LILLIE MAE SEARS KELLY
JOHN MCLEOD KELLY

Lillie Mae Sears Kelly was the daughter of Doctor Frank Sears and Lucy Lee Eccleston.  The picture above shows Lillie with her son John McLeod Kelly. Lillie married her second cousin D A Kelly.  He was the son of John McLeod Kelly and Elizabeth Hasseltine Richardson.  

Lillie died of Tuberculosis in 1933, in Dallas TX.  Lucy Lee Sears went to Dallas to be with her daughter during the final stages of the disease.  Lucy wrote letters to her other daughter, Daisy, on a weekly basis telling of Lillie's condition.  Below are the letters.

John McLeod Kelly died in infancy.  There is a story told about John.  When Lucy was pregnant with Lillie, her brother Norris, who was sickly and working for the railroad in Sanford NC; wanted so much to see the baby.  Norris and Lucy were very close.  Norris died before Lillie was born.  

When Lillie was sick she told her mother that Norris had visited her when she was pregnant with John.  Norris had told Lillie that he would come to see her but could only stay for a little while.  John was born then left at age 2.  

Jan 12-33
Dear Daisy

     Your last letter rec'd last Sat.  Also we all rec'd Xmas Cards from Frank from somewhere in Africa.  I guess he will be back in about a month from now.

     I am very glad you are public speaking.  It will help you lots.  wish I could be one myself.  I do hope you succeed to be a very great speaker.  I am so glad you are all working and so hope Bev continues.

     As to Lillie's condition she apparently is about the same.  Sometimes worse and sometimes better.  She has a racking cough kept under control only by dope.  Codine.  She used for a while only 2 a day except where she had a bad spell at which times she had to have it (by hypo) every 4 or 5 hrs and now she has been for several days or weeks off and on having to have it quite regular to keep down the cough.  She is very thin and has no appetite and eats very little.....an egg (soft boiled) for breakfast with taste of breadmilk and fruit or preserves.  the egg being bulk of what she eats, and for lunch or dinner some vegetable as snap beans or soup and milk and for supper generally only a glass of milk.  Sometimes she vomits this but generally keeps it down.  I mean she keeps it down more often than it comes up. She has lain on her back ever since I came...of course we turn her to dress her and some days....not every..she sits up in bed or on side of bed to cough up accumulated pus but she is very weak and these sitting up spells generally leaves her exhausted for a day.  I believe she just gradually is fading away.  So gradually it seems at times she is really gaining.  Her bowels are really better on account of the oil she takes daily I think.  There are from my view point only one of 3 things to happen and that is:  She will soon pass, or soon start to make marked improvement and get up again, or linger on for years either an invalid or semi invalid.  It is pitiful the condition TB gets a person into.  Her condition at present is pitiful but she in every way is cheerful and normal mentally.  a good thing it does not affect the metality directly as some diseases do.  I had a card from Mr. Adams (mail man at home) wanting to hunt on place.  I am giving permission to hunt rabbits and not birds.  Have you ever heard from Mr. G about going to NC?  How is Jim's head?  Ok I hope.  Lots of flue going around out here.  The children were in bed day or so but not bad off and Ash also had it I think, altho he never went to bed.  Lillie says tell you she sure has enjoyed the book you sent and will for sometime as she has not near exhausted it yet.

     Have you a "Wooley" Grammar or could you get a second hand one for 15 or 25 cts?  It is a little book and wont cost much.  I would like so much to have one.  They used them at Columbia Summer school several yrs ago and should be found in 2and hd store.  Dont bother if too much trouble.

     Lillie said to tell you the dress (white silk with red flowers) you sent Marg while in NC was still doing duty.  I fixed it up for Eb last week.  It was torn and nearly worn out, but it looks so nice on her now.  She wore it to Sunday School Sunday.  I hemmed it up and it w8ill do for several wears like that.  Marg got good service for it too.  The dresses you sent their birthday are nice too and they wear for best.  Santa Claus brot them 2 dresses each and boots....high top leather boots are worn out here right much and they both are very proud of their boots.  I made Marg a nice coat out of my old blue coat and trimmed with that squirrel fur we took off that red coat of yours and sent Lillie several yrs ago.  It looks real nice.  I fixed Eb up a pink fuzzy coat of Margs ritted it and cleaned it up and it looks real nice too.  They have the caps you sent and they wash ok when soiled, so they (the kiddies) are all ok for winter clothes and look nice too.

