Indian summer) days, but dull and did not do much of anything .. Fan came home Friday night. There was a dance at the Armory, but I didn't go. Edward and Cecile went, and all the gals and boys.. Cleaned out Grandma Cole's desk and found some interesting letters.. Sat. morning made a fine Devil s Food (chocolate) cake- my very
 
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first good cake. Agnes K. and I went to a football game in the afternoon between Marinette and Oconto H. S. Score 35-0 in favor of  M. Earl Raiche was there. Wilbur Ford took us in and home again. Saw Less Hamilton. He and Jim Gregory and George Amsden were the only fellows I knew. A fine day for a game.
 
Sunday, Oct. 8th - an exquisit day, put on my white dress in the afternoon. Fan and I went down to Hoeffel's in the evening Monday, Windy but nice and warm. Worked all morning and took care of Oakman all afternoon, then had lunch at Mullen's. Mrs. M. entertained the Monday Euchre Club. Fan went, substituted for Aunt Jen .. Tuesday weather changed to very cold. Printed pictures. Tues. night with Papa, sent a whole lot away Thursday. Practiced for the "Mikado” Wed. and Thursday evenings.. Fri. night Fan and I went to the Elks in their series with Papa and Mama. Fayette and I were down to Aunt Jen 's and had dinner that noon. Sat. it rained all day and very cold. Football game with Sturgeon Bay H.S. they beat us, nobody went it was so miserable.
 
Oct. 15th, a dull dark day. Had a chicken dinner and supper and all I did was eat all day, and read, and made fudge and went to bed early. Fan and I went with Cecile to Davis's and spent Monday evening .. Tues. morning Fan got a telegram from Pat and she went to Chicago on the 2 o'clock train, then they are going on their trip to Vermont. Went to Mikado practice in the evening.
 
Wed. afternoon practiced at the Guild Hall for the Floradora sextette and Neva and I stayed there nearly all afternoon with Mr. Knowles. Practiced also that evening, came home with Duffy..
 
Thurs. morning went with Miss Cramer out in the country to the town of Oconto on Library business. Was very cold but we had a fine ride. Stormed all
 
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Afternoon and evening, snowed a little. Just read the "Little Green Door"- fine.
 
Friday, very cold. Cleaned my room in the morning. Went to Mikado practice and Frances and Gae and I had a gay time after ice-cream, etc. The 2nd Elks Dance tonight, but Papa didn't go.
 
Saturday, sewed all day, made a corset cover. Football game with Oconto Falls, but didn't go. Papa and Henry went to Menominee to see “Floradora".
 
Sunday, October 22nd - Mildred Beyer up to dinner today. Little Hildred Mooney (Wilhelmina Schedler's little boy) died of heart failure early yesterday morning. Monday Mildred and Marion and myself walked up Frenchtown and called on Agnes Kelly. Priest preached against being in the Mikado today, but I went on Monday night and on Tuesday afternoon. I went to see Fr. Selbach and he said I might stay in it.. Gae and I went again to practice Wed. night and Mr. K.
walked home with us, as Frances M. dropped out ... I spend all my time sewing now as Papa says I can go to Milw. after Xmas ..
 
Thurs. night went to a little chafing-dish party in Miss Cramer's room. She made a dandy Welsh Rarebit .. I got my black beaver hat fixed and it looks real nice. Went down to practice Fri. night and Gae and I had quite an experience, two fellows spoke to us and scared us out of our wits…
George Parks died of an accident on the R.R. H. S. football team defeated at Green Bay today 36-0. Got three letters Sunday morning, Miss Quinn, Cephas and F. Brown. In the afternoon went over to Miss Cramer's and we made fudge on the chafing-dish, it was grand! Fan is in Bellows Falls,Vermont, now. Monday night, Mikado practice, Mrs. Knowles was there. Cecile and I were down to Hoeffel's for supper and Neva and I
 
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Went to practice after although I was awfully sick. Tues night (Oct 31) was Halloween, but Gae and I went down to the Hall, Mr and Mrs K, were there, but we went home at 8 o'clock. Nothing doing, but I  wasn’t feeling well.
 
Nov. 1st. Wed. - All Saints Day. Went to church and then to Neva’s to make some chrysanthemums, but got a sick headache and went home and slept all afternoon. Went to practice in the evening, as I felt all right then. Thursday afternoon went down to Neva's and made the pink "mums" and also made fudge. Mama and I went to Mrs. Goodrich's for a nice chicken supper and pouring rain. Frances went with Gae and me to dress rehearsal after Mrs. K.
was there and acted crazy. Friday afternoon went after Gae over to school and had supper with her. We were in the store getting flashlights when Mr. K. came in and we had lots of fun. We took a few pictures, but they're no good I guess. Everything went off fine to a medium-sized
house. Had lunch at Carr's with Herb. And Pearl F. and the bunch and came home with Wilbur Ford. Went up to see Gae Sat. Went over to see Miss Cramer Monday night (6th).Went down and saw the Sisters about Agnes and Kathleen taking (piano) lessons, they are going to start next week. Cecile comes up after me nearly afternoon and we go for a walk, wheeling the baby of course. Wed. night went to the Elks Club dance with Papa and Mama and asked Papa if  I could go to Menominee Friday. Came home at 12 with Mr. and Mrs. W A Smith. Papa told me Friday morning that I could go to Mem and he plunked down 20 plunks. Sent a special delivery letter to Irene Thurlow (Packard). Got my black skirt at Corboy’s and went at 4 o’c
 
 
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The Jim Leisen referred to on opposite page was uncle of Irene Packard (her mother was a Deisero) Jim’s son, Mitchell became quite famous as a Movie Director in Hollywood in the forties.
 
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Irene and her uncle met me with the auto and I went to the "Mascot" with them in the evening. Bought my coat Sat. at Burns and the girls all dressed up for the Sextette again, but they didn't have the show so the boys took us up to their rooms and we had a great time, music, singing and Mrs. Packard made a Welsh rarebit. Met  among others a Mr. Wolf, Adreea von Wolf, Leroy Wall, Will Harmon, and lots of others dandy girls and boys. Went to Mass on Sunday morning with Gretchen, Clarissa and May Holmes at St John's. Mr. Leisen took us for a wonderful ride in the afternoon.
_________
The diary ends abruptly here. I went to Green Bay shortly after returning home from this visit with Irene, and stayed with Aunt Lizzie (Jessie was now going to Milwaukee Downer College studying Home Economics- the now famous Jessie DeBooth took the same Course about this time at Menominie,Wis. Normal College, Jess knew her of course in Green Bay, where her Mother had a millinery shop  just two doors from Uncle Jim’ s shoe shop on Washington St., and her brother Ward de Botn went around in the same set- Jess met Mabel Meaghr (pronounced Mar) who was attending the same school and they became life long friends, as were the three of us.) I went to business school there for a few months learning shorthand and typing, so that when  I went to live with Fau. & Pat in Milw. soon after the new year, I could help Pat with his business letters, etc. and when they moved to Chicago about a year later, I went into his office at Ginn & Company (Publishers of school and college text books)  and for the next five years was his secretary.
Now see page 54.
 
 
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Just a few weeks before our Father’s death, and all unconscious of his illness, I had been home for the holidays, and on January 2nd had acted as a bridesmaid at Jessie O’Keefe’s wedding. I will quote from the account of the wedding in the Green Bay “Gazette.”
 
“Among the first of the New Year’s brides is numbered Miss Jessica Agnes O’Keefe, 1115 South Webster Avenue, who was united in marriage to Edward James Early, Saturday morning at ten o’clock. The ceremony was performed in the chapel of St. Joseph’s Academy by the Rev. M.J. O.’Brien of St. Patrick’s Church, the double ring service being used. Only members of the family, a few intimate friends, and the Sewing Club girls were present at the ceremony.
 
Miss Irene Doran played the wedding march as the members of the bridal party entered the chapel and walked down the aisle. The bride was attended by her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth O’Keefe as matron of honor, her sister Miss Gertrude O’Keefe, as maid of honor, a cousin, Miss Helen Cole of Emporia, Kansas, and Mrs. George Dutcher of Milwaukee, as bridesmaids. Mr. Early was attended by his brother, James Early as best man, while Carroll O’Keefe, brother of the bride , and Dr. George Wilson of Milwaukee, acted as ushers.
 
