Victor Hugo Noyes to Cora Noyes, December 1883

The date on the letter looks like Dec 1887 but Victor died in 1886. The date has been determined to be 1883, it being known that Victor was working in a tin shop in Kansas City in March of 1884.

“I have many more envelopes than letters, and none of the letters were enclosed in an envelope. Envelopes at that time carried the month and day, but not the year, so are not of much use in dating anything, anyway. It’s strange because the postmarks on postcards did carry the year.” Source: Nancy Benton 12 Sept 2003 email

Victor, son of James Allen Noyes and Caroline Atwell, of Liberal, Missouri was writing his sister Cora, who had been apparently inquiring about visiting. She had recently lost a job at a printing shop, possibly in Liberal.

He writes of activity at the tin shop where he works in Kansas City, the boarding house on Holmes street, a walk along the river, and a fledgling romance.

He also writes of having been to two spiritualist lectures.

Transcription of the letter follows the images.

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Victor Hugo letter 83 a

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Victor Hugo Noyes letter 83 b


(pg. 1)

Kansas City

Dear Cora –

I received both your letters and card yesterday at the shop. I am sorry to learn that you lost your job at the printing office.

You asked if you could stop and see me as you went be to (illegible). Yes, certainly, but the boarding house at which I am now staying is full and besides there are no boarders here but men. Most of them work at the iron foundry at the end of this street which is Holmes street. Since I wrote to you last I have been hear two spiritualist

(pg. 2)

lectures. It is quite cold here now. In the shop where I work we keep a big fire in the stove so that it is not uncomfortable. Why I quit backing was that it was so cold I could not keep myself as comfortable as I would be boarding. I pay three and a half dollars a week. Times are getting a little dull in the shop now. that is there is not so great a demand for tin ware in this season of the year as commonly. The Missouri river is in plain sight for several miles up stream from the shop window. for the last couple of days it has been full of floating ice proberbally frozen in it tributaries during

(pg. 3)

the cold weather we had a while ago and thawd loos in the succeeding warm weather. I took a walk a week ago last sunday along the bluff that overlooks Union Depot and the view was just grand. I walked 2 or 3 miles in all before I got to the city reservoir (?) where I took a street car and rode back. There are four women work in tin shop at soldering. One of them (who is about my age) get a long first rate.

Some of the boys say I will make a mash of it. “making a mash” is all the go here now. This is the slang expression of a gentleman and lady going to gether the boys are only teasing me

(pg. 4)

about Miss Emma is so you need not be afraid about me.

I expect you find it trouble to read this letter. It is of little importance so skip what you can’t make out.

Victor Noyes

* * * * * * * * *

Thought I’d add a link to a page where you can view what the old Union Depot in Kansas City looked like circa 1880.

Carr’s Chapel Cemetery

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Carr’s Chapel Cemetery

Courtesy of Nancy Benton, this document shows the rows in which certain members of the Brewer family are buried at Carr’s Chapel Cemetery in Dade county, Missouri.

In row 1 is Mary Johnson Fowler, wife of John Fowler (direct line), Catherine Hedden Brewer, wife of Daniel Levi Brewer (direct line), Alva Brewer, son of David Nathaniel Brewer and Delana Louise Fowler, David Nathaniel Brewer and Delana Louise Fowler Brewer (direct line).

In row 2, we have, Robert Lincoln Trent and his first wife, Dora Nancy Fowler Trent, daughter of John and Mary Jane Fowler, and an infant that would have been a child of Robert and an infant who perhaps died at the same time as Dora. Elmer Brewer was a son of David Nathaniel and Delana Brewer. Next to him are his daughters Ruby Ellen and Nora Edith who both died in 1918, perhaps victims of the great influenza epidemic. We see next to them Robert Walter Brewer and his wife, Edith, and their son Robert.

Burton Jones

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Burton Jones

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Burton Jones WWII 2

Burton Jones, son of John Levy Jones and Jessie Brewer (daughter of David Nathaniel Brewer and Delana Fowler) was a nephew of our Bettie Brewer Noyes. He was born Sept 24 1917 in Missouri, and died Nov 5, 1975 in Yakima, Yakima, Washington. He is buried at West Hills in Yakima, Washington.

He served in the European Theater during WWII.

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Burton Jones Funeral Paper

All images are courtesy of Jim and Dieanna Swearngin.

Ray Noyes Family Gathering

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Noyes Family Gathering

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Noyes Family Gathering (fix)

Courtesy of Nancy Benton we have this photo of a Noyes family gathering in Liberal, Missouri circa 1932.

From left to right: Jamie Noyes; Ray Noyes behind Mary Lou Noyes; Charles Bryant with Viola Noyes Harmon in front of him and Kathleen Bryant in front of Viola; Pansy Bryant, Lloyd McKinney with Dorothy in front of him and Jim McKinney in front of her; Ray Bryant with Delana Brewer in front of him; Betty Noyes. Photo circa 1932 or 1933, taken on the South side of the Noyes home, a mile east and about 1/2 mile south of the town of Liberal. The image is courtesy Nancy Benton who supplies identification.

Jamie, Mary Lou, Viola, Pansy and Dorothy (direct line) were children of Ray Noyes and Bettie Brewer. Charles Bryant was married to Pansy. Viola Noyes Harmon was Ray’s sister and wife of Ollie Harmon. Delana Brewer was Bettie Brewer Noyes’ mother.

