The death of Ira Draper by Stella Lewis Draper

my grandfather's death which happened while my father was freighting, out to Dolemore, etc. Mother, my sister, Sadie and myself with smaller children were with him alone. He died in the night about 1 o'clock. We had coil lamps. He asked for beat up egg which Mother fixed, and as he raised up to drink it, he gave the dish a toss towards the fire place and fell off the bed dead. We, lifted him back onto the bed and straightened him out when our coil 1amp grew dim. We had to go out of that room and through an open space to another room for coil and because of our sorrow and excitement and fright, we spilled the oil, but put in water to raise the oil already in the lamp up to the wick. Before daybreak, Sadie. and I went and milked and done the chores, and as soon as daylight appeared we took her baby boy (Ralph) a year old, and walked to the nearest ranch three and a half miles below for help, leaving Mother and the little children (5 children) to watch over him until we got back. It was 8th June 1899, just 6 days after his 71st birthday. He was so very straight, well built and handsome, true honest and faithful and always was so sincere and earnest in his blessings and prayers which he never neglected no matter what or who our company was. He was a true example of all the gospel teaches. Coming to I the Valley for his funeral and burrial Wilford Curtis and some others gathered the pink wild roses and completely covered his casket in the head open buggy. We all came down except sister Sadie and her second fiance; Evert Curtis and her two small children. The oldest, (May) was only 2 1/2 years old, and she called him (Grandpa) her Daddy as her own Daddy was dead.