Frances Augusta Cook was born 30 December 1859 in Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin. Her parents were William B. Cook and Elizabeth Jane (Munn) Cook. Jane was the sister of Frank R. Munn who married Minnie's sister, Blanche.
Frankie was 13 years old when she wrote this letter to Minnie; Minnie was 12. Even though Frankie addresses Minnie as her "sister," they appear to have been neighbors and school friends, not relatives, except that Minnie's sister, Blanche, was Frankie's aunt by marriage.
Frankie's family moved from Fond du Lac Co. to Cottonwood Co., Minnesota about 1873.
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Letter addressed to: Miss Minnie Stilwell, Metomen, Fond
du Lac Co., Wis.
Postmark unreadable
Bingham
Lake, Nov: 5, 1873
Dear Sister Minnie
I
received your kind letter last Saturday night and was very glad to hear from
you. We are all well at present and
hope to find you the same. Our school
has not commenced yet. But it is a going
to commence the 17 of this month. They have
got a new school house it is nearly as large as the Brick one at Ripon they are a going to have two departments
this winter the teachers are a Mr. Prentise and a miss Nellie J[?]. I know her she is awful good I say just as allie does that she is just
like miss shoemaker. We are a going to
live not quite a half of a mile from the school house and I guess it is about a
good sized half mile from windom. Oh how
I wish I was there to go to school wouldent [sic] we have ____ and how I wish I
was there to go to Sabbath school I
would give almost anything. Who is
your teacher and who do you sit with at school.
I have not been to school yet and so I do not know what I am a going to
study be you a going to study algabra
[sic] this winter. I hear that you have
a singing school out there do you go and
do you sing awful loud. I received a
letter from your father last night and som Sabbath school papers I was awful
glad, but it took me a good while to read it
mother read it out loud but I couldent [sic] read it till morning I almost slep [sic] with it you may tell him
I will answer it in a little while. I
have wrote to M.atie J.ennie C.ora Ophelia and Maud. And have got a letter from
Matie and two from Jennie and from you that’s all. I think your new dress is real pretty Mattie wrote in her letter that you and her
has some new water proofs and by what she said they are just like mine and lined
with blue I will send you a little piece
when I can find a little piece Mother
had it cut out there and it was all packed up and so when I get to it I will
send you a piece. I have got a new apron
I will send you a piece of that. Oh how
I wish I was stayig with you all night and we was sitting on the top of your
stairway and hearing Hannah and Eva Warren and albert Marterson [?] singing in
the sweet by and by and looking at the stars
warent [sic] they lots of them that night. We have had a little snow but it is all of
now we are having very pleasant weather here now I hope we wont have any such storms as they
had last winger. Eva says for you to
write her first she will answer it for she has so many letters to write she don’t
have time but she will answer it if you will write first
Mother and father sends there gretest [sic] respects to
all and especially to grandma and is very thankful to be remembered I cant write much more now you must excuse
my poor writing and Mistakes and lead pencil and all. Give my Greatest [circled] respects to warren
and that I am thankful to be remembered also.
Hem. Hem. Give my love to all and
kiss Grandpa and have Edith kiss you for me
Good by now I want you to write me a good long letter and tell all of
the news be sure and write
From you loving sister Frankie
To Minnie
Direct
at
Windom
Cottonwood
Co
Minnesota
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