From Former Sons and Daughters of

January 15, 1919

L M Wood and Sons:

We were admonished to do our Christmas shopping and our New Year's shopping early, likewise to respond to the call of the Press for its annual non-resident issue. It is to be hoped that no contributor is so late as to cause our editor inconvenience, for he is surely kind to favor his patrons with the home-coming number each year.

I can apprehend many sad reports among the letters this season. Hardly a home or heart in the world which has remained intact from the ravages of war, influenza or other form of trouble during 1918. It will go down in history as representing two extremes: one of absolute anguish and one of glorious exultation to the fulfillment of a great dream; monumental in its greatness in comparison with other years, but furnishing full draughts from the cup of sorrow for most of us.

Last June 8, about the time the sun was in eclipse, the death Angel summoned my best earthly friend and mother lay at rest. She sleeps beside father there in the Sumner cemetery, which is as beautiful and well kept as any you will ever find claimed by the city its size.

Not many days after mother's death, we received an announcement of the birth of a second grandchild, a little girl, born to Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Frymire, of Salt Lake City and named Kathryn Lee. Mrs. Frymire, our daughter, Kate, and the babies have remained in the home while Lieutenant Frymire, her husband, has been in an army camp in the east. Just now he is with them, having obtained a three-month furlough.

Mary, our second daughter, is employed in the home school and, like the others, has taught only intermittently. The flu ban has been in effect so much of the time that our term is not half finished, though school opened in July.

George, our third and youngest, is not far from the largest of the family now. He attends high school, a member of the sophomore class.

Mr. A. is home with us now having had employment near Brookland, Arkansas, during the summer and autumn.

Uncle A. M. Fyffe’s family are well and employed same as at this time last year, except Arthur, the youngest, who is yet in Camp Funston.

Mrs. W. F. Guess, of whom we spoke at another time, died very suddenly of heart failure last September. Her husband was shocked to awake and find her dead in bed. He is still in Dexter and was well as usual when we heard from there not long since.

Other former Illinois residents near here are prosperous and in good health, save a few who are convalescing from influenza.

With best wishes to the Press and all its readers, I remain,

Yours very truly,

Della Daniels Abernathy

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(Della Abernathy)

Biographic Note:

Editor’s Note:

Della’s mother, Anne Daniels died June 8, 1918 fourteen years after Della’s father, George on November 20, 1904.

(Lizzie Anderson)

Biographic Note:

Editor’s Note:

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(Mary Baird)

Biographic Note:

Mary wrote a letter in the 1917 Press and her Biographical information is in that section.

Mother of Mary (Fyffe) Baird

February 1, 1919

Dear Readers of the Pink Press:

Another year has gone and here we are again. Although there are great members who have passed into the great beyond, some of us have been spared.

We have all gone through something that one year ago we did not realize as we do today, that is in giving up our boys for the great war. Dana, has been in camp since June 15, 1918 until January 27, 1919. Never left the states, has not arrived home yet, as he and wife are visiting relatives at Olney.

Herbert was in the last draft, but did not have to go. Ere this is printed Herbert will be married. He is braking on railroad making good money.

Nina graduates from four years high school in one week on February 7.

Sorry to see so many passing away at old Sumner especially the passing of Mrs. J. M. Brian, a good friend of mine. I loved her so much. It grieves me when I get the Press to see my good friends had gone.

We had flu but got through all right, for which we are thankful, whole families have died here with it.

I hope in March to visit Sumner again and I am anxious for the time to come.

Last year I sent a letter for this issue and received four letters and cards from friends of other days, of whom I had not heard for so long. Was so glad to hear from them. Hope I shall have as good success this time. I will close and wait anxiously for the letters.

Yours respectfully,

Mrs. Lizzie Anderson

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Guthrie, Oklahoma

January 31, 1919

Editor Press:

I have been thinking I would just let the soldiers and the rest of the non-residents fill up the Pink Edition this year, but husband says he thinks I ought to write for others will expect me to and it has been the means of my finding a very good friend and a cousin's daughter living close enough that I can visit occasionally. She reminds me so much of Uncle Levi's girls that I feel quite at home when I go there.

