William Slocum worked at home with his father longer than the rest did, but finally he married Susan Swarthout of Morris, settled there for a while, then pulled up stakes and journeyed to Davenport Clinton Co. Iowa, farmed it there for a good many years, returning to York state to visit his mother and other kindred at three different times. The first time was in 1866, again in 1871 and again I think in 1878 or 79. Finally he developed rheumatism in its worst form, thought a change of climate would be a benefit to him. So he took a trip to Missouri to see the prospect there. No Good! Went back to Iowa and took another start. This time to Maryland, bought a small farm near Codova Talbot Co. Maryland. In all these trips that I have recorded he couldn’t walk a step and had to be carried on and off of trains. Aunt Susan was with him of course. They went back to Iowa, superintended the packing of their goods, sold the farm, bid good-bye to Iowa forever, and went back to their new farm in Maryland. The farm was a fruit and vegetable farm and they raised lots of sweet potatoes. He hired a man, helped a good deal and their adopted daughter Lettie, did all the rest. Father went down to visit them in 1883 and in 1884 brother Edwin went down. They reported Uncle William as being a most pitiful object, for eighteen years before he died he couldn’t walk a step. He died in 1899. Aunt Susan with Lettie’s help cared for him faithfully till the end. Aunt Susan died in 1903. Lettie died in 1931.
by Emma Arnold Graves, as told to her daughter Nellie Graves Dewsnap
who hand wrote it in 1933
Keeper of the Family 