Person:Addie Horton (1)

IN A LETTER WRITTEN TO FRANCES TILLING WATERTOWN[N.Y.] JAN 1ST [19]48

DEAR FRANCES, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL. WILL TRY AND SCRIBBLE A FEW LINES. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL WINTER DAY. WE HAVE VERY LITTLE SNOW. I HAD TO STOP TO EAT ICE CREAM THAT A LADY ACROSS THE STREET BROUGHT IN. THEY HAVE A STORE RITE IN THE HOUSE ACROSS FROM US. HOPE YOU HNAD A NICE CHRISTMAS. WE WERE ALL ALONE BUT WILLIAM CAME BY. IT CAME NEAR BEING A REPETION OF 23 YEARS AGO. HE WAS STRUCK BY A CAR TUES THE 23 TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, CUT IN HIS LEG. DR TOOK 7 OR 8 STITCHES. HE WAS TERRIBLY SHAKEN UP. THEY WANTED, HIM TO STAY ALL NITE IN THE HOSPITAL BUT HE SAID NO AND THE POLICE CAR TOOK HIM TO HIS ROOM. WED PM HE CAME UP HERE STAID UNTIL FRIDAY PM. HE WAS VERY WHITE WHEN HE LEFT AND I WORRIED OVER HIM. BUT I GOT A LETTER FROM HIM YESTERDAY AND THE DR. SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM, HE WAS IN FINE CONDITION. SAID THE MAN THAT HIT HIM WAS VERY NICE AND HE THOT EVERY THING WOULD BE SETTLED. DR AND HOSPITAL BILL PAID. IT GAVE ME SUCH A SHOCK THAT I DID NOT GET OVER FOR SEVERAL DAYS. IT WAS FUNNY IT HAPPENED ALMOST TO A DAY THAT DAD WAS KILLED 23 YEARS AGO. [ DAD IT IS ASSUMED MEANT HER HUSBAND WILLIAM A. TILLING WHO DIED DEC. 31 1925]. ONLY 8 DAYS APART. I GUESS IT WOULD HAVE FINISHED ME HAD IT GONE ANY DIFFERENT BUT I GUESS GOD SPARED HIS LIFE TO ME WHILE I LIVE. I AM ALL RITE IF I KEEP QUIET BUT CAN'T DO ANY THING I MAKE MY BED AFTER RESTIING 3 OR 4 TIMES THAT IS ALL. WELL HOPE YOU ARE COMING ALONG WITH YOUR SEWING . CAN'T YOU FIND A [FALLUS] IN ONE OF THOSE PAPER FOSHINE SHEETS THAT YOU GET AT THE DEPARTMENT STORE. WISH I COULD HELP YOU OUT. ABOUT DAD, HE WAS BORN IN CHELTENHAM. (CHELTENHAM ENGLAND) AND GRANDMA TILLING'S NAME WAS KATE OR KATHLEEN MOFFIT. I ALWAYS THOT SHE SPELLED IT WRONG WITH AN I BUT WH HAVE A MINISTER HERE THAT HIS NAME IS MOFFIT. THAT IS ALL I KNEW ONLY SHE WAS OF A WEALTHY FAMILY AND NEVER BUTTONED HER OWN SHOES UNTIL SHE MARRIED. I HERE HER SAY SHE WAS MARRIED FROM AN AUNT'S HOUSE. AS HER PEOPLE CUT HER OFF WITH A SHILLING BECAUSE HER HUSBAND WAS A TRADESMAN, HE WAS A SHOE MAKER. SHE HAD 5 SISTERS NEVER HEARD THAT SHE HAD ANY BROTHERS BUT HER HUSBAND DID. AFTER HER HUSBAND DIED IN A HOSPITAL FROM DISEASE CONTRACTED IN THE WAR SHE WROTE HOME TELLING HER PEOPLE HOW SHE WAS LEFT WITH {2} A BABYS. THEY WOULD NOT HELP HER SHE SOLD HER FURNITURE AND STARTED A STORE AND RAISED HER LITTLE ONES. [GRANDPA TILLING] DAD WAS 2 1/2 YEARS OLD WHEN SHE CAME TO AMERICA HER HUSBAND WAS IN THE ARMY. DAD'S SISTER LIZZIE IS 3 YEARS YOUNGER THAN HE WAS. THERE ARE LOTS OF TILLINGS IN THE STATES. I WROTE B.F. SHE HAS THE LETTER BY NOW. BETTY IGNORES ME ENTIRELY. I HOPE SHE WILL WRITE AND THANK HER DAD FOR WHAT HE SENT BUT MAYBE IT WASN'T ACCEPTABLE. HIS ADDRESS IN SYRACUSE P O BOX 101. I SAT UP WITH AUNT NELL LAS NIGHT TILL 11 PM THAT IS VERY LATE FOR ME BUT HEARD THE CRAKER. HE RADIO SAID THERE WAS A MILLION PEOPLE AT TIMES SQUARE IN N.Y. EXPECTED WILLIAM UP TODAY BUT DORIS I HEARD THAT HE WAS GONG TO SPEND NEW YEARS WITH HER. THE GIRLS ARE BOTH HOME AND GEO. IS ABLE TO BE IN SO HE WILL HAVE A MUCH BETTER TIME THAN WITH OLD WOMEN. JR WAS OUT LAST NIGHT FOR HOW LONG I DON'T KNOW, BUT HE IS SLEEPING. HE IS NO COMPANY FOR ANYONE. THIS IS A LONG LETTER HOPE YOU CAN READ IT. IT IS A LITTLE WARMER TODAY 17 ABOVE HAS BEEN CLOSER TO ZERO FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WILL SAY BYE TO YOU ALL AND WRITE SOON. KISS ALL THE BABIES FOR GRANDMA. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. GRANDMA TILLING.