We didn't have any boys in the first registration, but the second one got the youngest and the last one got all of our sons and three of our grandsons and some of them were anxious to go, but I am thankful that the war was over before they were called to go, for surely it had lasted long enough to leave plenty of suffering and expense for years to come. I, like all others, have tried to do my little bit in food saving and had helped some with Red Cross work, though I never did join the society, consequently have no Red Cross flag to display in my window, but as I belong to the Church of Christ. I need no other society for his teaching will thoroughly furnish us unto all good work, and if all nations were humble, obedient Christians, nothing more and nothing less, it would do away with so much crime and sinfulness and also the necessity for wars of any kind.

This country has been afflicted with the flu and there has been some deaths from it, but the weather is very nice now and those who have it seemed to be getting better. Our immediate family has escaped it so far, thanks be to God, the great giver of all good gifts, to man.

Mary Baird

El Dorado, Kansas

January 14, 1919

L.M. Wood and Sons:

I will try to write a few lines to the Press this year, as I happen to be temporarily away from Sumner, but we still consider it our home and are only here because of the exceptionally good opportunities offered.

At present we are all in the best of health and have been except for a very bad spell of the flu and pneumonia, which Elsie had during November. It looked for a time as though she would not get well, but by skillful doctoring and good nursing, she is regaining her strength.

We are located about 6 1/2 miles north of El Dorado, on the Stone lease. I am at present and have been for the past eight months employed by the Carter Oil Company as gauger. We have a nice little bungalow, built for us, furnished by the company without any charge; also free coal (we have no gas here) and electric lights. Our house is on the old Hocking Trail, running from Texas to Montana, and directly back of it runs the beautiful Walnut River with the Santa Fe Railroad about halfway between the house and the river. We are about one half mile from school and Charley Baltzell, goes to school everyday. Lorena is with her grandparents and going to school at Hadley. This is a description of our surroundings here.

The Kansas oilfield is certainly a great field and I believe the Carter Oil Company the best in the mid-continent field. This is quite a change for me from one year ago and I often think of my many good friends on Rural Route No. 3 whom I was serving at this time last year. Should any of our friends happen out in this "neck of the woods" while we are here we would be much pleased to have them call on us. We certainly appreciate the Press each week, for it is like getting a long letter from home, for some time we expect to return to our home there.

Work here has been very plentiful until recently, things are a little dull. The wells on this lease produce from 100 to 600 barrels every 24 hours. We have a railroad station just a half mile from us, where we have two stores and a butcher shop and can go into El Dorado twice each day and return.

We have with us here Vernon Diebold, of Sumner, who is certainly making good in the oilfield.

Ed and Nell Perkins live in El Dorado and come out to see us occasionally. Ed looks 20 years younger than he did when he left Sumner and they are both doing fine. Fisher and Sergeant, who used to drill in the oilfield there, and who lived at Klondike, are both drilling on this lease.

I will close, with best wishes to all.

Very respectfully,

George Baltzell

(George Alvin Baltzell)

Biographic Note:

The advertisement to the right ran in the Sumner Press in 1917.

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Henry was born In 1839 in Ohio and was a Civil War Veteran having been part of Sherman’s March to the sea. His wife died January 2, 1914 and he died in June 1929.

By 1914, the "Dixie Flyer" was the nation's premier train service from the Midwest to the sunny Florida vacationland.

Mr. Baltzell’s letter indicated that the population in Clearwater, FL 1919 was 4000. In 2009 Clearwater Florida had a population of 106,081

GAR Membership Badge

The G.A.R. was a Civil War Veterans Association known as the Grand Army of the Republic. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died.

The John W. Watts Post was in Sumner.

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January 30, 1919

Editor Press:

As I have never written to the Pink Edition of the Press, I thought I would write a few lines to let my old friends know where I am and what I have been doing.

Five years ago I lost my wife and broke up housekeeping and had been making my home at Princeton, Indiana, with my son, Charley, doing nothing but run around and visiting old friends and relatives in Kansas, Iowa, Ohio and Michigan, and two years ago I came down here for a short time and liked it so well I thought I would come down and stay a little longer. So I and French, one of Oliver Baltzell’s boys left Princeton, Indiana, January 6, came down to Evansville, stayed all night, took the Dixie Flyer at 6 o'clock the next morning and arrived in Jacksonville the next day at 3 p.m. stayed all night, took the train the next day at 11 a.m. arrived here at 9 p.m. and John Berryhill met us at the train and we are boarding with him. He is doing a thriving business. He has 24 regular borders by the week and lots of transients.

