She Lived Here In '26

SHE LIVED HERE IN '26

MRS. A. STEVENS OF BIG RAPIDS WAS A PIONEER

The following letter explains itself:  Big Rapids, Feb. 15, 1902 

Mr. Maynard:

Dear Sir I saw in the Grand Rapids paper a notice of the death of Mrs. Maynard, and cut it out. Perhaps you will not be interested, but I wish to tell you that I knew your mother when she was a young girl. My father came to Ann Arbor in the spring of '26. There are not many persons living, if any, besides myself that were there at that time. The mills family of seven brothers are all gone. All of my own father's family except myself. My father helped to build the first church and was a deacon in the first church organized and superintendent the first Sabbath school. I remember well Lawyer Wilcox and can almost remember how he looked as he stood before the congregation to read the sermons before they had a minister. I think the first minister was Mr. Page, and a good man. His sister taught a select school for girls. I attended that school as did your mother and her older sister, she was about my age. I know her fate. My husband's brother was an intimate friend of her husband in San Francisco, and went to the wharf with him to meet his family. But it was a sad meeting. I remember the Maynard family very well. They lived near my father on Mallet's Creek. I am now living with my son in Big Rapids, whose father, Carlos Barnes, surveyed the land in Kent county and got his death cold and died young. In 1876 I went with my father to Ann Arbor to attend the fiftieth anniversary meeting; We stopped with my uncle, Lorin Mills, but We took dinner with your mother one day, and I enjoyed the visit with your grandmother.

In '31 my father came to Kalamazoo county and I saw that beautiful city of Kalamazoo with one log house in it - what wonders have been done in my day. I am near 87 year of age, my health is good, but of course the infirmities creep on. My eye-sight has failed as you will see. I know you are a good man, you had such a good mother, and you will meet her in the better land. Pardon me for writing this poor letter.

Respectfully.

Mrs. S. A. STEVENS.