Notes for Mary A. STURGES
The following is taken from a letter to Norma (Boyce) Martin from Mary Sturges Hudson in about 1975. At that time she was living in Lincoln Nebraska at 1127 Washington Street. She had lived in Lincoln since 1920.
Letter from Mary Sturges Hudson to Norma in about 1975
(Transcript) Punctuation added where apparent. Clarification of people and places enclosed in ( ).
Dear Norma,
I was glad to get a nice letter from you and that you have nice work at the post office and you have a nice family. I be so happy to have you come to see you son at Crete (NB) and come and see me and stay all night. I have room nice kitchen, living room large and I bought a new sleeper with a good mattress so I could have company. I remember you three girls. You were so good and always helped your mother and your dad (Marie and Clarence Boyce). He (Clarence) was sure a sweet kid and always good to Aunt Mary. I have not forgotten that I am going on 85 years old. I can still cook and take care of my apt, get my groceries every week. The seniors bus take anyone over 65 any where in Landcaster Co. (Lincoln, Nebr). I have lived in Lincoln since 1920. And your mom is a wonderful woman so understanding so good to everyone, Clarence and Marie was sure always good to me. I hope they can come down to see me I have a large bedroom and plenty of room. I want you to please send me a snap shot picture of you and your Husband and children. Please, keeping track of all of my relation has been my hobby. I was really sick at Jane (Sister, Eliza Jane Sturges Boyce) funeral, it just didn't seem possible she always been so well and always ready to go. I miss her. I just have my Brother Bob in California. He writes often and has been to see me three times. He has 8 nice childeen, 5 girls and 3 sons all living in Calif in Ukile (possibly Uriah, CA) and they have nice family. I and Jane seen all of them. They took us all over to see thing that were interesting. Norma I try to write know and tell you all I can. I have lots of pictures I got when I went to Illinois. When cousin Joe Bend (Bird) came to see me several times and I was in Illinois 3 times then I made the biggest mistake I ever made when I married Ralph Evans. He was 68 and I was 65. Then I could not go places I and Joe.
He would take me to New York and Michigan. But I will try and write what I know. I will hunt some more letters I have put away in box when I moved. I am sending you one from cousin Ella Sturges, her father was my fathers' oldest brother. (He was born in England, married in England, had two children born in England that came across the ocean from England. There were several English family and came at the same time in a sale ship. The wind would blow them back some days more than they got the day before. They were two weeks on the water. There was my uncle Lou and Aunt Jane. That was my fathers' sis. Jane was named after her. Molly Sturges and William Sturges my grandpa Sturges, my grandma Sturges was dead and buried in England. My father was the youngest of the family. He was 16 years old, grandpa Sturges would not let him come to USA. Father had one sister, Ann that was married and lived in England. She told her father to come and live with her, but, he wanted to come. Her name is Aunt Ann Pell. She married a very wealthy Englishman. When Dianna Stover was in England I ask her to look her up. She had her route mapped out and did not have time. She looked in the phone book and see the name Pells, but there was so many and she did not know their names. I sent and go a book on England's travels and when I moved over here they threw it away, thought it was no good. I was so sick and tired it was all most to much for me to sell and moved and Dorothy & Fritz and Dale finished up.
My Father was born in Lincoln shire, England and they were farmers. The farms are small there. It was not far from London. He said he you to go over the london bridge and when his father and mother did the trading he use to like to sit and hear the Big Ben Clock strike. My father had a brother Jim that to the army joined and when my father and grandpa took him to the depot he gave my father that silver watch, it winds with a key to keep for him. He was in the army for 21 years when he came out he came to N.Y. and to Leland Illinois to see his sister Jane Joe Mother got sick and said he could not go any more. So my father did not get to see him, he felt so bad it took 3 or 4 days to come from Illinois to Nebraska. He went back to England, did not live only a few weeks after he go back. My Aunt Ann had all the history and Joe had pictures and letter was 12 year old when my folks came from Illinois in the year of 1878 land homesteaded in Nebr, Franklin, 5 miles south of the Republican River. There were only trains as far as Red Cloud. Joe Bell and Whites and Ellerys came from Illinois to Western States. They met my folks with a team of oxen. They shipped table, chairs, and dishes, feather bed and pillows they brought from England my father. My father and mother were married and my oldest brother William Sturges was born in Leland Illinois. He was 2 years old and my brother Albert was 2 months old. Joe took me to Wheaten Illinois and all over. I could tell you and you could take it down in you own writing. I hope you can read this. I know it not written very sensible. It jumbled up, I try know to tell you about my mother side. Her mother and father were born in England. Her maiden name I think was Matthew. My grandma and they were wealthy blue blooded English. They had large barns and fine horses and fox hounds, had stable boys and my grandma Bird fell in love with grandma that my grandma Bird and he asked her father that she wanted to mary him and he told her he rather bury her than have her man a servant. So they ran away and got over in Canada and was married. Her father disinherited her. Her brother came over to Canada and then to Batiria, Illinois to see her several times. Some of the old children was born in Canada and my mother and Jim Bird and Fletcher was born in Illinois. So we children are full blooded Englishmen. I have a picture of my mother old home. My Grandma Bird died when my mother was only 12 years old, but when I went down there it was just like she use to tell us. The fox river run through the town, my grandpa Bird was a brick layer, he laid the first stone bridge that crossed Fox river. My Cousin Jim Bird had the house torn down and built 5 white stone home on the ground and called it Bird Court. I wish some one would go there so I could show you. They have all passed away now except my cousin Jim that a Miller. He graduated from the college in Chicago, had a beautiful shop and a lovely big home. Him and is mother Ainit aunt was so sweet I have all their pictures. This letter I am sending you is from John Sturges daughter. He said when got his feet on land he was going to stay right there, he would not go on with the rest of them out west he homesteaded right there close to N.Y. City. Grandpa Bird was a brick layer when chicago fire he worked they said night and day to help build up chicago. Went down on the trolley nearly every one worked in Chicago that live in Batarria.
I close and hope you come see me.
(From the Franklin County Sentinel, May 13 1976) Mary Sturges Hudson, presently living in Lincoln, is the daughter of Robert and Sarah Sturges. Her parents came to Nebraska from Illinois in 1878 to homestead locate five miles south of the Republican River. They came out on the railroad but it only came as far as Red Cloud. Another homesteader in the neighborhood, Joe Bell, met them there and brought them on to Franklin with a team of Oxen. The Sturges lived in a sod house for many years.
Two brothers, Will and Albert, were born in Illinois. Mary and two sisters, Elisabeth and Jane and another brother, Robert, were born here.
Mary was a Franklin visitor last Wednesday and enjoyed seeing old schoolmates and friends. While visiting she told of experiences with Indians, one in particular who alarmed her mother by just walking into the house, grinning and waiting. After offering food and money, through a sign language it was finally found he wanted tobacco. When he got that he smiled, bowed and walked out.
In January 14, 1971 Mary (Sturges) Evans was living in Lincoln, NE.