- "Tales of a Grandmother"
After all the rest of the children were married, I, as Youngest, lived on with father and mother in the old home. Mother sick for several years before her death. And I cared for her and kept house.
One day in 1883, there was great excitement in our small house on the farm. A letter had come to mother from a lawyer by the name of Walbridge, who lived in Philadelphia. The letter stated that he had received a letter from a lawyer in England, saying that a fortune had been left to Franklin Walbridge, my mother's father. If he was not living, it was to go to his oldest living child. At that time of course, Grandfather Walbridge had been dead some time. And mother was his oldest living the fortune would go to her. If it was not claimed by the American heirs, it would go to the Crown. As you can imagine we spent that fortune many times over, in our minds. I answered the letter for mother, and asked the lawyer what we must do to claim the fortune. In replying he said that we would have to pay the way of two people to England, to prove that mother was the heir. We had no money to use far that purpose, and in those days you could not borrow that amount. So the only chance we had to spend the fortune was in imagination. But I have always felt that it was a pity we were unable to get it, for mother could have had so many comforts in her illness, that we were unable to give her.
I had known John Whitson for many years. He came with his father and mother from Brockville, Eastern Canada, in 1850. And as I have said before, his father owned the flour mill at Granville, on the other side of the river. John worked in his father's mill until he was eighteen years old. Then his father failed in business; and John had to leave school and help him?.[1 line unreadable] died in Fergus Falls, where he was superintendent of water works. After that in 1884, John and I decided to marry and live on our farm with father and mother. For as long as mother lived I could not leave her. On August twenty sixth, we made ready to go to Red Wing to be married. John Tyner and Loreen McElrath were going with us as our only attendants. I was all dressed in my wedding finery; a dress of brown velvet and cashmere with a lace fischu, and cream lace at the sleeves. My bonnet was my pride and joy. It was made of cream silk with a spray of white flowers. Al took us in the lumber wagon to the small platform on the railroad near Granville. We climbed out, and Al rattled away in the wagon to Granville, where he was to get some groceries for Minnie. Just as the train whistled, we discovered that my satchel was still in the wagon. We yelled at Al, but the old wagon rattled so that he did not hear us. John Tyner said he would try and catch Al, and if he didn't get back in time we were to go on without him. John's long legs fairly flew over the road, yelling to Al at every jump. As he got nearer, Al heard him and stopped. John grabbed the satchel, and managed to get back, just as the train stopped.
We were married in Christ Church, Red Wing. And the next day came back to Aunt Minnie' s where in the evening we had the infare, with all the old friends gathered to help us celebrate. John worked our little farm, until mother died in 1885. Then the home was broken up. Father visited among his children, until he died at the home of Orlow, near Little Falls.
After leaving the old home, John and I rented a farm, and farmed it, until we moved to Randolph; where John worked in a creamery for eight years. Lynn was born there in 1887; we lived in Northfield one year, where John was in partnership in a livery stable. After one year we came back to Randolph, where we lived with the exception of a short time in Stanton. In a few years, John bought a quarter interest in the elevator at Sauk Centre. And in 1898 we moved up there. That became our permanent home. In 1923 John died. Lynn, with his family has lived in Sauk Centre for many years.
And so the years have slipped by; leaving some sad memories and many happy ones. But somehow as I look back over the years, I find that the hard, sad days have slipped into the background; and the happy days seem fresh in my memory. In this little family history, I have tried to make the friends who made those days happy, live again; and bring with them the joy and laughter of days very different from these modern ones, but not less full of gladness and contentment.
Source: Whitson, Cora Erwin, "Tales of a Grandmother," Privately printed by author, c.1925
Minnesota Historical Society, collections (MHS Library Stacks CS71.I723 1925)
1930 United
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1863 - 1948 (85 years)
