From Former Sons and Daughters of

Ruella Fry was born in Millersburg, Indiana on January 22, 1891 to Melvin and Cordelia (nee Reeder) Fry. Melvin was an oil field worker. Ruella was united in marriage to Raymond Costello May 22, 1915 in Wellsburg, West Virginia. She was later married to Adrian Joseph Demester who was born in Jumet, Belgium. Adrian died in 1983. Ruella died in Clarksburg, West Virginia August 18, 1963.

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Henry Cunningham was born on December 10, 1836 to Silas Henry and Martha Ann (nee Wrestler) Cunningham. He was united in marriage to Mary T. Lovell and to this union the following children were born: Martha (b. abt. 1861); Mary E. (b. abt. 1863); Rebecca (b. abt. 1865); William (b. abt. 1867); James E. (b. abt. 1869); Ida (b. abt. 1871; John (b. abt. 1871); Margaret J. (b. Dec. 1874); Rose M. (b. Jan. 1877); Emma L. (b. Feb. 1879); Cora L. (b. June 1881); Fred H. (b. July 1883). Henry died May 14, 1933 and Mary died October 21, 1903. They are buried in Corona Sunnyslope Cemetery Corona, California.

Jeanette, Pennsylvania

January 17, 1917

Dear Editor:

In response to your invitation for non-residents to make themselves known, and also their locations through your Pink Press edition on February 8, I will endeavor to help just a little by adding one more letter from Pennsylvania, although I have no bets upon it as a winner.

I receive the Sumner Press on Friday of every week, receiving my last copy on Christmas Day as a Christmas present from my parents, now located in Augusta, Kansas I enjoy the contents immensely and don't miss needing the advertisements and notice many changes in the business district.

While residing in Sumner I was employed mostly in the Racket store formerly owned by C. H. Gordon. I see by his ad in the Press he is interested in real estate. He is a most Lively One. (This is for Mr. Gordon's special benefit).

Many of my former acquaintances have left your little town but I will probably learn their whereabouts in your February 8 edition.

Wishing you every success in your letter writing contest and extending best regards to my former friends I remain,

Sincerely,

Mrs. Raymond Costello,

(Formerly Miss Ruella Fry)

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Corona, California

January 16, 1917

Editor Press:

At your urgent request for all the Subscribers to the Press, and especially old the settlers, to write you a letter for the Pink Sheet, I will send you a few lines, for I can only give you a faint outline of what I know of the earlier days of Lawrence County and of Lukin Township and the old settlers thereof. It would take all the space in your Pink Sheet unless it were as large as our California secret ballot.

I was born on a farm in Clark Township, Brown County, Ohio, on December 10, 1836. My father's name was Silas. My mother’s maiden name was Martha Ann Wrestler. I have five brothers, of whom two are still living- B. L. and J. C. of your town.

In 1852 we moved to Lukin Township, Lawrence County, Illinois, from our old home in Ohio and settled on what was then called the old Snyder farm, one half mile from the Richland County line, adjoining the George Moore tanyard place, later bought and run for several years by Caleb Hoopes, and still later the farm was sold to Fred Brian, but the tanyard discontinued years before.

In 1857 I was married to Mary T. Lovell. We moved to an 80 acre piece of land adjoining my father's farm. There we built a house and chopped and grubbed out a little farm of 40 acres, a part of which belongs to my brother J. C., The other 40 I sold to Fred Brian. Here were born seven of our children and here one, our eldest died and was buried in the Bell or Wright cemetery. It is here our children attended school at old Buckhorn school house which stood on the northeast of my father's farm.

In the fall of 1873 we moved to Neosho County, Kansas, driving through in a wagon. We settled on a quarter section of land six miles northwest of Walnut, in Grant Township. We had our church letter with us and put it in the first opportunity we had. We were always careful about our obligations to God and the church. We lived on this farm for 25 years, through grasshoppers, droughts and cyclones, but out of it all, the good Lord brought us safely.

In 1898 we moved to Riverside County, California settling in Corona, our present location. Here my dear wife died on October 21, 1902. Here seven of our children are living. Three are living in Kansas and one in Colorado and one in Arizona.

So this brings me down to date in my eighty-first year still pretty strong for one of my age. I can walk up with anyone I start with. Can't run so fast now or jump so high as I could when I was younger, but still I can climb mountains—little ones, if they're not too steep. My general health is good. My eyesight is good; that is with the aid of glasses I can read fine print. My hearing is rather poor just now but I think when summer comes I will be all right again.

I was well acquainted with all the old settlers in Lukin and vicinity. Can remember when there was no Sumner nor Bridgeport nor Hadley for there was no railroad nearer than Vincennes. It used to be our nearest mill where we can get wheat ground was Lawrenceville. Sometimes my father would go to Rochester, at the rapids on the Wabash near Mt. Carmel to mill. On such occasions he always had to stay overnight, and sometimes two nights. We had a little corn down on Little Bonpas and saw a mill run by Henry King, later bought and run by August Starkman, could run but part of a year, as it was a wet weather mill, but it sure helped us out many times.

I would be glad if I could speak of all the old settlers by names and tell you all the good things I know about them, but I cannot at this time, perhaps may tell you about them later. I know this letter is already too long for your Pink Sheet but I will tell you how to manage it. You know everyone knows better how to run a newspaper than the editor does, so I will tell you how to do. Divide it up and run it as a serial story alongside of some of ye Lukinite man's (P. W. Sutherland) chicken dinner stories.

Well, may God bless Prior Sutherland. I always did like him I remember him as a nice soldier boy. I see by his picture in last year's Pink Sheet he is still a noble looking old man.

Oh yes I know after seeing this little squib of mine you will want my picture also so I send you one taken two years ago on Decoration day. It is not a good picture, but my friends tell me that it is just as ugly as I am.

I must close by saying that if any of my old friends would like to hear something about the finest country in the world (California) write me at 1112 Sheridan Street. Corona, California.

So goodbye to all and good luck to the Press and the Pink Sheet in particular.

Henry Cunningham

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