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From: "K . B. Cook" <>
Subject: [ILDEWITT] Poem by T. S. Roelofson 1852
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2001 10:58:32 -0500


>From p. 30, W. W. Rolofson Family History:

Long Point, DeWitt Co., IL 8/22/1852
Lines written on reflections on parting with a sister who was about to emigrate to Oregon, written by Thomas Smith Roelofson.

The day was fair the sky serene
And nature wore a pleasant hue
And naught disturbed this heart of mine
But thoughts of friendship and of you.
My thoughts at first were carried back
To days of childhood and of youth
When we together trod the track
Of virtue, happiness and truth.

Each morn and eve our sire read
from inspirations sacred page
And thus was spun the golden thread
Which strengthened firm our growing age.

By precept and example too
We bothe were taught in wisdom's ways
O God may we with order true
Devote to Thee our coming days.

But sister I remember well
The painful sigh that heaved thy breast
No mortal tongue its grief can tell
But those who have it's grief possessed.

But o we took the parting hand
To meet no more on earth's vain shore
O may we meet in that blessed land
Where parting tears are shed no more.

My notes: In our day of "fast-track" transportation and communications, this seems so out of sync with the way we think. Reviewing this information these past days has caused me to "step into the past" of our ancestors and deal with the thoughts of never seeing relatives again because of the great distance and the lack of communications available. We e-chat and e-mail, and hop a plane! They prayed ... Hmmmmm..... Are we missing something they had? Just a thought....

Be well & God bless,
Kate Beaugrand Cook
Minnesota
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