1919

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Index / Della Abernathy
Lizzie Anderson
Mary Baird
George A. Baltzell
H. H. Baltzell
Leo H. Caudle
Mrs. Jane Chambers
Mary R. Cooper
Clarence Fish
W. C. Fyffe
T. S. Gerhart
Charlie J. Heath
Imogene Moffett
Vira A. McQuiston
Moffit Mills
D .S. Moore
John F. Peters
Zetta Jones Petty
Thomas H. Seed
Mrs. A. C. Shick
Ira W. Shick
George W. Shirley
Bessie Smith
Mrs. O. O. Stamats
Myrtle Wagner
Grant Williams
Mrs. William Worstell

Biographic Note:

Editor Note:

Della Abernathy wrote a letter to the Press in 1918.

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/ Bernie, Missouri
January 15, 1919
L M Wood and Sons:
We were monished to do our Christmas shopping and our New Year's Hopping 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 cups 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, 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 this 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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Monan, Indiana
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 breaking 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. /

Biographic Note:

Editor Note:

Lizzie Anderson wrote a letter to the Press in 1917.

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Editor Note:

Mary Baird wrote a letter to the Press in 1917.

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(George Alvin Baltzell)

Biographic Note:

Born November 9, 1882S son of Henry and Catherine Baltzell. Sister Minnie and brother Robert
The 1920 census his wife is Elsie Kelsey Palmer Children Lorena and Charles P. Baltzell
George died August 28, 1956

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/ 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
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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 happened 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 pleasured 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 to 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 A. Baltzell
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Clearwater, Florida
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, Charlie, 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 1.
H. H. Baltzell
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Augusta, Kansas
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 / Henry H. Baltzell)
Biographical Note:
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.

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(Leo Hardin Caudle)
Biographical Note:
Born March 20, 1892 to Clinton and Lilly F. (nee Culbertson) Caudle. In 1930 his brother Emil was living with him and his wife, Myrl, and their two children, Nathylee and Helen. Leo died in June 1982 in Oklahoma. Odessie Myrl Beard was born August 24, 1894 and died in Oklahoma April 1981.

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(Mary R. Cooper)
Biographical Note:
Editor Note: Husband David wrote a letter in 1915
------/ 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.