     Lillie has had a little spell with her heart since I started this.  Says she feels better now.  Think it was gas pressing on heart, but she is mighty weak and many such spells she cant stand.  Sometimes I cant help thinking the end is not far off for her physically and to see her so poor and so racked with fever and cough unless she can recover I would not have her like this so long.  What promise does her chart show for this year?  If bad enclose in letter to me alone and on separate paper....if you have time to look up.  Also what about my own chart for this year good or bad?  Well here is hoping I can write you better news concerning her next time.  I must close.  Hope you all are well and ok in every way

Much love
Mother     

     Got your letter and M.O for 2.  Many thanks.  Hope you like your new place much better.  Where is it and what did you do with your furniture?

     Well, well and so our Bev will likely live in England and be lady so and so.  I rather like the idea for it will be nice for the Dowager (thats me) to go visiting some of these fine days, to England.  Well here is hoping she decides to settle down and made a model and loving wife even if she does have to go to England to do it.  Really I will be glad for her if she likes the chap and he her and wish them every happiness.

     How is Jim these days?  Better I hope.  I am glad you are moving where you can get sunshine a plenty.

     Lillie is no better....in fact very weak at this time and I really fear cannot last long in the present condition.  I have not taken my clothes off at night this week up and down several times a night and sat up about all night one night but she has been resting for few hours at a time for last night or so as Dr Shotts keeps her full of dope.  She suffered right much with gas on stomach and for last few days he has increased her hypos (he gives her medicine by hypo mostly as stomach is so weak) and it keeps her quiet and her cough down.  Altho her cough bothered her last night he said it would help her to get it up and off her stomach.  She is very thin too as she cant keep much in her stomach.  She has these spells every once in while and gets better never really as strong as before.  Each time I think perhaps when she is over it she will surely start improving and does get much better but in few days seems another attack follows to keep her down.  She seems hopeful herself however and we can only hope and pray for the best.  The children were sick too with colds but M went to school yesterday for 1st time this week and Eb is out doors today after several days in house and bed.  The rest of us ok.  I have a headache right now but loss of sleep and too much reading I guess as I have to stay in here and read when she is resting to pass the time.  So I quit reading and decided to write a few letters this morn.  have a letter from Carmen K.  she is a Brown now living in El Paso

     I will keep you advised as to Lillie's's condition.  She really would suffer a lot and cough herself to death soon were it not for the dope Dr Shotts gives her.  It is terrible to have to look at anyone you love fade away so gradually before your eyes in spite of all that can be done.  I have felt all along there was small hope for her, but hope springs eternal int he human breast.  She is very low now neither Ashton nor I dare ask the Dr her condition.  We fear we might betray ourselves to her if he should say the worse.  So we are doing all we can and that is all anyone can do.  Will write more later.

Much love to all
Mother

     Just a line to let you hear how Lillie is

     She has been so very sick and using so much dope I was really worried about giving so much but I thot Dr considered it necessary.  Neither Ash nor I had the courage to ask him her real condition but Ashton did ask him this morning about getting another Dr on account of her heart.  A neighbor...a nice old lady who has had heart trouble nearly 1/2 century sent for Ash last eve and told him of her old Dr who was so good on Doctoring the heart and suggested he call him to see Lillie.  Of course Ash nor I would consider it before talking to Dr Shotts as Shotts has been just like a brother or father to come and has done all in this power coming day or night as many times as called and always once a day sometimes twice without being called ever since she has had this last bad spell.  So Ash told him what this lady said and Dr Shotts told him he could but he did not consider she had a chance as it was her lungs taking her off that her system was entirely poisoned with Toxin and her left lung entirely gone and that was reason he was giving her so much dope but that she would require less from now on as she is getting in a kind of sleepy state...stupor like...but still conscious.  he said a week was about the limit and she might go any time.  Said he was doing all in his power but when they got this far gone there seemed no hope at all.  Ashton has seen her suffer so long and waste away to skin and bones until he has at last become reconciled to her passing and she herself has been for sometime.

     I am writing this to let you know her condition and not be shocked to hear of her passing as she is likely to go most any day.  We never leave her alone and she is not suffering any just complains of being weak and takes nourishment ever better.  I mean it stays down better now and she does not suffer from the sick stomach there last few days like she did.  This is all I can say.  One day....day or so ago...she felt so bad.  She said she wished she could see you all today. Calling each one of you by name, Daisy Bev Jim and Frank.  but said you were all right and she was all right.  I cant write any more.  

