Letter from Benjamin Franklin Christlieb to Ervin G. Chrislip–9 July 1894

B. F. Christlieb
Dealer in

Dry Goods, Notions Groceries
Hardware, Boots, Shoes
Stationery, etc.

Long Lake, Minn. July 9, 1894

Irvin Chrislip, Esq

Elk City, W. Va

My Dear Sir & Cousin: Having learned your address through the family of Mr. Glasscock on a late visit to Missouri I write to you for information concerning the Virginia branch of our race. I am of the Pennsylvania branch and son of Isaac Christlieb who was a full cousin of your father. I learned the names of your fathers brothers and sisters of James A. Connor of Washington, but he could not give me dates of birth or deaths or ages. Another member of the Penn^a branch and I are contemplating publishing a history of the family. I have the record of the births and deaths of the Penn^a Branch and would like to obtain the same information of the Virginia Branch. I understand that you are a son of Abraham Chrislip. I would like to have the date of his birth, marriage and death and where he married. If you have not the record of these events you may recollect his age and how many years have passed since his death, also if you have a family record of his births and deaths of his brothers and sisters I would like or if you do not have that you may know or recollect their ages and the time of their deaths.

Also I would like the date of birth marriage and death of your grand father Jacob, who came from Germany to America before the Revolutionary War and settled in Virginia, if you can obtain it.

I have corresponded with different ones(?) of the Virginia Branch for this information so far have not been successful in obtaining it.

If there are no records left amongst any members of the Virginia Branch perhaps some information might be obtained from the tombstones at their graves. That would give dates of death and age. I am making ~illegible~ a sheet with the names as given to me by James A Conner and he did not recollect fully how the daughters of your grand father came ~illegible~ in relation as to births. He thought he gave the sons in their right succession or relation. If you can not fill all of the blanks for the years of birth perhaps you can get the date of death and age from memory of yourself or some of the relatives there.

Perhaps you may be able to see the widow of your Uncle Samuel Christlieb, who may be able to aid you or some others of the relatives – I also wrote to your Cousin Peregrine Chrislip (Chrislib) Salt-Lick Bridge. And I intend also to write to your Uncle Samuel's Widow, thinking what one of you cannot recall the other may be able to recall.

I received considerable information lately from Mrs. Davis of Oregon, Missouri formerly Miss Laura V. Glasscock and she spoke of you and also your son Albert that the two of you could arrange to give me the information. In filling blanks in the accompany sheet give only the years leave out months and days or dates of months. I would also like the dates, names, of your children births, marriages, and deaths. Mrs Davis gave me the names of your family which I will place in this sheet at another place. Fill in the dates as well as you can. And if you can give the descendants of any other of the first generation – your fathers brothers & sisters I would like to have them. I have considerable interesting history of the family away back into Germany. Also did your grand father serve in the Revolution?

In conclusion I would say that I would much like to meet you and I often thought during my lifetime especially in my younger days that I would visit the Virginia Branch sometime especially about the war time, but did not get around to do so. I have lived in Minnesota for 35 years and my brother has lived here for 39 years. I have been in poor health for many years and have always had ~illegible~ chance(?). I have written this letter hastily but probably you can make what I want to know. Sometime again I will write more as there is much I would like to talk with my Virginia relatives.

Yours Sincerely

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