This is a fine city of 4000 population, situated on Clearwater Bay 20 miles north of St. Petersburg. Dr. Murphy lives there; I got a letter from him yesterday. He says their G.A.R. Post is to celebrate Lincoln's birthday on the 12th of next month and wants me to come up. I think I shall go. He says there are several hundred visiting comrades there and I expect they will have a nice time. Dr. Murphy is quite poorly.

There are about 600 tourists at this place. I expect to stay here till after April 1st.

H. H. Baltzell

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January 20, 1919

L. M. Wood:

I will write a few lines for the Pink Press, as i can't do like you say, but you can read pencil marks.

I am 88 years and 5 months old; Only missed three Sundays this year at church and Sunday school. Have 12 grandchildren and 9 great grand children and 1 great-great-grandchild. How is that for an Illinois mother? Also am member of Red Cross. Have been away from Lawrence County 17 years.

Mrs. Philo Bell

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La Harpe, Kansas

January 17, 1919

Here is my bit to the Pink Press. If you publish, look over mistakes and scribbling, for I am somewhat nervous and make mistakes in spelling. I would write more, but I expect it will be dumped in the waste basket. My letter to the Press last year brought me so many kind letters. Success to your paper and to all that read it. I was born near the Wabash River in Posey County, Indiana, in 1841. Yes, Sir, in Posey County, and I have never regretted it for a single moment.

F. A. Bonner

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1005 East 58th Street

Los Angeles California

January 20, 1919
L.M. Wood and Sons and the grand Army of readers of the Sumner Press, greeting, and thanking you in advance for the privilege of a letter in your columns.

Have been in Los Angeles over a year now and am a voter again. Have been engaged in gardening for the last year, with fair success. I have had the use of four city lots and have raised good potatoes, tomatoes, beans and roasting ears, and about everything we could use in our family of seven.

Have two girls and three boys with us yet. The girls work in the telephone exchange and the boys, Fred and Theodore, are working in a garage and learning the business, and Ralph would be going to school if there was any. The schools have been closed nearly all winter on account of the flu, but the time is set to open the 27th of this month.

I cannot tell you how long we have been taking and reading the press, but it was when Carlton was the editor. I traded him a load of stove wood for a year subscription and have been a constant reader from that day to this and must say we appreciate it now more than ever. It is better than a letter from home. It makes me sad lately as there have been so many deaths among our dear friends.

We like the Southwest very much. It is sure the land of sunshine. There has been some frost here this winter, but they claim the fruit isn't hurt much.

I think it would be in order that we congratulate each other over the happy ending of the war and tender the soldiers a vote of thanks.

John W. Brothers

Leo was born March 20, 1892 to Clinton and Lilly F. (nee Culbertson) Caudle. He married Odessie Myrl Beard. In 1930 his brother Emil was living with him and, Myrl, and their two children, Nathylee and Helen. Leo died in June 1982 in Oklahoma. Odessie Myrl died in Oklahoma April 1981.

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Husband D. F. Cooper wrote a letter in 1915. (See chapter 1915 for notes)

January 25, 1919

Sumner Press:

This is my first letter to the Pink Press. We enjoyed the issue of 1917-1918 very much.

I have taken the Sumner Press for several years and still enjoy it, I, or we, as I am married now, try to visit old Lawrence County once a year.

I was married in the year 1916, and now have a daughter to bless and cheer our little home. We are in the oilfield of Kansas, located in the little oil town called Brownstown and enjoying the best of health.

My parents are Clint and Lillie Caudle, five miles northeast of Sumner.

We like this state fine, but still call Lawrence County home. If we keep our health, will try and make Lawrence County a visit this fall.

Leo H. Caudle

and wife and daughter

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Waynetown, Indiana

February 8, 1919

Sumner Press:

I will send in a few lines for the Pink Press, as I have made but one attempt here-to-fore on this line of corresponding but at your earnest solicitation, I will make a second attempt.

We moved from Lukin Prairie, Lukin Township, Lawrence County 10 years ago this spring, and located on an 80 acre farm 3 1/2 miles southeast of Waynetown, where we have lived ever since, and as age is creeping on us, we have retired some quiet from the hum and buzz of active life, but still moving around enough to keep up circulation.

