COMMON BURIAL GROUND
Decatur, Macon County, Illinois
DEFUNCT
LOT : ?
REMOVED
1858
TO:
BLOCK 5
LOT : 202
ROW : 10
COLUMN : 11
SUB. R/C : ?
GRAVE # ?
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NAME
b. DATE
LOC
d. DATE
LOC
buried: DATE
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FATHER
NAME
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MOTHER
NAME
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MARRIED
NAME
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DATE
LOC
NAME
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DATE
LOC
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CHILDREN
with #1
NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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with #2
NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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NAME
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My dear children, with faint and faltering steps I tread to the table once more to attempt to write you. We had a long and fatiguing journey, but not any sickness to detain us one day. We arrived here July the 26 all in health, but very much fatigued with our journey, but it has been uncommonly sickly here this season and we do not escape.
"God has seen fit to lay his afflicting hand upon us and leaving us all down at a time. Yes, and so very sick for some days that there was not one able to carry a drink of water to the other among the five, but thanks be to God our lives are saved, while others are taken. We are now recovering in health slowly. We have got able to dress ourselves and walk about the room very little.
"Now I take your attention to the doleful news. Mr. Packard is no more. He departed this life this morning at about 1 o'clock, was sick but seven or eight days, and never has been thought to be dangerous until last evening. He never has manifested any alarm about himself in his sickness and died in a bewildered state. Furthermore, I must add that the family are all sick like, save Mrs. Packard is only able to walk from one room to the other. I am told she bears her trouble as yet with great composure.
"Mr. Hunting's family likewise are all sick save the oldest son. Not one of us will be able to attend the funeral, which is appointed tomorrow at seven o'clock. This is a solemn time, indeed, with us, only two miles distant, and we must be deprived of beholding even the corpse of our ever faithful and worthy friend. The disorder of which he died, is called fever and ague, together with the nervous fever. The fever and ague and chill fever have been our disorder and is very frequent in this vicinity, especially to new settlers.
"This our friend's death is greatly lamented by all who knew him, and as for your father, his expectations are apparently all cut off. He has ever been willing to confide in his judgment at all times, and finally in a word we were all of us making great dependence on Mr. Packard's assisting us, but alas, is not this to show that we must not put our trust in mortal man. Yet I know not where to leave speaking of him, for this is the theme of our lives. Our hearts are sad in mourning, and hung on the weeping willows of grief. Of the bereft widow, her loss cannot be estimated, and those dear little children deprived of a kind and affectionate parent at this critical period of life, when so much needed with them. May the Lord take these little ones in his arms and bless them and be a father to the fatherless and the widow's god and guide."
written by Lydia |
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