Monday, January 20, 1835: Today Mother Spring continues to be more dangerous and Simeon Wylie rode my horse to Pittsfield after brother F. Jay Wylie, and he said Jay and his wife came only time for his mother to know him for she failed so fast and tonight she had lost all sense and lay all night speechless in the agonies of death. [private] I and my wife together with her two sons and their wives and some neighbors remained there watching every moment to be the last.
Tuesday: On this morning at 7 o’clock Mother Spring died, she died with out any hard struggle. She breathed out her breath gradually shorter and shorter until the last.
Wednesday: I tended the funeral of my wife’s mother that is Deborah Spring, the widow of Nathaniel Spring deceased and formerly the widow of Capt. John Wylie, deceased. Her age was seventy nine. My wife and two eldest daughters attended the funeral. Elder Mather Jones tended prayers at the house before the deceased was removed, and then the funeral procession removed to Saturday Meeting house and a sermon by Elder Jones. On this evening I took my cutter and carried my wife and sister Eleanor over to see brother Isaac Newton for his health remains very poor.
Friday January 3: I returned a list of the scholars that draw States money to our Town Clerk, who is Doc Elijah Graves, signed by myself and Platt Wylie, we as trustees for our district. We had 24 scholars to draw money for, within our district.
Saturday: Today I went over to Goodrich Hollow to the widow Surdam’s to bargain with her daughter Laura to work for us this season, but we did not come to no bargain, but she agreed to come to my house the forepart of next week and give us answer if she could work. This afternoon I took my wife to Lebanon to the milliners Mrs MacArthur’s and left a mourning hat to be made over. We called to Edwin E. Griggs store and got trusted for eight yards of gingham at 37 cts per, and linings and silk for to put into my wife’s mourning hat. The said gingham was for my wife a mourning dress.
Sunday: Today I went over to see brother Newton, for he remains quite feeble and bloated with the dropsey.
Monday: I chopped wood to the door. Tonight watched with brother Newton. I sat up until 2 o’clock and then Frederick Russel sat up the rest of the night. Said Newton rested but little, he sat in his chair all night.[/private]