Recently I was able to obtain from the University of North Carolina some Tuttle family papers. One of the papers was a letter written by my great great grandfather Josiah Tuttle to his mother Emily Jane Hartgrove Tuttle who lived in Stokes County, North Carolina. Josiah wrote the letter from Murray, Utah in August of 1895.
Josiah Tuttle was the oldest child and son of Alexander and Emily Jane Hartgrove Tuttle.
His father, Alexander, died in July of 1880 when Josiah was 24 years old, leaving behind his wife and 12 children, the youngest just 4 months old.
The loss of his father must have left Josiah with a heavy burden to help support his family.
Josiah married Sarah Catherine Barr, a 15 year old local girl on 23 December 1880. Their first child, my great grandmother Hattie Rozella Charlotta Jane Tuttle, was born to the the young couple on 25 January 1882. Three more daughters and a stillborn son were also born into the family over the next 8 years they lived in Stokes County, North Carolina.
Josiah and his wife joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and along with their daughters emigrated Stokes County, North Carolina and settled in Salina, Utah in April of 1891. Their second daughter, Maggie May died six months later in October 1891.
The following letter was written by Josiah four years after their arrival in Utah. It is not particularly useful genealogically, but it does give us a glimpse into his relationship with his mother and other family members along with some historical details.
Hattie Tuttle Anderson's father was Josiah Tuttle. 
He was born in Germanton, Stokes, North Carolina. Josiah's father Alexander died in 1880 leaving a family of 11 chldren for his wife, Emily Jane to rear. Being the oldest, Josiah worked as a farm hand in Stokes County to help support his mother and siblings.
Josiah enjoyed music and playing his fiddle for the dances held at the husking bees popular in the area. He had probably already had some type of association with Sarah Catherine Barr when they began courting at these dances. Although Sarah was only 15 years old, they married in December of 1880.
Sometime after their marriage, Josiah was employed in the community as a store clerk and at the local post office. Things would change for the young couple as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent proselyting missionaries to Stokes county in the mid-1880s. Josiah and Sarah listened to their message and were baptized 2 April 1891. Four days later, Josiah, Sarah, and their daughters, Hattie, Maggie, Dora and Georgia boarded a train which took them to Utah. Josiah and Sarah never returned to North Carolina or their families.
Josiah and Sarah lived in Salina, Utah for about six years then moved to Glenwood, Utah where they raised ten children. He supported his family mainly by truck gardening--renting out several plots of land in Glenwood to grow his vegetables.
Josiah's granddaughter, Vera Anderson, remembered, "Grandfather Tuttle was about 5' 9" tall, very thin and wore a mustache. He raised a huge garden and washed and packed his vegetables in a buggy and went from door-to-door in Richfield selling them. My sister, Madge Anderson, went with him several times. With a child's memory, Madge said, 'He always bought bolony and bread for our lunch.'"
Josiah passed away 17 May 1927 in Glenwood, Sevier, Utah and was lovingly remembered by his children and grandchildren for many years.
