True Story - By David Dunlap Cohee (1853-1934)

On June 3, 1932

I was reading True Stories, and your prize offer; So I picked up pencil and paper and started to write, and this story, true to life, was written as it come to my mind.

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Having been born, and raised in a rural district in central Indiana, by industrious, pious parents that had to fight the hardships of pioneer life as they found it more than eighty years ago: My grandparents that come from the east in eighteen eighty [sic], settling in the thick forest, had many hardships to endure in erecting buildings, clearing forests to make farms, and homes, and to protect themselves

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and property from wild animals and Indians, until more persons moved into their new holmes and formed a band of neighbors that were always ready to do or die for their friend. Many are the thrilling stories of those pioneer settlers as I still remember after hearing them seventy five years age; death took the grandparents, leaving their blessings, and experience, to a large family who have lived to honor them

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Continuing with the story of my parents with their nine children to provide for, and limited means to supply with, caused them to use the strictest economy, so as to buy a home and have the neceseties[sic] of life. At about this time the writer was old enough to go to school, only a three months term during the year, and only attending a part of the time at all: all of my schooling was in the same one room rural school house.

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with my school days ended and I had decided to be a farmer, it was necessary to have a life partner, so courtships started and continued for several years, before the right one was chosen to share lifes trials: then began the responsibilities of a life that continued over fifty two years before death separated us by taking away the wife who had born her full share of all that a companion and mother had to endure, and enjoy; she had lived so she was ready to go to the rest promised to the faithful

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Joining the M. E. church when thirteen, I attended sunday[sic] school and church. always ready to fill my place, and carry my part of the work: and now in old age, the joy I have in knowing that I have tired[sic] to live an unselfish life, and have the friendship of man, and the favor of God. in politicks[sic] I never was a real partison[sic], but it is necessary to have two parties, then select the men from either, rather than vote the straight ticket to be loyal to the party.

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As a side line, which has proved to be the real story of my life, started in 1871 when I started to keep a diary, in a little advertising book: in 72 I dident[sic] keep on, in 73 I started again, and now I am filling my sixtieth book, having an unbroken record of every day during those sixty years; showing where I was, kind of work, weather and thermometer record, cash account, dates of births, marriages, deaths, with many other notations, of buying and selling.

Transcribed by: Jami Davis, from a photocopy of the handwritten original