MISCELLANEOUS. BIOGRAPHY OF THE PHELPS FAMILY. I take a pleasure in placing the following biography of the Phelps Family on record in my SOUVENIR. It is not enough for me to say of Levi M. Phelps that I loved him. He helped me much in my lifetime, and God only knows how much he helped me on that never-to-be-for-gotten occasion, when he knelt down and prayed for me in the old State Road Church on January 10, 1851. I loved Levi M. Phelps before then as a man and a friend, but from that day forward I loved him as a man, a true friend and as a father of the church until his death. And I yet love him, and cherish his precious memory with sincere reverence. It was his son, Nathan, who led me to the altar where I was converted, so it may not be wondered at that I love the Phelps Family. Levi M. Phelps was born August 3, 1803, in Maryland, and died March 31, 1857, in Minnesota. When he was but four years old his father died, and the boy was reared without education or any chance of improvement. He was a good father, a man who impressed all with whom he associated with the right, and was looked up to as a leader. He was for many years exhorter, steward, class-leader and trustee of his church; was several times school and town officer. He died as he had lived. Shortly before he passed away he said: "I thought religion was good, but I never expected such a triumph. All joy, all peace, all Heaven!" And though dead, he yet speaketh. His wife, Phebe M., was born July 28, 1808, in Allegany County, N. Y., and died July 29, 1875, in the town of Marion, Minn. She always despised wrong, looked with contempt on anything unchaste or dishonorable. She instructed her children in the right, and left a salutary impress on all she had to do with, and died in the faith. The children of Levi M. and Phebe M. Phelps were as follows: (1) Nathan S., born February 23, 1826, in Steuben County, N. Y.; married Margaret Waldron February 18, 1870, and has three children, all girls. He resides in Olmsted County, Minn., a wealthy farmer and a man of prominence in church and municipal affairs. (2) Eleazer C., born March 22, 1827, in Steuben County, N. Y.; married Electa A. Rorman in September, 1750, in Crawford County, Penn., and has four daughters married. He is now a resident of Rochester, Minn. (8) Thomas W., born April 28, 1829, in Steuben County, N. Y.; married August 29, 1858, at Faribault, Minn., to Eliza Jane Hooner, and has four danghters and one son--Sadie P., Mina E., Thomas L., Emma B. and Jennie L., all living and well to do. He resides in Chester, Olmsted Co., Minn. [At page 340 will be found a brief autobiographical sketch of Thomas W. Phelps.--F. C. W.] (4) Sarah J., born October 15, 1850, in Steuben County, N. Y.; has never married. She has taught school nearly thirty years, commencing in 1848 in Crawford County, Penn. She is also a resident of Olmsted County, Minn. (5) Mary A., born April 15, 1832, in Potter County, Penn.; is married and has four children. She was the first of a family of eleven, converted at the meetings held at State Road Church, Crawford Co., Penn., in 1850-51. She now lives in St. Clair County, Mo. (6) Sylvester N., born September 17, 1833, in Potter County, Penn.; is married and has one child, a daughter. He was converted in December, 1850, at the State Road Church, attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Penn., and moved to Minnesota in September, 1855. Joined the Conference in 1856, and preached nearly twenty years. He owns a very fine farm. (7) Letitia P., born August 15, 1835, in Steuben County, Penn.; is married and has three children living, all girls. He resides in Rochester, Minn. (8) Loretta P., born August 8, 1837, died in April, 1874, in Marshall County, Iowa, leaving two children living--one son and one daughter. (9) Margaret E., born February 18, 1840, in Crawford County, Penn.; married in 1858, and had two children by first marriage; in August, 1864, she lost her husband in the war, and in 1870 she again married, by which union she had three daughters. She died February 9, 1887. (10) Amelia S., born July 26, 1846, in Crawford County, Penn.; is married, and resides in Marshall County, Iowa. (11) Emma, born in February, 1848, in Crawford County, Penn.; is married and has one child living. She resides at Crook City, Dak. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THOMAS W. PHELPS. (WRITTEN FOR HIS SINCERE FRIEND FRANCIS C. WAID.) The record of my birth and parentage, etc., is included in the biographical record of the Phelps Family, and will be found at page 339 in this book. When I left home, just before I was twenty-one years of age, I had no property I could call my own, and had but little schooling. However, during the winters of 1850-51 and 1851-52 I attended school, and in September, 1852, I commenced college, following which I taught school in various places, alternated with further studies at college. In 1856 I moved to Minnesota, and located at Marion, where I went to work immediately, and followed surveying several years. I was town superintendent of schools in 1860-61, and county superintendent several years. Have held nearly every town office; was a justice of the peace many years; was in the Legislature, 1871 and 1877; was president of the Agricultural Society, 1877-78-79. I have been district treasurer ever since 1874, and am now supervisor and treasurer. I have held nearly all the offices in the church; have been lay delegate, district and recording steward (many years); have held the office of class leader, steward, president of building committee (during the putting up two new churches); am at present steward and Sunday-school superintendent. On my farm we raise cattle, horses, hogs and the various kinds of grain and seeds--hay, clover and timothy, for seed, doing well here. We have a comfortable living, enough for ourselves and whomsoever may visit us; and I wish you, my dear friend Mr. Waid, could come and see us and stay a long time. You and yours would be welcome and twice welcome. Things taste better when we have our friends with us. Come! Come!! Come!!! Your sincere friend, THOMAS W. PHELPS. CHESTER, MINN. February 8, 1887. More to follow, David