New Hampton, I'a. July 21 - 1901.

Dear Aunt Maggie:

Your last letter recd. I could not have told whether I wrote you or not; but thought I had not. Mr. Chas. F. Klein wrote June 29th & 30th for us to some of the friends, & I thought he wrote to you.

Our loss is the hardest we have ever known. I cannot tell you how hard it is Maggie. I just feel heart-broken & it does not seem to me that the world will ever seem the same to me again. Elmer is in my thoughts the last thing at night - I awake in the night & the thought of him will flash into my mind - then my first waking thoughts in the morning are of my dear boy. O, Maggie, our burden seems almost more than we can bear. Bertha has borne up bravely; she is always brave. I have seen her in great physical pain & bearing a great burden of sorrow & she has ever been brave. She is braver; far braver than I am. It has been some consolation to us to know that our boy was most dearly loved by his young companions - that he was a general favorite among them & that men & women of middle age & advanced years respected him & looked upon him as an exemplary boy with a bright future. His ability to make friends was remarkable. We know more of this now than we did before. The whole town mourned his death.

Bert tells me of a poor old Jew lady who came to the house last week selling something, & when she learned our name, she said her girl 14 yrs of age cried two days when Elmer died, & that their little son took candles to the church & burned them for him. His boy friends sent the most beautiful floral offering I ever saw. It was a large pillow, on which stood a white dove with expanded wings & bearing an olive branch in its beak.

Elmer was about my height, possibly a trifle taller, with most beautiful brown eyes and a fine expression. He was, indeed, a handsome boy, and was brave, tender-hearted, loving and lovable. He hurt his left hand in an ice cream freezer Sat. June 15th. Dr. Babcock dressed it, using antiseptics. The wounds healed rapidly and on Monday noon June 24th, when I left home on a business trip, his hand looked nearly well. I asked him that day at noon if he were going to Elma the next day with his mother, who had been wanting to visit her sister there for some time. He said, "yes, I guess so, but I can't stay only a day or two. We want to go camping 2 or 3 days and it will be the last chance I'll have. I want to go to work again next Monday." He went up town Monday P.M. but came home after a while & asked his mother if he had ever had the mumps, saying his jaws were sore.

That evening he spent some time at the home of post master Tooley, where he was a favorite. When he went to bed Mon night he told his mother to call him early Tues morning so they could drive to Elma while it was cool. She called him & he came down stairs; but his jaws were then set, though he could talk. She asked him if he were sick & on learning that he was told him he must go see the Dr. He started to do so; but had taken only a few steps when he stopped, clutched at his breast & said, "O, Ma I can't go. I'm sick all over." Bert then went for Dr. Babcocks but he being away, she called in Dr. Gardner, who said it acted like lock-jaw & at once put him under the influence of chloral.

When Bert was picking up his clothes after he had been put to bed that morning, he said, "That's right Ma, put them away where I can find them if I ever should want them again.

Dr. Gardner said if it extended no farther than the jaws it would not be serious. He did not seem very bad Tuesday, though he told his aunt Ann Briggs that he was going to die. Wed Dr. Babcock came & took charge of the case & Wed P.M. he began to have convulsions. Thursday P.M. about 2, I got a telephone message at Postville Ia, to come home. I reached home about 8 P.M. Thursday. He did not seem to be very bad Thursday night & I had hopes he might recover. Friday it became difficult to administer his medicine. Sometime Friday A.M. he said to me in his old childish way, "Pa do you like me"? I said, "Yes, dear, of course I do" & kissed him. He said, "I like you pa".

