Mrs. P. T Peterson May 25 [18]97 Mink Creek May 15 1897 Wifford Woodruff Dear Brother My Husband recieved your Letter, asking him about going on a mission, and i hope you will pardon me for taking the liberty to write this, as my husband is a very poor hand at writing and explaining his feeling. We have under- stood that it was a bishops duty to look into a mans cicrcumstances to see if it would be possible for him to leave home, this ...

perfectly willing to go on a Mission if his circumstances would permit. He has been runing a small farm of my mothers, for some time, but my mother passed away 3 months ago, without any will, and ^we^ will now have to have the deeds probated, and pay my brother (who lives in Canada) for his share of the land, as there is not to much for a family, and my husband is allready in about 300 dollars debt for wagons and Machinery. We have been married 12 ...

for nearly all the under ^woolen^ clothes which we have hneeded for both ourseff an Children. We have up to this time slept in beds which my husband have nailed together of lumber, and have not any furniture bought out of the store, except a sewing machine which my father gave me, and 4 Chairs the rest my husband has naild together himself, it is now 4 or 5 yrs since my husband commenced to put up a little frame house 16x30 and which is not near completed yet. my husband must ceep the farm a going, as ...

so he can only work on the house when there is a little time left, and when his health permits he has allso had very poor health for some time, being much troubld with rheumatism rheumatic fever and lung trouble, which he has inherited from his father, and he has sometimes been taken down for months, and he seldom feels well, and is generally attacked when taking cold, he will allso have to sign notes for wire to fence around what he has cultivatd as my fathers had it fenced with willows which is now fell to the ...

which is all hills and rocks and not more than one fourth of the land can be cultivated and but little is left, when the machinery is paid for and what a family consumes has been taken away. My husband has allso entered a homestead up on the mountains for a pasture, this spring, and law requires him to reside on and Cultivate same for 5 yrs it can not but very little of it be cultivated though. My Husband is the Leader of ^the^ Choire of this place and spends very much of his time attending to it and ...

our circumstances they are Brother Peter Baird Brother Lois Keller Brother Hans Petersen And Sister Helen Tink The Bishop ought to a mans inquire into a mans circumstanses before sending his name, i should think. I feel like doing the very best i can but on account of my ill health with my little ones, it would be very hard for me to have him go, even if ^other^ circtumstances would permit, as i have no relatives left to me in this country ...

get from anyone else I would like to ask you a quistion Can myself and Husband be bapticed for and take Endowments for my fathers and mother who was bapticed into this Church 20 yrs ago, but on account of some trouble with his neighbors with some land, they disfellowshipped him from the Church, which i think was was very unreasonable hoping to be excused for this long letter i remain your humbly Servaant Mrs. P T Petersen Mink Creek Idaho This ...