Mary (Chapin) Burt - July 14, 1868 - Peoria, IL

Peoria July 14/68

Dear Father + Mother,

It is now with a heavy heart that I take up my pen to write to you after so long silence. You have no doubt wondered why I did not write. Perhaps ere this, you have heard of our great loss. After four long months of suffering my dear Husband has been taken to his long home. O how hard for me to write thus It seems as if I cannot realize that he will come to us no more, that I must give him up to see him no more until we meet where partings are no more, Hard indeed is it to kiss the rod and say “Thy will be done.” O, I have lived too far from my Heavenly Father and sometimes I think he has brought this affliction upon me to draw me nearer to Him It is a hard blow for me and these fatherless children. I have no one to depend upon now What I shall do I cannot tell. God only knows Our lives are in his hands, He doeth as seemeth best in his sight. O, how much faith and resignation we need in this trying house. O, my heart is so much burdened with sorrow that I cannot write my thoughts Here are these fatherless children looking to me for help and guidance and O, I feel my incapacity for the responsibility. I pray that Heaven will help me and give me strength to endure this trial and provide a way for the future.

I presume you would like to know the cause of Tommys death. After moving to Whitehall he thought best to go down in the southern part of the state and work in a mill for two or three months with the intention of taking a mill up in the pinery as soon as navigation opened. He went to Schoolcraft and commenced work in a mill seven miles from there. On the 4th March through the carelessness of an engineer who started up the engine while he was filing the saw, he received a severe injury under the knee, took cold in it which caused inflamation. Two weeks after he was hurt telegraphed for me. I went and took care of him during the illness of four months. He suffered very much during that time and in his dying hour his sufferings were very great

We had thought that he was recovering and would soon be able to go home but - alas for human hopes - there was a change and he sunk rapidly. O, it seemed so hard for him to die among strangers where he could not look upon his children, his Father + Mother, Brother or Sister before he closed his eyes in that last sleep. But we were not without friends those who did all they could to help us when we were overwhelmed with trouble. The Masons kindly took charge of the burial and paid all expenses.

I telegraphed for Tommy’s Father + Brother but Welling did not get there until about fifteen minutes before his brother’s death, too late for him to speak to him. O it would have been such a satisfaction could he have been with his brother long enough to have talked with him before his death The [illegible] was deceased [illegible] think [illegible] he would fail so fast.

He was willing to die but his anxiety for his children troubled his last moments. Dear one, he has gone now hwere there is no more care sorrrow or trouble and we are left to mourn his loss. His funeral service will be preached at the church here next Sabbath. We are at the present living with Welling’s family, next time I write, I will tell you more. They have been very kind to us and but for them now we should be without a home. Write and direct to Peoria Ill Care R. W. Burt - Box 498) love to all

Yours with love

M. L. Burt