52 Ancestors In 52 Weeks: Challenging

24 August 1852 Watertown, Jefferson County, Wisconsin

Dearest sister Elizabeth,
I pen this letter to tell you of my marriage to Andrew Storer. Mr. Storer is the boss of the brickyard where our brothers work. Mother and I helped him out for a time there when we first settled here. Andrew’s first wife died in childbirth so he needed a wife to manage the house and yard.

This land is challenging with its harshness. For a time, Mother and I were the only women settlers in the county. Here on this farm, we are isolated. Indians camp on the lands next to us, but they have never bothered us. Wolves howl at night. I am here alone during the day…a shotgun rests by the door. Some days, Mother comes and spends the day with me to help me with the garden and animals. Soon a baby will be joining our family.

This farm is challenging with its harshness. Ever since we left New York after the death of Father, I have yearned for a home of my own…some place to settle. The log cabin is cold and severe. Mother reminds me that it needs a woman’s touch…but how? The garden is overrun with weeds and yields little. I feel as if I am always at the beginning of something, some place, some time that never gets finished. God, give me the strength to push on and do.

This soul searching is challenging with its harshness. At times, I feel so isolated. I yearn to fill my evenings with books to read, with yarn to knit, with the company of others with whom I can converse. Mother reminds me that I am an adult woman of 19…time for me to take my lead.

I am asking you, dearest sister, to pray for me and my Andrew. We only knew each other for a few months before we wed, and I am soon to be a mother. I need heavenly guidance as I make my way for my family. Pray for me as I do for you.

Your loving sister,
Mary Etta

Note: Mary Etta Soule was my second great grandmother. In July, 1852, she married Andrew Storer. After Wisconsin, they would move on to the Minnesota Territory, Iowa, and finally make a home in Kansas. She was ready to conquer the days of challenges, troubles, and trials. She was home at last.