The bridal party presented a very pretty picture, the gowns being exquisite. The bride was gowned in white taffeta, veiled in tulle with a bolero of iridescent pearls. The dress was made round length. The bridal veil of tulle with cap of lace, was caught with orange blossoms. She carried a shower bouquet of roses and lilies of the valley. Mrs. O’Keefe wore
 
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a gown of white embroidered crepe over satin. Miss Gertrude O’Keefe was gowned in a ruffled dress of turquoise blue taffeta and chiffon. She carried a basket of pink roses. Miss Helen Cole wore a gown of apple green taffeta and lace, and carried an arm bouquet of yellow roses. Mrs. Dutcher wore a gown of soft pink taffeta and tulle and carried pink roses.
 
During the ceremony, Miss Janet Merril sang Gounod’s “Ave Maria”, and other music was furnished by a quartet. The guests were escorted from the door at the Academy to the chapel by the Misses Mabel Weise, Marion Hoeffel, Helen Glynn and Janet Merrill.
 
Following the ceremony, a wedding breakfast was served at the home of the bride’s mother to the immediate relatives. The out of town guests were: Dr. Joseph P. O’Keefe, of Chatham, Ontario, uncle of the bride, Mr. and Mrs Carroll J. O’Keefe of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. William Early of Peoria, Illinois, Miss May Early of Milwaukee, , Mr. and Mrs. H P Conway of Chicago, Mr. Basil D. Hoeffel and Henry U. Cole, Jr. of Chicago, Misses Pauline and Agnes Cole of Appleton, Miss Kathleen Cole of Oconto,  Mr and Mrs George Dutcher of Milwaukee, Miss Helen Cole, Emporia, Kansas, Dr. George Wilson of Milwaukee, Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Mullen of Foster City, Mich, Mr. Gerald Hoeffel of Washington, D.C., Dr. Paul Hoeffel of Chicago, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hoeffel of Appleton, Mrs. Edward J. Mullen of Oconto and Miss Frances Meaghr of Milwaukee.
 
The bride is a graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy and Milwaukee-Downer College and Mr. Early of Marquette University, Milwaukee. After a short wedding trip, Mr. and Mrs. Early will make their home in this city.
 
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The Sainton Family
 
 
Joseph Sainton had come to this country in 1912 from Argentina. He had gone to South America from England to fill an engagement in Buenos Aires, and had the winter season there. After coming to New York, he was conductor for Henry W. Savage Opera companies, for the Aborns, for whom he directed the first performance in English of the opera “Hansel and Gretel”; on a coast-to-coast tour of the season 1914-15 with the DeKoven Opera Co. with Bessie Abbott the star in DeKoven’s “Robin Hood” and also personally rehearsed and directed several of Victor Herbert’s successes. He was for five years conductor of the municipal summer concerts at Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, where we were married on June 26, 1918.
 
We lived in New York for several winters, but after our first  daughter Pauline was born, we decided to locate in a smaller city,  where he would no longer need to travel, so we came to
Toledo when Polly was a year old, in the summer of 1920, and have resided here since then, with the exception of a year in Detroit, a year in Coronado and San Diego, California in 1922-23 and a year in Tampa, Florida, 1926-27. Our Pauline was born Oconto, Wis. on April 3, 1919; Rachel (Helen Cole) in Toledo, Sept. 12, 1920, and our twins, Catherine Shakespeare and Joseph, Toledo, April 17, 1926.
 
Joseph Sainton is the son of Joseph and Catherine Shakespeare Sainton. He was born in London, England on March  3,1878. He has a twin sister Mary (called Polly)
 
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in England. She was, before the war, for some years companion to the sister of the poet and designer, William Morris, and lived with her in the famous “Red House”, Kelmscott Manor, in the upper Thames Valley.
 
The following biography of Joseph Sainton is taken from the Musical Times of London of June 1, 1909, where it appeared with a full page portrait:
 
“Joseph Sainton as a child was a boy chorister in London and at the Lichfield Cathedral, where he also became assistant organist at the  age of 13. Later he was accompanist for the great singing teacher William Shakespeare in London; and obtaining the Mendelssohn Scholarship for
the Konservatorium in Leipzig , Germany, he spent five years there, studying piano under Reinecke and Teichmuller, theory with Weidenbach and conducting with Nikisch. Upon leaving Leipzig he spent a year at Nice, Monte Carlo and Milan for further study, and afterwards
toured the Orient and South Africa. He was for a while organist at Pretoria Cathedral, but soon after returned to Europe where he made a determined but unsuccessful attempt to establish himself at Vienna. Having played the piano at cafes, and obtaining small engagements as rehearsal-accompanist of artists performing at the Opera, after a year there became convinced that there was no hope for an English musician in the Austrian capital, so he returned to England. Upon arriving home, he was almost immediately engaged as conductor of touring opera companies, "The Belle of New York," “Floradora”, etc. and. during two winter
 
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seasons he was engaged as musical director at the Crystal Palace Theatre, where he wrote, arranged and conducted the music of two very successful ballets and pantomimes at Sydenham.
 
Mr. Sainton’s first appointment under a public body was that of Clacton-on–Sea; from there he went to Bridlington and finally was engaged at Brighton. It is quite certain that Mr. Sainton is the right man in the right place at the Queen of Watering Places”…. Mr Sainton is very happy at Brighton, where he has met with well deserved and continued success.
 
At Brighton the orchestra performs daily, every afternoon and evening in the Winter Gardens at the Aquarium, except on Wednesday evenings, when special symphony concerts take place in the Dome. The dome concerts on Wednesday evenings have obtained a great reputation, and
Many eminent composer, Elgar, German, Coleridge-Taylor, Sir Alexander MacKenzie, Cowan and others, have conducted programs  of their own works at these concerts. Also many of the well known concert artists of Europe, including Paderewski, Kreisler, Zimbalisat, de Pachman and others, appear as soloists, playing concertos with the orchestra; and in addition to conducting, Mr. Sainton occasionally plays concertos and piano-forte solos himself.”
 
The Brighton  Festival Chorus and Orchestra of 500 performers had the honor of giving a command performance of  Verdi’s “Requiem” under his direction at Queen's Hall in London in January, 1911 and they were a specially engaged also to give a concert at St. James’s Hall in London.
 
 
199
The culminating point up to the present time in their history is the recent musical Festiva1 –perhaps the first initiated by a municipal body in this country-  the great success of which is fresh in the minds of our readers.
The Festivals inaugurated by Mr. Sainton drew to Brighton critics from the London papers and artists and music lovers from all over England. There were interesting conferences over the first production of works by Paderewski, Sir· Edward Elgar, Edward German, Sinding of  Norway and other great composers, who would go over the manuscripts with the conductor, indicating tempi and various points of interpretation.
 
After the concerts there were  always gay suppers, sometimes at Mrs. Willett’s where Mr. Sainton lived. Mrs. Willett was a wealthy widow, who had  a beautiful villa at Hove , on the ocean front nearby, and usually in the winters she would go to the Riviera, transporting
a retinue of servants and her own horses and carriage. When Mr. Sainton went to Brighton, he found that a protege of  Mrs. Willett’s, Clement Harvey, was living there. They had been students together at Leipzig, he being a talented pianist and they had been great friends as students.
 
Mrs. Willett invited Sainton to share Halvey's quarters at her house, and turned over to them an entire wing and servants at their command (also carte blanche with the Wine cellar.) In London
He was many times at Beecham's house for musical evenings. The magnate's son (Beecham's Pink Pills for Pale People!)
 
203
… later, Sir Thomas Beechem, was then a dilettante in music. He became serious about it, so serious that that he has since become quite successful as a conductor, after spending most of his vast fortune in supporting orchestras so that he could learn to conduct them.
 
