View source for Archive:Letter, Bert Whitney to Hugh Whitney, 1886

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Egbert Dumont 'Bert' Whitney to Hugh Monticello Whitney, 21 November 1886.

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N.B.
  H.M.
     after getting
this letter if you write
nu address
E.D. Whitney
182 East Eagle St
Buffalo N.Y.

Ask me or
Fannie all questions
dont bother Pa

      2nd
the Third and Fourth on Nov
there was services at the
pabtist [sic] Church for two days
(Simi anual association)
Mother attended both day
and evening taking her
meals with others at the church
but she did not work much
there only in prayer took
no responsibility upon herself
although the minister told
me (Burt) that she was
consulted in everythink [sic] and
her wishes and views complied
with on Friday Nov 5th she
invited Mrs and Mr Robert
Bennett and 2 children
here to tea they were down
from Three Rivers Michigan
visiting Everything passed
off pleasantly and Mother

              3rd
Remarked after they had
gone how well she felt
on was feeling and "How
much she enjoyed the visit
with them"
    The next day
Saturday the 6th she was
taken with diarrahoea [sic].
It continued but she
kept doing what she had
been accostomed to do in
such cases but without
receiving much benefit
She kept about to work
saying she felt much
better when stirring
except one day she lay in
bed and Lute did the work.
in fact Lute helped all
the time all Mother would
let her - The next morning
she got up as usual

         4th
told Lute she did not
need any of her help
(This was Wednesday 10th)
Lute thinks she went
over as far as Chas Smiths
on Monday previous
Thursday morning 11th-
Mother got up at 4 30oc got
Fathers Breakfast as usual
he ate at 5oc and went to
the mill as usual
Mother called Lute before
5oc when Lute came down
stairs she found mother
on the bed feeling worse
Vick went after the Doctor
at about 8oc am (O.S.
Pratt) he came from
once to five times
pr Day thereafter

          5
(Saturday 13th) she mother
was much better all
day toword night she
came out in the parlor
and sat up some - she
had at no time been
considered alarming
-ly ill we might say
only about as sick as
usual for her only
different cause -
and Saturday 13th she
was so much better
that we expected her to
get right up.
but just before dark
she began to get sick to
the stomach
Vick was going to sit
up with Mother that

          6
night as Lute was very
tired - so Vick lay
down fore part of Eve
to get some rest while
Lute was up - Father
Having walked to the
mill and back through
1-6" snow was to near
played out to sit up -
about 10:30oc Mother
told Lute she would
take her medicine
then She Lute could
goto bed after calling
Vick he got up at
11oc Mother comc'd
to vomit and the diarr
ohea comc'd again
both continued evry
few moments -

          7
about One oclock Sunday
morning 14th Vick
called Lute to get up and
see what she could do
But she Mother could
not keep anything down
atall at 330 AM sent
for Doctor O.S. Pratt
he injected some mor-
phen into her arm
Stayed till 6oc said
for Pa to wire Burt
and Fannie - the M.D.
cam back at 9oc
said She was Danger-
ously ill and asked
for Council (George
St John) they both
said there was no

          8
help for her she had
ran down so fast
they doubted her living
till Sunday noon
when Burt came
but she did then they
doubted her lasting
till Sunday Eve at
7oc when Fannie
& Baby came but
she did -
    Her will power
did it -
For Physicians said
to me - Burt
N.B. Previous to now
has been from Lutheria
??????? Previous to my

          9
arrival at Sunday
noon - now what
is said is from me
Burt -
    I came Doctors
both said no help -
said Diarreaha 1st
cause - 2ndly System
or Constitution all
played out any way
not so much Heart
or Lung Difficulty as
General Constitutional
Debility - said her
stomach was perfectly
inactive said it did
not absorb anything
     Sunday 6oc Eve
said added to stomach
difficulty conjestion of

          10
the smaller Blood vessels
has set in Circulation
is stopping fast -
Hands lim -
         at Monday morn
10oc said the pulse could
not be found she had
none - yet she spoke
with as much vine [?]
as she did at Sunday
noon in fact from
Sunday noon to
Monday night 10oc
her voice was of one
strength apperantly
yet she talked little
seemed to live her
seemed to prefer to
lay quiet or not

        11
to talk any way for
she had sent her
messages to Everyone
Sunday P.M. and
Sunday Eve had
made her requests
to Fannie in regard
to Burials and to the
House hold stuff and
the clothes &c &c -
Each one of your
Fa???? has same
lettle token lotted
to you some frinds
some lettl gift -
What Free gave her
goes back to Free
what Hugh gave her
goes back to Hugh