Noyes Half Brothers, Franklin L. and George W. (Two Images)

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Noyes Half Brother

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Noyes Half Brother in Civil War

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Noyes Half Brother Civil War (fix)

James Allen Noyes (my line), son of James Noyes and Sally Marble, had a number of half-brothers and half-sisters by his father’s second marriage to Susan Waters, but as far as I’m aware only two of those half-brothers survived to adulthood, George W. Noyes and Franklin L. Noyes. We have two pictures of half-brothers, one in Civil War uniform and one in civilian, but as both of these men served in the Civil War we’re unable to distinguish which photo depicts which brother.

George W. Noyes was born May 8 1840 in Pavillion, Kalamazoo, Michigan and died March 3, 1870 at Pavillion (according to the family record). He married a woman named Emaline Melvina Aldrich and they had two children, Maud, born 1867, died May 3 1870 in Pavillion, and Henry A., born November 1869 in Pavillion and died March 9 1870 in Pavillion.

George served in the Civil War in Company K, the 87th Infantry Regiment out of New York.

Name: George W Noyes
Age at Enlistment: 21
Enlistment Date: 15 Feb 1862
Rank at enlistment: Private
Enlistment Place: Kalamazoo, MI
State Served: New York
Survived the War?: Yes
Service Record: Enlisted in Company K, New York 78th Infantry Regiment on 08 Apr 1862.
Mustered out on 12 Jul 1864.
Transferred to on 12 Jul 1864.
Birth Date: abt 1841
Sources: New York: Report of the Adjutant-General

George, in the family record, is given as dying 1870. However, he appears in the 1870 census with “Madeline” or Melvina (would be his wife Emaline Melvina Aldrich). I have seen him elsewhere given as dying in 1871. The Noyes Descendants, Vol. I says 3 Mar 1870. Ae. 30 y 9 m 25 d. Died of consumption. Michigan death records gives him dying March 3 1870.

1870 Pavillion, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Roll: M593_680, Page 278, Image 558
31/30 NOISE Frank 25 blacksmith $250 $100 b. MI
Maryette 21
Anna 3
William 3/12
35/34 NOISE Geo. 30 farmer $1200 $359 b. MI
Melvina 19

Franklin Noyes was born July 24 1845 at Pavillion. He was married in 1865 to Margaret A. Aldrich, sister of the above Melvina, who died in 1878 or 1873 (according to Find-a-Grave).

Frank served with Company K, New York 78th Infantry Regiment.

Name: Frank L Noyes
Age at Enlistment: 18
Enlistment Date: 15 Feb 1862
Rank at enlistment: Private
Enlistment Place: Kalamazoo, MI
State Served: New York
Survived the War?: Yes
Service Record: Enlisted in Company K, New York 78th Infantry Regiment on 08 Apr 1862.
Mustered out on 12 Jul 1864.
Transferred to on 12 Jul 1864.
Birth Date: abt 1844
Sources: New York: Report of the Adjutant-General

They had Annie M. born March 28 1867 married a man named Rheynard, William L. born March 23 1870, Louie Noyes who was born Oct 3 1870 and died Jan 12 1871, and Maude M. Noyes who was born 1873 and married a man named George Middleton.

Louie’s Cemetery record gives the birth and death dates as here. The Col. Henry E. Noyes and Harriette E. Noyes Genealogical Record of Noyes Descendants gives his birth 3 Oct 1868 in Michigan. However, Louie doesn’t appear in the 1870 census, which was recorded the 20th of August. But William was only 3 months old in the 1870 census, and Louie is given as born the 3rd of October.

The family record appears to give Franklin as dying July 28, 1871 but the 1871 is instead 1891.

The 1880 Yankee Springs, Barry, Michigan shows him and two of his children he’d had in his first marriage.

131/131 NOYES Frank L. w m 34 farmer b. MI parents b. NY
Clara (?) w f 29 b. Canada father b. England mother b. NY
Anna M. w f 13 daughter b. MI parents b. MI
Willie L. w m 10 son ” ”
James L. w m 1 b. MI father b. MI mother b. Canada

This is his headstone at Find-a-Grave and gives him dying July 29 1891. He married 2nd a Clarissa (Clara) Hubard/Hubbard 1878 Feb 3 in Yankee Springs, Barry, Michigan.

The Noyes family was particularly tragic in the way it was struck over and over with premature deaths, many said to be victims of malaria.

The photos are courtesy Nancy Benton, from the family of James Allen Noyes.

Frank’s wife Margaret and son Louis are buried at McKain Cemetery in Pavilion, Michigan, as are George W. and his children Henry A. and Maud.

Mary Louise Noyes Bevans Hurt

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Mary Lou Noyes original

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Mary Lou Noyes (adjusted)

Courtesy of Nancy Benton, this is a photo of Mary Lou Noyes, daughter of Ray Noyes and Bettie Brewer of Liberal, Missouri.

Mary Louise “Mary Lou” Noyes, b. Nov 15, 1913 at Liberal, died May of 1953 in Kansas City. At the age of 15, she married (1) Frank Bevans Jr., on Aug 10 1929 in Crown Point, Lake, Indiana. They divorce, and at the age of 19 she married (2) Philip J. Hurt on Sept 6 1933 in Carthage, Jasper, Missouri.

Mary Lou was living at Laurenburg, NC at time of Ray’s death in 1941.

“Mary Lou attended school at KSTC in Pittsburg, KS. She married Frank BEVANS first, then Philip HURT. She and Phil lived in Kansas City, KS. She died during an asthma attack and is buried in the Masonic Cemetery in Kansas City.”
SOURCE: Nancy Benton

“Mary Lou lived in Kansas City, but came home at least once a month. Most of the dresses I had in high school were her hand-me-downs. I was the envy of all. Since she could have no children of her own, she loved to spoil us.”
SOURCE: Nancy Benton Feb. 26 2001 email

Mary Lou died May 1953 at the age of 40. She had no children.