Apr 1 – Went over to burg. Del and Lois went out to their farm.
Apr 2 – Went over to burg after the mail. Jesse here.
Apr 3 – At home. Hellen, Clara and Adelpha came up.
Apr 4 – At home. Very blustrous, snows and blows like the mischief.
Apr 5 – Cold wind. No work. Jesse here.
Apr 6 – Jesse went home. Claud[53] here. Sate and Delpha came. Sate came over to help Hannah.
Apr 7 – Very nice pleasant day. Albert Town[54] here with Claud. Ethan took Delpha down to Katharines.
Apr 8 – Trimed Trees. Nice pleasant day. Got letter from Lou. Children better. Set Hen to day.
Apr 9 – Nice pleasant morning. At home all day. No work. Not very well. Mary Randal Died to day.[55]
Apr 10 – Went down to Katharines. Nice day. Had some warm Shugar.
Apr 11 – Nice pleasant day. Mary Randal Buried to day.
Apr 12 – Chored round. Repaired pump at barn. Nice warm day. Bot clover seed $2.25 cts.
Apr 13 – Nice pleasant day. Mr Wm Scott Buried to day.[56] Dell came over ground tools. Ethan sowed clover seed.
Apr 14 – At home. Trimed some trees. Went over got Lois. Expected Katharine up she no come. Charley Cory came over.
Apr 15 – Lois here. Trimed some trees. Not much work. Not ver well.
Apr 16 – Not much done but chores. No one here.
Apr 17 – Went to Kalamazoo to Lou she was at Nancys. Some cool wind.
Apr 18 – Pleasant Except cold north East wind.
Apr 19 – Cut some brush in orchard. Ethan went to Kalamazoo. Nettie Bradley died in night.[57]
Apr 20 – Del came over and got out manure. Some rain not much.
Apr 21 – Trimmed and grubed out some old peach trees. Ethan went to Kalamazoo with C. Town.[58] Nancy sick.
Apr 22 – Nettie Bradley Today buried to day. Mr Ogden got my Buggy. Hannah went to Pattersons. Whitford got the Eggs $1.30¢ 13 Doz.
Apr 23 – Blustrous morning some snow.
Apr 24 – At home all day. No one here. All well as usual. Nancy sick.
Apr 25 – Not much work chored round some milk cow feed de pig. Cold wind.
Apr 26 – Went to Kalamazoo. Nancy some better.
Apr 27 – Worked roun. Repaired door out the Barn yard. Will Brown[59] plowed garden. Pleasant day.
Apr 28 – Pleasant nice day. Went up to Mr Flanders in afternoon.
Apr 29 – Cleaned up orchard. Took out berry bushes and trimed some trees.
Apr 30 – Burned Apple Tree brush. Charley commenced plowing for corn. Mr Buthere Beckwith buried to day.[60]
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[53] His grandson, Claude Keith Brown
[54] His neighbor, Albert Towne
[55] Michigan death records reveal that Mary Randall, the 28-year-old daughter of Nathan & Jane Randall, died April 9, 1887 in Comstock, Michigan and FindAGrave.com shows she is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery, Galesburg, Michigan
[56] Michigan death records show that William Scott died in Galesburg of consumption at the age of 56 on April 18, 1887; this conflicts with Luke’s entry that he was buried on the 13th of April
[57] Michigan death records show that Nettie Bradley, the 16-year-old daughter of Samuel & Harriett (Burgess) Bradley, died of rheumatism of the heart on April 7 in Comstock. Rheumatism of the heart is a complication of rheumatic fever in which the heart valves are damaged. Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that begins with strep throat
[58] Neighbor Charles Towne, who was the son of Albert Towne (see footnote to April 7th entry)
[59] Hank Brown’s brother, Willis Brown
[60] Michigan death records show that Berthier Beckwith died in Charleston, Michigan on April 28, 1887 and FindAGrave.com, although it gives his date of death as May 1, 1887, shows that he is buried in Augusta Cemetery, Augusta, Michigan
Letters & Diary Entries From the 1860s through the 1890s 