Don:

Attached is letter from John L. McMaken. You will note on the letter I have his signature as "John S. McMaken". That name spelling was as I read it, before I knew more about the family.

A brief explanation of the letter, if you want it. The writer of the letter is John L. McMaken, who was husband of Eliza Jane Cummins, d. 3 Oct 1870 in Middletown. it is her death that is the topic in the first paragraph.

The recipient of the letter is Nancy Cummins Smith, sister of Eliza Jane.
Nancy's husband was Josiah Thompson Smith, one of the early settlers in
Middletown area. Nancy lived in Etna, Siskiyou County, CA at time of the
writing of letter.

Both girls, Eliza Jane and Nancy, were children of James Cummins and Sarah
Nutt. James Cummins d. in Middletown around 1850. We do not know where his
wife Sarah died, probably on the route to IA from OH around 1839.

Besides Nancy & Eliza, there were other children in the family of James
Cummins and Sarah Nutt: 1)John Lytle Cummins who md. Olive Carpenter, they
ended up in Siskiyou County, CA. J. L. Cummins disappeared from the scene
around 1862. That's a long, interesting story. 2) Adam Nutt Cummins md.
Margaret Wheatley & they settled in Siskiyou County also. 3) Enoch James
Cummins md. Mary Ann Roberson and they also settled in Siskiyou County, CA.
Other children are buried in Old Baptist cemetery, Harrison Twp, Hamilton
Co. OH.

James Cummins and his son-in-law Josiah Thompson Smith are two of my dead end
ancestors. If you would like more information on any of the contents of the letter,
contact me.

Joanne A. Smith Mello
jomello@sbcglobal.net