Phoenix
Assurance Co. Belvidere N.J. Jan 17th
1898
Henry
J. Aten, Esq. Hiawatha Kansas
My
Dear Cousin:--
Your
two letters were duly received, and read with pleasure.
You
are certainly working hard to get all the history of the Aten families and
kinsmen, that can be got.
I
am not getting as much as I ought to. I mean I am not hurrying up as fast as I
might.
As
I see any of the kinsfolk I am getting from them all that they can give,--some
of them are unable to give very much family history.
When spring comes I will spend two or three Sabbath’s
going over to Mount Bethel and Stone Church cemeterries and see the old grave
stones—church records etc. etc., also down to Lower Mount Bethel churches and
grave yards, and will also see members of the different branches of the old
families and
see
what information I can get. And I must
copy from the old headstones in the old Aten grave yard along the Delaware on
the original farm of Derick Aten the ancestor.—as soon as I can I must go up to
Delaware in Knowlton township and get the Albertson history and get that part
arranged. The old family bible of
Nicholas Albertson is up there. I must also as soon as I can go up to Newton in
Sussex County and make some searches there, as I think there must be a good
deal of history—marriages—wills etc. of record up there.
I send to you herewith the date of the marriage of
Alfred Aten and Rebecca Quick. Also of Joseph Aten and Azubah Coates and, other
persons by the name of Aten. I give you
all the names of Aten (men) that are of record in the Warren County Clerk’s
office. Mrs. Rebecca Aten is burried in
one of the cemeterries connected to the old Oxford First Pres. Church about a
mile out from Belvidere. I think I said to you before that it would be a good
idea to add to each person’s sketch—what the occupation or calling each one
followed, and also to what church
organization
they belonged, or attended. Out here
they go to different churches—some are Methodist, some Baptist, others
Presbyterian while some are German Reformed, Episcopal and a few Lutheran. Nicholas Albertson and Japie his wife were
Episcopalians as the old church records of St. James Episcopal Church at
Delaware contain their names, and the record of the baptism of some of their
children. Mrs. Hay says that her
Grandfather, Peter Aten was a member of the Episcopal Church and the children
were baptized in that faith. Mrs. Hay
is now a Methodist. I go to the Presbyterian Church.—John N. Albertson of
Delaware—a descendant of Nicholas and Japie—is a ruling elder in the
Presbyterian Church of that place.—
I
send to you a program etc. of the installation and reception held by the
Masonic
Lodge of this place on Dec. 27th, last.—The three persons whose
names are marked—are descendants of Nicholas Albertson and Japie— M.C. Allen’s
wife is a great grand daughter of them also. Isaac Brands married a grand
daughter of John Aten, and Mrs. James Prall is also a Great Grand daughter of
John Aten.—Mrs. Brands and Mrs. Prall are both still living. I send to you a
clipping from one of our county papers in reference to a will contest. I also put in this letter a clipping in
reference to the public installation of the Officers of Covenant Lodge No. 13
of Belvidere held on last Thursday evening the 13th inst. Your humble servant was chairman of the
committee of arrangements. You spoke
about the Newberry Library of Chicago.
It might be that you could find some history there. I have looked at a great many books in our
State Library at Trenton but so far have not been able to get on to any history
of Adrian Aten. I am pleased that you
have got the history of the Babcock family. Mr. Babcock has a brother living
here in Warren County. I am well acquainted with him, i.e.,-the one living here
in Warren County—It is strange some folks do not seem to care about
knowing
anything about their ancestors, or their family history. I was talking to Mrs. Mary Hageman a Grand
daughter of John Aten—about the family history. She replied, “I don’t intend to
bother myself very much about the early history. I never had any taste for
hunting up such things.” She has a son
a lawyer,-a man of good education,--and although he has always (except a short
time) lived in Northampton County Penna., I will wager “my old hat”, that he
don’t know as much about the family history, as some who live a long distance
away. He also has no love for such things, as hunting up old family
history. Mrs. Hay showed me a letter
from Jacob Dernberger of Seymour Lake Mich., saying that he had found the
family Bible of Old Uncle Peter Aten, at his brothers’—Simon Peter Dernberger’s
that may give some little help with that branch of the families—He wrote that
he
was
going to write to you, and I suppose he has done so before this time. I know Jacob very well. His daughter Stella
was out here on a visit last summer.
Trade and business is dull out here now. The complaint by nearly all is,--that money is scarce among the
people.—Real estate has got so very low out here. So many of the shops and
factories are closed down, it makes dull times. This is not such a great Corn
and Wheat raising state as Kansas is. I have not heard anything about Mrs. Mary
Ellen Lease lately. What has become of her?
I have a cousin, a school teacher, who lives in Girard, Crawford Co.,
Kansas. Her name is Margaret Harris.
She is a daughter of N. Harris who lives in Owosso Michigan. He is a brother to my father. There is a man named I. Williard Walker
living in Parsons Kansas, who married, Elizabeth, a daughter of Catharine Aten,
who married Christian Eilenberger. Mrs. Walker now lives up at Stroudsburg
Penna.,-- They could not agree some way, and he several years ago packed up and
left his wife and son—several of Mrs. C. Eilenberger’s children are living up
in Monroe Co., Mrs. Van Fleet one of them was down to the reunion of A.&A.
last August—Her husband is a conductor on the D.L.&W.R.R. I see him quite often. We are all well at
this time and all your other kinsmen as far as I know of—Hope you are all well
at your home—I will be pleased to hear from you whenever you can find time to
write. We all send love and kind regards to you all. Very respectfully your
Cousin
[At
the top of the first page:]
“P.S. I will give you at any time all the facts and copies of records etc that I can to assist you in getting the history in proper shape—as I do not have the time I ought to have to devote to the subject. N.H.