One day mother was very sick in bed with neuralgia. How gloomy and
lonely the house seemed to us children, we missed her so. Grandpa was
caring for us children and doing the house work as best he could. Then
mother was better and able to sit up trying to sew, saying she could not
afford to be idle. Not long after this one day, I know it was Sunday, we
were dressed in our Sunday suits, father was reading to us, a knock came
on the door, the latch was lifted, the door opened and John McWilliams
almost fell into the room, saying, "Come both of you, my mother is
dead." Then he sank into a chair and cried as if his heart would break.
Mother arose from her easy chair saying "Come Walter, we must go."
Father tried to have her not go, telling her she was not able to go, she
ought to be in bed as her face was still badly swollen. The snow being
deep and it was very cold. Neither father, grandpa, nor we crying
children could stop her going. She was dressed in a short time and tried
to have poor John eat. He could not eat, saying he must go right back to
his dead mother. He left us and all was now commotion. Father and mother
were now both going away into the cold, deep snow and leave us children
with grandpa.