Sebewa Recollector
Items of Genealogical Interest
Volume 19 Number 5
Transcribed by LaVonne I. Bennett

     LaVonne has received permission from Grayden Slowins to edit and submit Sebewa Recollector items of genealogical interest, from the beginning year of 1965 through current editions.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of The Sebewa Association,
Volume 19, April 1984, Number 5 (Submitted with written permission of editor Grayden D. Slowins):


THE STORY OF NANCY J. LINHART from THE SUNFIELD SENTINEL of February 10, 1938:

Mrs. Nancy J. Linhart, a highly respected resident of Sunfield and vicinity for many years, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. George Kart of Lake Odessa February 7, 1938 at the age of 84 years, 11 months and 16 days.

She was born February 21, 1853 at Wood County, Ohio, the daughter of Andrew P. and Margaret Burns, who were pioneer residents of Sunfield. Her husband, Frank Linhart, passed away in 1910. She is survived by three sons, A. B. of Lansing, S. O. and R. E. of Sunfield, two daughters, Mrs. George Kart of Lake Odessa and Mrs. L. R. Hildinger of Lansing, and one sister, Mrs. Mary Cogswell of Sunfield.

A FAMILY STORY by Nancy J. Linhart.
Andrew P. and Margaret Burns (Nancy Linhart’s parents) decided to leave Ohio and build a home in Michigan. My father and mother, with me their only child, and with Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bair and two children, started April 2, 1853, from Wood County, Ohio, with two yoke of oxen and each a lumber wagon in which were loaded their household goods. We arrived at Samuel Walcott’s, the farm now owned by Ernest Hough, after a journey of 13 days. Here we stayed four weeks until father could build a log house on his farm, now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Wm. (Buffalo Bill) Davis. Mr. Blair built a log house on the farm owned by Mr. Otis Linhart.

A small village sprang up and was called Burnstown, after Mr. Burns. It flourished until the building of the railroad, half a mile north where now is the village of Sunfield.

The family’s first post office was a hole chopped in a tree located on Clinton Trail. Here the mail carrier left the mail and picked up letters to be posted.

There were many Indians here, the men hunting and fishing while the squaws made baskets to trade for flour, meat, potatoes, etc.

The first schoolhouse was built on the farm now owned by Mrs. John Dunham and was the only schoolhouse within many miles. At that time where the village of Sunfield is now located, was a dense forest. Story end.

Mrs. Linhart was 12 years old when her mother died, and she kept house for her father, brother and two sisters until her father married again four years later.

AUCTIONEERS

In checking through the SUNFIELD SENTINELS for pertinent news items, Joyce Petrie has made a list of auctioneers whose advertisements appeared during the period from 1936 to 1953. Some were employed for sale after sale while others were used infrequently. Here is the list:

Jesse Kilvington, Arthur Steward, Archie Brady, Austin Allen, Col. Glen T. Pinch, Col. Arlie I. Feighner, Harry Pennington, Allen Haskins, Merton Bower, N. C. Thomas, Henry Flannery, Loren Hershberger, Howard Goodwin, J. F. Sanmann, Wendell Savage, Lloyd J. Eaton, Walter G. Maier, John Steward, Glenn L. Archer.

CONTINUING THE CHARLES ESTEP DIARY OF 1883-86:

This time I have made selections that typify the 1880’s activities of the Sebewa farming community. The key word of each entry is underscored.