Friday night Dr. Babcock stayed all night & gave him a hypo-dermic injection of morphine about 11 P.M. He slept till after 3 a.m. Sat, & I hoped he was better; but he was not. Early Sat. morning he grew worse & I then gave up all hope. The doctor then began to use chloroform to lessen the pain of the convulsions. He lingered till about 3:45 P.M. Sat. Sat forenoon - I cannot give the hours he came out from under the influence of the narcotics, & said - (he was then lying almost on his face) - "Ma, are you there"? Bert said - "yes, Elmer - what do you want"? He said, "Is pa there"? She said, "yes". Ethel then spoke & said - "I wish he would say something to me". Elmer then said quite distinctly & very positively, "We shall meet". "We shall meet" "We shall meet". I think those were his last sentences. Just before the end came his mother was kneeling where she could look into his eyes if he ever opened them again & I was leaning over him. He did open his eyes & looked at his mother for an instant with the old familiar look, then his gaze shifted a little , and the most wonderful brightness I ever saw in a human eye shone there for a few seconds and our dear boy passed from us.

O, it seems so hard, so very hard to bear. But if I could know positively that there is a better world than this & that Elmer is there & happy, I could be more nearly resigned. I hope there is a better world & that we may meet & have these sundered ties united there.

I felt that perhaps you might wish to know the particulars, & so, give them. The future here looks dark indeed. It fairly frightens me to look forward to the days of sorrow ahead of us. I have been working & I suppose work is best; but my heart is so sore, there is little zest in work.

Please write us.

Oscar.

DIED.--At the home of his parents, in this city, Saturday, June 29, 1901, Elmer, oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. O.A. McFarland, aged 18 years.

Elmer P. McFarland was born in Lawler, Iowa, Nov. 15, 1882. The following year his parents removed to this city. Here as a healthy child he enjoyed his childhood and attended school. He was of the class of '01 but left school about a year ago hoping to be of some service to his parents. He secured a position in the restaurant of T.B. Scully and it was while working here that he received an injury to his hand which resulted in his death. Two weeks ago last Saturday while making ice cream he got his hand crushed in the freezer. He received prompt medical attention and his hand seemed to be getting well.

Last Tuesday morning he arose complaining of a pain in his jaws. A physician was consulted and he discovered symptoms of lockjaw. Everything that medical skill could do was resorted to but was baffled in an effort to save him. He suffered untold agony and was kept under the influence of opiates until he died.

On Saturday afternoon as the members of the family were at his bedside he called for his parents and with the words "we shall meet" on his lips he sank into his long and dreamless sleep.

It is seldom we are called upon to chronicle so sad a death, to be cut down just as he had passed the worries and cares of childhood and entering upon the dawn of a useful manhood and surrounded by the pleasures of life, is sad indeed and we are led to exclaim "O grave where is thy victory; O death where is thy sting!" Elmer was the life and spirit of his home and his sunny disposition won for him many friends. He was buoyant in spirit, full of health and vigor and had a happy, wholly unselfish disposition. He gave much promise and all admired and loved him, for he was so truly good and honest. He was ambitious in his studies at school and for his employer he was a conscientious and willing worker--he seemed destined to make a noble man.

The funeral was held from the Methodist church at 3 o'clock yesterday. Rev. Pottle preached a fitting funeral sermon and Revs. Canine and Norton assisted in the service which was attended by a large concourse of people who followed the remains to Graceland cemetery where the body was laid to rest in the family lot where other members of the family are buried.

About one hundred of his school mates attended the funeral in a body and marched to the cemetery.

Roy Brown, Arthur Wing, Chris Kelson, Harvey Forbes, Ray Brown and Fred Canine acted as pall bearers.

Many beautiful floral offerings were sent by sympathizing friends.

His parents, four brothers and one sister are left in the broken household band. His winning ways and familiar voice in song will be for them no more but will linger as a sweet memory in coming years. The tenderest sympathy of friends go out to the bereaved household.

New Hampton Tribune

				     Life

		"A cry of pain new-born from baby lips;
		 A cheery laugh as brave youth starts the race;
		 A stern, set look that knows its hopes eclipse;
		 A smile upon a dead man's dreaming face."
			
			Copied by O.A. McFarland.
			New Hampton Ia,.  Nov. 21st, 1897.

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	Bethany McFarland's Family Journals