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1902 June 23 letter, Bettie to Ray Noyes

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This is one of two surviving letters sent from Bettie Brewer Noyes to Ray Noyes when she went from Liberal, Missouri to Oklahoma to stay with Ray’s older brother, Allen, and his wife, Susie. It wasn’t a pleasure trip. Allen and Susie’s daughter, Carrie, is mentioned in the second letter, so Bettie was there subsequent her birth in 1902. But Susie had also been ill and in the hospital. The letter doesn’t give an indication of the nature of her illness, which appears to have required surgery, but whether the surgery was essential is unclear as Bettie states she felt Suzie’s stay in the hospital did more bad than good. Bettie does mention Suzie’s experiencing headaches. However, Bettie’s visit there seems to have less to do with Suzie’s having been ill than a subsequent, nearly immobilizing depression. Perhaps Suzie was actually suffering from postpartum depression.

The mail was fast back then. It may as well have been email, it was so fast. Bettie states that she imagines by now Ray has gotten the letter she wrote Sunday. June 23rd was a Monday and she’s writing Ray at about 10:00 at night. The Sunday letter would have to be the one she had written the day before. I have the impression that she was likely mailing him nearly every day.

Having been helping out with Allan and Susie for a full three weeks, Bettie’s patience was wearing thin between Suzie’s crying spells, which had not abated, and the arrival of relatives of Suzie’s which meant the descent of two continually crying children on the household. Bettie must not have been used to such behavior from her own children, which would fit with what I’ve heard of them running a very formal household. Also, Bettie seems to have gathered no understanding of the reason for Suzie’s crying spells, and appears to even be dubious of them. The household is in such a state of upset that she wonders how her brother-in-law can get farm hands.

Miller Okla. June 23

My dear Boy

I will write a little to you tonight. Joe Reynolds folks came and if nothing happens I will be at Home Sunday night.

It is awful hot here now. Allen is still cutting oats he has six men besides his self. but I don’t mind the work very bad but Joe Reynolds kids both squall ALL OF THE TIME and I get sick of that they don’t hardly let Carrie sleep any in the day time

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I don’t know what they will do when I am not here to do the work but I dont feel that I am able or that it is my duty to stay and do for them all by myself.

I told Allen I wanted to come home and he said all right I thought maby he would try some more to get a girl but he has not. I don’t think there has been any change in Susie she has worried lots since Joe’s come. She takes a spell of crying most every day when the men come in to dinner. I think it strange that he can get any hands. How would you like to

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go in to dinner and hear a woman crying and talking and two kids qualling as loud as they could every day.

Allen says it gives him the head ache and I have had a headache so much since I have been here though never so bad as to have to go to bed. We all want to come home awful bad. I expect you got my letter I wrote Sunday by now. We went and took it to the Office were all awfully tired when we got back well it is 2 and 1/2 miles up there but we got so lonesome here by ourselves

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Well I will quit and go to bed and try and sleep a spell, it is so warm I don’t know whether I can go to sleep or not – but it is getting late for it was almost 10 oclock when I got through with the work. so by bye.

Go to the May 30, 1902 letter, Bettie to Ray
A letter from Ray to Bettie, dated June 6th, unknown year

1902 May 30 Bettie Noyes to Ray

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1902 May 30 Bettie Noyes to Ray
Miller, Oklahoma Territory

This is the first of two surviving letters sent from Bettie Brewer Noyes to Ray Noyes when she went from Liberal, Missouri to Oklahoma to stay with Ray’s older brother, Allen, and his wife, Susie. It wasn’t a pleasure trip. Allen and Susie’s daughter, Carrie, is mentioned in the second letter, so Bettie was there subsequent her birth in 1902. But Susie had also been ill and in the hospital. The letter doesn’t give an indication of the nature of her illness, which appears to have required surgery, but whether the surgery was essential is unclear as Bettie states she felt Suzie’s stay in the hospital did more bad than good. Bettie does mention Suzie’s experiencing headaches. However, Bettie’s visit there seems to have less to do with Suzie’s having been ill than a subsequent, nearly immobilizing depression. Perhaps Suzie was actually suffering from postpartum depression.

Bettie must have ridden down by train. The locations mentioned are fairly confusing. There is a town by the name of Miller currently in Pushmahata Co. OK in the SE portion of the state, but Bettie mentions being picked up at Oklahoma City in Oklahoma Co. An 1895 map shows a town of Miller in Oklahoma Count, in the Spring Creek area, toward the center of the state, below Logan and west of Pottawatomie. But she mentions Yonkers, which is in Wagoner Co. in the NE portion of the state.

Bettie and Ray’s children, Pansy and Cora, would have been only about 7 and 5 years of age respectively. In the second letter, Bettie says “we want to come home” which leads me to believe that Bettie had brought Pansy and Cora along with her.

Miller Okla. May 30 1902.

