| Title: | M [?] , Connecticut to "My dear Cousin" |
|---|---|
| ID | 115 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Ballantyne, John F/3 |
| Year | 1922 |
| Sender | Ballantyne, John F. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ansonia, Connecticut, USA |
| Destination | Essex, Ontario, Canada |
| Recipient | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, Castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth |
| Doc. No. | 508001 |
| Date | 5/2/1922 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 19:08:2005. |
| Word Count | 580 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [No envelope] [Page 1] 54 My Dear Cousin Ansonia Conn Your Christmas message Containing your Season’s greetings came to us in the midst of great grief and sorrow. I have not been able to pull myself together to write until recently so that my letters from our friends are a long time in answer. On Dec 18 my sister Anna died. She had a operation for malignant tumour (cancer) in Feby 1920. [Was?] in hospital several weeks. The surgeons removed her right breast and large portions of flesh under and above her arm and shoulder. She seemed greatly benefited and we were beginning to hope that the trouble had been entirely eliminated when the disease reappeared in May 1921, We had the best advice possible. X-ray test [Page 2] [outside of back page] [meuls?]. I took her to NY [New York?] Sep [September?] 1st where she was[?] three months under treatment of specialists, nothing could be done We brought her home in a [mochison?] She could not travel by train and three weeks later she “passed on” to her rest. Her sufferings were great but she bore everything with sunny patience. She is a great loss to us all, and her death has caused a void in our family life which no one can ever fill. Since you were last here or I wrote you we have had many changes and sorrows. My brother Will has died and his son a young married man,Diane[?] (Annies daughter) was married three years ago the [this?] month and a year later she was in hospital at point of death [four?] weeks pregnancy could not retain the child. She is again pregnant and we are worried tho [though?] she seems to be all right [Page 3] [Inside of folded page] this time Last Feby (21) my brother Tom who lives with me was taken ill, blood pressure followed by rheumatism and heart disease. Being unable to resume his work after recovery the people at the factory pensioned him after 42 years service with the firm. Bell my oldest sister who live [lives?] across the street grieved so greatly over Annies death that she has a shock of paralysis. I am happy to say that she is responding to the treatment and can now assist herself and walk about her room. You remember my sister Lizzie she was the holy [sic] and unmarried when you first came here. I believe. She is married and lives in Paterson NJ [New Jersey?] where her husband is manager of the A & P stores in the city Last Tuesday night [we?] recd [received?] a phone from Eleanor (Lizzies daughter) that her mother was critically ill. The next morning [Carrie?] my sister (Mrs Clark) who lives with me left for Paterson. Lizzie has conqestion of the lungs complicated with bad heart action. If the physicians can keep her until today without additional congestion she may possibly recover, now have I not given you a tale of woe. You see I have [year?] [sic] of arrear [sic] to make up. When you [wrote?] [me?] from Ireland that you would arrive in NY [New York?] and if possible take arun [a run?] up to [Conn?] [We?] [hoped?] that we might see you. We didn’t [however?]. I wrote to you at the time but did not hear from you in return. Do you know Cousin [James?] that you are a very poor correspondent, [we?] [have?] so few relatives in the world that I wish we could hear from you oftener and see you once in a while. M Transcribed by Greg Floyd |
