Shep's Place Family Tree

‎[The German heritage of many of the area's residents can be seen in these foods. Even in 2006 members of the Methodist Church in Mason, West virginia, make large quantities of apple sauce for fund raising.]‎

March 19, 1895. Olivia Lodge No. 49, of R. ‎[Rebecca]‎ was instituted at Mason on Thursday afternoon. Four ladies and five gentlemen instituted the lodge, and at night, the initiation of the other members took place.

Marion Lodge, No. 28, of Hartford, came down by boat to participate in conferring the degrees.

The ladies who consitute the charter members are: Mesdames Ed Bletner, Jr.; William H. Fry; Jacob Coleman; George Tucker; John Edwards; Harry Mills; W.E. Ruttencutter; Horace Church; Lide Wyant; Kate Williams Beller; the Misses Nannie Jarrott; Jennie Hutchinson; Lizzie Burnell; Lizzie Cooper; Jennie Pennybaker; Elizabeth Kennedy; Jessie Carriens; Maggie Harless; Edna Fry.

The following officers were elected: Mrs. Ed Bletner, Jr., N.G. ‎[Noble Grand]‎; Mrs. W.E. Ruttencutter, V.G.; Miss Elizabeth Kennedy, Sec.; Mrs. John Edwards, Treas.; Mrs. Church Wright, and Mrs. Beller, left supporters to the Noble Grand; Miss Jennie Hutchinson, right and Mrs. Coleman, left supporters of the V.G.;

The ladies of Olivia Lodge had prepared a substantial lunch that was greatly enjoyed. Hartford City has one of the strongest lodges in the state, and their team work is about perfect. Mason hopes soon to have a most prosperous lodge.

To Miss Willie Ruttencutter, Mason, West Virginia

Dear Willie you ought to see the high mountains here hope your cough is better and that you will all get along alright with out me Will be home Saturday With love, Mama

‎[Willie was fourteen years old.]‎

Dear Willie & Miles,
Your letter arrived in due time--was glad to hear from you Clara left Monday evening as usual without giving me any notice. I do not expect to have her back your can't depend on her at all she had all day Sunday off--I had breakfast over the dishes were gathered up and Miss Sara had built a fire in the wash house and had the water on when she came about eight o'clock she said do you want washing done today I said yes is so cool and nice this morning- she said I am going over to the train to see J... go when the train comes J.... went to the Pt to stay a week. Clara pretended to cry because she was going about noon we could not find her when she came I asked her where she had been she said she had been up to Harper that man Willie had his face cut and she wanted to know how he was ‎(he was down town not much the matter)‎ in the evening she was filling the kitchen with ice I told her not to take it all she slammed the ice back in the refrigator and said you can have your old ice and you can get somebody else to do your work too I never answered her I was out in the swing and Miss Sara was reading aloud - she went off and has not come back since.

One of my better ...s died on Tuesday and another looks like is now ready to depart. Mrs Fisher said she had 27 and all of them died. Well Wilbur's wife said she had 3d‎[ozen]‎ and only has 2 left. Martha has none left Miss Sara went to the Pt ‎[Point Pleasant]‎ Wednesday morning came back this after noon she has not knit much on the shawl this week. she had a nice time at the Pt--Nannie ‎[Rossiter]‎ came home Wednesday evening Sara said nothing short of an automobile will satisfy Nannie They are looking for Jim & Elizabeth ‎[Morgan]‎ tomorrow. Sadie said she would let me know before they came

Uncle Tom's Cabin was on the green last night your Papa and I went to see it they had a good crowd out Alah Norton is in town she enquired about you I have 31 little chickens out this morning--the ground is covered with apples I wish you had some up there Lemmie took a basket on the train Wednesday morning on his way to Parkersburg he took a basket with him when he went to Ashland Monday morning Lemmie pitched last Friday & Saturday both at Charleston Saturday they played 15 innings they said it was two of the best games that had ever been in Charleston he saw Grace up there she was at the Friday game Lemmie said John Malone called to see him and said he would rather see me than any one he knew. he saw Lemmie play and found out who he was and came to see him.

I could get along if it was not for having to stay in the store and cooking for company. Sunday is quarterly meeting here. I am writing in a hurry because it is time to get supper and feed the chickens. I have not had a fire in the stove for two days will light it tomorrow as I have to bake bread and pies. It has not been as warm here this week. We had a nice time at Golds Sunday stayed for supper-they had peach ice cream I will close with love to you and Miles

Your affectionate mother
Sadie Ruttencutter

Dear Willie and Miles
Your welcome letter came yesterday evening was glad to hear that you are all well-did you have time in Wheeling to get the phosphate of lime & soda? don't put off taking it for it will help the baby ‎[5 months old Harold]‎ as well as you. We have callers about every day Mrs. Young was up one after noon Lona Gold one after noon Mrs. De Wolf has been here twice Mrs. Alemang was here this morning Katie has the house cleaned and the chickens dressed for tomorrow and New Year's Lemmie killed three and helped to clean them. I had a letter from Dan Morgan this morning he expects to come home this Spring. Lemmie ‎[her son]‎ said they had a nice time at the dinner party last night staid till after eleven there was six couples ...usthon Gold & Anna Lewis. Ella Howard and Salter Deibel. Ed Capmpbell and Lena Gibbs Con. Sayers & wife Moses & Alberta Miese--Lem ‎[Ruttencutter]‎ & Maggie Lona said her table only seated twelve or she would have had Arthur Edwards & Clara Miese. May has not been over since you left.