Dear Ray I got through allright had a fine trip. Allen met me at Oklahoma City the River was up and they could not get to Yonker (?). It has been raining every day for I don’t know how long it rained on us. Coming out just sprinkles though and we did not get wet we stayed all night in Oklahoma City and drove out the next morning

They seemed real glad I came but of course I

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cant be sure whether they aimed for me to come or not the girl that is here is expecting to have to go any day I told Susie I would just as soon do all the work if I stayed and she said she wanted me to stay and they would let the girl stay untill she was sent for. I asked the girl what wages the girls got down here and she said from 250 to 600 a week and I asked Susie what they had to pay the girl and she said she did not know 200 dollars she guessed they had not ask her.

Susie took on so when I

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got here untill I almost wished I had not come but she has a bad spell 2 or 3 times a day every day they say. She seemed awfull well this morning laughed and talked with me all morning but when Allen came in to dinner she had a bad feeling spell she dont never talk that way when Allen is not in I cant tell for sure How long I will stay Susie says they would like for me to stay but Allen has not said any thing about it and I have not asked him Susie dont take any interest in any thing or do any thing only what she is told so Allen could not

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get along with out some body. When she was at Hospital several died and she saw them carried out and she thinks a good deal about that and talks about it and I think going there did more harm than good. Allen said they took her to the operating room twice first time they chloroformed her and she did not know it but next time they did not give her any thing and just took her by force and she just screamed and hallowed. I am awful sorry for Susie she complains all the time with her head hurting just like mine did that fall when I was sick I wanted to pick the ducks this evening but Susie wants me to go to town with her so I dont know what Ill do. I forgot to say it had cleared up.

by by until I write again.

Go to the June 23, 1902 letter, Bettie to Ray
A letter from Ray to Bettie, dated June 6th, unknown year

Allen Marble Noyes

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Allen Marble NOYES was born 30 Oct 1867 “4 o’clock AM” at Anna, Union County, Illinois to James Allen and Caroline Atwell Noyes. He married Susie REYNOLDS 1 May 1897 at age 29. He died, 21 April 1939, at Dexter, Stoddard County, Missouri, at the age of 72 and was buried in Harvey Cemetery.

Allen made the land run into Indian Territory in 1889 and settled on a farm near Miller, OK. Since he had made the first run and was experienced, he was the teacher of a group of ten men who made the run into the Cherokee Strip in 1893. They met at Orlando, OK. several days before at the home of one of the men. They rode into the strip early to choose the place they wanted which was about midway or nearly a 30 mile ride from the border. The farms were adjoining ones in a bend of two streams called Red River and Bunch Creek. On the morning of September 16 1893 everyone lined up on the border. The only food they carried with them was bread.”
Source: Niece Grace Pinkerton

Allen and Susie had 8 children:

  1. Carrie Noyes b. 1902 in Oklahoma Territory
  2. Julian J. Noyes b. circa 904 in Oklahoma Territory
  3. Marble J. Noyes b. circa 1906 in Missouri
  4. Lincoln Noyes b. circa 1907 in Missouri.
  5. Victor Noyes b. circa 1911 in Missouri.
  6. Cephia Noyes b. circa 1913 in Missouri.
  7. Lawrence K. Noyes b. circa 1915 in Missouri.
  8. Drexel Noyes b. circa 1916 in Missouri.

A July 23 1887 letter from his mother Caroline places Allen in Sunny Dale.

Another letter survives that was written April 23 1892 from Caroline Atwell Noyes to Ray Noyes from Allen’s place in Miller, Oklahoma.

We have two or three letters from 1902 written by Allen’s mother, Bettie, when she was visiting.

I’ve been unable to locate Allen’s family in the 1900 and 1910 censuses. By 1920 they were in Elk, Stoddard, Missouri.

Roll: T625_964 Page: 12B ED: 208 Image: 0204
Enumerated 26 Jan
51 Fam 226/226 NOYES Allen M. Head Owns house, mortgaged, mw 52 md can read and write, father b. MI mother b. VT farmer
52 Susan Wife fw 44 md. can read and write, farmer
b. KY parents b. KY
53 Carrie Daughter fw 17 school, can read and write, b. OK father b. IL mother b. KY
54 Julian Son wm 16 school, can read and write, b. OK father b. IL mother b. KY
55 Marble Son wm 14 school, can read and write, b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY
56 Lincoln Son wm 13 school, can read and write, b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY
57 Victor Son wm 9 school, can read and write, b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY
58 Cephia Daughter fw 7 school, can read and write, b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY
59 Lawrence son wm 5 b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY
60 Drexel ? Son wm 3 and 2/12? b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY

Year: 1930; Census Place: Elk, Stoddard, Missouri; Roll: T626_1248; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 10; Image: 0702.
Enumerated April 8
89 71/77 NOYES Allen M. Head own Lives on farm 62 md md at 28? can read and write b. IL father b. MI mother b. VT Farmer general farm
90 Susie Wife 54 md md at 21 can read and write b. KY parents b. KY
91 Julian J. Son 26 can read and write b. OK father b. IL mother b. KY Farmer General Farm
92 Marble J. Son 24 can read and write b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY Farm laborer General Farm
93 Victor Son 19 can read and write b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY Farm laborer General Farm
94 Cephia Daughter 16 school, can read and write b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY
95 Lawrence K. Son 15 school, can read and write b. MO father b. IL mother b. KYFarm laborer General Farm
96 Drexel Son 13 school can read and write b. MO father b. IL mother b. KY