Though it did not remain a dear home to us long, for on the morning of Feb. 8, 1915, the "Death Angel" came and took from us our dear mother. It seemed more than we could bear, to have to give her up, but we had that blessed assurance, from the pure and unselfish life that she had lived, that she had gone to live with our "Blessed Redeemer". She was seventy years and a few months of age.

My dear mother's casket was the first one that we children had ever seen brought into the dear old home.

A few months later, my brother Willie married to Miss Vida Tittle, a great niece of my husband.

They lived in the old home with my father, though he never seemed contented or happy after the death of my dear mother. He often spoke of her goodness in never speaking evil of anyone; and had this verse of scripture inscribed on her monument -- "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." He said he thought she was one of the purest humans who ever lived. Said, in all the years they had lived together, he had never heard her utter one word that would make anyone blush, and all of her children can say the same, also that they never saw her mad. She taught us to do right, but she did it by kindness and example. Another thing we can say, that we never heard her utter a falsehood. Many mothers will tell their children things that are untrue, to scare them into being obedient, but she never did. While she was dying, all the children and our father were around her bed, and our older brother Ben said, "She never told us a falsehood".

My father still lived in his old home with his son for almost five years, when he was summoned "Home" to meet our dear mother and other loved ones. I very much regret that I was not with him when be died. He had been in bad health for sometime, but not confined to his bed. I had spent part of several weeks with him, and that week my sister Ionia was with him, and I knew she would do as much for him as I could, so I decided, as my family needed me at home, that I would wait till the next Saturday to go back to see him. I had no idea that he was so near death's door, but on Friday night I got the sad message that he was dead. He never did go to bed during his illness, except at night. He died sitting in his rocker. My sister was sitting by him, he had just been talking to my brother who had come in from his day's work to ask him how he felt, when he said very suddenly "Catch me". My sister jumped up and held his head in her arms, he began to pat his foot, and in a few seconds he was gone. We verily believe that he heard heavenly music, as he never failed to pat his foot when he heard music.

He died on Good Friday, April 2, 1920. Lacked twenty days of being seventy-six years old. Had lived at his old home for seventy years, lacking eighteen days, as he lacked two days of being six when his father and mother moved there. Of course, the time he spent in the war would have to be deducted.

All of his sisters died several years before he did.

Our parents left us a grander heritage than riches -- the exemplary lives they lived before us, their teachings of right, honesty and truthfulness, we value far above money.

[ * * * End of text * * * ]