Mr. Sainton’s student days in Leipzig, he has often said, were the happiest of his early life.. Germany was a fine country to live in, in those days, and one could live well on a mere pittance, with concerts galore (at low admittance prices) and everything to make  life enjoyable. In Leipzig was perhaps the finest orchestra in the world at the time, the Gewandhaus, and conducted by Arthur Nikisch, the greatest conductor of his day, who succeeded  Mendelssohn. Joe has told me how as a boy of 16 he arrived in Leipzig early one evening  a stranger, to find that every seat for the evening's concert was sold; so he with  several other boys determined to
 hear the concert, succeeded in getting in the stage door and with the help of a kindly attendant soon found. Themselves perched up in the organ loft among the pipes, where they had splendid view of both conductor and orchestra! What a thrill for a future conductor! "
 
In those glorious days, Germany was a heaven on earth for students, artists, and ,anyone lucky, enough to be there; one could live very well on a very small income, and boys on scholarship  usually did have just that. A comfortable room with breakfast he had for about four marks (about one dollar) per week; and for another four marks, a good piano for practicing.
 
204
 
Late in the afternoon, they always went for coffee to the cafes, a favorite one was the Conditori (confectionery shop) on the Augustus Platz, and how those hungry boys would gorge on the hug
 pieces of many varieties of  rich Torte; and after evening concerts everyone went to the big beer gardens,  the Café bauer usually, where an orchestra would be playing and there would be dancing and much beer drinking and singing,  interspersed with serious music discussions, and the merriment usually went on until late at night. In the summer and on holidays, there were glorious boat- trips up the Rhine; and down the Elbe from Dresden by river boat to Pilnitz and
Shandau; and the walking tours, large groups of students with knapsacks on their backs, not much money in their pockets, but happy and gay as the birds,  real "student princes!"
 
 Many years later, in Toledo, we were invited one evening to a party to meet a Mme. Ninon Romaine, and when we arrived, Joe was amazed to find that she was the same Romaine Curry who had been with him as a student at Leipzig, and with whom he had spent many happy evenings at her apartment with her mother and sister also, who had accompanied her to Germany. It was the same sister who was our hostess of the evening, and Mme. Romaine was a renowned concert pianist, who had had a successful career in Europe and was in private life the Baroness Zimmerman. She died a few years later in India of smallpox, while on a trip around the world.
 
205
 
In Toledo, besides the Philharmonic Orchestra, Joe conducted the Mozart Choir for five seasons, and also produced many light operas with the finest local talent available. Among the later were were: M'lle Modiste, Naughty Marietta, The Firefly, The Red Mill, Katinka, Robin Hood, The Yeomen of the Guard, Pinafore and the grand opera, Cavalleria Rus ticana. In 1932 at the Theatre of the University of Toledo, under the sponsorship of the Toledo University Club, he was general musical director for the world premiere of “Cyrano de Bergerac”, with music by Samuel Pokrass, the score arranged for orchestra by Sainton, and George Houston, famous star of stage and screen, as the Cyrano. Charles Locke, who arranged the lilbretto from the play by Rostand, was stage director.
 
The Mozart Choir, with large chorus and orchestra, through the years  under the direction by Sainton, produced the following great works with success: the Marzo “Vespers”, Haydn's “The Seasons”, the great Verdi “Requiem”, Rossini’s  “Stabat Mater”, Elgar's “Dream of Gerontius” and Beethoven’s· “Missa Solemnis.” With an augmented chorus , soloists from Chicago,
including the tenor Eugene Dressler,  and large orchestra, half of which was composed of members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, he produced for the opening of the new cathedral, the beautiful Oratorio by Sir Edward Elgar, “The Dream  of Gerontius”, the poem by Cardinal Newmen, the performance took place in the Sanctuary of the Cathedral, the stands for the singers were built where the altar was placed later. This was spring of 1931.
 
 
206
Earlier in the season 1926-27, we had a most interesting winter in Tampa, Florida, where Joe was Municipal Director of Music. Various artists were engaged by him as soloists for the series of Symphony Concerts he conducted, among them the beautiful Marie Novello came from London (she was the sister of  Ivor Novello, handsome star of stage and screen, and talented composer of popular songs known the world over, one of which was “Keep the Home Fires Burning.” She was a marvelous pianist and a very charming person, and enjoyed great success.
 
Coe Glade was living in Tampa then, a beautiful and talented girl of about twenty. We met her one evening at a studio party given by an operatic impresario, soon after she was engaged by the San Carlo Opera Company, and travelled with them for the season, the following spring she was again in Tampa to be with her mother, and we had gay rounds of musical affairs. She was then studying the role of Carmen, and later when she was engaged by the Chicago Opera Co. she was acclaimed the “greatest Carmen in the world.”
 
In 1922-23 we lived in Detroit for a year, where Joe was conductor of the orchestra at one of the downtown movie houses. In those days, the movies were “silent” and the conductor had to arrange his own scores to fit each picture show. This was a terribly wearing job, and we were glad after a year of living in Detroit to go to California where we had a house in Coronado and Joe opened a studio across the bay in San Diego . Before we left that spring, of 1922,
 
 
207
Pauline Cole was married to Robert A. Amunson and we gave them a wedding breakfast at our apartment.
 
Polly, everyone said, was more like our mother than any of us. Cecile and I resembled Papa and his parents and Henry and Agnes were definitely Hoeffels, but Polly was our mother almost in duplicate for her beautiful brocaded satin wedding dress just fit Polly when she was a girl of' the same age, about twenty.
 
Polly and Agnes lived together in Appleton for a few years, where they had jobs until Polly went to Washington during the first World War, where she had a very interesting job as secretey to one of the big men, one of tha so called "dollar a year” men [I wonder if this was Hiram Fist?]; Agnes was married early in the year 1919 to Jack Morris. Polly came to spend Christmas with Joe and me, our first year in New York and we had a great time seeing the city together - the famous shops on Fifth Avenue, the theatres on Broadway, the Paulist Choir, Mary Elizabeth’s famous Tea Room etc. Later when Henry returned from the war, he and Polly and Kathleen had an apartment together in Detroit during the year we lived there, and Jess and Ed Early were there with their three children ,Betty, Teddy and Joan; and CarroI1 and  Evelyn O'Keefe, and Bess Dana Koebel and Gen. Dana  Barrett, old friends from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin were living there too, and we had a very pleasant season. So Polly was married in Detroit, and her first housekeeping was done in a little apartment in Aunt Lizzie’s big house in Oconto, where Bobwas a County Agricultural Agent.
 
208
Robert Amundson was born on a farm in beautiful Dane County in the southern part of Wisconsin. He was a graduate of the Agricultural School of the University and after serving as county agent in Oconto, he was sent later to Appleton, where they lived for a time, and finally removed to Madison where he was appointed to a permanent postion in the Extension department of the Agricultural College. Their two daughters, Judith and Karen, were born in Appleton. Bob’s untimely death in 1938 was very sad. A colleague of his wrote a beautiful tribute which was published in the “Capitol Times,” from which I quote:
 
“In a real sense, Robert Amundson was a modern ‘pioneer’ filled with the pioneer spirit of helpfulness, and living the honest and frugal life, so charactertic of' the pioneer of earlier days. His life bridged the gap between the early settlers who fought back the wilderness and the farmer of today. Knowing and feeling, either first hand or through association with his elders, the struggles of the early pioneers, aroused in him an unusual sympathy for the farmers of today, whose struggles are equally severe …. He was among the first county agricultural agents to do
work in Wisconsin.  Just 20 years ago he went to Oconto county as their first county agent. His job was to lead and to help the settlers who sought to hew out a farm from the already cut-over land…. He became a leader in folk- songs, rura1 music, rural plays, and other forms of rural entertainment. His interest in pioneer days was shown by his efforts to preserve all things historic.
 
209
He was the originator of the local museum, in which are now preserved dishes, tools, and implements of pioneer times….As a recognition of his outstanding success, he was called to Madison to assist the staff in the agricultural college in their further development of this work throughout the state …. When the college came and farms right and left were being foreclosed, he offered his services to the Farm Credit Administration, and spent much time in the St. Paul office in helping farmers to retain title to their farms. When a drught struck, he was again among the first to proffer his assistance and became the leader in organizing farmers throughout the state so that they might take advantage of the badly needed seed loans. And thus he carried on until two years ago when a break in his health forced him to go slow and relax his efforts. Today we mourn his passing, but the memory of the good work he did will always last.”
 
Henry Uri Cole, Jr. has never married. He is a great favorite with all the nephews and nieces in the family, and is contented with his bicycles and radios and all the mechanical things he has always loved, in his shop in Hubbard Woods, near Chicago. He enlisted in the Navy in the first  World War, and was asigned to Atlantic Coast Guard duty with headquarters in Key West, Florida. They operated mostly in small dirigibles, called Blimps."
 
