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Title: Alexander Patterson, Farmington, to His Nephew, Ireland
ID2079
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
FilePatterson, Alexander/8
Year1897
SenderPatterson, Alexander
Sender Gendermale
Sender Occupationfarmer
Sender Religionunknown
OriginFarmington, Canada?
DestinationIreland
Recipientunknown
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipuncle-nephew
SourceMr & Mrs S.V. Thompson, 4 Grove Park, Lenzie, Glasgow
ArchiveThe Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh
Doc. No.9506109
Date22/02/1897
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 15:06:1995.
Word Count527
Genre
Note
TranscriptFarmington Feb [February?] 22nd/97 [22nd 1897?]

My Dear Nephew
Mr Scott's letter reached
this town Feb [February?] 11th but owing to my
distance from the office I did not
get it till Sunday 14th I can hardly
say the tidings were a surprise
seeing your father had not only attained
a great age, but also had been the
subject of a painful disease for
many years, of which he always
reminded me in his letters -
Still when I look backward I am
reminded that from some years
ago your Father, Uncle Robert
and I varying in age from
seven years till nearly four
formed a little group - able
even then to play together round
doors of the parental house all
unconscious of the sad loss we
had already sustained in the
in the [sic] death of our mother -
without counting fractions of
the last year on which we had
entered at Robt's [Robert?] death our united
ages then reached 255 years, a large
aggregate for three, still there
may be others up to that, or more
but I fail to find a mother 83 yr's
(or within a month of that) in
the eternal world and not followed
by a single child - The day hour
ever arrived at first & the long
spell brokens [broken?] and now
as in the case of Elijah the prophet
"I even I only am left" and thr [though?]
my health is good as I think it
ever was I know the mental shock
must soon fall & father Mother
& their three sons shall all
have been gathered into their
eternal house It was remarkable
that your father died on her birth-
day & that my last letter and death
centred the house together as with
Scott informs use [you?] - The companions
of my youth [there?] are few indeed
Even Mr English (it seems) is marked
for a removal at no distant date
though I expected a correspondence
which he opened with me two yr's [years?]
ago would have lasted longer.
I had a letter from Robt [Robert?] of
Milwaukee written since your father's death
but he had not heard of it, shall
write to him soon, that is if spared
myself but the ground is slippery
so near 84 years as I am, for one
said truly if by reason of strength
they be four score years yet is there
strength labour & sorrow, for it is soon
cut off and we fly away" - I had
dropt [dropped?] writing much on subjects
outside of our own family connections
& shall confine myself
chiefly to such matters as concerns
ourselves & friends of "Auld Lang
Syne" in whatever correspondence
you & I may hold in the future -
I am well convinced you have
nothing to regret now as you
review your case & the demands
of the fifth commandment while
your parents lived, & my wish and
prayer is that the Almighty
Father of us all may give you
your wife & children a long &
happy life in this world &
at last gather you home, no
wanderer lost - A family
in heaven
From Your Uncle
Alex Patterson