Description Annie A MacKenzie Matheson Collection

Duluth, Minn Nov 4, 1900

Dear Father, Brothers & Sisters

With a sad heart today I will attempt to tell you all regarding Dear Maggies sickness and death   You all have doubtless received the telegrams I sent    Around me today is Sister Christa Belle, Millie and Emma and you can just imagine how we feel.  We are trying to keep up best we can   How I feel for my dear boy   He is watching me now and of course does not realize his loss  Of course he can not one so young.  Maggies case was very aggrevating from the very first   Her fever was quite high some of the time ad her delirium was simply terrible to witness   It seemed to me right from the start her case was a very critical one   She appeared to think so and that is why she requested to go to the hospital   She has extra care   We put a nurse in her room as soon as they thought it necessary.   There appeared to be no ---? danger until about 7 o clock am on Friday morning when her temperature was found to be high and pulse low   They soon called me and the doctor.  When I wnet up and went in the room she knew me   I knelt by her side  She smiled but could not talk to me   After a while she put up one hand and with her dear fingers ran it up through my hair and over my face being entirely ---? I did not think then but there was some show some hope for I had not given  her up   I stayed with her until noon or about then  Came home about 4:15 or 4:30 pm   The phone rang again and called me to her besdie at once   Oh what a change   Her respirators were from 30 to 35 yet she had a smile for me   Could not speak  I put my hand on her forehead  Oh how hot she was   They were trying to keep

her alive with restoratives   her respirations grew shorter adn more harmful until at last one long breath as if the lungs were full and they stopped   They said she was dead   I told them no I could not believe it   A few minutes before this I had asked her some question  I forget just what it was   She answered with as near I could understand the word "yes" for she was rational   I could not believe she were gone   A doctor came in   He said yes  I doubted him   But it was so  I walked bout of her room a broken hearted man but one who knew she was safe in the arms of Jesus and I know we will meet her in the bright land beyond   She died at 5:45 pm

Two weeks ago today at the hospital she called me to her side   She said Roy sit down I want to talk to you  Then began the most wonderful talk that she ever made  It was her last wishes   She spoke of her life of what she had been regretting in many instances of her apparent failures  Where she had failed in life as she thought  Told me she did not expect to live and gave me full directions how and where to lay her to rest   I could not sit down but walked the room and with a clear voice she spoke in full   She regretted to leave Howard and I but said "Oh boy do not let him  run the streets as other boys do"  She told one of our old friends before we had taken her to the hospital "If I could only take Howard and Roy with me" This was in connection to her death as the spoke of it before she was at the hospital

I told her I did not care to hear such from her  She said "be still" my mind is clear now I do not know how long it will remain so   Now I try to fulfill her last requests   She says as follows as near as I can remember "you can bury me by the side of your own mother in that beautiful cemetery at Hickory Grove  My reasons are that I know you will never make my home yours  I want to be laid where you and Howard can see my grave  Bury me in my wedding dress"  She now lays in her casket robed as she was that night she promised to be my bride until death do us part   She fulfilled her promise Tuesday at 10:30 am her funeral will take place in the church she loved so well at 1:55 pm

Howard and I will start to my old home near Mt. Pleasant Iowa with her remains and before this will have reached you she will perhaps be laid in one of the beauty spots of earth to await the resurection morn   I will do her bidding and wishes the best I can   We will perhaps be gone two or three weeks   I expect to keep Howard with me   I have not exactly formulated plans yet but I think I will have a try to get my sister Alice to come with me   She is a lovely true woman and a christian girl   I must care for my boy Her boy and must make him a true man by gods will   He is well and does not seem to know his loss   He says my Mama is in a box like Grandma and askes if we will put her in a hole 

after I had written the 1st and 2nd pages of this our friends came in and all the rest has been written on Monday morning   So this is the 5th   Sandy Willis? came up Saturday with CB Millie and Emma  They went back that eve  Sunday eve Angus Jno S Maggie Belle and Mr Bullis came up   They all went back Sunday evening   Could not remain over   Angus was deeply moved stood as stone while gazing on her loved form   I will leave it to C.B. to tell you how she suffered   I may write more in the future or tell you if it please God for me to come again but for this time

I close   your son & bro   Roy

I will be at Mt Pleasant Iowa

                                     Roy