Mapleton Minn Jan 17th (22)
Dear Cousin Anna,
I do not think I have written you about Elizabeth’s illness. she had a slight shock of paralysis about the 1st of Oct. but rallied and seemed about as usual again was down town & did some Christmas shopping and was quite spry until the 8th of Jan. Effie wrote me that as they were getting supper she was stricken again this time in her right side (the other was in the left and completely paralyzed even her speech she could not talk but on the 11th when Effie wrote she had taken a little nourishment & seemed some brighter & could make them understand
Page 2
what she wanted but could not talk as I understand the letter she seemed to be suffering some in her left side Effie said but we are all in hopes she does not have to suffer long at least but she is getting old like the rest of us she is 74 today so we cannot expect her to rally like a younger person would.
Oh Anna I do not suppose you remember any thing about an old schoolmate of ours you used to go to school with her but not very much but we used to come and see you when you lived on the Edwards place her name was Aleena A Porter. a few years ago we wrote to each other then dropped it again but at Christmas time this year I ran
Page 3
across her old letter & sat down and wrote to her again. she was just a little bit older than we were she will be 67 in June & we will be in August. a couple of years ago she fell and broke her right hip and has never walked since & does not expect to she says goes in a wheel chair when she goes any where I would like to see her so well. I believe I could talk her nearly blind or dumb on or the other it so long since you have heard of her or thot of her I suppose you will hardly remember her but I thot you might possibly I was so pleased to hear from her.
Page 4
We have had such a fine winter until lately it is not bad now or we have hardly any snow but it will be cold for a day or two then it will warm up some then a little bit of snow then cold again tonight there is a cold N.E. wind & looks like a storm of some kind.
Well I can not think of any more news as I know of only I have not told you anything of my husbands death it is just 5 months yesterday & yet it seems as if I ought to see him moving around here some where he did not suffer so very much until the last few weeks then he did a good deal until the last week. I do not think he had much pain at all but was conscious until the last about 15 hrs.
Page 5
he seemed to be in a kind of stupor but knew me until those hours I asked him if he knew me and he says “yes it is Mama” he got to calling me that for the last 2 or 3 months he always seemed to know me but sometimes he would ask if I was his wife or how I came to be taking so much care of him he did not seem to want any one else to do anything for him & I am thankful I was always able to take care of him although he did not need so very much as he could always wait on himself until the last week. but I could not leave him alone long he had
Page 6
kind of funny spells come over him & was liable to fall any where when they came on so it was not safe to leave him alone then he got a notion of wandering away & could not find his way home again. he knew when he got there but not the way to go nor the places he passed. I guess you will get tired of my subject but I believe I could write or talk about him for 24 hours if any one would listen to me. so I guess I had better ring off now.
I am feeling just fine this winter do all my own work & have Walter my youngest son with me he is on the mail route so is at home
Your with lots of love
From Cousin Ella
Jacob McKinnon died August 16, 1921, Mapleton, Blue Earth County, MN. I found it odd that Ella didn't write to Annie about his death earlier. The last letter in the file was from 1918; had they dropped their correspondence again for a time or were the letters simply not saved?
Ella talks more about Aleena in her next letter.
For more see:
Carlisle - Wisner Letters
Family of William Wisner
Descendants of Maryetta Wisner
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Margie's Ancestors - McKinnon Pictures
McKinnon, Ella Hall (Mapleton, Minnesota) to “Dear Cousin Anna” [Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 17 January 1922. Digital Images 1-6. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1921 – 1922, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]
No comments:
Post a Comment