Person:Sarah Conkling (4)

Sarah Conkling, daughter of Pierson and Hannah (Marsh) Conkling was born on 12 December 1824 at Reily Township (Butler County), Ohio. Her birth, marriage, and death dates are recorded in the family bible. On 23 November 1843 she married David Gray in Butler County, Ohio. The 1860 census shows the family living in Butler County. Sarah’s children are the only grandchildren of Pierson Conkling not named in the will of Sarah’s brother, Pierson Cory Conkling. Family letters record Sarah’s death from typhoid fever on 30 April 1864.

Below are letters from Pierson Cory Conklin of Butler County Ohio to his brother Joseph M. Conklin of Jerseyville, Il. regarding their dying sister Sarah Gray.

Dear Brother, I wrote to David (Joseph’s son) a few days ago when I said I would write again soon, that you may know how Sarah

(Sarah Gray) is. She has the typhoid fever and is very sick, but the Doctor says she is doing very well.  Dr. Falconer was called today to have a consultation with Dr. Scobey (Pierson Cory Conkling’s brother-in-law). I have since seen Dr. Falconer who says he thinks she will get along. Father was down yesterday but went home last night. Our volunteer companies are called out for 100 days, I am in for it. It is all right for David, he having moved from the state.  Substitutes are asking from $150 to $300. It will go very hard on the farmers and a great many are dissatisfied.

The draft is as we have heard, ordered to take place immediately. If I go away, David Gray will attend to your matter. Hannah (daughter of Sarah Gray) is about well of the measles. Jessie (daughter of Pierson Cory Conkling) has not taken them yet.

Yours,

P.C.C.

April 29 --2 o’clock As I have not sent the above I will add that Sarah is not so well. It seems the case is at a turning point and I am fearful lest the change will be unfavorable. I have just come from there having gone with Dr. Scobey. After the Doctor had gone away he told me that there were bad indications and requested me to go for Dr. Falconer to have another consultation. These things look bad. As you are anxious I will mail this now and write again. We were encouraged yesterday, but at present writing I fear the worst. Cory

Hamilton, O April 30, 1864

Dear Brother Joseph, If you have received my letters in the order that I wrote them you are perhaps prepared to hear what I now have to say. I wrote yesterday that Sarah (their sister, Sarah Conkling Gray) was getting worse and that I feared she could not stand it. I went in this afternoon out to Newton’s (brother-in-law John Newton Ross), father’s, and to Reily to let the folks know how she was. When I came back she was dying and she breathed her last about 15 minutes before two o’clock last night. She was under the influence of morphine and wholly unconscious. She died about the same way that Mother died. She had been flighty at times for two or three days but she was sensible most of the time until yesterday noon. Poor Sarah was discouraged from the very start and she said she did not think she would get well, but we all thought she would get along. David (Sarah’s husband, David Gray) several times said he did not feel much alarmed. Becca was down attending on her since about a week ago. Newton coming down every night, and when she died Newton, Becca (their sister, Rebecca Conkling Ross), Father, Sam’l Gray, and Thompson Gray’s wife and Sarah Elizabeth were down. The neighbors have been very kind and attentive. The funeral will take place tomorrow (Sunday) at 2 o’clock at the Reily church. We will leave here I suppose about 10 o’clock. It will be impossible of course for you to be here for before you get this it will all be over and the last kindly act we can ever do to Dear Sarah will be done. Joseph you did not anticipate this when you went away did you? I did not even a week and I can hardly realize it now. I do not know as I can say anything more. I wish I could see you, I wish you were here but that cannot be so Good Bye.

Yours affectionately, Cory