 
From a young boy, Henry was always tinkering with mechanical things, taking
 
210
them apart  to see how they were made and then putting them together again. So'as a youngster he was quite efficient in running the gasoline motor in our Father's boat…. Henry was always a great tease, he held his own very well as the only boy amongst six individualistic girls. He was a great favorite with his stepmamma who gratified his intense craving for sweets of all kinds.
He teased everyone of us girls quite unmercifully, as well as the poor visitors we had who were also at his Mercy. Agnes probably will never forget the time he cooked a mess of' frog's legs up in his room and forced her to eat them… From the time  he went out into the world on his own, he had his hobbies, always “on wheels” In Chicago it was a roaring motorcycle, and never will I forget a ride he gave me, sitting in the rear on something he had rigged up, while he raced at a fearful speed about the racetrack at the Fair Grounds in Oconto, one summer vacation…..Then later, in New York he had a very handsome two-seater automobile all shiny and bright. After the war in Detroit, his pride and joy was a long racy sporty monster called a Templar; as an automobile was even then a great novelty with us, as we were not to acquire even our first one for at  least five years later, his visits were always events, especially if we were taken for a ride"…. Then later, he began to get interested in radios, from the very first about the spring of 1922, building his own sets and now building super ones, with short wave 'n everything. For a time in Detroit he had a school for training Motion Picture
 
211
 
 
Operators, and was doing very well, when suddenly he became the target for an attack by union racketeers and almost lost his life….While he lived in Detroit he often visited us in Toledo, and always came at Christmas, sometimes in the midst of a blinding snowstorm and so the children thought he was Santa Claus.
 
Agnes Charlotte Cole was married early in the year 1919 to John Redding Morris, a Southerner, and they went to live in New York, and we saw them frequently there for we were living in New
York at the same time. After we had been gone several years, and were living in Corondo, California, during the winter of 1922-23, I had a telegram one day from Agnes announcing Jack’s death. He had never really recovered his health after an attack of pleurisy, which he had
had that Winter we were in New York all together. They went south to Tampa, Florida, for awhile during his convalescence, where, his parents and sister and brother lived, and Agnes also stayed with them later after he died. Later, she went to Chicago and was Pat Conway’s secretary until his death. She had a very interesting life, living at the Allerton hotel on North Michigan Avenue, where she met many interesting people, among them James Ashenden, a handsome
 young Englishman who had come to Chicago to direct the construction of  the dioramas at the Century of Progress World’s Fair. Strangely he had been recommended for the job by a man in England by the name of Sir Henry Cole. He was a graduate of the Royal College of Art, South Kensington, London. This was the first
 
212
 
diorama studio in the country,  and the exhibits were made for  science exhibits in the Hall of Science Building. They became engaged, and Agnes returned with him to Europe to visit his family, this was in the summer of 1933, after the fair had closed; but the engagement was broken and Agnes returned to Chicago. Always the beauty of the family, she is still an attractive widow.
 
Jack Morris’ death was the first in our generation of the family, ten years later Pat Conway died, and next Edward Mullen, who died in Appleton in January, 1937. Edward was a fine man, and always devoted to his family. He always worked in the lumber business and at one time spent an interesting period as manager of the sawmill and lumber interests of the Menominee Indians, at their Reservation at Neopit, Wisconsin. Pat Conway once said to me, “Edward is the cleanest living man I know.”  What better epitaph could a man have. He lived to see his children grown up, six of them and splendid children too. Two daughters and four sons and one of the sons married and the father of the first grandchild in our generation. He was happy with his family
and never spent much time away from them, except when he was obliged to on account of business. His death came when he was seemingly in the prime of life; one of the mourners at his funeral was his 84 year old Aunt, a nun of the Dominican Order, still teaching at the Academy for girls at Edgewood in Madison, Wisconsin.
 
Edward and Cecile's eldest son, Oakman, is now a Captain in the U. S. Army. John and Eugene are with the paper mills
 
213
in Appleton and are both married, the former in 1935 to Helen Esler, and they now have two children, John and Margaret. Eugene was married in 1940 to Leone Brandt of Appleton, and they have one son, David.  Both the girls are living with their mother in Appleton and have jobs, the
older Agnes Jeannette and the younger, Cecile. The youngest son, Pat, after graduating from St. Norbert's College in DePere, entered the Law School of the University of Wisconsin, from which he  graduated in June 1941, and was admitted to the bar six months later, and is now in the office of the Attorney General of the state.
 
Kathleen, the baby when our mother died, of course was the last to leave the old home, and she while finishing school there, helped a lot with Fayette and June, our half-sisters. Fayette was never in good health, but June as a baby was an adorable child and was not yet two when Papa died, and how he had enjoyed her those last precious months of his life and the first precious months of her own.  He spoiled her as he had never done any of us others and excused himself by saying he was “enjoying it". Oak Ellis used to delight in telling me the story of how he met my father on the street one day soon after his fifth or sixth daughter was born; he said to him "Well, Henry, I hear there is another girl in your family,"  “Yes,” Papa replied, "I
like girls.”
 
So Kathleen would take the little ones for long rides with good old patient Jim, after school and on Saturdays, until she became busy at the Library.  Kathleen
 
214
was always a bookworm, and as our house was convenient to the Public Library (being just across the street) and she was usually buried in a book, as the saying goes, it was only natural that she was appointed as apprentice there before she was through the High School.  Eventually she became Assistant, and a few years later after short course at Library School in Madison, she obtained a position with the Public Library in Detroit, and has lived there ever since.  She met her future husband, Herbert O’Connor while she was in Main Library, and they were married in 1927.  Kathleen still loves books and even now that she has her own pretty home and two growing daughters, Patricia and Mary, she still loves to go back to the library work now and then.
 
 
Of our stepmother’s two children, Fayette did not live long, she died in September 1919, about 17 years old; June was with her mother in Oconto, until the summer of 1941 when she went to the state of Washington to visit her Aunt Emma, and while there she met Michael Burgwin, to
whom she was married that same summer in Seattle.
 
Our stepmother died Dec. 1960. (handwritten note)
 
216
Sainton – English Nuptials
To Be In Cathedral Chapel
Ceremony Will Be Solemnized
At 8 A. M. Oct. 12
 
MR. AND MRS. JOSEPH SAINTON are announcing the approaching
marriage of their daughter, Pauline, to Bernard Leo English, son
of  Mr. and Mrs. Leo W. English.
 
The wedding will be at 8 a. m. In the Cathedral Chapel, Msgr.
Anthony J. Dean officiating. No invitations are being issued for the ceremony.
 
Miss Rachel Sainton will be her sister’s only attendant and Thomas English will serve as best man for his brother.
 
 
A breakfast for the immediate families will be served in the Sainton
home following the ceremony. Between 1 and 3 p. m. the young
couple will receive their friends also in the home in Batavia Street.
 
Miss Sainton was graduated from St. Ursula Academy and from Mary
Manse Collge. Mr. English prepared for college at Dayton Prepatory School
and was graduated from Notre Dame University in 1935.
 
 
 
222
Bernard Leo English Takes
Pauline Sainton  As His Bride
 
Couple Exchange Vows At Cathedral Altar;
 Breakfast And Reception Follow
 
MARRIAGE rites for Miss Pauline Sainton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sainton, and Bernard Leo English, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leo W. English, were performed Saturday at 8 a. m. in Holy Rosary Cathedral by Msgr.  A.  J. Dean. The male quartet of the choir sang the nuptial mass with Valerian Fox at the organ.
 
The bride's moyen age gown was of Soldier blue velveteen with which she wore a small matching hat veiled with brown. Her flowers were Bride's roses. Her only attendant was her sister, Miss Rachel Sainton, whose similar gown was of burgundy velveteen. She wore a
tiny hat of the same material and carried a bouquet of Talisman roses. Thomas English served  his brother as best man.
 
White baby chrysanthemums in profusion decorated the Sainton home for the wedding breakfast
which followed the ceremony. A reception was held in the afternoon.
 
After a brief wedding trip Mr. and Mrs. English will be at home at 642 Nesslewood Avenue.
 
