My favorite lines in genealogy are the ones inscribed by hand on paper—family letters. I didn’t always save the letters I received, but I do have a nice representative sampling from many ancestors and relatives.
I’ll begin with my immediate family and my ancestors, then I’ll share some samples from other relatives, particularly the oldest writing.
My Family
Clip from a letter I wrote home from college when I was attending The Ohio State University in Columbus, 1983. My handwriting is much the same today, but usually sloppier. My older brother, Steve, wrote to our Smith grandparents in 1989. Like me, my brothers also chose printing over cursive handwriting.My dad’s handwriting from 2014. It has remained pretty consistent over the years.Mom’s handwriting from 1991.
Mabel (Cutting) Halse to the Everett Halse family in Corvallis, Oregon in 1945.Walter E. Gusso to his daughter, Reatha, written in his later years (date unknown).Letter from Stella (Crandall) Gusso to her daughter, Reatha, in 1961, shortly before her death.Clara (Ransom) Davis composed this essay while attending the University of Idaho in 1897.Clara suffered from myasthenia gravis in her later years and it affected her handwriting considerably as seen in this letter to her daughter, Clare, in 1945.
2nd great-grandparents
Postcard sent by Alice (Fawcett) Cutting to her sister-in-law, Jessie Butler, in 1910. She lived in Oregon at the time, so must have been visiting family in Mabel, Minnesota.The left-hand side of this postcard was written by Olive (Springer) Gusso (date unknown).Sarah (Livengood) Davis wrote to her son, Sterling P. Davis in 1922.Robert Ransom wrote in his memo book in Trenton, Indiana, in 1861 to keep track of what customers owed him.
3rd great-grandparents
Andrew Livengood wrote to his daughter in Missouri, Sarah Davis, in 1878 before the Davis family moved to Idaho.Henry Z. Jenkins wrote to his wife, Abby, in 1851 while he worked in the California mines.Abigail (Bedford) Jenkins wrote to Henry during his time out west (1853).
4th great-grandparent
Ann W. (Zane) Jenkins wrote to her son, Henry, while he was in California. She was in her 80s and nearly blind and deaf (1852).
Other Relatives
My uncle, Nathan Halse, wrote this letter while serving in the marines in the early 1960s.June (Davis) Wickward, my great-aunt, wrote to her sister, “Bobby” (Clare Davis Smith), in 1957.Henrietta (Bedford) Perrin related some family history to Clara (Ransom) Davis in 1925, writing from Cincinnati.James Henry Ransom wrote to his sister, Clare (Ransom) Davis, about family history in 1921.Thomas Bridges Davis, who was a minister, wrote this letter in 1920 to Clara and Sterling Davis.Dr. William C. Ransom, brother of Robert Ransom, wrote to his daughter, Marietta Haines, in Oregon in 1893, shortly before he shocked the country in 1894.Clara Bedford wrote to her aunt, Abigail (Bedford) Jenkins about her trip to Philadelphia shortly after the end of the war in 1865.Cordelia Ransom, daughter of William C. Ransom, wrote to her cousin, Lizzy Jenkins, in 1864, about the death of her brother Lewis from diphtheria and scarlet fever.
Feature image:Letter from Edith Hockett of Kansas to her cousin, Clara Ransom Hockett, in Moscow, Idaho, about 1905.
This is an amazing collection! Your family must be much, much better about keeping things than mine. My mother would throw out anything. I used to hide things from her (cards, letters, etc.) so she wouldn’t throw them away. I envy you!
Both my grandmothers had at least a little interest in preserving family history. My mother had zero, so my aunt has passed much on to me. Very few of these are from my dad’s side.
Amazing that you have those that go back several generations. I didn’t try to decipher them all, but I hope you blog about some of them and transcribe them for those of us with old eyes!
Handwriting is so individual is it not? There is something about holding a hand written letter or note from an ancestor or loved one that goes beyond the message in it.
I started off wondering if I’d see any patterns in the handwriting, but I really didn’t. When we’re all given basic instruction on how to form letters, we each come up with our own twist. My Grandma Smith had such beautiful penmanship, especially.
I can’t really convey how connected I feel to the long past ancestors who have shared their stories with me in this blog and in my book. I swear they point me in the direction they want me to go to find them.
My mom saved most of our letters to her as well. I did not do a good job of saving things. Being an Army brat and moving a lot really taught us not to save things.
My handwriting is atrocious but I do enjoy writing letters to people. I have lots of old letters and cards and am so glad for them all. These are all wonderful!
The lost art of letter writing has sadly been replaced by texts and e-mails. I don’t have any handwritten letters from my ancestors but my grandmother and mother corresponded by mail weekly after we moved to the States. In later years, it was a five-minute phone call every Wednesday night. I write longhand so little now with electronic checking for bills, that when I was doing Christmas cards, I was not doing a very good addressing the cards and made a few mistakes. I used to write a short note to my late mom’s friends at Christmastime, as none were on social media, but they are all gone now.
