Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-01-09
courier.
Tho Rtoyv Of 0aat1o .

glad to avail myself of space in your
columns to answer, in this silent, quiz
ct way, many inquiries Of friends in
regard to the scourge of diptherla
which has visited SO many families in
Crete, Neb.
After visiting other communities in
the region and filling many little
graves, it made its appearance in
strength, in Crete, early in Noyem-
Der. By the 18th several school chill
dren, and SIN ,ller ones, were alarm
ingly sick with malignant diptheria,
among them our own dear Anna. In
about week one died; in anoth-
er week his brother followed
from another home the daughter died
and was soon followed by her broth
er, leaving only the baby in the home.
One physician had on his hands in
town and vicinity thirty-six cases.
We had hope Of Anna until Wednes-
day evening, Nov. 2Sth, and then il
became clear to all that only few
hours remained. Toward morning
spoke to her of going and there was
no fear or surprise but readiness to
60. Nearly all day of Thanksgiving
Day she was dying, speaking quietly,
trustingly Of going; at times asking
papa and mamma to pray, and her
self praying, that "Jesus would come
soon." A friend and schoolmate lay
near death, just across the street, and
for time it seemed as if they would
60 at about the same hour. Ileft her
bedside to talk and pray with him.
Such day as that / have never seen,
and hope mover to see again. Near
four O'Clock p. M, while friends stood
around her bedside singing, at her
request, the old hymns, "Rock of ages
cleft for me-" "Jesus, lover of my
SOUL" &C., she fell asleep. While tell
ing her mamma, during the day, about
the disposition of her little treasures,
she had said: "And, mamma, when
am gone, take me and lay me by the
side OF Hudie." lat Ottumwa /
was too miserable at the time, how.
ever, to come with the body, and so
we were compelled to bury it, for the
time being, there.
Twenty-four hours afterward her
schoolmate across the way followed
in six days another from the same
home was taken, and at the end of
another week the last one from the
home. When baby died in their home
our own four-year old frankie was
going down into the "Valley of the
Shadow" and at noon of Friday, Dec.
81, passed away.
These statements give but faint
idea of the ravages of the scourge
that has visited our beautiful town.
1t seemed for days as if the very pail
of death lay on US. 1t was told me
by one of our physicians, and the
statement was published in our county
paper, that in one school district, q bout
% miles from Crete, there were 10
pupils month ago, and out of these
IL have died with diptheria. At De-
Witt, II miles below us on the river,
the scourge has been worse than with
us. The teacher of the infant class
in the Congregational Sabbath School
there, told US she had lost eight out of
her class with the same disease. It
would be entirely wrong to infer that
the Blue Valley is unhealthy because
Of this visitation. 1t is simply one of
those epidcmics that now and then
visit region, and even now is not
so bad in Nebraska as in many other
States,
After the death of two children, il
seemed wise to come away for a lit
tie time, with the remaining two, and
so we are here in Ottumwa. Speak
ing for myself and for her who, with
me, mourns the dear departed ones,
wish to return thanks to many old
friends for hearty words of sympathy
in the time of our trial.
Yours, ii. BRoss.
Ottumwa, Jan. l, 1878.