Farewell

About two years after William Enos was born [about Sept 1871]. Ellen tripped on the doorstep and fell face down, she was very ill and gave birth to a stillborn baby.
Ellen was never well after that. Harriet reports, ”She developed diabetes and dropsy. She suffered a great deal, often falling unconscious.” (Allen). Dropsy is an abnormal amount of swelling in the body. Falling unconscious sounds like fainting spells.
Ellen suffered for a long time, and was not able to work. Harriet kept the house and Ellen told her how to do things she had questions about. The children would care for their mother. Harriet recalls, ”She was tenderly treated by my stepfather. He got several kinds of reputed medicine” for her.
Ellen was very thirsty all the time (symptom of diabetes). During the summer of 1873 she would be completely bedfast.
Eventually Ellen grew too weak to talk. For some two days Ellen had not said anything. On the morning of July 23rd, she was lying very still with William Bench beside her, when she said in an audible voice, “I'm coming William.” Her husband seated by her side knew she did not refer to him, but her first husband, William Fowler.. She then passed away.
At this point Harriet came in from the kitchen, and had a wonderful experience. She saw her father standing at the foot of the old fashioned bedstead. With his arms folded across the end of it. He was dressed, she said as she had remembered seeing him. In his plain suit and little plaid tie. She was so glad to see him looking natural that she turned to tell her sister, Florence, in the kitchen to come, but when she turned back she couldn't see him. She was sorely disappointed, because her sister could not remember him well.
They had a very sad July 24th that year because that was they day they had to bury their mother. She was buried beside her first husband. Harriet says “In the fartherest west row of the Manti cemetery.” It was a very hot day. Following the services which were held about noon, The people gave themselves over to sports and other festivities that had been planned for Pioneer Day. .
The children put their beds outside; unable to sleep in the house where their mother had laid in state. They continued to sleep outside until it became too cold at nights.
Harriet wrote, “Then the world was a great big place. I had no other relatives in a hundred miles, only my sister, my brother, Henry Ammon Fowler. My little brother William E. Was nearly 4 years old. He was allowed to live with me till winter, when I went to school again, and then his father took him to his other home. He would not let me have him ever again.” William Bench told them that they would have a hard enough task caring for themselves, let alone little Willie too. The children would miss their little brother.
Harriet, Henry Ammon, and Florence would make do for themselves now. William Bench did not help them anymore. Harriet felt responsible for her brother and sister now, but her brother would also work to support them. Harriet was then 17 years old. Harriet would marry the next year on July 12th and Henry Ammon and Florence would continue to live in town.
William Bench kept and raised the little boy whom they called Willie.
Ellen was 38 years old when she died. She had lived a very great life. She had proved her faith, loyalty, integrity and devotion to her religion and family.