This letter is transcribed on Oct 30, 2013 by Wendy Jadene Huston, having in my possession, a copy of this letter. My great aunt Thelma Miller had the original and note. This is written just as he had written it. Lehi City, Utah 12 Dec, 1919
Dear Daughter; I write you a few lines in this Christmas card to let you know that I have not forgotten you. I sertainly in joyed your visit here last fall though my health was very bad. but now it is very good again and I can eat, sleep and work and the short of breath does not bother me like it did when you was here, which I am thankful for. to have good health’s a great blessing and your Moth(ers) (sic) health is very good and we have plenty to eat and ware and wood and coal to burn to keep us warm so that we are the best days of our life.
I feel that the Lord has blessed me with two good companions and a good lot of kind children to me and it gives me great joy to know that they have faith in the Lord, wishing you a merry chrismas a a prosperous new year.
(Included in this card he also wrote a little of his life, being an old man, you will notice some of his words are spelled wrong, and in the letter there were few punctuations.)
Martin B Bushman was born Feb 5, 1841 in Lancaster Co. Penn. the first ten years of his life was spent in traveling 2500 miles by horse and ox team and in hilpin his parrots make homes and then havin to leave them and travel long distances in the winter suffered much from cold and hunger and had two of his sisters die then they again made a home, but they soon left it and travelled 1000 miles to Utah.
The next ten years was spent in helping to redeem Utah and make homes also drove an ox team to Omaha and back 2000 miles
The next ten years was spent in making a home and procuring some land and marring to wives and caring for them and their children.
The next ten years was spent in more extensive farming and in runing steam thrashers with the help of my sons.
The next ten years I lost by data, a number of our children, also my parents I also spent considerable amounts of money education my children. I also was sent to prison for haven two wives. Term 3 months.
The next ten years I went to the eastern states to visit relatives. We traveled about 5000 miles by railroad. visited many large cities, I also went to Canada on a visit. I also lost by death one of my wives, and up to this time had all my living children get married but one.
The next nine years, witch makes me 79, I find that I am growing old and cannot work like I used to do but I can look back on my life and say it has been a reward. I have now one wife living and eight children alive and one wife and 12 children dead and I know that I shall meet them all again the the great hear after.
I have written this short sketh of my life in this Chrisstmas card in the way of a novilty and I hope you will abresiate(sic) it as I abresiate that you are my daughter. From your Father
Ann's Stories 