I was a big-time letter writer for much of my life. We’ve become too impatient for such a slow form of communication, and I do believe we’re worse off for it. It required much more forethought and consideration. Possibly smoothed relationships and provided tangible reminders of love and memories. Some people don’t even know what they’ve missed out on. My dad used to write to his mother weekly, but all that correspondence is lost now. What I wouldn’t give …
I’m sure that boxes of stationery are not readily available anymore, though I could be wrong. You used to see them at the Hallmark stores. That would be a treasure trove of memories for you to have those letters Eilene. I like reading or hearing about couples who corresponded daily during various wars and each party kept the letters.
Me neither Eileen. I think the advent of e-card greetings contributed to that plus my grocery store sells cards and pretty much anything I need. For years, part of Saturday was spent doing errands at the nursery, card store, hardware store, etc. but no longer necessary to visit specialty stores, as it’s all under one roof.
The city next to me (Wyandotte) has a downtown with a variety of eateries and unique little shops. I do like to go there and walk through downtown when walking between two riverside parks, but just window shopping mostly.
It’s eclectic, yet a down-home feel to it as most shop keepers on the main street have been there for years and they have a lot of events, a street art fair and it’s a block away from the Detroit River, so a lot of activity. I wish I didn’t worry about crime and being out after dark as those events appeal to me (post-pandemic anyway).
Thanks! It is interesting how by a certain age we have generally adopted a writing style and for the most part it remains the same thereafter. Certainly style and language do change a lot. The Jenkins letters have very archaic language, even for the period when they wrote (1850s). Much more like the Revolutionary era, and colored by their Quaker heritage.
This is wonderful. I love the idea and that you have so many samples of writing. Different times when handwritten letters were the best way to keep in touch, the only way perhaps.
Letters were really crucial, especially in my family where people tended to move away and westward. Except for Walter Gusso, all these people were born and died in different places.
Wow, what a priceless collection you have! I kept some of my letters to and from my parents during university and to friends and classmates, and treasure the – all pre-internet, but have nothing going back any further. One of my relatives in California said he had a letter from my great-grandmother (died in 1917) to her son in Seatle, but he couldn’t find it, and I was so disappointed.
That would be disappointing to learn of such a letter. The last one in this collection, from Cordelia, was like that. I had a not my grandmother wrote mentioning this letter, so I’d known about it for years. Then earlier this year, I got a bundle from my aunt and there it was! It also included the Clara Bedford letter and Robert Ransom’s memo book which I did not know about – really floored me!
These letters written through the generations are charming and increase in value for those who honor the ancestors. And you make clear, we, too, will become ancestors and our own letters may be precious to those who come after us.
Things seem very commonplace when we write about them, but a century later can take on much more significance. But with today’s electronic communications much of that will be lost to family and history. Thanks for visiting and commenting!
Wow–what a treasure trove these are! Beautiful in sentiment and to look at. I’d say your grandparents, especially, really know how to open a letter! I fear I’m losing the art of letter writing. (Well, I write solicitation letters for work all the time, but not letters to family and friends). I am, however, writing a letter to my brother today. He’s living with his family in Spain for a couple years, so I thought getting fun mail would probably be nice.
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This is an amazing collection! Your family must be much, much better about keeping things than mine. My mother would throw out anything. I used to hide things from her (cards, letters, etc.) so she wouldn’t throw them away. I envy you!
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Both my grandmothers had at least a little interest in preserving family history. My mother had zero, so my aunt has passed much on to me. Very few of these are from my dad’s side.
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Amazing that you have those that go back several generations. I didn’t try to decipher them all, but I hope you blog about some of them and transcribe them for those of us with old eyes!
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The Jenkins letters are too long and tedious, but they form the basis of my book. Some of the others would be more doable.
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I have a few letters from my dad’s half-brother, but that’s it for his side of the family.
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Better than nothing!
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This is true!
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Handwriting is so individual is it not? There is something about holding a hand written letter or note from an ancestor or loved one that goes beyond the message in it.
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I started off wondering if I’d see any patterns in the handwriting, but I really didn’t. When we’re all given basic instruction on how to form letters, we each come up with our own twist. My Grandma Smith had such beautiful penmanship, especially.
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Some people just have a knack for penmanship, I wish I could say I did, but mine is a messy hybrid!
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Mine is pretty sloppy, unless I’m writing for someone else to read.
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We do take more are when we know it will be read!
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True, that!
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I agree with you about holding a hand written letter from an ancestor or loved one. It feels like a real connection.
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I can’t really convey how connected I feel to the long past ancestors who have shared their stories with me in this blog and in my book. I swear they point me in the direction they want me to go to find them.
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I can feel that in the stories you’ve shared on your blog. You’re still working on your book?
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Just got a publishing offer!! I’ll be editing for the next 9 months.
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Oh, my goodness, congratulations!!!!! (Not that I’m surprsed!)
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Thank you, Liz! I’m quite excited at the prospect. Much work and steep learning curve coming up!!
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You’re welcome, Eilene! I shall await the next report!!
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This is so cool that you have all these!!
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It’s a great treasure to me.
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What an impressive selection of letters! After my mom died I was surprised to find that she had saved all the letters I ever wrote her.