There are only two of us in the family now and our ages combined only lack about two months of rounding up to 155 years. Were married at the ages of 27 and 28 and will pass our golden landmark in this present month.

Have four children-Cora L. Price, of south of Sumner, Route No. 2; Sherman Ellsworth Cooper, formerly a missionary in Japan 14 years and now in the Y. M. C. A. work at Camp Grant and has been there about ever since the U.S. declared war against Germany; Clara May our third child, married Charles E. Bell, of south Sumner, has been living in Wenatchee, Washington, and in the west for 18 years. The youngest of the family, Albert Ivan, is located four miles south of Bridgeport. We had 10 grandchildren living and one dead and one great-grandchild.

My father's family consisted of 12 boys and 4 girls, 16 in all. Two sisters and seven brothers have passed over to that country from which no traveler ever returns. Two sisters, one in her 82nd year, and five brothers, still on the probationary side of the river.

A few more Pink Press Papers and my father's family will be forgotten.

The Lord bless the Peace Congress with divine wisdom, so that they may bring peace out of chaos and that the kingdoms of this world may soon become the kingdom of the Lord and his Christ. Then all this ungodliness will cease. The fountain never gets above its source, so this reformation will need to begin in the so-called churches, yes, right in the pulpits, for if I understand the word of God, no preacher or professed follower of the meek and lowly Nazarene can join himself to any of these worldly orders or organizations. The theaters and eating, drinking, reveling and abominable idolatries, as Peter has it in 1st Peter 1:4. Read 1st Cor. 6 C ch v. 14-18; Ephesians 5th ch 6-19th. After we have read let us strive to obey, for judgment is going to begin at the house of God, and we may be surprised when the sifting is over.

I will not worry you any longer, will close by stating that we are very sorry to hear of so many of our neighbors dropping off.

Mary R. Cooper

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Oil Hill, Kansas

January 23, 1919

Dear Editor:

I left Sumner July 7, 1916; went to Hunter, Arkansas, and just lacked one day being there two years. We like that country fine, but I got discouraged all at once and took my leave.

Landed in Eldorado, Kansas. Came out here and went to work for the Empire Oil Company on Wilson lease out here on the Prairie where we can see as far as our eyes will let us, but can't see anything except oil workers and derricks and cattle, cow boys and jackrabbits and I expect someone will want to laugh at us when we say we don't like Kansas as well as we did Arkansas, for Kansas has the name of being a fine state. It may be in some places, but right here in the oil district don't suit our taste very well, and my wife has got farming in her head for the coming season, so I don't know but what we will go to the farming district here in Kansas or Colorado or go back to Arkansas. The question is unsettled yet just where we will go.

We have four children. Leslie and Violet go to school everyday, for the company has built a new schoolhouse here off the lease and they have but a few steps to go to school. Lloyd goes over and plays with the youngsters during recess and sometimes he goes at the last recess and goes in and forgets to come home till school is out. Leo is now 18 months old. We think he is as sweet and smart a baby as ever was, but he likes to get out and wade the mud as well as the rest.

(continued)

Obituary-“Aunt Mary Cooper, the aged wife of Uncle Dave Frazee Cooper , living in the Christian Union Church neighborhood, south east of Waynetown, met a tragic death Wednesday November 21, 1923, shortly after noon when she was attacked by a vicius ram in the barn lot and was butted to death by the enraged animal. Aunt Mary was alone at the time, and had gone to the mailbox to deposit a letter. She was returning to the house when she was attacked by the ram. The discovery of the tragedy was made by Mr. and Mrs. Cooper Gray, who chanced to be passing the home, and discovered the enraged ram butting at some object on the ground. Mr. Gray investigated and was horrified to find that it was Aunt Mary, who was already dead. He drove the ram off with a club, and the crushed and broken body of Aunt Mary was carried into the home. Aunt Mary as she was endearingly known by everyone, was the daughter of Robert and Lucinda A. (Cotty) Ellis, and was born in Mason county, KY, May 6, 1842, being 81 years 6 months, and 14 days old at her death. She was a very ardent church worker and was a member of the Methodist church.”

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Robert also wrote a letter to the Press in 1917. See his biographic notes in that section.