Among the out-of-town wedding guests were the bridegroom's grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth English, Napoleon, O.; Mrs. E. H. Mullen, Appleton, Wis.; Mrs. Robert Amundson, Madison, Wis.; Mrs. John R. Morris, Chicago; Mrs. Henry U. Cole, Hubbard Woods, Ill.; Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Early. Mr. and Mrs. Herbert O'Connor, and Miss Joan Early, Detroit.
 
The bride is a graduate of St. Ursula Academy and Mary Manse College and Mr. English was graduated from Dayton Preparatory School and Notre Dame University.
 
224
Ann English, 2051, Marengo
St.: "Yes, the malls should be
 permanent, and the city also
should put in some other malls
in line with realizing the Downtown
Toledo Tomorrow display.
There could be some sidewalk
cafes, too."
 
226
 
October Wedding Is Planned
 
Joanne Yancy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Julian Grey
Yancy, Dallas, Tex., formerly of  Toledo, will become the
Bride of Joseph Bryan Sainton, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Joseph Sainton, Batavia St. in October.
 
229
Toledo Times
Tuesday, July 16, 1957
News of Society
 
Toledoan To Marry Easterner In Fall;
Golfer Was Visitor
 
By BETTY MARSH
 
A BETROTHAL being announced this morning of a Toledo young- woman now living in New York City to a Watertown, N.Y., resident is of much interest both here and in the east.
 
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sainton of Batavia St., are announcing the engagement and approaching autumn marriage of their daug hter, Catherine Sainton, to Charles Alfred Kellogg, son of Mrs. Alfred Hubbard Kellogg of Watertown, and the late Mr. Kellogg.
 
The bride-elect's father, a musician, arranger and teacher, was conductor of the once active Toledo Philiharmonic Orchestra, forerunner of the Toledo Orchestra, and also of the Mozart Choir.
 
MISS SAINTON, who is doing secretarial work in Manhattan this summer, is a graduate of Miami University at Oxford, and took  graduate work at the Univerity of London, and at the School of Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary.
 
Last winter she was employed as secretary to Dr. Earl L. Dougass of  Princeton, a contributor of The Toledo Times.
 
MR. KELLOGG is an alumnus of Harvard University and did graduate study in dramatic arts
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was graduated in June with a bachelor of divinity degrree from Princeton Theological Seminary.
 
The couple plan to be  married in October.
 
 
230
 
Rev. Charles A. Kellogg
In Presbyterian Pulpit
 
BROOKHAVEN- The Rev. Charles A. Kellogg, who recentlymoved here, is now preaching from the pulpit of the Brookhaven- South  Haven, Presbyterian church. The Rev. Mr. Kellogg was graduated from Princeton Theological seminary June 4, following three years of theological study.
 
Before his work at the seminary, he was graduated from Harvard College in Cambridge, Mass., with  a B. A. degree in psychology. He later completed two years of graduate study at the University of North Carolina, holding  a graduate assistantship and teaching several courses in the department of dramatic arts. He has also studied for brief intervals at Emerson in Boston, and the City College of New York.
 
For a number of years, the Rev. Mr. Kellogg was engaged in professional theatre work, serving
as actor, director, and stage manager for many summer theatres. He has himself produced a summer theatre, the St. Lawrence Playhouse, in Clayton, and at one time operated an off-Broadway playhouse in New York city.
 
He gave up theatrical work several years ago, and was employed as an engineer with a Michigan
paper firm when he was drawn into the Christian church and decided to seek out the ministry. While studying at Princeton seminary he served on the student council and was editor of an independent theological journal.
 
The Rev. Mr. Kellogg was born and grew up in Watertown, N. Y., where his mother is now living. He now makes his home in the manse of the Brookhaven-South Haven Presbyterian church here on South Country road.
 
231
 
 
Oconto County Reporter
Thurs., Oct. 10, 1957
TO MARRY SATURDAY – Of
Interest to a number of Oconto
residents will be the marriage
of  Miss.  Catherine Sainton of
York, York, great-grandaughter
of the late late Augustus Cole and
granddaughter of the late Henry
Uri Cole, former Oconto residents.
She will become the bride of the
Reverend Charles Alfred Kellogg
of  Brookhaven, Long Island, Saturday
afternoon in Toledo, Ohio.
She is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Joseph Stainton, 332 Batavia St.,
Toledo. Mrs. Sainton is the
former Helen Cole.
 
It will be remembered that
Augustus Cole was a pioneer settler
of Oconto and the general manager
of the Holt and Balcom mlls for
many years. Uri Balcom was his
uncle. He was one of the founders
of the Presbyterian church here,
so it is interesting that a hundred
years after, his great granddaughter is
marrying a Presbyterian minister,
who comes from the same state of
New York where Augustus Cole
was horn in 1830.  Mr. Kellogg
was installed as pastor of the
Brookhaven - Southhaven
Presbyterian church September
29.
 
Miss Sainton's father is the distinguished
musician, British born Joseph Sainton.
 
232
Charles A. Kellogg
To Be Ordained
 
Service To Be Held in First
Presbyterian Church Sunday
Night.
---
Charles A. Kellogg, son of
Mrs. Evelyn C. Kellogg  and the
late Alfred H. Kellogg, 176,
Park Avenue, will be ordained
into the ministry of the Presbyterian
church Sunday evening at 8 p.m.
in the First Presbyterian
church. Following the
service, there will be a reception
in Fellowship hall at the church.
 
Mr. Kellogg was graduated
June 4 from Princeton Theological
Seminary completing three years
of preparatory study for the ministry.
Preceding the thrological course work,
he was graduated from Harvard college
with a B. A. degree in 1947, and
later studied for two years at the
University of North Carolina.
He graduated from the local
high school in June, 1943.
 
The service for the ordination
to the holy ministry is a function
of presbytery, and confers
upon the candidate the duty and
the privilege of taking part in
the Christian ministry. A candidate
may not be ordained until
he has completed a prescribed
course of training and submitted
to a thorough examination by
presbytery.
 
In this instance, the Presbytery
of St. Lawrence will be the
examining and ordaining body.
 
Taking part in the liturgy will
be Rev. Herbert S. Schroeder,
pastor of the First Presbyterian
church, who will preach the sermon.
Rev.  Nicolas H. A. Bruinix of the
Presbyterian church, Carthage, will propose
the consititutional questions to
the candidate. Other Presbyterian
pastors taking part are Rev.
Thomas J. Carlisle of Stone
Street Presbyterian church; Rev.
Frederic W. Helwig, associate
pastor of the First Presbyterian church
and Rev. W. Halbert Campbell,
Presbyterian church of  Theresa.
 
Following his ordinatlon, Mr.
Kellogg will leave the city on
Monday to assume the pastorate
of the Brookhaven-Soulh Haven
Presbyterian church at Brookhaven, L.I.
 
Friends and members of the
church are invited to the service.
 
233
 
Toledo Times
Tuesday October 1, 1957
News of Society
 
Sainton-Kellog Nuptials
To Take Place at St. Mark’s
 
THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
Oct. 12  is going to be remembered for
a long, long time in the household of
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sainton of Batavia
Street.
 
A Sainton daughter and son – Mrs. Bernard (Pauline)
English, Toledo, and Joseph III, now of Dallas,
both chose Oct. 12 for their nuptuals and now a third member
of the family, Catherine, New York City, will
speak her marriage vows on that day.
 
Mrs. Sainton’s parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry U. Cole
Of Oconto, Wis. And her grandparents, the late Augustus Coles,
who also resided in  Oconto, were married on the same date,
setting a happy precedent for their grandchildren and
greatgrandchildren.
 
Miss Sainton, who has been doing secretarial work in
Manhattan all summer, will arrive tomorrow by plane
To put the final touches on her wedding to the Rev.
Charles Alfred Kellogg of Brookhaven, Long Island.
 
Sunday she attended services at the Brookhaven-Southaven
Presbyterian Church when her fiancé was installed as pastor
Of the church he has been serving since July…
 
The Rev, George M. Chestor, rector of St. Mark's
Episcopa l Church  on Collingwood Blvd, will read the
service in the church at 4 :30 p.m., with a dinncr for members
of the family and the bridal party in the Sainton home
following the reception in the church parlors.
 
