McCLAIN – JONES
Note: The next 6 letters were written by Lucy Caroline McLAIN JONES to her brother James Allen McCLAIN, again these were found in the trunk of Lucy McClain Satterwhite daughter of James A. McClain of Batesville and Cave City, Arkansas….pj
Fulton, Ky Jan 2, 1920 (Just the address, they lived in Weakley Co.)
Dear Lucy and all how are you by this time I did not aim to be so long in writing but I did but I hope you all are geting a long as well as you was when you wrote before we are all well as comon Well Christmas has come and gone and I did not get to send you any thing I did aim to send you some little some thing but I did not get to go to town did not get toget the children much it rained for days before christmas so I could not get to but maby I will some day Well Lucy Lee is going to town and I want this to go as soon as it can so I will close Jim Johnson is mity bad of I went to see him sat and they said that the Dr said he could not get well that he was borned to go could not be any thing done and could not live but a few days he has got tublocrist of the glands of the mout so I will close rite soon and bot some news from you all. Lucy
Note: The envelope is addressed to Mr. J A McClain, Cave City Ark with a postmark from Fulton, Ky Jan 3 1921…….as the others….this is typed exactly like it was written….This letter is from Lucy Caroline McClain Jones (my Mama Jones) to her niece and namesake, Lucy McClain, daughter of James Allen McClain….pj
Fulton, KY Jan 25 1921
Dear Brother and family will write a few lines again this morning to tell you that John is Dead he died last night at 11 clock that was Monday night and he will be buried tomorrow at Mountmarough at 11 clock I don’t see how I can go down there to day as it is a raining so hard I do hope it will quit be fore to morrow it sure is a bad day to day how is Loudie and all of the rest we are all ok but Theron is still rite puny still had some feavor this morning so I will close write soon and let me here from all. Lucy
Note: This letter is postmarked Fulton, Ky Jan 25 1921 to Mr. J A McClain, Cave City, Ark……John that is mentioned is Lucy and Jim’s oldest brother, Dr. John Davis McClain born July 9, 1848, died January 24, 1921 in Weakley County. Now the distance between Mt. Moriah Cemetery and the home of Lucy Jones was less than a half of mile. Theron was the 5th son and 7th child of William Lee and Lucy Carolina McClain Jones. Loudie was the wife of James Allen Jones. pj
Fulton Ky Jan 31 1921
Dear Brother and family I received you letter saturedy was glad to here from you all but sorrow to here that leoudie was not feeling so well as she was when you was here hope she is some better now Hermon got here Friday he has took a rite bad cole he is feeling rite bad he is a lying down now I thanks he will be all right in a few days tell Leoudie not worrie a bout him he will be all right and we will take care of him and when he gets better of hims coal we are going a bout soon and I am going to try to go see mirry Dreck with him if I come I would like to go to see all of them any way and we are going to Lydia in a few days would a went yesterday but it was to bad day it rained the botom out sat night and it has turned cool well I guess you have got my last letter that I rote a telling you that John was dead it rained all day that day and night and the next morning it went to snowing and snowed tell a bout the time they come with him to birry him Charity was not able to come to the buring she has gone home with Gracie to stay this winter John looked a little more natlerl than he did while he was sick I did not get to see him any more after you went home till he died. Well Theron said tell you that he would not haft to drink pidas milk long we got a little calf so I will close rite soon we are all well and I hope you are well as comon Lucy
Note: This letter is postmarked Fulton, Ky. Jan 31 1921 to Mr. J. A. McClain, Cave City, Ark. Loudie was the wife of James (Jim) McClain. Herman was the son of Jim and Loudie and the brother of Lucy McClain Satterwhite. I have no idea at all who mirry Dreck was? Lydia was the sister of Lucy McClain Jones and James (Jim) Allen Jones, she was born November 2, 1869, died July 9, 1939. She was the wife of William Labon Hendrix. John is oldest child of 13 of Allen and Delilah Jane Johnson McClain. Charity was the wife of Dr. John Davis McClain. Gracie is one of their children. Again Theron was the son of William Lee and Lucy Caroline McClain Jones of Weakley County pj
Dear Jim,
got your card yest- was proud to hear but sorry you not feeling so good we doing verly well I am Just a bout like I was when you were here but Lee a lot better and is grinning all of the time he got so he can walk down to the lost and has walked as fore as Dean Terrill twice but he still has to wear his harnest all of the time cant control his water yet but it getting some better than it was when you were here well I go your other card but was so busy canning and doing ever things else I just didn take time to ans and I done Estes the same way I was a shame of it well my white face cow finly come in the calf is 2 weaks old you arrglet to see me get her and it to the house it took me a bout 2 hours I went and drove her up but I couldin get him in the lot by my self so I just shut her in the botton where they cut hay by her self I am still selling milk Carlos got the record of halling milk he go $ 6 25 for 2 weaks they said it was more than they ever paid any of them that was pretty good Montez got well and May a bout over his operation he cutint tobaco yest and to day Theron