Letters - Dear Leon, People don't know when they are well off

Letters from Leon's mother written to him on account of his brother Winfield's death to typhoid fever. Winfield was a traditional Gould family name, and as his brother by that name died, Leon later named a son Winfield - that son was my grandfather. 

                                                                                                                                               Nov.

My dear boy it is terrible to have to write such news, but I guess it was God’s will that he should go, we done all we could for him. But he didn’t get any better and we didn’t know where Lon was, he had been on some threashing machine, so we called the Doc. first, thought he might broke the fever if called in time, he called it typhoid fever but could not brake it up. We sent for Lon he came several times and Bro. Kellie came just the day before he died. I didn’t know ----- so could ----- how one boy left us it seemed to me that God had forsaken us. I hope and pray that He will not forsake you but will stand by you and give you that strength you need and may you hear good news from your family to repay for this, it seem like a horrible dream to us, we will sell the old home as soon as possible, we can’t live up here alone any longer. I guess our trials are coming that our blessings speaks of, I am glad Maude came home, I wish it was so you could come but I know you cant. May God bless us all that we may be able to endure to the end, is my prayer.

                                                                                         your loving Mother


                                                                                                                              Battle Lake Minn.
                                                                                                                              Jan. 5, 1902

Dear Leon we got a letter at last from you written Thanksgiving day but we missed one of two we ought to have got, it is terrible to have to wait so long for a letter and then not get one; but there is so many terrible things happen now days that we must try to get used to them. I suppose it is Sunday and such a long day. I wonder what you are doing today. I see by your letter you hadn’t heard the sad news yet but of course you have before this unless our letters have been lost too, we have written twice since Winnie died, it don’t seem to get any easier to bear yet we can not see why a merciful God should take him and leave us alone but I hope we will be able to endure it and not give up the faith entirely. I believe God has helped us as we would not be able to bear it as well as we do. I hope you wont have to stay away as long as you expect to, we are at a loss to know what to do now, we have sold out home but can’t decide what to do, we are thinking some of going down tomorrow and buy Uncle Net’s place but he asks $3000.00 for it and that is more than it is worth. Maude wants us to come down there, but Pa doesn’t want to go there, but it is no use to ask your advice for we will have to go some where before we hear from you again. Maud got back home all right again ---- went with her, the winter so far has been quite mild. We are well as coming, Art and Lois come up last night and staid till after dinner today so that helped to pass the day away some. I got a nice Christmas present from Alice, her own handwork, and we sent a little one to the grandbaby, would like to see it, and I guess you would. People don’t know when they are well off in this world, when we had you all at home we ought to have been the happiest folks on the earth. Well it is getting dark and I will close praying God to bless and sustain you and bring you safe home again, from you sad but
                                                                                                            loving Mother