Mrs. David McLean will be matron of honor for Miss
Sainton, a graduate of Miami Umverslty at Oxford. The
young women became friends when they worked in the
offfice of the dean of the school of commerce on the Chicago
campus of Nortwestern Umverslty. The bride-elect
also took graduate work at the University of London and
the School of Christian Education at Princeton Theological
Seminary.
 
Marjorie' Rasmus, who will come from her home in
Park Forest, Ill., for the Sainton - Kellogg nuptials
will be a house guest of Mr. and Mrs. McLean,
Drummond Rd .
 
Other guests will include Mr. and Mrs. Sainton, III.
and their sons, Joseph, IV, and Steven, Dallas;
the bride-elect’s sister, Rachel Sainton, New Orleans;
Mrs. Kellogg, the prospective bridegrooms mother,
Watertown; Mrs. Robert Amundson, Karen Amundson,
aunt and cousin of Miss Sainton, New York City;
Mrs. Edward J. Early  [Gampa had died in October 1955] and Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Early, Jr.,
Detroit [just days before Uncle Ted Died].
 
234
 
Catherine Sainton
Is Bride of Minister
 
ST. MARK'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH was the setting
for the Saturday wedding of Catherine Sainton
and the Rev. Charles Alfred Kellogg of Brookhaven,
Long Island, son of Mrs. Alfred H. Kellogg, Watertown,
N.Y., and the late Mr. Kellogg.
 
The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph
Sainton of Batavia St.
 
Candelabra and bouquets of white roses decorated
the altar at the church, where vows were exchanged
at 4:30 o'clock, with the Rev. George M.Chester, rector,
reading the service.
 
Preceding the entrance of the bridal party a quartet
composed of members of the church choir presented a program
of nuptial music.
 
The bride, who entered with her father, chose for her
wedding a waltz length gown of sea blue peau de soie, a
Dior design. Her shoulder length veil of white illusion
fell in soft folds from a flat bow and she carried a bouquet
ot w hite sweetheart roses, white carnations and
blue forget-me-nots.
 
Mrs. David Stuart McLean, the matron of honor, was
gowned in beige satin, with which she wore a hat and
veil in corresponding color. Garnet sweetheart roses
formed her bouquet.
 
Joseph Sainton, III, twin brother ot the bride, came
from Dallas to serve as best man for Mr. Kellogg.
 
Following the ceremony the young couple received
their friends in the church parlors and later in the evening
a dinner was served in the Sainton home.
 
Mr. and Mrs. Kellogg are on a 2-week wedding trip to
New England and Cape Cod. For travel the bride chose a
periwinkle blue wool suit collared in mink and a brown
velvet hat.
 
After Nov. 1, they will make their home in the
Brookhaven- Southhaven Presbyterian Church manse,
Brookhaven, where Mr. Kelogg is pastor of the church.
 
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Evelyn Campbell Kellogg’s Family
 
Eric Campbell
Malcom Campbell
Aileen Ballentyne, Dayton, Ohio
Kathleen Patton, Florida
_______
Daughter,
Angela (Mrs. John Stevens)
Castro Valley California
_______
 
Mr. John Ballentyne was formerly teacher of English, Julliard School, New York is now Personnel director for General Motors, Dayton, Ohio
 
237
 
                                                            Born
Bernard English                        August 3, 1941
Alice Elizabeth “                       November 16, 1942
John Frances “                          June 18, 1944
William Joseph “                       February 12, 1947
Therese Mary “                        June 30, 1948
Mark Phillip “                           July 6, 1950
James Lawrence “                    February 17, 1954
Mary Alice “                             March 5, 1957
_____
Joseph Sainton IV                    Nov. 20, 1951
Steven Clark “                          Dec. 18, 1954
Barbara Catherine                    May 13, 1956
Richard Cole                            July 15, 1961
________
Rebecca Campbel Kellog         Jan. 11, 1960
Rachel Sainton “                       Oct. 20, 1963
                       
 
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Capt. K. M. Hoeffel, U.S.N.
 
His sister Marion Bentley (now with her husband, Lt. Col. Bentley, at West Point) sent this news about Ken shortly after Aunt Lizzie's death.
 
“I am enclosing a copy of  letter Mary (Ken's wife) received Apr. 7 (one of 50 in all) of a broadcast received over the Prisoners of War program and people from all over the U.S.A. who
happened to be listening in were kind and thoughtful enough to jot it down and send it to Mary, care of Gerald. Later the Navy Department sent us copies of it.  I know you will be happy to
get this message from Ken. He is now at Formosa and his reference to cool climate indicates he gave this message out since he was transferred to Formosa.
 
The broadcast was received direct from Radio Sta. J.L.G.4 Tokio, Japan, on Mondey, April 5, 1943, at 6:20 P.M. central war time. Every night at this time the Tokyo radio broadcasts messages from the American prisoners of war. The following is the message:
 
"My darling Mary and Cornelia- My
first message carries all my love. I
hope and pray all is well with you and the
family. My health and spirits continue
excellent. As Uncle Fred would say - "I
never felt finer nor as fit". After four
and one half years overseas in the tropics,
this cool climate an agreeable change.
Looking forward to first letter from you.
In one year will be permitted to write.
I am back to high school weight. Notify
following people I am O.K. Dr. Paul Hoeffel, Evanston, George Bentley, Gaston Drake, Miami,
 
239
Herbert MacPherson, Green Bay and friends in Honolulu besides your host and family.
 
Kenneth Mortimer Hoeffel
age 48
Rank, Capttain U.S. Navy
Captured at Corregidor
 
Newspaper Photo
The Chicago Sun
March 23, 1942
 
CAPTAIN KENNETH M.
HOEFFEL, former Naval
R.O.T.C. head at Northwestern
University and native of
Green Bay, Wis., was skipper
of the gunboat Asheville,
which the Navy presumes has
been lost in action off  Java
 
 
240
 
Captain K. M. Hoeffel U.S.N.
 
Capt. Hoeffel, a native of Oconto, Wis. graduated from the U S Naval Academy in
1917 and saw duty with the destroyer force in European waters in 1917 and
1919. After the war he had various assignments afloat and ashore, including
posts as Presidential Naval Aide in Washington and director of the naval R.O.T.C. unit at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill, and was also chief gunnery officer aboard the aircraft carrier Lexington; was later and until war (2nd world war) at Pearl Harbor and at Cavite, the Philippine Naval base. The gallant stand of the Correridor garrison won tribute from Secy of State Cordell Hull.
 
N.Y. Times, May 7,1942
Philippines Lost
Lieut. Gen. J. M. Wainwright notified the War Dept. that "resistance of our troops has been overcome" and that "terms are being arranged covering the capitulation of the island forts in Manila Bay." A few hours earlier Gen. Wainwright described a final six day cannonading of the island supplemented by aerial bombardment, in which the Japs used many new guns to prepare the way for landing parties that yesterday crossed the three mile strip of water separating Corregidor and Battan Peninsula ..... The navy said in a communiqué that there were on Corregidor about 75 officers and 2100 enlisted Navy personnel and 70 officers and 1500 men of the Marine Corps. These sailors and marines,
who were ordered from Bataan by Gen. Wainwright before the Peninsular forces
241
capitulated on April 9th, were serving under Capt. Kenneth M. Hoeffel of the Navy and
Col. Samuel L. Howard of the Marine Corps.
 
Capt. Hoeffel reported- “A Naval communique stated that the mine sweeper Tanager
and the river gunboat Oahu had been sunk by enemy gunfire.
 
Chicago Tribune, May 7
Several messages from Naval personnel at Corregidor were received in the Navy Dept
only this morning. The Navy communiqué said .... Capt K.M. Hoeffel, 48, of Cambridge, Mass. joined his officers and men in a final message of "loyalty, devotion and good cheer  to their country, their families and their friends.”
 
Milwaukee Journal, September 18, 1942 .
Capt. Hoeffel, Bataan Hero, Held by Japs
 
Capt. Hoeffel, a native of Oconto, who commanded naval forces which fought at Bataan and Corigridor, is a prisoner of the Japanese in the Philippine Islands, according to a war dept announcement in Washington. He was the first of thousands believed captured in the Philippines, to be identified definitely as a prisoner of war. The information come through the International Red Cross at Geneva....Listed last March as lost in action south of Java with the gunboat Asheville (of which he had been in command), Capt. H was later reported not aboard the ill-fated vessel. In April, the Navy Dept revealed he was on Corregidor island as senior naval officer, succeeding Rear Admiral
 
242
F.W. Rockwell, who accompanied General McArthur to Australia.
 
Green Bay Gazette, Sept 20, 1945
 
Capt. Hoeffel reported Free & on way to Manila.
 
