Nancy (Henthorn) Stowers

Nancy (Henthorn) Stowers

d. 9 Apr 1846

The following letter was written by John Stowers, husband of Nancy (Henthorn) Stowers, to Amos and Elizabeth Henthorn shortly after the death of this wife. John and Nancy were living in Vermillion county, IL and Amos and Elizabeth were in Iowa. The 1st wife of Amos Henthorn was Catharine Stowers, John Stowers' sister. Amos had married Elizabeth Sharp just one month before John married Nancy on 12 Oct 1843.

Vermillion co. Illinois April 14, 1846

Beloved brother and sister,
With a heart filled with sorrow I take my pen in hand to inform you of my trouble which appears to be more than I can beare. On last Thursday morning which was the ninth day, about sunup it pleased the Lord to remove by bosom companion from the scene of action and I am left with two little boys to morne the loss of a loving companion and Mother, but our loss is her eternal gain.

I wrote to you about her having the feaver, lest you did not get it I will write again. On last Sept. she took the feavers and it left her with a bad cough and she never was stout anymore, though she was able to do her work, and on the 11 day of January last, she had another fine son and we called his name, John Wesley. He is well and grows finely.

She sayed she never would recover and was ready at any time to go home when it was God's will to call her, for she sayed she was a going to glory to meet her friend that was gone before and the night before she left the world, she shouted the high praises of God til her voice failed her and at day light I ask her how she felt ans say she was going to a better world than this and talked well in her senses and soon fell asleep in the arms of her savior.

She is now safely housed in the paradise of God where I hope to shortly go and injoy her company to all eternity, this my dear friends is all that gives me any comfort here that we are not long to be parted and last my dear brother and sister, pray for your brother that I may live so as to meet my nearest and dearest friend in glory.

Her complaint came from cold. Some called it haisty consumption, her Doctor called it the dropsy of the heart. Her sufferings was great but she bore them with Christian fortitude and has gone to rest.

Tell William Henthorn she was very anxious to see him in the flesh but she could not now.

I would say o brother, live so as to meet her in the kingdom of God where if faithful until death we will all soon meet, to part no more forever.

I received your letter in February and it gave us great conmfort to hear that you was on the mend and that you was a comeing in here. I would have wrote sooner but circumstances did not of admit it. Excuse me for it please.

Let all the friends know of the fate that has befallen me and come and see me and my two sweet little boys.

I must conclude. I remain your brother until death.
John Stowers

(William Henthorn, mentioned in the letter was the brother of Amos Henthorn. This letter had been in the Amos Henthorn Bible for more than 120 years. Nancy's death date was also recorded in the Bible.)