1910 August 17, Andrews, Ella Simkins to Samuel Andrews
(brother-in-law)
Formoso Kans August 17- 1910
Mr Sam Andrews
My Dear Brother and family
Your veary kinde letter received
some time ago and we
thank
you everso much for
your
sympatha in this hour
of great
sorrow which came as a thunder
bolt from a clear
sky.
The weather had been veary
hot and dry: and the
heat
seemed to be veary
hard on
him but he worked a
little evry
day and about two
weeks
previous to his death
he
complained of a severe
pain
in his breast and had me
get some turpentine
and lard
and baith his
chest he said
it had helped him and
he didn’t
complain any more.
And on Monday before his death
he seemed so well and
he run
the washing machine
in the
morning and in the
afternoon
we roped Wilmas goods
to send
to her for she had
been at home
two months and had
gone back
to Saint Joseph
Friday before
and on Tuesday
morning
he went to the
pasture to
fix the fence and
when
he came back he went
over
across the road to
one of
the neighbors to get
his teem
and wagon to take
Wilmas
goods to town. he had been
gone about an hour
when
the woman of house
over
there phoned me and
said
I had better come over and
help Uncle Joe to the
house for
he was over there at
the barn
and was sick I went as fast
as I could and when I got to him
he looked so bad and
he said
he had got so blind
and
sick I bathed his
hands and
head and he said he
could
walk home I got him
home and
put him in bead [sic]
and he comp
lained of that pain in his
breast and his left
arm he
said hurt him I bathed him
and he drank a cup of
tea
for dinner. I wanted to send
for the Doctor but he would not
hear to it said he
was feeling
better. So he drank some tea
for supper and did
not eat
anything but said all the time
that he was better. I
got him to
bed where it was
coolest and
it was about twelve
oclock
when Joe and I layed
down
and at one I was up and he said
for me to lay down
that I was
tired and he was
better and would
go to sleep. I lay down but did
not sleep and at half
past one
I got up and went to
him and
he had turned on his
face like I
called Joe and we
turned him
over and he just
gasped once
we worked with him
but all
to no good his spirit
had fled
and and I left
alone Oh Sam
I just feel as thoe I cant stand
it sometimes but I
brave [last of page missing]
he misses his father so much
Mollie and David did
not
get home atall they are so far
from rail road. had a letter
from both of them
they feel veary
bad of course. Wilma came home
got hear the day her
father was
buried Now Sam I have
given you all the
particulars
as near as I
can. This is the
first time I have
attempted to
write. I have been feeling veary
poorly Joe is working evry day
and no one in the
house but
myself as you kno
just how I
feel but Joe is veary kind to
me and thoughtfull
but of the
lonely hours how they
drag
We had bought us a [place]?
and Pa had planned
and layed
out so much to do.
I will send you the paper
with his death notis it is
not what I
wanted one of the
G.A.R. members took
it on
himself to do it and
it is rather
a flimsy affair.
Uncle Sam we would be
veary glad if you
could come
and see us again I could tell
you better than I can
write
Now I must close this
is as well as I can
do at this
time I would be glad to hear
from you as often as
you
feel as thoe you
could write
for I feel as thoe I
have lost
all this world holds
dear to me
As ever your
sister Ella Andrews