Name/Title
AU Harris, Paul Joseph Jr. - 1990-08-12 letter to Malcolm Lambert SmithEntry/Object ID
1991.2.14Context
3923 Seeley Avenue
Downers Grove, IL 60515
August 12, 1990
Malcolm L. Smith
1330 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Apt 609
Washington, DC 20005
Dear Malcolm,
Just a brief note to let you know I am still alive and haven't forgotten that I have your book, "Meet the Edgertons." It is unbelievable how many people in that book are related to us through distant lines of descendance. It is just taking me a very long time to enter all of that structure into the computer. I apologize for the delay and hope to return the book to you soon. Incidently, you pointed out a picture in that book in which John Edgerton and Martha Embree Edgerton are seated in rocking chairs. You did not mention it, nor is she listed in the caption, but I was curious to know if you were aware that the woman in the rocking chair on the other side of Martha was her mother, Mary Ann Vernon Embree, our great great grandmother.
Speaking of distant lines of descendance, I recently attended a Lambert family reunion in Wisconsin. It was held at the home of Calvin Lambert, son of Oscar Lambert, son of Chalkley Lambert, son of Reece Lambert, son of Abner Lambert and Elizabeth Stanton. My contact for this occasion was Doris Lambert Braley, our second cousin. She lives in New Brighton, Minnesota and I believe she has contacted you to order a copy of your book. I had a delightful time and met a lot of very nice people. Their patriarch, Reece Lambert was married to Lydia Hanson. I discovered by an old chart that someone had that Lydia's mother was Eliza Stubbs, daughter of Joseph and Zilpha Stubbs. That would make her a sister of Deborah Stubbs and make our relationships to that branch of the family quite multiple and so complicated that it takes the computer a long time to figure it all out. Anyway, since we have additional information on the ancestors of Joseph Stubbs, and they did not, my computer and I were, needless to say, a big hit there.
I must also tell you of a recent visit I had with my Uncle Dan in Florida about two months ago. While there, we discovered a small trunk that he seemed unaware of having. When we opened it, we found a great deal of Joseph and Bertha's genealogy work; some photos, including a family reunion in 1912 at DWL's home in Westerville; Deborah Vernon Embree Lambert's Bible with a record of her children's births; several poems written by DWL; DWL's Class Leader's Book for Mt. Hermon Class, Plymouth Circuit, 1864 Scioto Conference; the missing handwritten chapters to Bertha Lambert Harris's autobiography; and five bundles of letters which turned out to be 303 letters between Joseph Harris and Bertha
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Lambert between 1893 and 1898, just prior to their marriage. The trunk also contained many items concerning the Harris family. Of particular importance, the original hand-written manuscript of my great great grandfather, Watson Harris's, autobiography. There were a number of other items I'll not list now, but this was obviously a gold mine. Dan seemed unaware of its importance and was grateful for me to take it off his hands. I wish we lived closer so you could help me go through my files. I have amassed an unbelievable amount of material on our family. I only hope I can do it justice in the future.
I have some disturbing news on the personal side of things. My children's mother has just been diagnosed with cancer. She had surgery about three weeks ago to remove a section of her colon. When they opened her up they found cancer had spread all over the abdominal wall. She is undergoing chemotherapy and not doing well. They expect her to undergo surgery again in about four months. I am very concerned for my children's sake. I may be gaining a couple of roommates and it would be a big adjustment with my job and all. We'll just have to take one day at a time, as with everything.
I am enclosing a copy of Elizabeth Stanton's autobiography, reprinted to accommodate her picture. I hope this letter finds you in good health and that we'll have a chance to get together some time soon. Take care and let me here what you are doing some time.
Best regards,
