OLD FAMILY LETTERS - BRANCH ONE

Letter to Henry Latta of Clare Oklahoma

Stauffer Pa June 2nd 1899

Mr. Henry Latta Clare Okla.

Dear Sir. In reply to yours of May 24th 99 would Say I herein send a copy of Samuel and Robert Lattas will which each of you as children of Wm Latta can copy. It does not appear that you Grandfather Samuel Latta made a will - Will get my Atty to search the records - Samuel and Robert Latta (your uncles) took the Homesteads at the appraisement paying out all the other heirs and recording the receipts. The Robertson land they bought afterwards. Your uncles and aunts living here are all dead - The address of Tho. L. Newell is Perryopolis Fayette Co. Pa Elija Johnstons address is Stauffer Westmoreland Co. Pa - your uncles has considerable personal property including notes at interest some of which cannot be collected being worthless but it will run to between 3 and 4 thousand dollars. None of the land has yet been sold it was appraised at over 5000 dollars. Cannot tell what it will sell for. There are 93 acres in the home farm appraised at $36.00 pre acre - and 103 acres in the Robertson tract - appraised at $21.00 pre acre. Will try to make sale in the fall. The land is rented during the summer. It will take several years to settle and Shape things.

Your truly

D. H. Pershing

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Henry Latta Family

By Corrine Afton, Branch 1 - cafton@southwind.net, Benton, Kansas

I read with great interest "A Box of Old Latta Letters" and related items submitted by Alan Latta because they are my family.

The Henry Latta on page 12 was a brother of my grandfather, John S. Latta. Both Henry Latta and John S. Latta were in Harper County, Kansas before Henry ran in the Oklahoma Strip Land Run in 1893. Henry lived for awhile at Claremore, Oklahoma. They have a baby buried there.

Both of these men along with Martha J. Zehr (not zears) and Sarah A. Gregg were the children of Mary Elizabeth Cunningham who married William (T.?) Latta in LaGrange Co., Indiana on June 6, 1858. We have not proven the burial place of William, their father, but Mary E. Latta is buried in Harper County, KS. Henry and wife, Mary Blanche Crum Latta are buried at Norwich, KS; John S. and Bertha Helme Latta (my grandparents) are buried in the Harper, KS cemetery.

I have visited Bullskin Twp., Fayette Co., Pennsylvania and have pictures of all the Latta Family in the Middle Presbyterian Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant Twp., Westmoreland Co., PA. The home of Samuel and Rachel Newall Latta (my great-great-grandparents and my DAR Patriot) was still standing in 1985 but the barn was gone. I am also sending you the obituary of Martha Zehr.

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The Obituary of Mrs. Latta-Zehr

Contributed by Corrine Afton, Benton, Kansas

Extracted from: The Haven Journal, Haven, Kansas, 27 December 1934, front page, column 2.

Martha Jane Latta was born February 28, 1859, at Clear Creek, Indiana, and passed to her crowning at Hutchinson, Kansas, December 18, 1934 at the age of 75 years, 9 months and 18 days. At the age of 13 she came with her parents to Wheatland, Missouri. At the age of 16 she professed religion and united with the Wheatland Mennonite church. She was united in marriage with Michael Zehr on February 12, 1872 and to this union were born six sons, W. M. Zehr of Harper, Kansas; Edward L., John W. and David C. all of Burton, Kansas; Claude J. of Hutchinson and Samuel R. who died on March 15, 1929. Mrs. Zehr was preceded in death by her husband, who passed away June 25, 1895. A short time after his death the family moved to Kansas, arrived at their new home near Garden Plain, on July 4, 1898. The years 1911 to 1913 were spent at Wagoner, Oklahoma and from there they moved to Colwich, Kansas where they lived until 1916 when they moved to their present home. In 1921 she united with the Pleasant Grove United Brethren Church and held her membership there until her home going. She leaves to mourn, one brother, John Latta of Harper, Kansas, five sons, five nephews, three nieces and fifteen grandchildren.