"What sort of a little girl have I" is one of the most important questions asked in a letter home by Cap Hoeffel on his release from a Japanese prison camp in Mukden, Manchuria. He was freed by the Russians when the war ended and is now reported to be aboard a destroyer out of Darien bound for Korea. From there he will be flown to Okinawa, and from there to Manila, and then home... Except for loss of weight and teeth, Capt. H indicated he was in good condition and that he was getting a great deal of satisfaction
out of seeing his former guards working as 'prison gardeners under the supervision of
Americans armed with Jap rifles. He writes that he kept a prison diary and that “out
most severe trial was undernourishment, which was at best insufficient rice and a watery soup three time a day. With him at Mukden were 70 British generals, brigadiers and colonels. 50 Dutch officers of the same ranks, British and Dutch naval Captains, 100 American colonels, and 15  brigadier and major generals.
 
San Francisco, September 26, 1945
 
Capt K.M. Hoeffel of Green bay, Wis, senior naval officer at the fall of Corregidor, was among 80 liberated prisoners of war who arrived by transport planes from Jap prison camps yesterday to hear a message from Gen. Johnathan Wainwright, that
 
243
in future years our greatest pride will be these words, I was at Bataan and then I was at Corregidor.. The message from Wainwright their commander, to “my comrades” was read at a great liberation  celebration. The men were welcomed by more than 1000 relatives and friends. Many more thousands cheered them as they paraded through the city. The welcome exceeded in excitement and enthusiasm even that extended to Wainwright on his return. Capt. Hoeffel recalled that he had hoed potatoes with Gen. W. in a Jap prison camp. Capt. H. had not heard from his wife or family since December 1943. Three great 4 engine transport planes brought them home, to be met at nearby Hamilton field by the highest ranking officers of the army and navy on the west
coast.
 
 
Washington Daily News, Oct.9, 1945
Interview by John F. Gerrity (& picture)
 
Planned, deliberate starvation was the cruelest atrocity American prisoners of war suffered from the hands of their Jap prison masters according to a liberated
Washingtonian.
 
Capt. K.M. Hoeffel, USN, back in Washington after 1200 days in six different prison
camps, yesterday said that “denial of even the simple food far exceeded every other abuse and indignity heaped upon us.” Hoeffel, prematurely grey and bearing marked signs of the hardships he endured, was reunited with his family after a separation of more than 5 years. His home is at 4150 16th St.,  NW. From July 1942 until war's end, the naval officer and Gen. Wainwright were prison mates  in Tarlac, Karenko, Formosa and Omori, Japan. Immediately after the
 
244
surrender of Corregidor, Hoeffel was brought to Bilibid Prison in Luzon, where he underwent questioning from his Jap captors. In July he was transferred to Tarlac, where he joined Wainwright. Together they were transferred to Formosa. Here the starvation business began. In 2 months I went from 187 pounds to 132. Wainwright, other officers and myself used to grub like animals to find snails to boil and eat. On good days the Japs would give us a soup made of bamboo roots and radishes. But mostly we had wormy rice. On Karenko starvation was coupled with beatings. At bayonet's point, we “ volunteered to work on the farms. Nearly every day, for childish reasons, we were slapped and kicked. There were no exceptions. Wainwright and I worked side by side, and the beatings were doled out on the same basis. In all the time we were imprisoned, we saw only one Jap who was unfaithful to his country. We gave him a gold watch  for two newspapers weekly. We knew of Germany's collapse, but missed the President's death. Once, during cold weather, when we were too weak to work, we were taken outside and hosed. The Japs took positive delight in seeing officers, particularly the older ones, suffer.  The last camp in which Capt. H was imprisoned, was Mukden. On August 18 they were rescued by Russians, led by women officers, who told us that “they had come to save us.”
 
When war struck, Hoeffel was 2nd in command of the Manila Harbor patrol. When Gen. McArthur left the Philippines for Australia, he took Rear Admiral Rockwell, Hoeffel' s senior. Hoeffel and Gen. Wainwright assumed command of the
 
245
land and sea forces at the same time. “It was our job to keep Manila Bay open and to move out of the mined waterways every bit of shipping we could. Within 2 weeks we evacuated 200,000 tons of shipping. Out of 80 vessels in the harbor we lost only one. Our fleet, if you can call it that, was made of 13 ships no bigger than PT boats, and 2 submarines. By May 5, the day of the Jap landing on Luzon, we had lost all but 2 ships, small armed yachts. While we would patrol by day, at night we would sneak through Jap naval lines to bring food, ammunition and medical supplies to Wainwright's men on Bataan. Finally, when the Jap tanks reached the mouth of Corregidor’s tunrell Wainwright told me he had surrendered.
 
Captain Hoeffel will spend the next 90 days on leave. And during that time, he swears that he will do his best to “eat my way out of memories of Jap menus.”
 
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Capt. Kenneth M. Hoeffel U.S.N.
His return after Jap imprisonment
_ r
 
Copy of letter from his sister, Marion.
 
Mrs. George A. Bentley, 2nd
7 Craigie Circle, Apt. 62
Cambridge 38, Mass.
                                                            November 14, 1945
 
“My dear Jessie -
I beg your tolerance in my dilatory acknowledgment of your interesting letter so much enjoyed, as it contained such very interesting news of you all. What a lovely family you can boast of! I truly envy you your two lovely daughters and I know you share all their happiness and  daily happenings. Let me know about the new grandchildren.. . The news of Ted's marriage to the English girl is interesting too. What fun you must have had getting her wedding costume assembled and sent to her. Gertrude wrote me just prior to the time  you did and enclosed a copy of his new Mother-in-law’s letter written after the wedding, and I decided she must be a perfect lady and now I hope Ted and his bride
will get back to the U.S. soon. The snapshot taken of you both while he was home on furlough was lovely, Jessie. You look like Ted's sister, really you do!
 
You and Gertrude were always close to Mother and Dad and your Mother's
interest and concern for Kenneth during his prison camp days prompted your
writing me. The story is that Gertrude’s letter arrived while I was in Evanston
 
247
 
at Paul's waiting for Kenneth, Mary, Gerald and Paul to return from Calif. Emily and I went out the train and had a week with Julia before they arrived. Bert held Gertrude's letter here and then I went to Washington, D.C. to see more of Kenneth and when I did get
back, before writing Ger. I sent yours and her letter on to Gerald and Emily to read and they sent them on to Ken and Mary. I had a letter from him this morning and he said his mail had swamped him and that he will write you both eventually. Would you mind sending this lengthy explanation on to Gertrude. He is 100% they find, having just been  thru all the various tests at the Naval Hosp. in Bethesda, Md. He is there now having dent istrry done. That was inevitable,  and one of the worst worriest he had during his prison days…. Ken realizes his return is a miracle and due to our prayers. He suffered for lack of mail from us all. Our many messages and letters never reached him. It will take a long time for him to get over his experiences, but Gerald says he is as normal as any of them are. They  are all nervous and jittery and their energy easily dissapated. Mary is most understanding and handles the situation marvelously we all decided. They are planning to spend a few days here the end of this month and then he, Mary and Cornelia will go down to Miami, Fla. where he will spend three months. (They all rate that period of recuperation.) ….. Hortense and Fritzie were at Paul and Julia's for a reunion dinner, but  time didn’t permit all of us going up to Green Bay. That was a disappointment…. George is an Ensign, U.S.N.R.
 
