Letters of Laura Blake

Letters of Laura Blake

These are letters written by Laura Kincaid Blake to her aunt, Sarah Johnson Maynor. Laura's mother and Sarah Maynor were sisters. The last letter is written by Laura to my great-grandmother, Grace Maynor Craddock, daughter of Sarah Maynor.


Kincaid, W.Va.
Sunday, Dec. 5, 1915

Dear Aunt:

I will write you just a few lines to let you know Aunt Nancy is very sick. She is worse today.

She asked Dix not to leave her to go to church. I don't think anyone has much hopes of her getting well. She had them singing for her this evening. She has been sick two or three weeks.

They said she had not seemed to suffer so much but was so nervous and she says she feels so curious.

You said something about us coming up. If I am well enough during Christmas week I am coming there.

I have had two or three times set to go and got sick every time. So I am not going to talk much about going and just get ready and start.

I have not been to see Macie for a long time. She has been sick over a year. Some times she is able to sit up and some times not. She has heart trouble.

I am at school. It is noon and all the children are talking at one time. I just have one more day of school.

When are you coming down to see us. I want to come up when school is out and I get the house straightened up a little.

Hope you are all well. All come down.

Your niece
Laura M. Blake



Kincaid, W.Va.
Feb. 14, 1918

Dear Aunt

I will try and write you a few lines this morning. I hope this will find you all well.

There is no one at home now but myself and Dora's two children. Mr. Blake is working over at Beards Fork. He has a three room house rented and Roy and Maybelle and Vievia stay with him.

Maybelle and Vievia go to school over there and Roy works. We have not had any school here this year for the large children. We can't get a teacher.

I was down to Deep Water a few days ago to see Uncle Henry. He is very poorly. That cancer has entirely covered one side of his face. It is an awful looking thing. He said he could not last    (last part of letter missing)




Kincaid, W.Va.
May 2, 1918

Dear Aunt:

I will try and write you a few lines this evening. I was glad to hear from you but sorry to hear that Lud and Okie had to go to camp. Yes, nearly all the boys from this place has had to go to the army and what few are left have to go the 10th of this month. What camp did Lud and Okie have to go to? What is their address. Vievia and Maybell like to send the boys they know a card sometimes.

Maybelle is at Charleston now going to school. She is not very well. Her eyes bother her so much.

We have been having a time with measles down here. Nearly every one around that never had them have them now. It almost broke up the school. Dora's two children at my house have them. They are making them pretty sick.

Mack Johnson's family have run from them ever since I can remember. Him and all his family got them this time. Mack went right crazy with them but he has got alright now.

Aunt Cinda is getting along very well. Uncle Kell has had rheumatism all winter. Aunt Cinda takes spells that she can't talk very well. Jennings wife has something wrong with her eyes. She can't hardly see any thing. They took her to Charleston to the doctor but I don't know what he said about her. Aunt Miriam is getting along pretty well. One of Bob's boys stays with her. Mr. Phipps is a little better. But everybody says he will not get well. Aunt Vine has been up there three or four weeks with Aunt Jane. Our preacher's wife died a few weeks ago. They took her to Weston to bury her.

We are having so much cold and wet weather here. There hasn't been hardly anything planted yet. I think most of the fruit is killed.

Minnie has sold her house and lot here to John Canterberry (a brother to Will Canterberry). Minnie is still in South Caroline and Otas is in Michigan.

Well I expect you are tired trying to read this scribbling.

Laurie Blake




Tuesday

Dear Grace:

Just received your letter and glad to hear from up that way but sorry Charlie's wife is not well. I often think of all of the folks up that way and would like to come up but have no one to stay at night with Vieva and since I have no car I can't make the trip up there and back in a day.

Night before last I dreamed of you. I thought you was almost drawn double with rheumatism. I said, "Well Gracie, you remind me of Mrs. Loring walking that way." When I awoke and started to get out of bed I took a pain in my back and I could not straighten. I was drawn just like I dreamed you was. I can straighten now but my back is still store.

I had to go to Oak Hill last week on Wednesday. A very hot day here. I walked more than a block and went into the bank where it was so nice and cool. When I came out on the street and stepped into the sunshine, I fell forward like I was shot, cut my head and knee, broke my glasses. Two men standing near picked me up and when I raised up I regained consciousness. They wanted to take me to the hospital but I wanted to come home. A neighbor drove by in a few minutes and asked me if I wanted to come home. I came with her. I have not felt too well since but well enough to work some.

I wrote Ivan at Willis Branch some time ago but never heard from him. I thought maybe he had a program planned. I think Howard Franklin is going to preach at 11:00 a.m. He is Edna Millers grandson.

The reunion is on the 3rd Sunday. I believe every one got mixed up on which Sunday. He wrote all summer to different people trying to interest them in coming and told them the date and now in the last two weeks have had letters from so many saying they had forgotten the date. So I have written most of them again. I hope we have a good sized crowd this year. It seemed Henry Smith was so anxious for us to get as many as we could come this year. He probably thinks he will not attend many more as he is now 88 years of age.

Our cousins are passing fast. Henry Wriston (Aunt Nancy's son) died last week. Hazel Cale, who was formerly a Kincaid and Della Kincaid (Joe Kincaid's widow) was buried here the same week. Hazel on Thursday and Della on Friday. The Kincaids widow is very poorly with cancer.

Martha Darlington poorly. She has a cancer on her head which is bleeding badly now.

Eddie Kincaid's wife (Uncle ? son) died from a stroke a few weeks ago. Dollie Kincaid's daughter ? Kincaid is in a Huntington hospital. She had a tumor removed from her lung which they said would develop into a cancer. She teaches in Kanawha County. She is a good girl.

Willie Wriston is quite feeble and very childish.

Uncle ? Kincaid's daughter Anna who married Owen Darlington is bedfast now due to breaking her hip. She is same age of Martha Darlington, ?3 years.

Well, I had better ring off or I will not have any thing to talk about when I see you at the reunion. Tell every one of those children of yours to come and bring every one of their family.

I am sending notices to about a dozen papers so all will know date. Hope Anna, Charlie and all the Maynors will be there, and all folks who are related to either the Kincaids or Johnsons also.

Come down and see us. That visit you promised us is might slow getting here.

Love to all.

Laura


Created on ... October 07, 2000