© Kathy Duncan, 2018
This letter, written by Turie Lea (Lain) Stephenson, is especially difficult to read because she recycled the paper from another letter. Apparently, she wrote a letter To Rev. Albert Warnken, inquiring about her Barber relatives, was given the address of Chester Barber Jr., and then used the response letter to write to Chester Barber Jr. Her letter begins midway down the first page below the original letter, continues on to the next page (probably the back of the paper) with what looks like a postscript of some sort at the top of the first page. It is the tacked on information at the top that reveals when and where my great-great-great grandfather Joseph Barber died and where he is buried.
My notes are added in red.
Page 1:
Page 2:
Transcript:
Original Letter:
October 10,1960
Dear Friend:
The First Baptist Pastor asked me to check on the card that you sent him inquiring about your relatives who used to live at Ravenna. The best I can find out George Barber Jr. and Ida are both dead. However I did not get to talk with Mr. Chester Barber, Route 1, Ravenna, Texas; and I understand that he might know more about it. If you care to you might write him and ask him about them.
I am sorry that I didn't get more information for you.
Sincerely yours,
Rev. Albert Warnken
Turie's letter to Chester Barber:
Oct 10, 11, 1960
Mr. Chester Barber Jr: [sic - Chester Barber was not a Junior] - I wrote a card to this Pastor & here is all the information He could get for Mr. C. My mother was was Mary Emma Barber & came from Alabama to Tex. she married my father L.W. Lain of Mt. Pleasant. She had two boys & one live here & one in Spur, Texa, & my self I was the oldest of we three Morris & Jewel. Morris lives in Houston. [It seems odd that she does not acknowledge any of her elder Brown half-siblings or that her mother Mary Emma Barber was previously married to John C. Brown] she She had there were 3 girls Sarah [married Levi Blakey] & she lived at Atlanta, Tex & had several but the girls that I know Alabama, lives on a ????? c. there were Ed. George Robert & William Barber of Ala. [These are all siblings not children of Mary Emma Barber.] He [Will Barber] Died & left no Heirs & had run a Gele store since the war was over & that was fer & years ago. He Died in Ala. their may be money coming to us all C. I have forgot if He lived in Troy I think. I'll trace it some time. Cousin [she means uncle, not cousin] Will Barber never failed as long as He lived to come to see us ever summer & spend the Summer He had a big mare [continues on next page] named Bess she was a picture He lived on the Farm then & your Dad & Mother come & Ida too & George Jr. C. but I lost all track of you folks & I wrote a card as you can C. the reason I'm using this paper to help you understand more clearly. I had four two boys two girls all live in Houston but my youngest girl & she come to see me last Saturday night her Husband Travels. I taught school at Mt. P. [Mt. Pleasant, TX] & my oldest girl Madge Taught fur yrs there & two here C. she don't teach any more I live with here & my two boys live on Allston St Woodie is a Capt on the police dept has his own private office & sec. He works colored police under He has two girls Beverly & Bettye Jo. Beverly is in Huntsville S.H.S.J. College, & grad from Regan High Bettye Jo will go in Sep. Beverly is 18 yr old 7 She & her Sister are real musician they can swing low sweet chariot they play all over Texas they are the 2 B. They play the accordian & can they play any where they are invited that ??? all the place they can major in music except oklahoma City & that is a far piece my oldest son has three girls no boy & He is a Depty Sheriff no boy, so the Stephenson name play out C No Boy to hand it down my girl I live with has a boy named Johnson & one girl She is a teacher in Calif She has two girls she married very Rich Bobby Jo. Richmond, He graduated from Baylor U & is ordained Baptist minister He makes about $1000 per mo & she make $500 per mo the yr a round She is a Sister to the boy but her Dad Died & Madge married a Johnson & Bob has several oil wells & His Dad has only two Sons & four grans Jerry has two girls & the other one a son & Daughter they have Large Peanut plantation & oil Wells they are Rich but we are not but it is nice to have a gran girl Rich Jerry finished it E.J.B.C. at Marshall, Tex She went to Baylor 1 yr but said She could not hire a Butler to Carry in her evening Dance C Well enough of that Capt Noodie don't remember His Dad. He was so very young, but He had a Law Course & Graduated & made the biggest exam in F.B.I. traning. We are very poor but Christian & all Baptist Son your folk's were thin, If ever you are in the City Come to see us & we will shore show you how poor folks live Woodies phone no is no. 4-9590. & Madges is W.N. 9.3916 hers is not listed but J.T. is on Alleton st. less you & trace uncles Williams property C. Well If you are kin to my maw Id love you Aunt Emma [her mother and Chester's aunt] was red Hair & mine is blond C. Write me & lets scrape up Barber Kind Lovingly your Cos haha Turie Lea Lain Stephenson
Top of the first page:
my Bap Pastor out to eat Chicken He Barbecued Well if I had any more paper I might tell you some more tin type C. My Gran Dad Barber Died in our Home & I was not quite 2 yrs old. He Died the 8th of Jan & I would been two the 13. He come to live with Mother & was burried at Old Marshall Springs My husband at Mr. Pleasant Tex in the Mason Cemetry. ??? & had better say be sure & waste 4 cts on me & tll me if you are my Rich Kin C. If you ever come to Houston We Will go to Galveston & Drowned you in the Bay haha Woodie has three ars & j.T. three & Mde 1 guess We could take you for a Buggie ride We ???? had only an ox wagon& no Car when I lived on the Farm thin a big tassle Surry & then a spoke back buggie I went on my Honeymoon in a two horse buggy you never heard of such poverty haha hope you ??? sick Coz I never owned a car in my life but all my inlaws & outlaws Dont walk around the block C. Well I am 79 yrs young Jan. 13 on Friday ha ha
Turie Lea (Lain) Stephenson would have turned 79 on 13 January 1961. Based on that date Turie would have turned two, Joseph J. Barber died on 8 January 1884 at his daughter Mary Emma (Barber) Brown Laine's home in Titus County, Texas, and he was buried in the Old Marshall Springs Cemetery. There is no known tombstone for him.
Kathy, I was thrilled to see that you added the letter from Turie Laine Stephenson to my grandfather, Chester Barber, to your blog. Also appreciate the time that you put into transcribing it for others to read. The only correction that I would suggest is in the introduction to the letter. My grandfather, Chester Barber, was not a Junior. Hope all is well you,
ReplyDeletePam - So good to hear from you, cousin. I appreciate you sharing the letter with me to begin with. Sometimes my criteria for what to add as a blog post is as simple as asking myself, "What would make me cry if I lost it?" Turie's letter is one of those things. It is the ONLY documentation that we have for Joseph Barber's date of death and place of burial. And the bit about her Uncle Will Barber coming to visit in the summers is priceless. Please stay in touch...email once in a while!
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