February 13, 1867 Nicholas wrote the following from his mission in England home
to Elizabeth, ... “If you see him [Porter Rockwell] please to remember me to him and
remember me to all of my renters, or your renters, for it is all one, William
Showell, Smith McGarth and wife and all others. Please in your next to state
what rooms are empty, if any; it does very well to fill up with, and it
interests me some at the same time. Please state whether blacksmith shop rented
or not; when you wrote last you did say who rented it and was not certain how
long they would keep it.”
An account of Elizabeth’s generous nature was shared in the
March 2009 Capitol Hill Neighborhood
Council Bulletin (pictured above). A family, destitute because of illness and unemployment, rented
a cottage (according to some reports this was the house at 76 West 200 North)
from the Groesbecks. A puzzled friend asked the husband where he got the money
to pay the rent. The man replied, “We receive the rent money from Mrs.
Groesbeck. She comes around with the rent money a day or two before her husband
comes around to collect it.”
Discovering Elizabeth's 1875-1883 journal clarifies many things. She felt entitled to direct some of her family's money to things she valued. The account preserved in this 2009 Community Bulletin is reflected further in these journal entries.
March 1st 1877 I rose prity early went down stairs get the churning redy then I went upstairs to do the work there found Brother Groesbeck rather cross about sum vases that Mellie had got for apreacnt [a present] for me this maid me feel raither bad as he had let agrait meney thousands of dolers go I felt to say never mind those litel vases they wold not brake eneyone up make your self happy as you can for I shall spen all the money I git holt of I attended a funerel in the after noon of a littel boy by the name of Olson [Olaf Chas. Olson 1872-1877 (FamilySearch.org)]
January 1878 Wednesday 16th I went to the picture gallery and thare I seen apicture of Jeneral Washington I liked it and bot it paid tenn dalers I knew that my Husband wold not like to have me spendAnd thus Elizabeth needed to do some things in secret.
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