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My mom saved most of our letters to her as well. I did not do a good job of saving things. Being an Army brat and moving a lot really taught us not to save things.
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How wonderful to have letters from the past. You can learn so much from them 🙂
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I’ve learned enough to write whole books!🙂
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It’s a treasure trove of handwritten letters, Eilene. What a beautiful collection you’ve amassed over the years. And good for you, keeping them.
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Most are in my possession, but not all. Still, they do convey so much about the personalities of people I never had the grace to know in person.
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That is special stuff.
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What treasures!
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Yes, indeed!
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Some of the letters are quite old. How remarkable that they’ve survived!
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My great-grandmother and her mother are responsible for that.
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Good for them!
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I wonder if I would have developed such an interest in family history if they hadn’t?
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Perhaps not.
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My handwriting is atrocious but I do enjoy writing letters to people. I have lots of old letters and cards and am so glad for them all. These are all wonderful!
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There were many I wish I had saved over the years, but I now cherish all that I do have.
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It’s hard to keep everything, no matter how we try.
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I know some people who DO try!!
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The lost art of letter writing has sadly been replaced by texts and e-mails. I don’t have any handwritten letters from my ancestors but my grandmother and mother corresponded by mail weekly after we moved to the States. In later years, it was a five-minute phone call every Wednesday night. I write longhand so little now with electronic checking for bills, that when I was doing Christmas cards, I was not doing a very good addressing the cards and made a few mistakes. I used to write a short note to my late mom’s friends at Christmastime, as none were on social media, but they are all gone now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was a big-time letter writer for much of my life. We’ve become too impatient for such a slow form of communication, and I do believe we’re worse off for it. It required much more forethought and consideration. Possibly smoothed relationships and provided tangible reminders of love and memories. Some people don’t even know what they’ve missed out on. My dad used to write to his mother weekly, but all that correspondence is lost now. What I wouldn’t give …
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure that boxes of stationery are not readily available anymore, though I could be wrong. You used to see them at the Hallmark stores. That would be a treasure trove of memories for you to have those letters Eilene. I like reading or hearing about couples who corresponded daily during various wars and each party kept the letters.
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I haven’t even seen a Hallmark store in ages!😀
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Me neither Eileen. I think the advent of e-card greetings contributed to that plus my grocery store sells cards and pretty much anything I need. For years, part of Saturday was spent doing errands at the nursery, card store, hardware store, etc. but no longer necessary to visit specialty stores, as it’s all under one roof.
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I still enjoy visiting a variety of stores on the rare occasion I shop for anything other than food.
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The city next to me (Wyandotte) has a downtown with a variety of eateries and unique little shops. I do like to go there and walk through downtown when walking between two riverside parks, but just window shopping mostly.
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Sounds like the sort of downtown I’d really enjoy.
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It’s eclectic, yet a down-home feel to it as most shop keepers on the main street have been there for years and they have a lot of events, a street art fair and it’s a block away from the Detroit River, so a lot of activity. I wish I didn’t worry about crime and being out after dark as those events appeal to me (post-pandemic anyway).
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What an amazing idea, WOW! I love seeing how the handwriting changes and word choices, etc. Beautifully done!
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Thanks! It is interesting how by a certain age we have generally adopted a writing style and for the most part it remains the same thereafter. Certainly style and language do change a lot. The Jenkins letters have very archaic language, even for the period when they wrote (1850s). Much more like the Revolutionary era, and colored by their Quaker heritage.
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This is wonderful. I love the idea and that you have so many samples of writing. Different times when handwritten letters were the best way to keep in touch, the only way perhaps.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Letters were really crucial, especially in my family where people tended to move away and westward. Except for Walter Gusso, all these people were born and died in different places.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, what a priceless collection you have! I kept some of my letters to and from my parents during university and to friends and classmates, and treasure the – all pre-internet, but have nothing going back any further. One of my relatives in California said he had a letter from my great-grandmother (died in 1917) to her son in Seatle, but he couldn’t find it, and I was so disappointed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be disappointing to learn of such a letter. The last one in this collection, from Cordelia, was like that. I had a not my grandmother wrote mentioning this letter, so I’d known about it for years. Then earlier this year, I got a bundle from my aunt and there it was! It also included the Clara Bedford letter and Robert Ransom’s memo book which I did not know about – really floored me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
These letters written through the generations are charming and increase in value for those who honor the ancestors. And you make clear, we, too, will become ancestors and our own letters may be precious to those who come after us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Things seem very commonplace when we write about them, but a century later can take on much more significance. But with today’s electronic communications much of that will be lost to family and history. Thanks for visiting and commenting!
LikeLike
Wow–what a treasure trove these are! Beautiful in sentiment and to look at. I’d say your grandparents, especially, really know how to open a letter! I fear I’m losing the art of letter writing. (Well, I write solicitation letters for work all the time, but not letters to family and friends). I am, however, writing a letter to my brother today. He’s living with his family in Spain for a couple years, so I thought getting fun mail would probably be nice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Handwritten letters are always a delight to receive (and even send). I’m sure they will appreciate it. Thanks for the cookie recipe!!
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You’re so welcome, Eilene!
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