Isaac and Anna (Day) Walker
after marriage; click any photo for a larger version
of the picture
Isaac Walker (left) and
probably his brother Barrett
Billy & Mary Jane
(Liford) Walker
Anna
(Day) Walker
was born in Arkansas in 1888 but her family was from
somewhere near Claiborne
County, Tennessee. She wrote this letter in 1912
to the parents of her boyfriend, after what appears
to have been a minor argument, especially as they married
shortly thereafter. She also sent an undated postcard
to them about the same time, which is also below. Her
soon-to-be husband was Isaac Walker, the son of William
Anderson and Mary Jane (Liford) Walker.
Letter, postcard, and all photos courtesy Bill Walker
and transcribed by Roma A. Walker. Click any page or
photo for a larger version.
[Anna Day from about the same time period as
the letter; the back of the postcard is below;
click on either for a larger view.]
Mr. and Mrs. W. A. and M. J. Walker
Tazewell, Tenn
Hello W. A. and M. J. Walker [uncertain words]
Here I go again. Well, I had my picture made
to send to all of you. Guess you will be surprise
to see how youngly I am but I am going to send
it just the same. Well, How are you all.We are
all well hope all of you are. It a raining here
a little today. We haven't any winter here yet.
I want you to write me all along. I am going away
some. So good bye, answer soon.
From Anna Day [Queen?]
Ada Okla
Aug 19, 1912
Mr. and Mrs. Walker
Dear Friends, your kind letter just recd Monday.
Was glad to hear from all of you again and that
all of you was well. We are well at present all
but Frank. He is sick as yet he has gone back
to Newellen. So I just got a letter Monday and
he has been gone two week today but I will send
your letter to him today. So he get it all OK.
I guess he be at hand some as he is sick yet and
go to the hospital and so if
he is able to write, I will get a letter Tuesday
and we know just what he is going to do, if is
going to the hospital or not. I was glad to hear
you had good crops there and so much fruit. I
wish I was there today to help eat them. We haven't
but a few trees of peaches and they are about
all gone. So I don't guess I get to eat any more
this year only what we buy. My Papa and my brother-in-law
is at Bonnell OK. Papa is going a big til job
there. It 20 miles from here then South west of
Ada. Say I got a letter from Isaac and some
one got sorry
for me and wrote me and it is not any of your people
hand write but I guess he wrote it himself or got
some one else to write for him. He said he was going
home soon and not coming out here soon so it he
come home ask him if he wrote me a letter. I can't
imagine who else it could be from. They is no one
there that knows of me , no one only for Papa and
Thomas out at Cookeville, Tenn and Loo at Louisville,
KY. So I guess it was him if not home one got a
good job on me so I write him but I send it to you
and if he
to come and
you be noid [annoyed] at me but if you don't write
I am likely to just come anyway and you mustn't
be noid at me and I give you what you have thinking
for sure nuff, Isaac, some times don't you get a
little bit sorry for me? Surely you do. Say Sweet
Heart, now about your girl there. Would she not
whip me if I came? If you love any girl there she
better fly the track [?] for you know what I do
for her, don't you? Well I hate to come and see
you with some other girl
now and I come
if he not coming out here. If he is mad I don't
care I make him glad. We have been a little noid
once before but we could always make up in a short
while but he seem to mean it this time but you see
I don't. Well you said you send me your picture.
I sure want them so send them just as soon as you
can for I will be proud of them. I and my sister
will have some made soon and send you and let you
see how we look and did Isaac show you those he
had of me and was he ashamed
of them? He
said mine was just like me but the other ones wasn't
but none of them was good so we try it over again.
