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Collection: Directories and Documents

The Expedition of the Donner Party and Its Tragic Fate (467 pages)

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BREAKING FAMILY TIES Georgia Ann Donner,’’ or to ‘‘ Miss Eliza Poor Donner,’’ he would carefully save it for us. After many fruitless trips to the post-office, we were one day handed a letter for grandma. It was not from our aunt, however, but from our sister Elitha, and bore the sad news that her husband, while on the range, had been thrown from his horse, and lived but a few moments after she reached him. She also stated that her little daughter Elisabeth and her sister Leanna were with her on the ranch, and that she was anxious to learn how Georgia and I were getting on. By advice of short-sighted friends, grandma sent a very formal reply to the letter, and told us that she did not want Elitha to write again. Moreover, that we, in gratitude for what she had done for us, should take her name and call her ‘‘ mother.”’ This endeavor to destroy personal identity and family connection, met with pathetic opposition. Of our own accord, we had called her grandma. But ‘* mother ’’— that name was sacred to her who had taught our infant lips to give it utterance! We would bestow it on no other. Under no circumstance was there difficulty in finding some one ready to advise or help to plan our duties. With the best of intentions? Yes, but often, oh, how trying to us, poor little waifs of misfortune! One, like a thorn in the flesh, was apportioned to me at the approach of the Winter of 1849 and 1850. We needed more help in the dairy, but could get no one except Mr. Marsh, who lived in bachelor quarters [235 ]