Much love to all
Mother

     Well here is another day and night over, Lillie is still alive but oh, so weak & pitiful in a dose most of time but rouses every few minutes & has occasionally a coughing spell which racks her poor body but we continue the hypos to keep down the cough.  Ashton insists & it does seem if she did not have it she would cough to death.  This is an awful disease & she seems to be fighting to the last atom in her body.  I have lost sleep until I can't even sleep when I get a chance to lie down.  She wants one of us with her all the time.  Asked us not to leave her alone & sometimes wants both.  she knows she is in last stage.  I don't know when I took my clothes off.  am living myself practically on nervous energy.  Ashton seems like a person who knows & yet does not know but willing to do everything possible for her.  He has offer of 2 jobs about 70 miles from here at 5 a day, but of course cant take either now & he has been working 10 hours as laborer for 2.00 a day of course has not worked any this week & 2 days last week we had to phone him home as she had sinking spells & called for him....rather asked that he be called.

     There may be something beautiful about death but is is not physical.  The physical side is very heart breaking & pitiful.  She has just gradually lost ground.  Having one bad spell after another ever since I came.  getting better of that only to sink into another in a few days just a little weaker.  A month ago I thot she could get no thinner.  But day by day she swindles away until she is now a mere skeleton.  She has not suffered so greatly for the Dr has kept her doped up so all the time.  Last night sitting here all alone with her I thot how different it would be at home with neighbors in to help you & share share your vigils even if they could do no good except to bear your company but one doe not want strangers & too it would disturb her very much as we (Dr) does not allow any company but home folks.  My own hurt and dread of it all is not so bad as hers and the others.  I do not worry over her after her departure for surely she shall have much more peace and joy than she has had in past 3 yrs.  It has been a long drawn out sickness for her and I feel her spirit will welcome release.  She has been so patient thru it all.  So willing to fight for life but somehow she could not muster determination to throw it off and so it has at last overcome her.  She may live several days longer or even weeks.  I think not.  How she can without a great change for better I cant believe.  So let your help to her be as to one crossing the great divide.  I can't write more

Love to all
Mother

Sunday
Dear Daisy

     All this week Lillie has been very low, gaining strength in afternoons and is still very weak and sick.  Some times she rallies and I think she will be ok in day or so and again she is so weak and ill seems like an hour or so and it will all be over.  I have not had my clothes off in a week and Dr been every day and one day 3 times and 2 times some days.  He keeps her all doped up, has to on account of cough and heart but I really dont like so much dope.  I enclose one or 2 sheets showing how often it has to be given by type.  He gives her codine every 3 to 4 hours with a heart stimulant (strychminme I think) by type and in between another pill (by hypo) that I called "in place of codine" and today he told me it was herroin.  I thot it was morphine. So she is kept continually under dope and has been for some time.  She is very thin and only nourishment she has been able to take in last 2 or 3 days is Jello.  It does not seem to make her sick and she can keep it down by using what we call "red medicine"  I only put id down once or twice as it is not necessary to keep track of it as he told her to break the dose and take it any time she pleases or when her stomach hurts or burns.  All the rest are typos.  She is certainly in a pitiful condition.

Tuesday morn
     Lillie still very weak and living practically on dope just a skeleton of herself.  Ash and I wait on her continuously relieve each other.  She does not even seem to be herself except at times.  Dr comes every day and sometimes 2 or 3 times but all he does is to increase or leave more dope.  She is too far gone to fight for life depends on the Dr and medicine poor thing.  She told me several days ago she a wonderful experience one night (the night before) too wonderful to tell me even, but it gave her full courage to go on or stay and really made her want to go.  Also said she got a warning about so much dope, danger from it and next morning she insisted there was a lady in black in room all morning, that afternoon she was lots better, she felt so good she said she believed she could get up and go to town.  I really have no idea she can now recover.  her cough is bad and she raises some terrible looking and smelling stuff.  One day Ash held her up in bed and she put up 1/2 to a full pint of the worse I've ever seen and the foulest.  It made me deathly sick myself now every day he raises her and she tries to get it up (the worse I mean) so it keeps her from hacking.

     She may pass at any moment the Dr says or may rally for a time but he holds out no promise of long.

     I sincerely hope you all are ok there.  It is a terrible thing to have to watch anyone waste away before your eyes and I am glad you are spared.  I think even Ashton has become reconciled to the idea of her passing in these past 2 weeks and he has never given up hope entirely before.  He does all he can day and night, but her suffering and condition has reconciled him more than ever before.  He would not have her like this to continue on and on.  She has told him all she wants done in case she goes about children and all.  I do not know their plans, except he told her he would do all in his power to educate them and give them free choosing power as to a life profession and that he would always remember she was with him in spirit.  She asks to be held out 3 days.

     I am enclosing letter to Life Ins Co you can send on or type if you wish and sign for me.  If you do not get ans soon let me know.  Send this enclosed letter on to Norfolk right away but the note is not due until Feb 17.  But is due exactly that date, no grace.

     I have been up so much I just neglected sending your letter I wrote over week ago

Much love
Mother

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