Name/Title
AU Lambert, Luella Mae [Williams] - 1990-07-18 letter to Mary Elizabeth 'Bette' KnappEntry/Object ID
2004.1.30Context
Luella M. Williams
P.O. Box 426
Greenwood, MS 38930
July 18, 1990
Dear Bette,
All right -- here is the second installment. But first, I have now had time to go over my last letter to you. I hope you edited it because there were a few typos and they make me nervous.
I don't know if you keep a copy of each letter you send to me or not, but you mentioned Abner's indiscretion in your Dec. letter. It wasn't Abner, it was Albert. It was interesting to me that in the records, the Clerk said he neither admitted not denied it. I just wonder how whatever "it" was came to light in the first place. And I do believe it was after Winnifred's death; they just seemed to come apart for a short period of time and Abner ceased to do anything church-wise for a while. That's when Aunt Elizabeth strayed from the narrow path, too. I hope very much to track down some other records for that period of time -- in Ohio, I guess.
Do you realize we have been corresponding 6 years?
I was so sorry to hear of the pain George is in from his back condition. I know it is hard for you both and you are often in my prayers. If you have to do much lifting, you really must get some help. He would be in more trouble if you strained your back or some such.
We are planning to attend the Lambert Cousins Reunion Labor Day weekend. My mother and sister are coming back again this year and we will spend TWO evenings in Branson, MO. And then we'll visit some cousins on Mother's side of the family before we go on up to Linn County. Then we will go on to Chicago to visit my uncle and aunt - Mother's oldest brother and the only one of 4 still alive. Dutch is taking a real vacation this time so he won't have to work anywhere on the way, unless you call chauffeuring 3 women around "work." He is so patient, quiet and competent and he makes a perfect escort and driver. I won't say that Mother thinks he walks on water, but it must be close.
When we were in Denver in June (my 40th Class Reunion) I spent 2 days at the Archives Branch and copied all of North Salem Township and Grantsville Township of Linn County 1900 Census. I mean I MADE copies. I did start to copy them in longhand, and the time factor involved drove me to the copy machine. Anyway, I have started to trace everyone in the North Salem Township as to additional family members, deaths and burials, in the Ellsberry books that I have on hand. It is absolutely fascinating. I'm thinking of making it a major project although I don't know at this time who else would be interested, but I'm sure there is someone. I should do it with the Grantsville Township, too. That's where Grandma and Grandpa lived. I still haven't found out who Barclay's second wife, Mary, was, but I'm hoping to find out when I reach the obituary in the Brookfield newspaper. The Browning paper didn't have everybody. In fact, I found a rather strange thing -- George Monroe's family members had no obituary in the Browning paper even though they lived in the North Salem Township and were buried in the Purdin Cemetery. Only a daughter who married a Penhale -- maybe they just didn't believe in buying the space for it. I don't know, but I'm hoping to find
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vital connection. I just know it. Anyway, some of the Catholic Lamberts in New Jersey came from these two, because they married in New Orleans. There was also a French family of Lamberts there, but I'm not going into that.
In March I had a really bad spell with my back and it lasted 2 wks. I don't know for sure what brought it about, but suppose it raking leaves wrong....well, I just don't know. Other than that, there was a lot of local activities. I was supposed to present a quilt program for the Women's Club that month, but just couldn't. It would have been a good one, too. But they managed without me.
In April, we went to Chicago for another Show, and then returned in time to leave for Phoenix, and then Calif. for my mother's 80th birthday party. It was held at my sister's house in Moreno Valley. Lots of family were there, even met my mother's boyfriend. He's 65 but has a bad heart; they figure 65 with a bad heart evens out age-wise with 80 and a good heart. Well, why not. Then in Phoenix, we visited with some grandchildren and our daughter who lives there. She and her family had just moved into our Phoenix house so Dutch did a lot of fixing up around there as well as working his own job. Her husband is not very handy.
Then in May , I drove to Missouri for 2 weeks while Dutch went to Calif. again to work in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I drove by myself and visited courthouses and cousins. there's enough left to do to take care of several more trips. The bad part about it was that one of my uncles died on the 22nd so the rest of the trip was dictated by that. The good part was that I was there to attend services and be with the family -- he was mother's younger brother and she could not come. He had 9 children and I met them all, 2 for the first time. That has nothing to do with the Lamberts, except for Mother and then Mother's oldest brother married my Aunt Fanny Monroe's daughter, my first cousin.
Then, as you know, in June we went to Wash. DC and I attended the NGS Conference, not as good as the one in Biloxi, but that could be because of my own current interests. The facilities were good, the instruction was good, the whole program was interesting. We attended an evening reception at the National Archives -- there was plenty of food and drink, and some music by fife and drum - no program there, but everything in the gift shop was 20% off so I picked up Val Greenwood's latest edition of "The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy." the tell me it's a MUST for every genealogical library. I toured the DAR Library -- hope to go back someday. Was at the NGS House and Library for several hours - a big disappointment. Don't intend to go back, but I did copy all the Lambert family group sheet that had been sent in. There wasn't anything familiar at this time. (One never knows about later.)
I'm staying home this month -- there's plenty to do here and all I have to remember is not to panic. I have been renting old newspaper film from the MO State Hist. Soc. through our local library. There hasn't been much of any real!! value yet, but I'm still in the 1800's.
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We will be in Naples, FL Sept. 16 - 19, at the NASM Conference. Will you be there then -- I know it's not your usual time. I just hope sending this to Tulsa will reach you all right.
I didn't intend to cut this short, but the clock has gotten away from me and I want to get these papers copies and have to go to Dutch's office to do it. I think this had better be a first installment and will do more later. Bye for now.
{Lu}
{Bette - This hasn't been proofed - will write more later
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Aunt Aseneth's obituary somewhere in the next couple of films, and the Uncle Barclay remarried about 2 years later. We are talking 1893 and 1895. (The thing about the Ellsberry books is that after going through all of them, I would have to check again with the actual Browning newspapers, because I have heard that there are many mistakes.) Shouldn't take more than 10 years at eh rate I am going.
I want to copy the 1910 Census records for the two townships next chance I get (don't know what Archives Branch we'll visit next, but it doesn't really matter because they all have all the Census records.) Then, as soon as the 1920 records come out, I can get them.
Your Uncle Elwood and Aunt Phoebe didn't stay in Linn County, but I don't know yet where they went. Maybe our newly found cousins know.
Well, that really is it for now.
Take care of yourself,
{With affection, your cousin,
Lu}