will cut next weak My late corn patch has come in you better come over but it was not plowed but once so you know it not much a count he planted a late potatoes patch and never did tetch it it didn come up rite good but would been a rite smart of potatoes if he worked them out and sprayed them what did you get for your berries you done well I got 2 qt caned and some jellie but that a bout all I wanted any way I got 38 qts peaches and a lot of other thing you said you haden had a rian in a long time we had some in Aug and good one we was dry a long time and the early corn hrvst mity bad ours was late and it diden suffer so much is going to pretty well I think it pas rostnears I guess it would of been better if it rained sooner well I just haft to tell you I had a big mess of poke sallet the 19 of Aug I found some that hadden bloom out and I got a mess it was still good well I close for this time so write I made up for last time this time so by with Love Lucy
Note: This letter is postmarked Fulton, Ky. Sep 4 1947 to Mr. J A McClain, Cave City Ark…..Well let me see if I can tell you who all the folks are…..Mama Jones was right newz in this long letter to her brother……Lee is William Lee Jones, husband of Lucy Caroline McClain Jones….. Dean Terrill lived the next farm down on the same side of the road ….remember Miss Allie from my stories….this was her husband….. The “harnest” was called a Cunnimgham Clamp…..Papa, Lee Jones had kidney problems….he spent a long time in the Baptist Hospital in Memphis, Tn. during 1947 in the same room with Ben and Dean Herron’s father…..My mother, Beauton Howard and my daddy, Paul Howard met during this time in Memphis….Lee Jones died in July 1948…..Estes was Lee and Lucy’s oldest son and child….oldest of 9 born September 15, 1895….Carlos was the husband of Montez, 2nd daughter, 6th child of Lee and Lucy….Carlos hauled milk for years and years for Pet Milk Company out of Martin….Now I bet you are wondering who “MAY” is….he is Marion Jones, 6th son, 8th child of Lee and Lucy….the family has always called him May as I do today …..Theron you have met several times already, the 5th son, 7th child of Lee and Lucy …whoever heard tell of “good poke sallet” in August……pj
Dear Jim and Lucy
Just a few lines to see if we can hear from you all and to let you hear from us we doing very well Lee still not able to do any thing but is up all of the time I hope finds you both well and injoyin you selfs we been going some where every day this weak for a nice dinner we had our Chrismas day if we keep this up we get fat after while as sick one ha ha how did santy surve you both he was mity good to us Lee got a pair of gloves and 11 pair socks and a handchief and I got a lot of things 2 pairs Lymon hoes 4 prencis slips and a sweeter and to five dollars bills and Lee got 1 five well Jim I don’t think I ever wrote you that we made over the place to Beauton and her man to take care of us and put us a way when time come to do that and they here with us I couldin do what was here to do and lee didn seam like he ever going to get so he could do any thing we neaded some body here with us Theron still here but he bought him a place and is going to move as soon as the man get out of his house and to the baby got the measels rite now and coulden move for a few day if the house was empty any way well I hope every body is all rite and had a nice exmas and have a good new year so I will close write and tell me how you are so good luck to you all by with lost of Love you sis PS harry is here he ok.
Note: Letter postmarked Fulton, Ky Dec 31, 1947 Mr. J A McClain, Cave City, Ark…… Well who do we have this time…….You know Lee by now……Beauton was the 3rd daughter, 9th and last child of Lee and Lucy (she was my Mama)……I laugh every time I read this letter, Mama Jones never called my daddy nothing but “her man”….her man was Paul Howard, my daddy…..And you have to know Theron by now……the baby that Mama Jones is speaking about is Theron and Cena Mae Foster Jones’s oldest child, Garry Lynn Jones ….Harry was dear old Harry Wilson……he lived with them and later with us off and on….I often asked if he was kin to us but was always told, no just a friend of the family…..pj
Dear Jim and Lucy
I will write you a few lines to hear from you we are doing very well and hope you are well I wonder what you all are doing this time they are reworking the house and we all tore up while they working but it will look better when it done Jim when did you hear from H and is he at the same place Estes has sold out at Detroit and has bought a place back here and coming rite a way write me and let me hear from you all so I close write soon Love to all Lucy
Note: This is a postcard, postmarked at Fulton, Ky May 12, 1948….it also has a Cave City, Ark postmark of May 13, 1948….I am impressed that it got there that fast…..My Mama and Daddy “reworked” the house in the spring of 1948…..but no plumbing yet….that didn’t come until the fall of 1957 when the house was “reworked” again….H is Herman son of James McClain….that is a long story within it’s self about where Herman was……Estes of couse was the oldest child of Lee and Lucy…..he didn’t stay “back here” very long…..he went back to Detorit and lived out his life there dying in 1957…he is the only one of the 9 children that is or will be buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Weakley County……he is buried in Graves County, Kentucky at Water Valley…..Lee Jones died the summer of 1948 in July……Lucy lived until 1964 and was the best friend I ever had in my life……my dear Mama Jones…..pj. Submitted by Paula (pj) Howard Thompson Lamb