BROOKS FAMILY HISTORY - Interactive Family Histories

7-420 INTERACTIVE FAMILY HISTORIESday, Mat and the other boys worked in new ground until dinner then Mat wentand on the range and looked for the old mare Nervey and her colts, but failed tofind them. Sarah Hill came and stayed nearly all day today. Mrs. Bill Justus isvery sick, so is Willey Leath. Both are said to have the consumption. I havepuddered around all day today and doctored cows.Saturday - February 28, 1885Cloudy with high south wind, looking a good deal like rain. News came thismorning that Missouria Justus was dead. She died about one o’clock. I went tohelp to dig a grave. Just as we were finishing the grave, word came that WilliaLeath was dead. I and Mr. Jim Egger ran over to Mr. Henson’s, he had beendead about 1 or 1½ hours. After washing and dressing the corpses, I came homevery much fatigued with promiss to go back and set up. So after supper, me,John and Bob Brooks went back, but there was so many there, that me and JohnBrooks came home. Mrs. Justus was buried this evening there by her motherand father and child on the old homestead. There were two people that bothdied from consumption within a little of 12 hours of each other, both raised herein the same neighborhood and was living in about one mile of each other. Willis’sister died this coming April two years ago with consumption. The boysplowed and worked in the new ground. The moon fulled today 9 o’clock thisevening.Sunday - March 15, 1885It rained a very good rain from the west and the north last night. Today it iscloudy and rather cold. Old Kate the cow after lying in the cold rain all night isso nummed that we can’t get her up. I think she will be dead by morning. Matand Ben went out to look after the old cow Sally, but as common they failed tofind her. It is a hard matter to get a boy to take a interest in anything that hasanything like business in it. If I could get my boys to take hold of business andbe as energetic in it as they are in a rabbit hunt or to hunt hens nest, I would beso proud of them. They are good boys to work, but they can’t think that onecow or horse saved is equal to two made. A good thorough search for theNervey mare might of saved her life and the two colts with half the trouble thatit will take to save the colts.Saturday - April 11, 1885Clear with hazy clouds, west or southwest wind. We continued to plant cottonquite a little before night and Mat and Julia went to the Well school house andme and the rest started to go to the debate at Glen Dale school house, but thefoot crossing was so damaged that we had to turn back.Wednesday - April 22, 1885Rained showers off and on all night, this morning between 4 and 5 o’clock itturned all holts loose and came in torrents washing land fearful then again atabout 12 o’clock it came again washing gulleys in one place and burying corn,cotton and potatoes in another and this evening the river is up about 15 or 20feet, the biggest rise that I have ever seen in the spring, the fourth largest that