Letter from J. M. Souders of Stewartsville, DeKalb Co., MO, to “Mother”, among letters formerly in the possession of Jesse J. Souders (1889-1957).  Jesse was the grandson of Charles Souders (1815-1895) of Thompson Twp., Fulton Co., PA.

Stewartsville Dekalb CO. Mo.

August 27 1871

Dear Mother1   This eavening I again have the privalage of answering your welcome letter one which I received a few days since  -----  sorry to heare that you have not bin so well but I hope these few lines wont fail in finding you and all the rest of you in good health and enjoying yourselves the best -ine     we are well as common     Simons2 are well     I received a few lines from Jonathan2 yesterday    they are all well     he expects to come here soon     now let me know how much wheat and rye Arthur had    how his corn is and how his potatoes is  and how his cows dose and how many hogs he has to kill this fawl & if he raised all of his calves & how his clover crop was and how his appel crop is and how the fruit crop is in there and I want to know every thing about home for I often think of you all and would like to know how you are getting along    you wanted to know how I liked this country    I can heardly tell but i think I will like it very well    there is great corn crops here and fruit is plenty and we get lots of wild plums and tomatoes    cukumbers and mellons   we have any amount of them    it would do you good to see Albert3     and we eat(?) them      we will have plenty of sweet potatoes have them now       Simon2 and I was up to sent (?)  St Joseph last Monday and of all wagons I ever saw in market I saw there     They was 150 around the market house besides all the scatered ones   and of all stuff that ever growed I think they had there    we had Potatoes Tomatoes and cukumbers up     I would have answered yours sooner but I had no stamps and my money is about played & would like if we could get close together again    write soon

J M Souders2

Albert don't talk much yet but he is a fine boy    he must help do every thing and is lots of company 

1	Hannah (Myers) Souders, widow of William Souders (1802-1863).  She is in Yates City IL in 1880, with daughter Elizabeth Bivens.
2	Jonathan, Simon and Jacob M. Souders are brothers.  Jacob remained in Stewartsville, Jonathan and Simon settled near Cook, NE.
3	George Albert Souders (1869–1876), son of Jacob M. and Elizabeth Souders.