Welborn Family Documents

This page contains several documents of the Welborn Family transcribed from copies of the originals.  No attempt has been made to correct mispellings, change format, or improve grammar.  Comments are made after each, if warranted.  The links below can be followed to the document of your choice:

• Letter written by Sarah Ann (Welborn) Hart to "Mrs. L. D. Hart," 31 March 1918

Letter written by Sarah Ann (Welborn) Hart to "Mrs. L. D. Hart," 31 March 1918

This letter was written by Sarah Ann (Welborn) Hart in Texico, Curry County, New Mexico to Martha Elizabeth (Carlisle) Hart, wife of her step-son, Lorenzo Dow Hart. The original copy, from which this is transcribed, was in the possession of Louise Dean Miller of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She loaned it to me in a personal visit to see her on 19 April 2001.  The handwriting of the original was quite good.

Note that Sarah died on 1 June 1918, two months after this letter was written.  It is perhaps the last she ever wrote:

Mrs. L. D. Hart,

Dear Daughter & Family

I have neglected answering your very kind letter of some time past but it seems like I cant hardly write an intelligent letter as we have no good news to write about any more. So very dry and sand storms one after another till you cant hardly see across the streets, and no prospect for any rain tho Amarillo had a good rain a few days ago.  I was in hopes you had had rain until I got a letter this morning from Myrtle stating it was dry down there. If it doesn’t rain in time to make crops I don’t see what is to hinder a famine from coming on us, although we are in better fix than lots of people the Chinese are drowning their children to keep them from starving. The folks are all tolerable well except JB has the neuralgia again he has had nearly all his teeth pulled out. The Farwell market has played out and they would do a good business here if meat was’nt so awful high, some of the Beef has to be sold at 33 ^c lb pork 80 ^c They have quit Baking Bread but order it from Clovis, get it at 9 ^cts per loaf, sell at 15 ^c a loaf or two loafs for 25 ^c.  I cant hardly keep it here and have to make the war bread too, tho it is right good bread.

We work at the Courthouse rest Room for the Red Cross, when they have any material and a lady donated a Bolt of Muslin last week for Bed shirts.  When I cant go I am piecing quilts for Nora, I believe I would go crazy if I did not have any employment.  I guess you have your wasted quilt done, you are more than welcome to all I sent you. I guess you miss Mae so much, and Ludie & her little one too The girls are still going to school I suppose Loney wrote me some time ago he had a letter from Dow junior & he said he was going to the war in the spring and kill Germans, he stated Dow was 91 in the spring but I said he wasnt, is he! I see in the paper this morning the Germans are taking their boys down to 17. Oh it is awful to read the papers we get the dailes and lots of the Telegrams.

We get ?…? milk from a little heifer to do us but have to buy butter 30 ^c & eggs 25 ^c  I have ordered me a Dress from Victor Ladies Tailoring Co. for spring wear, and bought a new hat so I will be fixed if I ever go anywhere I think of going down to see all of you after a while if I am able but will not go until warm weather maybe the last of May.  There was a young man shot & killed his father yesterday for whipping his mother near Bovinia. I will close for this time, hoping to have some better news in the future.  All join in sending Love.

S. A. Hart

Comments:

• "J. B." is John Berry Coltharp, husband of Sarah's daughter, Nora Francis.  Nora's daughter, Sara Fletcher, in a personal visit, recalled that Sarah lived with her family during the later years of her life.  She particularly remembered stories of the quilts Sarah had created from scraps here and there.  J. B. and Nora owned a store in Texico.
• "Mae" (Lillie Mae), "Ludie" (Ludie Lee), and "Dow, junior" (Lorenzo Dow Hart, Jr.) were all children of Lorenzo Dow and Martha Elizabeth (Carlisle) Hart.  Lorenzo was the surviving son of the first marriage of Timothy James Hart.  When his first wife, died, Timothy married Sarah.   Sarah and Lorenzo were apparently quite close most of their adult lives.  We find his name, although not her child by birth, on her death certificate as the family member providing information.
• "Dow was 91 ..."  Lorenzo Dow Hart was born 4 September 1859, i.e. he was 58 when this letter was written.  Not sure why a son would indicate he was anywhere near 91 years old.
• Note the general description of the conditions around Texico at the time.   A real dust bowl, apparently.  Also, we can clearly see the local effect of our country at war during World War I.

Author: Roger L. Roberson, Jr.   •   Last updated: 11 January 2003

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