          12
what Gene gave back
to Gene Burt same
Vick same but
All to be left in
House here as they
hang or stand
As long as
Father shall stay
in same house
then Burt Fannie
& Vick to take charge
and send to each
thir girfts- make
out your lists and
send to me what
you Remember
having given her
in way of Books
Pictures keepsakes &c

        13
the clothing you
need not try to remember
as there is not much and
none is very fine
       and moreover
Aunt Sarrah has one
peice Aunt Em another
and Fannie the Rest
tis were so -
       Fannie needs
will need it worse
if she lives
       But Remember
nothing leaves this house
except the clothing
as long as pa lives
or chooses to stay
in the house -
which wont I think
be many months
he is old must go too

               14
well -
       Mother after
Sunday Eve 10oc
had finished with all
her plans - again
Bid all good bye absent
as well as present -
saying - "I am ready
I am waiting now only
to go I am willing
I am positive I am
going soon too -
I feel it - Oh may I go
before I suffer more
May I not see the
sun rise again &c
and now those who
weeping stand Oh you
are wicked to wish
me back I have suffered
so much"

          15
true words - and let
he who wishes such
under circumstances
of past 8 years feel
himself wicked
after Monday Eve
at 11oc She only said
to Burt - "Be good to
Pa - Be good to Vick
Pa be good to Both -
Vick be good to all
tell the Boys Gene
Hugh - Fremont
all I hope they will
live still as their Mother
tought them to live so
when they die we
may meet over there
       Do not mourn
But think how nice
to die so - happy -
Good Bye to all and be

          16
good All to Mothers
Baby - and Father -
then calmly folded
her hands and for
6 Hours lay quiet
breathing only a
little slower - slower
shorter - shorter each
time but apperantly
without any effort
untill at 530oc
Tuesday Morning
November 16th 1886
she passed away
without a struggle
She was never for
a moment that
we could detect out
of her right mind
all the time appranty

          17
sane as the sanest
day of her life -
at 10oc or 1O:20
next day Wednesday
Uncle George - Warner
Cousin Lewis -
Our cousin Voll Cook
& Frank Smith
Mrs Geo Shull and
S.E.F came also
George Boulton
aefHeorice [?] came
tuesday night at
9:50oc - at 12:25
P.M. Wednesday
Nov 17th 86 we

         18
filed out of our house
in the following order
     Minister
Rev M.H. DeWitt
     Director
Janus Craig
     Undertaker
Geo R Hurlburt
     Bearers
Henry or ("Cap") Miller
E.B. or ("Lige") Leonard
Edgar Boylan
Wm Scott Sr
Eddy Mundy
Norman S Fay
All Old Friends

      19
     Mourners
Father and Vick
Fannie and Southwick
Burt Whitney and Aunt Sarah
Uncle Worner and Uncle George
Lida and Uncle Bert
VJ Cook and Frank Smith
Lutheria and Coz Lewis H
Elias Fritz and Grata Dick
Geo Boulton Alfttearm[?]
then in no reg-
ular order enough
to fill the church
at 12 45 the family
took as look of
Remains in our
Parlor then to
the Baptist Church
at one then Friends
saw remains

          20
at 2:30 was at Grave
All Returned to House
at 5:10 S.E.F Fannie
& Baby left for home
Vol Frank Worner
George Lewis Mrs
Shull at 5:10 also
at 8:20 Boulton and
he?rne for Buffalo
at 6oc Elias & wife
for home at 430
Lida Green for Dalton
sickness there- at
5oc Aunt Sarah
Uncle Bert home
so at 8:30 Eve we
found ourselves
alone

          21
Snow Tuesday was
16" deep Wed it
was raining & muddy
Wed Eve rained
fearfully and snow
went off
Text was Mothers
own choise told to
Burt Sunday P.M. -
"She hath done what
she could"
St Mark XIV-8
today Sunday -
Nov 21st 86
Father and I went
to Ch Text was
St Mark XIII-4
they draped the
Pulpit Church and
Mothers seat for

          22
the funeral a token
of Respect not
ever before shown
to anyone in this
village - it was
yet the same today
he speaks of her
as the By Far best
woman ever in
the church holds
her up as an example
for all the rest -
says the church has
lost its head &c &c
and it all does
us much good
I tell you
Good Bye Love to
all yours Bro-
Burt
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