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Feb 17 – Cloudy 2 Abz. Got one bunch shingles. Whiting paid me 50 cts. Went over to Fathers. Oscar and Mary ann[15] here. Mother came with them. T. Flanders came here.
Feb 18 – Cloudy 2 Abz. Carried 4 bushels wheat to mill. T. Flanders went home. Lasher drawed ice for Beach.
Feb 19 – Snowey 13 Abz. Went over to Fathers. Wes[16] Boy[17] Born this morning. Snows & blows like fun. Azro Brot stove over.
Feb 20 – Cold 2 Below zero. Swep out shop sawed some wood. T. Flanders here in evening.
Feb 21 – Pleasant 23 Abz. Good sleighing. At home all day.
Feb 22 – Cold 17 Below zero. Lasher Brot brick. Sawed out some cornice. Uncle Ozen[18] here.
Feb 23 – Pleasant 3 Abz. Worked on cornice. Father came over here.
Feb 24 – Pleasant 15 Abz. Finished cornice. B. Whitcomb Bot A. T. Jones violin $6.00. The girls left. Letter from N. B. Betts.[19]
Feb 25 – Cloudy 24 Abz. Worked on shop put on some cornice. Mary Powlison here to day. Pleasant & warm.
Feb 26 – Pleasant 5 Abz. Put on cornice and some roof boards. Thawed considerable.
Feb 27 – Cloudy and warm 36 Abz. Not much sleighing. T. Flanders came here. Shingled some. Snowed in the night 6 inches deep.
Feb 28 – Pleasant 28 Abz. Thawes some. Mr Stebbens buried to day. Averil preached. T. Flanders here all day.
[15] His nephew and wife, James Oscar and Mary Ann (Batey) Keith
[16] John Wesley Keith who, according to the family Bible, was adopted
[17] Ellis A. Keith
[18] Ozen Keith, his father’s brother
[19] His mother-in-law, Nancy (Comfort) Crawford Betts, who had recently remarried (see February 16, 1858 letter)
Letters to and from the Keith and Related Families 