Northumberland PA
Dear Sister
I supose your famley is groen up. I have 5 children living 1 ded. I had 4 girls 2 boys. Thay ar all married but one the youngest boy. He is 28 but single. He is cook at the Dansille Asilam. I am alone I am a widow for 10 years. I do nursing or did for some time but now Frank says he can keep me with out me going out. but when I am well & some one needs help I can't refuse for I am alone & can go if I want to. I have just came home. I was with one of my daughters that was sick. Will says that you ar not in good helth but I hope this may find you better. Sister Lizzie sent ..... to day that her eldest daughter died last night. She leves 1 child. She had lung truble will be buried 23. She was at home that is Lewisburg. I don't supose you remember all of us. Some ware young & dont remember of seeing you at all but I think you will remember me. We ar all scattered. Thare is three of us here Hettie & Annie & me. Marry livis in Sunburg now but will soon move to Harrisburg. his sun is on the R.R. & must go ware he is sent. I will close now hoping to hear from your soon.
From your loving sister
***This letter written by Amanda Dolby Trutt to her sister in the West - Emma Dolby Stout. Both are daughters of Christin & Catherine (Zimmerman) Dolby of Lancaster PA. No attempt has been made to correct the spelling.
2 Mar 1911
It is a long time since I herd from you or any of you in the West but brother Will wrote to us. We had not herd from him for about 12 years and he gave me your adress. We herd of Abes death threw someone sending a paper to one of John's girls and John hapend to pick up the paper & saw that it was from MO.
Amanda Trutt
December 22
My dear niece as we are strangers to each other yet the ties of blood call for frinedship so at this Christmas time sister Emma has told me of your and before she left I had her give me your address that I might rite you soon Was so glad to hear about you all hope that we may become better acquainted soon I close wishing you a ver Mery Christmas and happy new year Your Aunt Mary Park Northumberland Rt 1 Box 79
) ***This one written around 1912 - No punctuation at all. I transcribed it as it was. The letter was written by Mary Dolby Park, daughter of Christian & Catherine (Zimmerman) Dolby of Lancaster PA to her niece in Missouri. It would have been to either Orah or Jessie Dolby daughters of Abraham & Lydia (Brown) Dolby in Seymour, Webster County MO
Okarche Okla
Dear Neices and nephews,
Your Loving Aunt
***Written by Emma Dolby Stout the d/o Christian & Catherine (Zimmerman) Dolby. Emma lived in Oklahoma and she was writing to her brothers children on the loss of their mother - Lydia (Brown) Dolby the wife of Abraham Dolby in Seymour, Webster County MO
June 4 1911
I recieved your kind letter we are all well and was very sorry to here of your dear Mothers death and sorry I did not get to see her once. Brother Will wanted me to come where he was and he would go with me but I have bin so busy this spring and want to go east this fall, and wanted to stop and see you all then how i would like to see every one of your and know you face to face for Will tells me what fine lovely girls you all are. hope you can see me this fall anyway. I want to stop of there a while I cant say any thing to you in way of comfort only believe you had a good mama and that she is at sweet rest with Jesus as she told me in a letter she strusted in Jesus and you can all live your life with hope and trust also in meeting her again some glad day God can give us comfort in these trying times and i thank you for your explanation about the ear trumpet. Brother thought you had them fore sale i am deaf in my left ear. i think cattarah is the trouble it seem to run in our family as my sister Anna is very deaf and Mary and John is a little and Will is a little. Well, i hope you will write some times i would love to have some of your photos i never have seen any of you and can't rember even your father I was very small when he seen me i think as i am the baby of the family and he never wrote to any of us and I never knew where you lived We have a very dry hot timehere a compleat failure of wheat and oats and there will be no fruit even our garden is dride up we had a little rain last sunday and tusday but the wind has bin afle hot and it is dry as ever the corn looks all rite yet well i will close with love to you all this letter can be read by Allie Smith and your sister all with gods blessings may he be with all of you dear girls.
Emma Stout
ABRAHAM DOLBY
*** Written by his daughter, Orah Catherine Dolby in 1913
Born Nov. 28 1845 & Died May 21, 1908
Death was caused by Cancer of Stomach. Born in PA. Died at the Home Farm 2 1/2 Miles North East of Seymour MO. He was the Father of nine children, eight living. Three boys and five girls. He was the best of Fathers. Always kind, patient, tender and loving. He was a hard working man. Always busy. Honest, Upright, Christian man. Papa's health seemed to begin to fail in Feb 1903. Hekept growing weaker until three or four weeks before his death, when he had to take to his bed. I went home May 9 to help take care of him. How I loved to wait on him to do things for my Dear loving Father. He stood his sickness so patiently. Did not seem to suffer so very much, but could not eat for three weeks before his death. When I went home, mamma had been waiting on him and was tired out. I wanted her to let me take care of him. Allie & Husband Jessie & Harry were all at home. All helping to do for Papa. Frankie and Georgie lived near and came over often to do all they could. Clyde came from Oklahoma about a week I think, before his death. He was so much help. Emma came about two hours before Papa left us, but he knew her and asked about her husband and children. Papa passed away so peacefully at Twelve o'clock.
LYDIA BROWN DOLBY
These two years since Mamma went away I see life so differently and how lonely I have been. How sorry I am that I missed all those years with my Dear Little Mamma, Sisters and Brothers. I feel that we might have been so much to each other and what a help to me to have had mammas love, sympathy, instruction and advice. I feel I could have been a better woman. But I thought I was doing right by staying here helping myself and helping Mamma with a little money.
Dctor Farnsworth and Dexter were all so kind and good to me. They were all so kind, so considerate of me, so thoughtful for my happiness, that I did not realize what I was missing by being away from my own home and people until I lost my loving Mother and home. Then I seemed to loose their friendship. No one can ever know how it hurt me, how it crushed the very life and spirit out of me. To feel that I was loosing the friendship of such good people. People that I had loved as I have always loved them. I did try to hard to please them all. To do my very best. I gave up everything to try to help and please them. I did so want their respect. Wanted them to care a little if possible for me. What could I have done to change them so. For all those ten years they seemed to care and were so kind and thoughtful of me. I care so much for them it cuts so deep to have feel as they seem to. If they could only forgive whatever it is. I am so sorry.
Because of this, it makes me miss Mamma so much. If I only had mamma at home to do for, to love and take an interest in. And mamma dear to love and to love me. I starve for love. When mamma came to die, she told us to be good and good to one another. I am trying in my own way to do as she said. How I want her here, to be good too. When I go to town I see so many things I want to get for her. I think now of so many, many ways I might be good to her, if I only had her now. May 12, 1913 was Mothers Day, also my Mothers Birthday. I wore Panseys for her. She would have been sixty five and how I miss her every hour of my life.
Born in PA May 11 1848
Died at the Home Farm near Seymour MO May 25, 1911. Death was caused by ?. She was the Mother of nine children, eight lived. Three Boys and Five Girls. Children never had a better mother. So kind, So gentle, so generous, so unselfish, so patient. Honest, quiet, hard working, good Christian. Never very strong but never complained. Always busy doing her full share and if I could only have known Mamma and known myself as I do now. I feel I might have made her life easier and happier and my own life county for more. I feel now I ought to have and now I wish I had gone home when Papa left us to have been a help and comfort if possible my sisters and brothers.
*** Written by her daughter, Orah Catherine Dolby 1913
"Last Letter From Home"