You can read about Belle Lamunion, 1864-1848, and her amazing box of family memories here. Belle married Henry H Fellows, 1858-1905 in 1879 in Ashland Township, Newaygo County, Michigan.

This series of posts will center around the approximately 405 items in the box which are in my possession. I scanned the items one at at time as they were picked up from the box, in no particular order; and so the scans are not arranged by date or any other method. The posts will be numbered according to the order of the scanned item in my files. It may be that the posts will not appear in number order, especially if extra investigation is needed regarding a given item. So, just to be clear, the cards, clippings, photos and other items that were in the box will be described one at a time, and titled with the file number of the item’s scan.

You can read about the characters whose names appear in the box in Cast of Characters . If you are related to this family, please contact me.

Card addressed to Mrs Bell Tinker, Manton, Michigan RFD. No post mark, stamp or date.

This spelling is as on the card, the best I can make out. It was written in pencil.

White Cloud Mich
My dear sister Bell I had all
most given you up as you have
Bin all a Round me and did -?- -?-
call up
But Ill pay
I so Pleasd to her
you air still on Earth Bell
Dont forget to come the
Girls want you to
can you
Let them so they can be prepar
I H ???? to have a good bye

I H might also be J H.
H might start a word.

This one is quite a puzzle. I can’t find any evidence there was every a stamp or postmark. Belle Lamunion had seven siblings that I am aware of. Elizabeth L. (Bisard), Mary Ann (Murray), Merritt Winfield known as Scott, George W., Benjamin F., Emily (Carter), and Olive Josephine (Tuffs/Tufts). The card may have been written in White Cloud, Newaygo County, Michigan.

1. Elizabeth (Bisard) is in Ashland Township, Newaygo County on all census 1880-1930, and she had only one son, no “girls”.
2. Mary Ann (Murray) was the mother of at least 3 “girls”, but was on the census of Monroe township, Newaygo County, Michigan in 1894, and died in 1899.
3. Scott was the parent of 3 “girls”, but resided in in Hopkins, Allegan County in 1880 and in Antioch Township, Wexford County beginning in 1900.
4. George had no known children.
5. Benjamin (Bije) died about 1892 and was the parent of one son.
6. Emily had two “girls”, but resided on a Ashland Township, Newaygo County, Michigan farm during her marriage, and died in Muskegon, Muskegon County Michigan in 1945.
7. Olive Josephine had one “girl”, and died in 1882, just a few years before her daughter.

Seven siblings, three possibilities. I believe that Mary Ann is the prime candidate. She had the appropriate number of children, and lived in Newaygo County, if not White Cloud. But, it also may have been Emily or Scott. Perhaps I’ll find more cards in this handwriting.