Monday, April 30, 1883. I sowed salt on a patch of Canada thistles and hung a gate and looked and tinkered around. Everything looks all right. Will plowed today.
May 2, 1883. I fixed a sun breaker to my ice house today. It rained some. Old Muley had a calf today. It was dead. No cause apparent.
May 4, 1883. Will and I broke Will’s old mare again today. We went to the Corners in the afternoon. Cora VanHouten was here and stayed all night. It rained very hard towards night.
May 7, 1883. I broke Will’s old mare again today. We went to the Corners again. Jake Britten casterated my colt today. We planted some potatoes and sowed peas.
May 22, 1883. I plowed for Dave (Leak) this forenoon. In the afternoon we laid the foundation for his barn. Will commenced plowing again today. It is very wet and muddy.
May 25, 1883. I dragged for Will part of the day. He marked out. I commenced planting this afternoon. We got between two and three acres planted. It commenced to rain and it rained quite hard but it is nice and warm.
May 26, 1883. We got up very late this morning. Leil Seels and Maud stayed here last night. I weaned the pigs today. Will and I went to Dave Leak’s barn raising.
May 30, 1883. Will finished marking and we planted till noon. We are using the planters now. We planted about two acres with the hoe this afternoon. It rained all afternoon.
June 2, 1883. I trimmed up the strawberry bed this morning and then went to John Hammond’s raising. After we got that up we went to help Mr. Knott to raise his barn but did not get it up. Will cultivated the early potatoes this morning. After noon he helped his father plant corn.
June 12, 1883. I rung the pigs and tinkered around. Foe and I went to the Corners this afternoon. We took 41# of butter.
June 13, 1883. I got Will to help me pull dock out of the wheat today. John Estep came up and I went out with him to learn to buy stock. We stayed at H. Miner’s in Odessa (Bonanza). We bought 16 hogs, 1 bull, 1 heifer and her calf.
June 14, 1883. John (uncle) Estep was taken sick last night. We only went out a little way and bought 9 hogs. I ran around all day but bought nothing.
June 19, 1883. John Estep stayed here last night. We started off into Portland this morning. We took dinner at Bonanza. John started for Portland this afternoon but came back. I took one of Miner’s horses and went after a cow. We stay at Bonanza over night.
June 28, 1883. This is the day for Barnum’s great show in Ionia but it has rained very hard all day. I went down to George Baldwin’s and bought two calves. I gave ten dollars for them. Will took the white cow over to Tom’s (Leak) bull.
July 12, 1883. It rained quite hard this morning. John Estep wanted I should go and get the cattle he bought last night and bring them over here. He gave me one dollar for it. I helped Will the balance of the day. It rained again at night.
July 20, 1883. Will went down home to harvest today. We topped out the hay stack this morning. I mowed around the trees and fences this forenoon. It rained quite a little today. I got Perry (Arnold) to come down and fix a head in my cradle this afternoon. Foe went over to Lute Showerman’s today.
July 24, 1883. It is too wet to harvest this afternoon. I bound wheat for Father this afternoon. Will worked down home.
July 26, 1883. I harvested down home this forenoon. This afternoon I got A. N. Evans to help me draw two small loads of hay. I gave him the balance there was left for doing it. Aves’ cut some wheat here with the machine today but the ground is so soft they could do as well with cradle.
August 4, 1883. Aves’ stacked my wheat today. I mowed some more corners and Bion (brother) helped me to draw. I had two small jags of nice hay.
August 10, 1883. I am going to work one piece of Will’s corn both ways. I told him I would do it for $2.50. I commenced this morning. He is plowing. The corn is very poor.
August 21, 1883. I cut thistles on Bill Olry’s fallow today. I am working by the day for $1.25 and board myself. Mary had the old mare to go to Portland today. Will finished binding and shocking the oats today.
August 25, 1883. I helped Father to thresh today. Val Hiar’s machine. They threshed 619 bushels and set twice. The straw was big and wheat rather poor.
September 14, 1883. I logged for Mr. Leak today. He had John Olry’s oxen.
Lias Lumbert helped to roll. The agent brought our bible today that we signed for so long ago. The cover is quite badly rubbed. I do not want to keep it.
September 24, 1883. This forenoon I went over to Rosina and got Frank shod. In the afternoon Foe and I went to Portland. We drove both horses to the buggy. I got Nell shod in town and bought a new pair of boots of F. Savage. I paid $4.00.
October 25, 1883. Will and I both worked on the road today. We used the team and wagon.
October 26, 1883. We both worked on the road this forenoon, shoveled this afternoon. I shoveled, he dug the potatoes. They turned out quite poor. He gave his share to his father.
November 4, 1883. We went to the fair today, drove both horses to the buggy. There was a very large crowd out today. I was committee on grain and seeds. I had a very severe headache most of the day.
November 15, 1883. Will has made up his mind to go up north to work. He wanted to sell me his corn and fodder, so I bought it of him this morning. I am to pay him about five dollars for it. So I will have considerable work to do now. Foe and I went to Portland today. I bought ten bushels of potatoes for 50 cents a bushel, five hundred pounds of corn meal at one dollar and thirty-five a hundred, a barrel of salt, $1.25, a pair of horse blankets for $3.00. I wrote a card to Uncle Jake to see what corn is worth by the carload in Missouri. Will is not going to be here anymore. He is helping R. Lapo to thresh. He expects to go north on Wednesday.

Last update October 20, 2021