Borried Time

A 1937 Letter From Mariah To Cliffie  

When you first look at old family pictures of relatives you never knew, there doesn't seem to be a connection between you and those long forgotten family members.  Most of the time, you aren't even sure who they are or if they really are related.  But, after looking at the pictures over and over and putting names to faces, you do start to connect.  In fact, just looking at pictures of the family reunions, vacations, activities and reading their stories, you start to feel part of the family. 

I have found and come to know quite a few old family members and there have been some that I wish I could actually have a conversation with.  Mariah Saul Weisenauer is my great, great-grandmother and lived in Plevna, In.  My great-grandfather and her son, Ed Weisenauer, I did know and we use to have family reunions at his farm.  He past away in 1976.  Mariah is seen in a lot of the old family photos and is one of the those that I would have liked to have met.  In pictures, she seems prime and proper and very disciplined.  I seriously doubt that you could get away with much around her.  

In going through the old letters, I found a letter written on a Sunday evening, March 28, 1937 from Mariah Saul Weisenauer to my grandmother, Cliffie Weisenauer Shockney.  It was written a year before my great-grandmother, Bertha Northcutt Weisenauer's, death on March 6, 1938.  It looks like it was written in pencil.  I typed the letter to make it easier to read and tried not to correct too many words or punctuation.

                                                                                                            Sund Eve March 28, 1937

Dear Children

I wonder how you are this eve had a nice Easter I hope.  It was nice sunny day but rather cool.   lot People was disappointed I suppose.  I am glad I don’t try to make a big spread with new things for this day if I’d went any place I’d wore my winter duds.  I was home all day but the day does not seem so long you see, I don’t get up so early then till I get my morning work don and get breakfast over the four noon is nearly over we have been having such tarable weather for the last 4 or 5 days worse for one then in the dead of winter but I hope it won’t last long but acorden to the old Jermon rine (?)

 March will go out like a lion.  I had your card yesterday you misted my birthday just a few days the 23 is the date I was 73.  Just think ten more years I’d be 83 and that is pretty old.  I’ll never live that long I’m shure nor do I want to its different with old People then it is with younger People.  Old People have nothing to live for they just  drift from day to day if they have always been active why they think that is the way to be happy and it is I am shure I’m happy doing what chores I have to do I know everyone thinks I shouldn’t be doing what I am doing but I’d quit some day.  Can’t tell just when, I’m living on borried time now.

I hope you got all your sewing done I gess you have ben quite busy this winter now you better rest a bit.  I was at your folks last Sunday.  John’s Stella’s and Charles and his best girl was there.  Had a nice time your Mother is not very good.  It seem so odd to be there and she can’t do much she lets the children do just as they please she don’t bother what they are preparing for Eats  I don’t believe she’ll ever be any better but one can’t tell with the ambishon she has got as long as there is life there is hope.  Gil and Della are not very well.  Della haven’t ben well all winter but Gil was doing so well till the last weeks I think they boath had the Flu.

 

Della said they both are so weak it seems like Gil’s stomach bothers him again.  You know he has ulsers of the stomach but was getting so much better he has ben on a diet since last September.  Just light foods and milk, but Della trouble is her Kidneys.  They throw so much poison in hi system I think that Climate down thare is not good for her.  I don’t want her to go next winter she got sick soon as she got down thare.  I do hop you all are well as for myself I’m ben fine all winter I took some Cod liver oil last fall and it helped me that would be good for Ache yess Ache.  How are you and how are you doing in school do you like to go to school when you mother writes to me you write to me to and tell all about every thing

This Cod liver that I took are in tablet supposed to be one teaspoon of oil in one tablet  I got them from the Rolla man.  Answer soon  from Mama 

Here is a picture of a family get-together around 1937.  Mariah is in the middle with the dark flowered dress.  My grandmother is standing to the left at the end.  

This letter tells you so much about her thoughts and feelings at that time of her life.  I was especially struck by her saying that she wasn't sure that she would live another 10 years. Mariah died on 2-9-1947.  She would have turned 83 on 3-23-1947.  She almost made it another 10 years.

This is probably going to be one of my favorite letters, although I'm just starting to read all of them.  And, still can't figure out what 'Jermon rine' or 'Ache yess Ache' means.

 

 

Enjoy reading and meeting my great, great-grandmother, Mariah Theresa Saul Weisenauer b. 3-23-1864 in Bloom Twp, Seneca Co, OH and died 2-9-1947 in Liberty Twp, Howard Co, IN.  Mariah married 2-13-1881 to Henry Jacob (Jake) Weienauer.  Jake had died 10 years earlier in 1927.

This letter is 80 years old - wonderful family memories

Rachel Saul - Just The Wife of David Fawley

I was working on the Saul family tree and imputing the information about Edward Saul's children.  I decided to enter the information about Edward's siblings before going to Edward's children.  Edward Saul (my great, great, great-grandfather) was the oldest of 7 children born to Samuel and Anna Saul.  Edward's sister, Rachel Saul, was born about 2 years after him and in 1846 at the age of 18, married a Rev. David Fawley.  She died at the age of 62.