It is raining and such a disagreeable day-we only have two meals a day for the last three days we have breakfast at eight dinner at five - it gives Katie ‎[her daughter]‎ a better chance to get through the work. Mrs Engles did not wash this week

Willie I have something sad to tell you. Sue and Mr. Waters are about to ‎[be]‎ separated. I feel so sorry for Sue and the family. Rilla told us when she came up the other day but asked us not to speak to anyone at present she said Sue was almost distracted. She said Mr. Waters had taken up with a woman at Pomeroy but they did not know her name that Sue had got letters that she had written him of late and the woman said she was going to Charleston with him ‎(he is packing up now has been down home since Christmas)‎ Sue knew it awhile Nan was down but did not want the family to know it till after Christmas.

I talked with Martha ‎[Juhling]‎ this morning she said she and Sue came up to Pomeroy Thursday to find out who the woman was Sue had written to Annie Juhling to find out what she could so they found out it was Jakie Zier the Shomans wife they have a little boy four years old his wife was Bertha Reasoner from Gallipolis and his mother in law was there on a visit Martha said she never felt so sorry for a man in her life She said he shook like a leaf Sue showed him the letters she had and he said my wife wrote those letters and he took them up stairs and showed them to her mother-he kept one letter said he would have to have that in Court

Martha said they met a man from Gallipolis in Pomeroy after they got there and he told them Mr. Waters was in Pomeroy Martha said he got on the train at Middleport and said ...he'd been up to Pomeroy... Sue said no I was up to see if I could get a place in Peers Shoe Store ‎[underlined]‎ Waters and Sue talked all the way down on the train Mr. Waters said Sue you are not to blame I am going to give the woman up she did not say what Sue had to say in reply Mr. Waters had been drawing money out of the Building & Loan and Sue did not know it John said he had drawn out $700.00 ‎(seven hundred dollars)‎ lately. Rill said he gave Sue a white linen shirt waist embroidered three pairs of silk stockings 1/2 doz. handkerchiefs and a pair ‎[of]‎ kid gloves--she had had a black velvet dress made before

Martha is coming down Monday a while I will tell you what she has to say then I can tell you much more than I can write I am so sorry Mr. Waters did not die when he was sick that time so is Rilla if he had we would never have know in one of this woman's letters she told him she would go to the end of earth with him It is the old story of a bad woman's influence over a man

With love I hope to get this in tonight's mail. May was just over
Your loving mother
Sadie Ruttencutter
‎[This letter was written about six months before Sadie died of breast cancer.]‎

No date given.
Will write little Sadie M‎[organ]‎. soon. With love

Private
My dear Sadie R:
I tried to find time to write you a few lines while the girls were here but as we were on the go most of the time I did not get it done. You don't know how much we enjoyed their visit only it was too short. Did want them to stay a few days longer at least but could not prevail. I hope dear little Willie, ‎(as Marjorie always spoke of her)‎ is well again I got the best Dr. that could be had and had she gotten very sick would have done everything for her that could have been done were you here. I was so glad she did get well so quickly. I feel that all of you were too kind ‎[underlined]‎ in sending us those presents. I hate to have you do so much for me. I have said over and over again to my friends and will tell you that were the best friends I ever had in childhood and still are. I speak of the girls as the daughters of the best friends I have ever known. I suggested to the girls that I want to get all of you some token to send by them but they wouldn't hear to it, but am going to send you something later. I haven't thought of anything of importance that I failed to show the girls. We were on the go nearly every day. How I wish we lived nearer to one another I hope some of you will come every summer. Thanking you & Will Dickie Nannie & Mamie for the nice presents you sent us and with love to every one of you. I am your true friend ‎[name illegible]‎ Write real often Sadie, tell me all the news. Will put this in Katie's letter as I always will when I want to say anything of a private nature. L

Aunt Sadie would have such good dinners. They had a maid named Edna. Edna was a slave. They'd make ice cream with all of us standing around waiting to get a taste. We had to go down to the ice place for the ice. Aunt Sadie's marble cake--I've never tasted one like it. They had their garden down there. Aunt Sadie could play the piano I think.

The only thing Aunt Nan ‎[Sadie's sister]‎ could make was creamed tomatos.

Cancer of Breast 55y 7m 22d. Housewife Married C.F. Sayre, attending physician.