few people enjoyed letter writing like I do

Mixed in Dad's papers were several letters written by Aunt Lorena in the mid 1950's.  The following excerpt fascinates me, because she gets so much information into so little space.  Granted it's a little disjointed and wandering, but it gives me some names and possible family relationships to pursue in my effort to get to know the family.

I've left the spelling and punctuation as she wrote it.  It's open for interpretation!  And if you can shed any light on any of these people, please leave a comment.

October 4, 1954

to Florence (Mable's sister)

from Aunt Lorena

October 4, 1954

I do not know of great grand fathers family but always understood he was from a ____ family he was Jerimiah D. and I think his oldest son was too then there was Nancy, George, Linda, Jack and a little dwarf girl. Becky, Rebecca, I guess.  She never grew tall.  I do no know why, some sickness she had when she was small, I think.  She was about 4' or 3' 11 " I believe.

Another of the family then he married again but she was mean to Becky so he left her.  I never heard of a devorce and they weren't common then maybe he just quit her but I remember Granny Overturf she was small and quaint and had a family by her first man.  There may have been ones between but I don't think so her family got scattered in the war and in hunting then they got west to Dennison, Texas.  I don't remember any more if she and grandpa were married or the girl and Jerry Overturf, but they found them at Dennison and she was married to grandpa's oldest son you remember Aunt Melinda Bullock don't you.  Grandma's sister then Geo and Jack at Freewater.  Jack only had one girl and she is married and I don't know what become and Geo married a sister to Aunt Fanny.  Aunt Belle Patterson and he had two girls and a boy his girls moved to Portland and last I knew of children Eva had had a boy before she was married not her husband's and he died.  Jennie never had any and Jim married one of the coffee girl and raised two girls Gwen and Amy I think.  Jim was sort of a never to well when he was a youngster as I remember but he got a well drilling outfit and became a pretty well to do man and was considered all right.  It was rumored at one time he had bootlegged some though but never was prosecuted for it.  So Gwen is the last of the line I guess and she didn't write to one . . .   I guess she is in bad health and few people enjoyed letter writting like i do.

Luck go with you - 

My love to you

Aunt Lorena

Lorena and Nathaniel Shockley

I'll bet she had some great stories to tell!

. . . E mail - whatever that is

I laughed when I thought about the beginning of email and that none of us knew how to use it!

 

to the Family

from Jim

February 1996

Well, if you have not guessed by now, Tesi bought me a new computer for Christmas.  I am really just learning how to use it.  It is a Macintosh Performa 5215 CD.  It is really neat and does many things I cannot.

If it looks like I am having a lot of fun with it you have guessed right.  It does know how to spell, but I do not have a grammar check in it so you will have to forgive the long sentences and never ending paragraphs.

A great newsletter - colorful and newsy

I am anxious to learn all that I can about his computer.  It does have a modem, Don.  I know you asked me about that.  It also has E mail, whatever that is.  I just need to learn how to use it.

I do know how to print in color and use the clip art that came with it.  As you can see it can be a lot of fun.  I guess my letter will be over when I run out of pictures.

 Our computer skills have come a long way!

Jimmy, Tesi, Jim, Brittany
May, 1997

You'll graduate today

Eldon at high school graduation - May 30, 1946

to Eldon

from his father, Jesse Butler

 May 1946

Your High School days are over.

Your books are laid away.

Your troubles and worries are over -

You'll graduate today.

We wish you every happiness,

and may the years unfold

a bright and happy future

and your clouds be lines with gold.

But if the time should ever come

when the sun don't shine as bright,

and the storm clouds seem to gather,

and your days are dark as night.

But always remember this my son

and hold your head up high.

The sun is bound to shine again

and the clouds go floating by.

Oh never, never do a thing

to darken your fair name

or cause your mother or your dad

to bow their heads with shame.

But always strive to do your best 

even when your skies are gray

and may we always be as proud 

as we are of you today.