Rachel and David had 12 children and had moved from Ohio to Kosciusko County, Indiana in 1848 after the death of their first child who was about a year old when she died.  Their second child was just about 4 when he died.  Their 10th and 11th children were twins and one died when she was about 6 years old just 4 days after the 12th child died who was about 6 months old. The other twin died just before she turned 20.  Needed to check out this Rev. David Fawley..........

David Fawley was born in Brocks Gap, Rockingham Co, Virginia in 1824.  When he was 10, he and his family moved to Crawford Co, OH and there grew to manhood.  In 1844 he and his family moved to Kosciusko Co, IN in Harrison Twp.  After a little more than a year, David returned to Ohio where he married Rachel Saul in Fairfield Co. in 1846.  Their first child, Margaret, was born in 1847.   Their second child, Samuel, was born in 1848.  The older child, Margaret, died in 1848 about 6 days after her brother, Samuel, was born.  David then moved his wife and baby son to Kosciusko Co, IN.  Another child, Mary ElizaCatherine, was born in 1850.  Samuel died in 1852, just a month before his 4th birthday.

Elder David Fawley  -  In 1848, with his wife and one child, our subject returned to this county, coming with a team and wagon, which required eight days to make the journey.  They were obliged to camp out at night and follow the trails and Government roads.  In 1873 he located upon his present farm in Harrison Township, and has been a successful farmer.  In 1860 he was ordained to preach, having united with the Old School Baptists, since which time he has been a zealous laborer in the Masters vineyard.  He is the present pastor of a church located upon his own farm.  Being of an unassuming and retiring nature, he has always refused office, although frequently solicited to be a candidate.  He owns 191 acres of good land, with modern buildings, and it is considered one of the best farms in the township.  Politically he affiliates with the Democratic party. 

(From the Biographical and Historical Record of Kosciusko County, Indiana published by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1887 - page 222).

"Providence Primitive Baptist Church - organized October 5, 1850 by five members:  Abraham Truex, Sarah Truex, Elia.s.O. Pittman, Sarah Pittman ad Jacob Francis.  Primitive Baptists trace their American origin to the early colonies.  The English Baptists from which these Primitive Baptist emerged were often referred to as Particular Baptists.  They held to a very strict form of Calvinistic doctrine.  The acrostic TULIP is often used to describe the main doctrinal points.  T:  represents the Total Depravity of man.  U:  is the Unconditional Election of those God chooses to save from Hell.  L:  represents the Limited Atonement Christ's sacrifice on the cross provides for only the elect.  I:  indicates that God's grace in drawing the elect to salvation is Irresistible.  P:  stands for the ability God gives the elect to Persevere in God's saving grace to their deaths and ultimate glorification in Heaven.  Elder David Fawley served as pastor from 1861 to 1874 and then in partnership with other Elders until 1879."  (from Genealogy Trails website - Indiana - Elkhart County - Providence Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery of Elkhart County)

The next 6 children, after Mary ElizaCatherine, born to David and Rachel all lived to adulthood.  Then Rachel gave birth to twins on 5-13-1866, Minerva and Saloma.  Six years later, Rachel at the age of 45, gave birth to their 12th and last child, Rosa on 9-27-1872.  Rosa died 4-5-1873. She was about 6 months old.  Then 4 days later, one of the twins, Minerva, died 4-9-1873.  She was around 6 years old.  The other twin, Saloma, died on 1-12-1886, 4 months before reaching her 20th birthday.

Rachel died 5-16-1890.  She was 62.  The last child (31 yrs old), James A. W. was getting married June 8, 1890.  She had seen the death of 5 young children.  The other 7 were grown and no longer living at home.  

The Rev. David Fawley remarried 10-18-1890.  That is 4 months after his wife's death, the wife he had been married to for 44 years and bore him 12 children.

Elder David Fawley died March 28, 1904.  According to his obituary written up in the Primitive Monitor by Elder George Bretz, a few years earlier, David had made him promise to come and speak to his children and friends upon his death.  Here are a few excerpts from this eulogy.

His wife and half of his family went before him to the eternal country.  Six of his children, five of whom are members of the Primitive Baptist Church, and his second wife, with many grandchildren, are living to mingle their tears together and speak f their great loss......................  

But while he was a good farmer, a good citizen and neighor, the greatest events of his life were his spiritual experiences and sweet ministry.  At the early age of fourteen years he became concerned about the condition of his soul before God, and fourteen years later found peace in the wounded side of our dear Redeemer.............He began preaching in 1857 and was ordained in May, 1860..............

He was mighty in prayer and exhortation, I was present at the waterside when his daughter-in-law was to be baptized by me, and had him speak in prayer.  He forgot all but heaven, which seemed so feelingly near us all.  My soul was never so stirred under any man's prayer - a prayer heaven-given and by heaven heard.  In his appeals to his brethren to stand firm in the old paths, and for them to take heed to their ways, he was so tender, so melting!