248
and is on the heavy cruiser U.S.S. St. Paul. He left May 15 for Pacific and was in Tokyo Bay when MacArthur landed there. Am enclosing a part of his letters that explains how he captured two Royal Marines... We had our hopes up that he might return to U. S. about the end of Jan. but those plans are all pending how as the St. Paul is relieving the cruiser Chicago and gone out on operational duty and may even go to China after completion of their job. However, he won’t have enough points to get out until next June at the earliest, so this cruise to China, should it materialize, will give him opportunity to see the rest of the Orient…. Helen wrote me too… Seems you sent her late news of Kenneth and she had missed it. She must have a nice family and talented one too. Its years and years since we have seen one another. Perhaps Ger. would send her this letter and enclosures so I won’t have to repeat it all…. We are very happy in Cambridge. Bert likes working for the Howard Johnson Co. very much. The Gerald Hoeffels are fine and have tour darling children .... Cornelia is simply crazy about her Dad and he idolizes her and gives her every minute of his time at home. She is the image of him. If we take a family group when they come, I'll send you one. Then you can see Gerald's Children and her. Jane Hoeffel reminds me so much or you, Jess. Same coloring, eyes and make-up. I think she will take after us and be short. Gerald thinks she looks like Mother, but I don't see it .... I realize how full and busy your days are, but everyone's are these days. I find marketing quite a chore in itself. Our apartment is
 
249
very compact and yet all the room we need and still with no help it takes lots of time to keep it in order. I am feeling better than I did last Spring and summer. Had a severe bout with neuritis in my neck and arm and still have it, but not as acutely as I did. Had several teeth out last April and have spent hours at the dentists since. Age is creeping up on me, I fear. However, I don't mind and intend to take it in my stride and enjoy each day. My mental state is so relieved with Kenneth spared to us. I shall be forever grateful to God for his goodness. My friends all say, I look like a different person already. Kenneth's eyes reflect his suffering especially in repose, but he won’t let on, and tries to be his own sweet lovable self. He is most proud of George's accomplishments. Haven’t time to write any more now, but I hope this finds you all “in the pink" as George says, and my love to you all and this includes Gertrude and Helen Cole.
 
Devotedly, Marion.
 
250
Death of Aunt Lizzie
 
Aunt Lizzie died Friday, April 6, 1943, at 9:30 P.M. at Jessie's home in Detroit, of an attack of her old ailment. Ed and Jess brought her body to Oconto by train. The funeral was at 9 A.M. Tuesday April 20, from St. Joseph's church, burial in the family lot at the Catholic cemetery. Carroll had died at Christmas time in Chicago, and Horace was in New York, and could not be there for the funeral, but Gertrude drove up and was with the family for several days, also Uncle Jim, the remaining survivor of our mother's family, came from Green Bay, he was 80 years old on April 1st.
 
The Catholic Woman's Club was at the church in a body. The pall-bearers were:
William Runkel, Hugo Linglebach, Clinton de Witt, Eldred Klauser, Howard Mayberry
and Giles Megan
.
Cecile sent me the above, and from Jess I have more details of her death.
 
“Mother enjoyed your last letter so much and was delighted at your answering right
back. She did love life and everything interesting right to the very end, so I couldn't believe it was the end until Friday afternoon when she slept away. Thursday A.M. I was going to Mount Clemens to Aunt Anne O’keefe’s funeral. She died Monday, and mother was as well as she has been since her first sickness in Neenah (this was in the autumn of 1942), but Thursday she said she had a bad night and that I'd better not go awy. So I used the treatments that we found did the trick, but this time they didn't. We called the Doctor, and while he was waiting for his hypo to work (she was in great pain) she talked of great doctors she knew- Dr. O'Keefe
 
251
and Dr. Minehan and his operation on her in the middle of the night, etc. Wented to know if baked potato was too bulky and oatmeal was too rough. Wed. afternoon she had renewed subscriptions to Post pnd Colliers. But these last 3, 4  months she’s talked over every thing importr:nt to her and was ready, it was clear I am so grateful that we had her here and that the children could know and love her. But these last months she’s been  so frail and dependent and we’ve been together so constantly.
 
Less than a month before she died, I received what was to be my last letter from that remarkable person, our Aunt Lizzie. We all remarked how firm was her handwriting, for she was in her 85th year. As it  tells of Carroll’s death, I append part of it and also will preserve her remarkable handwriting.
 
“My dear Helen –
 
There has been so much that has happened in the last five months that it makes it hard to take my stack of Christmas mail and do much with it. However, notwithstanding a devastating cold of three weeks standing, I am feeling better and got out yesterday for a twenty minute walk with Jessie. The weather is  warm. Today Jess is out with Betty to a movie, so I only walked ten minutes alone. It is five months since I went to the Hospital. Carroll’s passing so suddenly was a hard blow, but he came up to Neenah to see me while I was in hospital and it is a lovely remembrance, and Evelyn’s bringing him to Oconto for internment comforted me. She ordered a marker in marble
 
252
monument, going to Oconto for that purpose. Her mother, sister and brother live in Calgary.
 
You, like me, will welcome spring, and I hope all my sick friends will be benefited. Aunt Elizabeth is learning to walk on crutches and Jim writes me her lee is so weak that the progress is slow, but he says, thank God she has no pain. Aunt Tina Hoetffel has had a second stroke, broken hip,etc. and is helpless at St. Vincent's. I hope God will be kind
and take her soon. Mrs. Best, Marjorie O'Kelleher's lovely mother,  died in Chicago Saturday. She had a stroke, and has been in a nursing home in Chicago six years.
 
I had a nice letter from Aunt Adelaide today and she tells me she is chairman of the Nursing Division, War Service Dept of the Illinois Federation of Women’s Clubs. Recruiting nurses, and getting scholarships funds from twenty-five districts in the state ! She is a wonder. I think she is seventy-five!
I enjoyed your first letter at Christmas time, and the one of Jan. 25th. You write well; and your family book made the grade… How darling those two babies must be! Polly has a fine husband to help… Gerald Hoeffel’s Emily has three in four years, but she is a  nurse and knows all about children. They have about a 40 year old house on Brattle St., Cambridge, remodeled  it, and have lots of room for the babies and had fun doing it over, she writes me.
 
Ted is in Atlanta, Ga. And is wild over his flying. Says, “ I am the happiest madman in the skies.” You know he and Mary are engaged… Where is Lena?
 
Aunt Elizabeth
 
253
 
Our stepmother after selling the old home in Oonto, went out West about a year later to be with June. She wrote Cecile on Dec. 3l, 1942 as follows:
 
“Got your lovely card and letter and intended to answer right away, but as usual am busy all the time. Well, here I am way out West. I never dreamed I would ever come out here to live. I like it very much and like June's husband, so I shall probably be here for a long time. June seems to be happy and is looking fine and loves the West, and is very contented.

I was in Yakima a week ago. I went with Mike to get the boys (his three sons) and I had a lovely visit with Emma (her sister) and of course she is heartbroken, she lost her only son, 31 years old, about 3 months ago.  He was in the service and died of pneumonia in Seattle. They took him to Washington, D.C. for burial. Emma and her youngest daughter went with the body, and it was a very hard trip, but of course it was an honor to have him buried there.

Ed (her brother) was here to see me Sunday and he was so glad he just hugged and kissed me and called me his second mother (he is the youngest). I will see a great deal of him from now on. He is a widower with no children and is just grand. I was so happy to see him of course. June has seen much of him since coming out here. It is certainly strange to think all of these things had to happen so we can see each other.

I had a lovely trip going to Yakima with Mike. (The boys had been in school there ) I saw many interesting things going through the mountains, and enjoyed every minute

254 of it. We are only about 30 miles from Seattle, so it is not much of a drive. We are six miles out of Everett, on Lake Stevens."
 
About May 15th, Cecile received another letter from Mama, saying that they had moved to another house on the Lake –
 
"We are in a lovely spot way up high, with beautiful yard, Woods back of us and it is certainly grand. Some days the view of the mountains is heavenly. Some times I feel so lonely- I love it here, but when I think of the past and my dear old home, I could cry myself sick ... I hope some day I will see you all again and think of me once in a while, and write me when you find time.
 
Every day I say in the morning, Today I am going to write letters. But the hustle and hurry and everyone getting ready for work or school - I am pretty busy these days and help all I can…. Nothing but war work, day and night. The boys take the bus in the mornings and have their lunch at school, and when they get home they are starved. They are pretty good boys, of course they are not angels. I like Mike, one of the twins, very much.
 
We are having wonderful weather. I can’t Remember having winter. The flowers have been in bloom for two months and the trees are all throuogh blossoming, gardens seeded.”….

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