Macedonia, Ill.
May 16, 1900

Mr. Al Hewlett,

Dear uncle and family.  With Sadness and Sorrow I seat myself this evening to write you a few lines.  Was it not the sad news I have to tell you it would be a pleasure to write.  Bot Oh! How it breaks my heart to tell you that our poor Mother has been taken away from us.  She was buried only yesterday and this Evening it is my sad and painful duty to send you the news that I know will fill your hearts with grief.  She was sick a week and three days but took bad on Friday and died on Monday.  We had two Doctors.  They said it was Erysipelas she had.

We would have let you know it before now but she took bad so sudden and we had no way to come nor couldn't get anybody else to.

This leaves us children.  Address your letters to Macedonia and I will be sure to get them.  Our home is broke up and we are scattered.  I am at Aunt Sarah Clarks, Riley is at Dan Reeds and Sam and Lark are at Graville Hungates.

Write soon and often.

Yours,
C. Foster

Note:  This letter was written by my Uncle Charley M. Foster, my mother's brother, when my grandmother Julia Hewlett Foster died.  They lived in Hamilton County, Flannigan Township, NE NW Sec. 21.  Julia Hewlett Foster was the wife of Easton Foster who died in 1889.  Easton Foster was the brother of Samuel Riley Foster, a Primitive Baptist Preacher, who died in 1908.  He (Samuel R.) preached at Little Springs Church many years.

Easton and Julia Foster are buried at Little Springs Cemetery.  My father, Alfred T. Hall (died 1922) and my other Margaret Foster Hall (died 1917) were also buried at Little Springs, as are my sister Julia Hall Holland (died 1979) and three of her children.

Uncle Charley, the writer of the letter was nearly blind and crippled with rheumatism.  He stayed at our house most of the time after his mother died.  In fact, he died at our house in 1914 and was buried at Little Springs Cemetery.  Al Hewlett was my grandmother's brother.

by Roy Hall.