After his death I was wired to come and I did so under a sense of my weakness and imperfection.  The precious words of the dying apostle came to me:  "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."  they seemed so appropriate, and I spoke from them to a crowded house, although the weather was inclement.

His death was a triumph overall, and we humbly bow in submission to the great and good God.  God bless his devoted widow, his godly children, his dear, sorrowing church, and the hundreds he comforted in life.                                             Geo. A. Bretz

There are so many questions and I will never find the answers.  For some reason, my heart goes out to Rachel.  I think she must have lived a very sad life.  How did the children die?  The oldest child died when Rachel was about to give birth to another child.  Margaret died 11 days before Samuel was born. The youngest child died 4 days before one of the twins died.  Was Rachel unable to keep the children in line?  Were the children behaving ungodly?  Were they crying?  Were they sick?

After the first child died, David uprooted her and traveled to another state, away from the grave of her first born, away from her family - the Sauls.  Rachel was only 20 at the time;  still a child herself.  After reading the obituary, it was obvious that the church members had put Elder David Fawley on a pedestal; he, after all, was the 'dying apostle' and I seriously doubt that anyone would have questioned his words or actions.
I could not find an obituary for Rachel.  My heart goes out to Rachel for all the heartache she must have endured.  She was just the wife of David Fawley.

A Distressing Accident - A Father's Love

On September 5, 1827, thirteen years after the death of their mother;  two sons, Leonard Saul, Jr., age 20 and Joseph Saul, age 19, were working with their father in digging a well, when all three were killed by what is known as damps or poisonous gas.  Leonard Saul, Sr , was 51 years old.  Leonard Saul, Sr, had remarried 3-30-1824 and left behind an infant son, Aaron Sahl born about May, of 1827.

The September 5th accident happened near Columbus, Ohio.  The following article was published in the Norwalk Reporter and Huron Advertiser, out of Norwalk, Ohio on September 22, 1827 titled 'Distressing Accident'

On Wednesday the 5th instant, a few miles from this place, Mr Leonard Saul, and his two sons unfortunately lost their lives, by descending into a well filled with damp, or carbonic acid gas.  The well had been commenced sometime before, and at the time this melancholy accident happened was about 30 feet deep.  They had not yet came to water.  A son-in-law of Mr. Saul's was let down in the well in the afternoon but had not reached the bottom before he desired to be drawn up again, exclaiming that he could not stand it to stay down in the well.  One of Mr. Saul's sons then descended who fell lifeless at the bottom.  Another of his sons followed to see what had happened to his brother, who quickly shared the same fate.  Mr. Saul then prepared to descend, anxious to learn what had befel his sons;  and was in vain cautioned as to the result of such rashness by his son-in-law.  He had been let down but a few feet before he fell out of the bucket to the bottom of the well - joining in death his unfortunate sons.  The bodies were drawn out, and some means used to resuscitate them, but in vain.  So strongly was this well charged with the deleterious gas, that a light let down only a few feet, was instantly extinguished.  Mr. Saul was a respectable citizen of about 50 years of age - his sons were just entering the prime of life.  A little prudence on their part might have saved the lives of these unfortunate men.  A well charged with damp can be told by its extinguishing a candle let down in it;  and the deleterious gas may be destroyed by burning straw in the well, or some other combustable.                                                                                                            O. S. Journal,                                 

Leonard Saul, Sr (Johann Leonhard Saal) born in 1776 in Hochst-Odenwald, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany was my great +5 grandfather.  To view the Saul family tree, visit the page Saul

Jake and Mariah Saul / Weisenauer Get Together 1909

Picture/postcard of the Jake (Henry Jacob) & Mariah Saul Weisenauer family, my great, great-grandparents in Plevna, IN. I am pretty sure they are as follows: Seated left to right: Otto Glen Weisenauer (my great-grandpa's brother) holding his and Lulu's first child, Mary, who was born in May 1909. Goldie Weisenauer Singer (my grandmother's sister), Jake (Henry Jacob) Weisenauer, Stella Weisenauer Hodson (my grandmother's sister), Mariah Saul Weisenaur, Cliffie Weisenauer Shockney (my grandmother), Ed (John Edward) Weisenauer (my great grandfather) holding John Howard Weisenauer (born 1907) (my grandmother's brother). Standing in the back row left to right: Lulu Fisher Weisenauer (Otto Glen's wife), Della Weisenauer (my great-grandpa's sister) and Bertha Northcutt Weisenauer, my great-grandmother. Picture would have been taken in 1909. I believe that the May D. Saul that this picture/postcard was addressed to is Mariah Saul Weisenauer's neice (daughter of Mariah's brother, John Kagy Saul). May Della was born in 1891 and died in Nov. 1911 or 1912 (find a grave) in Liberty Twp., IN. Once again, my great-grandmother, Bertha, has her daughters looking beautiful.