The year is 1877, southern Wisconsin"...
Dave was 37 years old, and his Whitehall homestead was running smoothly. That year he’d broken 15 acres of virgin prairie land. Number 1 Eureka wheat was sell ing for $1.57 the bushel. The new Baptist church, he reports, was attracting “a goodly attendance.”
Wife Mary’s chronic headaches had virtually disappeared. Sons Archie, age 13, and Jim, 10, were old enough now to help out with chores. Little daughters Kippy, 7, and Alta, 2, were healthy and lively kids, the apples of their father’s eye.Then, on Sept. 11, the day Holcomb’s threshing rig rolled into the yard, Dave reports that “Alta has signs of Diptheria to day.”
Succeeding entries give ample ev idence that life on that prairie frontier wasn’t all barn raisings, spelling bees and socials on the church lawn:
“Sept. 14—Alta has been better to day and played some.“
Sept. 15—Thrashed to day. 810 Bushels of oats & 150 bus. wheat. Alta is quite sick to night.“
Sunday, Sept. 16—did not go to (church) meeting to day . . . Alta is quite sick. Kippy is sick to day with sore throat.“
Sept. 17—Alta is very sick & it is likely to be a hard case for her.
“Sept. 18—-Thrashing to day. have not been near the machine. Was up all night with Alta poor Girl how she suffered till this morn, when death came to relieve her & leave us only sad hearts & the memory of her. Kippy quite sick allready.
“Sept. 19—little Alta was burned to day. We shall see her no more in this world but hope to in the better land. Kip is verry sick.
“Sept. 20—Kip had a verry bad day of it
“Sept. 21—Kip seems some better this mor. but has been bleeding at the nose. . . got Kip nose to stop bleeding
“Sept. 22—Kip seems to be better to day.
“Sunday, Sept. 23—Kip is very low,, but we have hope that she will recover
“Sept. 24—We are in care & sick ness & Trouble but hope God will sustain us in trial & affliction
“Sept. 25—Kippy is some better &, we hope to have her spared to us by the Master. Still she is weak & feverish.
“Sept. 26—Kip is quiet but weak & nervous, took wheat to town. Paid for a doll for Kip $.50
“Sept. 27—Kip is weak & low
“Sept. 28—Kip is some weaker to day & her pulse is low so we are giving her China (quinine)
“Sunday, Sept. 30—Kippy much the same she has no appetite yet. Archie came down with Diptheria this mor[ning].
“Oct. 1—Hazy & damp. Jim came down with Diptheria this mor. Archie is quite bad. Poor Kip is low & weak so that we have to give her China to keep her up. Will (the hired man) went to Independence & got a bottle of Brandy to bathe Kip with to night. Cost $1.25
“Oct. 2—Kip is growing weaker to day. the stimulants give her a nervous life & raise her pulse some. the boys are quite sick still we have hope
“Oct. 3—little Kip parted from us at six 0 clock this mor. Archies throat seems a little softer. Jim rather drowsy. how our poor hearts ache with sorrow but we can only trust in god & pray that he will direct us & give us strength to bear to trust in him.
“Oct. 4—fair cold & blustery. we buried little Kip to day & so we see our hopes & Joys fade & vanish away. yet God will be ever by the side of those who Trust in him. Will plowed to day.”
And so it went. Archie and Jim pulled through that autumn nightmare, went on to keep their own taciturn diaries, to get educations, to make peace (Archie) and war (Jim) with their Maker, to get married and to lead productive lives.
But Alta and Kippy never got to school, never learned to read and write, never were baptized in the muddy waters of the Trempealeau River, never met a beau at the annual Methodist ice-cream social and never discovered what it was like to stand by as a helpless adult and see one’s “hopes and Joy fade & vanish away.”..."
