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And I Think I Have it Rough Some Days

This is a letter written by my great-grandfather, John Lewis Palmer, to his sister, Lilly Palmer, on Jan 13, 1919. It was about a month after the death of his second wife, Ludie Knowles Palmer. John Lewis and Ludie were Pop's parents. At the time, they lived in Broxton, Ga. His sister Lilly lived in Goldston, NC, where John Lewis was from originally.

[On Palmer-Chambliss Hardware Co. Letterhead]

J. L. Palmer and C. F. Chambliss
Palmer-Chambliss Hardware Co.
Dealers in Hardware
Terms Cash – Interest Charged After 30 Days
Oliver Plows, Mowers, Rakes, Binders and American Wire Fencing
Also Exclusive Agents for Famous Roberson Cutlery

Broxton, Ga., Jan. 13, 1919

Dear Lilly,
We received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you. Yes, Ludie died Dec 19th. It was a great shock to us all and it leaves me in a bad fix. Six little children to look after besides Lee and Estelle. The baby has been real sick for a week. We thought Friday it wouldn’t live, but I am glad to say it is so much better this morning, and believe it will soon be well. It has a stomach trouble caused from feeding it. He was nursing and we had to go to feeding him. He vomited everything he ate for 4 days, then his eyes and face began to swell. The Dr. said it was a poison caused from eating.

Ludie died I suppose with acute indigestion caused from the condition the Influenza left her stomach in and then ate something that didn’t agree with her. She was first taken on Tuesday morning while cooking breakfast. We got the Dr. and she got easy in about 2 hours and Wednesday worked all day. Wednesday night she had an other spell but got over that about 10 o’clock that night. Thursday morning she did not get up. She said she was so sore, but not in any pain and about Dinner Thursday she was taken again and was nearly dead before we could get the Dr. She died about 4 o’clock Thursday evening.

Our baby liked 10 days of being a year old. Our two little ones names are Hugh and Walter and the baby is name Carl.

Estelle is with me now, but don’t know how long I can keep her as her husband has a job in Douglas, but I will get on some how. I can cook and attend to them my self. Mrs. Knowles is very feeble, not able to do much so she can’t help me; Lena Mae, J.L. and Margarette are in school. All except the baby are doing nice and are as fat as pigs.

I wish you could come to see us and stay a while. When is Charley coming? We have looked for him ever since Christmas. We gave Ludie a nice burial. A solid steel casket and a cement grave, and I hardly ever saw so many pretty flowers. Some came from other towns as far as 25 miles. Ludie was a good wife and mother and we miss her so much. No one but those who have experienced it can know anything about it. I will close. Love to you and Charley. Write again.

Your Bro,
J.L. Palmer

p.s. We had just about gotten well when Ludie died. We had nine sick at one time. Lee and I had Pneumonia. I am not real well yet, Can’t get to feeling good. Lee seems to be all right. We certainly had a time, 2 Drs. and a trained Nurse.
J.L.P.

Lee and Estelle are John Lewis Palmer’s eldest children (by his first wife, Lena Cole). The sick baby he refers to is his youngest, Carl Jenkins Palmer. Hugh and Walter are Hugh Knowles Palmer, and Walter Woodrow Palmer (my grandfather). Mrs. Knowles is Ludie’s mother, John’s mother-in-law, Mrs. Sarah Patience Hood Knowles. Lena Mae, J.L, and "Margarette" are his children Lena Mae Palmer, John Lewis Palmer, Jr. and Mary Margaret Palmer. Charley is John Lewis’ brother, Charles Christian Palmer.

A few different things struck me about this letter: First, it is hard to imagine someone dying and me not finding that out until almost a month later, and by mail. It must have been difficult to receive a letter with such sad news and then not be able to pick up a phone and call someone to see how they are or have any questions you have about the death answered. Next, I find it interesting that he is so quick to point out that she died and left him in a bind. People seem so reserved in old letters that you don't even sense how devastated they must have been; he seems more concerned about how he is going to keep the household running. I found the descriptions of their sicknesses kind of funny: "A poison caused from eating?" "Acute Indigestion?" I also love that he says the other kids are "as fat as pigs." It is hard to imagine living a life so hand to mouth that you brag about your kids being fat.

Sadly, John Lewis Palmer died later in the same year the letter was written, in August of 1919. At that point, the children were orphaned and split up between family members in GA and NC. My grandfather (Walter), Hugh, and Carl all went to Ludie's sister, Bettie Knowles Bird, and her family. They lived on a farm about eight miles from Hazelhurst, GA, I think, which is itself absolutely nowhere.