See part 1 of this story for the background on this family diary and why I questioned its authorship.
Whoever the writer is, it’s certainly not Catharine’s husband Amos, unless he’s in the habit of referring to himself in the third person.
a wet and Slopy
SUNDAY, MARCH 9
Amos and John went
to singing but was none
John and Amos helped
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19
Kimpler husk corn
rained hailed and
frose Jewitt stoped
fluted for us
cloud and cold
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9
i took some sowing
to Fetherbees
Amos and John built
the schoolhouse fence
The writer seems to be close with their parents.
whent to the grove
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27
John helped Father
John hunt was here
with a cumpeny
astormy morning
SUNDAY, MARCH 2
whent to Adrins
rained hailed
and snowed whent
to fathers paid Mother 30
modrate again
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
took home the sausage
stufer and agut [a gut, presumably for sausage making]
Father was down in
evning for his mail
The writer has not just parents but an uncle – Uncle Adam – nearby.
avery pleasant
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2
morning uncle was
here
all day at home
still rains and frees
THURSDAY, MARCH 20
made a drag [a sledge? or a harrow?] for nick uncle Adom
here Snows like
fun
whent to singing
SUNDAY, APRIL 6
Howlitt came home
with us uncle came
down in the evning
I knew from my grandmother’s genealogical work that Catharine Siglin’s parents were William Sutton and Barbara (Miller) Sutton. The 1872 plat map for Willow Township, Lee County, shows William Sutton’s land right across the way from that of Catharine’s husband Amos, and an Adam Miller right next to William Sutton.
Combination Atlas Map of Lee County, Illinois (Everts, Baskin & Stewart, 1872)
But is there any evidence that the Adam Miller on the map was related to Catharine’s mother, Barbara Miller Sutton?
In fact, there is. The diligent volunteers at GenealogyTrails.com have transcribed an 1892 book with the imposing title Portrait and biographical record of Lee County, Illinois, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States. This book contains a biography of Willow Township’s Adam Miller which informs us:
The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Catherine Brown; it is thought that she was a Pennsylvanian by birth, and she was a daughter of Sebastian Brown. She died on the home farm.
Our subject is the only survivor of a family of seven children, and the names of his brothers and sisters are as follows – Elizabeth, Frederick, Peter, Barbara, Catherine and Sarah.
Portrait and Biographical Record of Lee County, Illinois, p. 374
So the Adam Miller of Willow Creek Township had a sister named Barbara who had died before 1892. Barbara Miller Sutton died in 1879. Adam Miller had a mother and a sister named Catherine. Barbara Miller Sutton named her daughter Catharine. I think it’s reasonable to conclude that Adam Miller was Barbara Miller Sutton’s brother.
The only person in the Siglin household who lived close to their parents and their Uncle Adam was Catharine Sutton Siglin. Who wore an intricate beaded collar, owned handsome silver spoons and, as I now know from her diary, made sausage, built a drag, chopped wood, skinned a calf, split posts, and broke prairie.
Next time: Great-Great Grandmother Siglin turns out to have something in common with both me and V.I. Warshawski.