O boy, I thought I would come and if Isaac was mad
at me I get [aches or ails?] for my Sweet Heart
but there it is again, he has him a girl there but
I am already to slow to tell him I only joking,
not to get noid at me for that the only way I have
to get acquainted with all of you. Say, how far
do you live from Cookeville, Tenn and how far is
it from Cookeville, Tenn from Fonde, Ky. If I go
to my aunts
I think I shall
visit all of you before I come home if it is close
to you and I think it is. Let me know at once for
I will start soon as I hear from you again and I
want to find out before I go. So I want have to
lay over to find out and if Isaac come home you
let me know so I can come while he at hand. How
could I come out from Cookeville to your house?
Be sure and tell me all about it so I know just
how to do I wonder if Isaac would hear of me being
there. If he come home while I was there it be a
good joke and
I'm a big hurry
but haven't time to write like I want to as it mail
time now. I wrote you to so I send you a page of
each as I want this to go off now. I do better next
time.
Ada Okla
Aug 19,1912
Mr. Isaac Walker
Hello Sweet Heart
Dear I have been trying so long to see if I couldn't
get a letter from you but can't. I have sure spent
many long hours since you have gone and left writing
to you and to your Papa to see if I could only
get a letter from you and, Dear, you never know
how bad it would hurt me to do me like this. Isaac,
please don't do me
like this.
So, Isaac, I just got a letter from there and I
think it from you but all of your name is not on
it and I don't know what to think about it. Might
be some one else but I don't think so, so I writing
you at home if you go you get it and if not all
right. Isaac, write and tell me if you are coming
home and if you are not, I coming to see you. If
you are noid it don't make any difference with me.
That all right. I just soon see you noid as not
but you won't be noid at me long, will you? So if
you
now if you
are coming let me know and if not let me know and
you had better not run this time. I might get offended
but I don't guess I would. I never did. I heard
from Frank today. He awful bad sick. Well I want
write much until I see if you are noid at me but
I coming to see you if you are home. You got that
pistol yet? I hope not for I don't like it much.
Don't you get noid at me or I give you what you
been thinking. For have you forgot that? Isaac,
you know how I joke with you, don't you? Love as
ever
O boy, I know
[rest of sentence cut off] [city or country?] and
stayed all day Sunday. Sister and I went with Mr.
Allen [? and wife. I sure did enjoy my trip. We
had all kinds of fruit. [Not readable] you can give
it to him. If he don't come out here I am going
to come to see my aunt at Cookeville, Tenn. and
I am coming to see him. If he is mad at me that
don't make any difference with me. You can tell
him what I said if you see him. I am willing to
fight around with him before I miss seeing him.
That is if I can't see him any other way but surely
we want have to do that. Oh, my, don't you think
I am noid. I only joking about that. I don't believe
we fight. I know we wouldn't if I could run fast
enough. So if he come home you let me know.
Mr. Walker,
I will write you a few lines more as I just saw
a man from [unreadable]. He has been with Frank
and he has just come from there and says that he
just awful bad sick and doesn't know a thing so
they wanted us to come up there, some of us and
see about him. So there is no one here but Mama
and I so I don't know what to do. They say he is
not able to go to the hospital. It his head. You
know what the cause of it. They have him pack in
ice, have had for three days. I haven't had a letter
since last Tuesday
and he was
sick then. I think some one has to see about him
as he is there alone. I go but you see there no
place for me to stay and Papa would say something
about me if I go but I think someone ought to see
about him as he is there and can't get away. So
let me know at once if you want me to see about
him any way. I phone to you if I thought it be all
rite so if Isaac come home give him my letter and
tell him I got a letter from some one and don't
know whether it was him or not him. His name wasn't
all there just [unreadable]
[top sentence
cut off] write with a pen and pencil so I won't
write much [unreadable] line but I want you to ancer
[answer] soon before I start. I am going to stop
at my Brother at Hughes OK and at Fort Smith at
my aunt. Papa will move to Boswell,OK I guess but
I won't go until I come down to my aunt and to your
house. So if I can I am going to see you people
and Maggie to if I can. I mean if he don't come
out here soon. So goodby. Love to all
I remain as yet yours truly, Anna Day
219 W 8 St.
Hello and by by to all of you.