Keepin it cool

Davis home on the ranch near Haswell

 to Davis Families - Round Robin

from Lou Butler

28 February 1999

in response to a letter and pictures 

compiled from sharing memories at a Davis family reunion

Looking at those pictures of the ranch site really brought back a lot of memories.  One of my memories which I have told about often, was the summer I was there when Grandpa Davis and Uncle Johnny built a "refrigerator" of sorts north of the back porch of the ranch house.  They built a frame out of 4 x 4's and 2 x 4's and put in a few shelves and then covered it with several layers of wool sacks.  They then piped the water to it from the line that came down from the well up on the hill to the south of the ranch house and let it fill a top shelf and drip down all sides.  The breeze then went through the wet burlap, and it was surprising how cool it kept the butter, etc. in the refrigerator.

I am amazed and fascinated by their ingenuity!

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

News from an 11 year old granddaughter in Germany

to Grandma and Grandpa Butler

from Amy - granddaughter

Fall, 1989

Dear Grandma and Grandpa

How are you?  Im fine!!  Chucky's bike got Stolen again.  And Tom got his nose stuck on the car Door window.  And Jeremy was playing at boyscouts And bumped his head hard.  And me and dad Are sick and my mom is taking good care of us.

* * * * * * * * * 

I can't wait until you come And have cristmas with us.  It will be like old time.

* * * * * * * * * 

Im so proud that my Grandma and Grandpa are in the MTC it sounds Wonderful.

by, love you,

Amy

Amy - Grandma - Carol - Beth
May, 1990

Bet this letter made Grandma's day!

"We come from great people."

Grandma Della with Callaway grandchildren
Velda (on lap) - Nyda Dell - Delvin - Lowell
circa 1943

to Round Robin

from Nyda Dell Marx 

(daughter of Mary Florence Davis Callaway)

1 June 2009

Dear Cousins,

Did you know that Grandmother Davis was working in her parents' restaurant on roller skates when she met Grandpa?  One of the men slapped her on the behind, and she dumped a plate of spaghetti on his head.  Grandpa was working cattle and had stopped for a meal.  Grandpa was impressed with this spunky, pretty girl.  This is part of our family history - we come from great people.

Wouldn't that have been fun to see?  

I wish I had a picture of a young Della Davis. . .

. . . too busy to even breathe

Della and Harker Davis (center)
50th Wedding Anniversary
30 October 1939

Lou Butler is 3rd from right in the third row (just in front of the window)

I hope you can enlarge the picture on your screen 

to Della and Harker Davis

from Lorena Arnold Shockley (Harker's half-sister)

1 January 1940

I surely am proud of the picture you sent me, and for an outdoor picture of a group it is extremely clear and nice.  I always thought you had a lovely family and then too, I think it almost more wonderful to raise so many to maturity and to still be here to rejoice in your golden wedding, than the Golden Wedding itself and that is something to be proud of.  I think it is marvelous to be spared to each other for the full 50 years and then to have never lost but the one child is quite as rare.

I intended to write and congratulate you on your Golden Wedding Anniversary but right then we were too busy to even breathe except that it was natural and necessary.  I had a bunch of beet toppers and potato pickers to board - from 10 to 17 for five weeks and while they were here we were extra busy - maybe you can imagine.  I did enjoy it even if it was a lot of hard work for us.  Then after they left we were behind with some of our other work and the letter was just put off from day to day.  I had that present wrapped and ready 3 or 4 days before we got it mailed.  Please do not think hard that I did not write.

With love, Most sincerely, your sister 

 

All washed up

Canyon Picnie - Spring, 1967
Don is 2nd from left on front bench

to Mom and Dad

from Don - a new BYU freshman

18 September 1967

 Yesterday Steve and I washed all of our dirty clothes.  It was much easier than I thought it would be, and I don't think it will be a problem at all.

9 February 1968

Friday afternoon I washed my clothes and studied health at the same time.  This was fine except for the fact that I forgot to use soap.  It took me about four hours to wash that particular day.

Does this look like a guy who could get confused about laundry?