From Jan Harris from early pioneer families of Medina , Bandera Co. Texas in 1898 ,
Any questions may be sent to her at chablis040@erols.com
April 16, 1898 Medina City, Bandera Co. Mrs. Mollie Bell.
Dear Friend. I will try to answer your welcome letter which I received a few days past, was glad to hear from you. Mollie, one of the hardest rains fell here this week I ever saw fall in this county, our field over flowed. It washed away some of our fence, it went through my garden. We could stand on the gallery and look at it going through. We could see the creek rising, it certainly got high before it ceased raining. That rain will ensure wheat and oats up here. Roy is very busy now, has more work than he can do. He had two hands hired yesterday and day before,has one hand today. The children are busy herding their goats and sheep all the time now. The goats are hard to keep out of the field. I see a very lonesome time just Willie at the house with one. I have 67 little chickens, 4 hens sitting ? one of them on turkey eggs. Mollie, I sure wish you all would come up here this summer any way, we would have a fine time although the ticks are getting numerous now but I don?t dread them like I do red bugs. Tell Aunt Sallie she don?t want to see me any worse than I do her. Mollie, do you hear any talk of war out there? We hear a great deal about it up here but I don?t know how it will turn out. Well, Mollie, this leaves us all well. Hoping when these few lines reaches you all, it will find you all enjoying the same blessing. Write soon. I will have to close and cook dinner, it is half past 11 o?clock. From your loving friend. Love to all. Kiss the children for me.
Fannie Lewis
May the 30 1898. Mrs. Fannie Lewis.
My Dear Friend. I seat my self down to answer your kind and most welcome letter that I received not many weeks ago and was glad to here from you and was pleased to here that you all was well and doing so well. Well we are all just tolerable well at present. I have got a fine black headed girl, she is six weeks old and wade twelve pounds. I have not named her yet. I want your name so I can name her after you if you want a name sake. I think so much of you I want to name my baby after you. Well Fannie, this is a hard old country. There is work but no money. Peter is working hard that I don?t see him from one week to another and get nothing but grub. We want to start to Atascosa in a few weeks if nothing don?t happen. We are going to see my old mother, I want to see her ofel bad. Well, I want you to rite soon as you can.
Mollie BellThe second letter, from Mrs. Mollie Bell to Mrs. Fannie Lewis was never mailed. It was kept with the first letter. Mollie Bell's little "black haired baby girl" was born on April 16, 1898 and Mollie did indeed name her "Fannie Lewis Bell" - and she became my grandmother. I have put a query onto the Bandera County site, hoping to find a descendent of Mrs. Fannie Lewis.
Sincerely, Jan Harris"Mollie's" full name was "Mary Louisa Bell" nee "Hilburn" - she was known as "Mollie". The "Peter" she mentioned was her husband "Peter Tumlinson Bell". The "Aunt Sallie" could have been "Sarah Jane Bell" nee "Tumlinson", who was known as "Sallie".
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