(Digitally Improved)
Mary Ida Pruett (1886-1980) was born as the ninth of ten children to Ephraim Thomas Pruett (1840-1907) and Delaware Green Watson (~1848-1915). Ida had a wonderful sense of humor and was very close with her family. After her father died in 1907, she took on more of the responsibilities of the family farm alongside her brother Joe and sister Lillie. For their mother, who could not read or write, Ida served as her hand and to convey correspondence with family members during the last years of her life. In all, within the collection of family letters, it was undoubtedly Ida who wrote most often. Even if she had no news, she would write and have something entertaining to say. View that collection in [Letters from Grandmother]. Ida often wrote to her brother Willie Pruett, his wife Susan H. “Sue” Watson Pruett, as well as her brother John B. Pruett and his wife Mittie C. Watson Pruett. Ida also wrote to John & Mittie’s children, Nina and Aubrey Pruett.
For the majority of these letters, Ida was unmarried, in her mid 20’s, living in the Wilmer community of Pittsylvania County near the Town of Chatham. Around 1915, Ida married J. Harper Kernodle (1888-1918) of Burlington, North Carolina. He worked as a carpenter making coffins. Ida moved down to NC into a new house with her husband and continued writing letters back home to her family. The last of the letters were written sometime in 1916 and the family correspondence is missing from there on. Their marriage lasted about three years until Harper’s unfortunate passing in 1918. He succumbed to “tuberculous peritonitis” (a form of abdominal tuberculosis) at the age of 34. Family stories say it was due to all the dust he inhaled while at work. They seem to have been happy together, but as fate would have it, Ida had to carry on living without Harper.
circa 1915
Around 1926, Ida remarried to a man from the Burlington area named Jetson Monroe “Jet” Pyle (1870-1943). He worked as a meat cutter at a family grocery market with his son Claude D. Pyle (1895-1973). There doesn’t seem to be any photos of Jet, but there is a photo of Claude working in the market. Ida was married this time for about seventeen years before she became a widow once again. She continued to live in Burlington, but occasionally made visits back to Pittsylvania County to see family. For 93 long years, Ida witnessed the world change around her. She grew up in a rural world before electricity and lived to a time when a person could listen to music in a pocket-sized stereo cassette player. I wonder how many times she read through the aging postcards and remembered the times of old, before World War I or II, and the time spent at the family farm. Surely she could visualize herself many years ago, chasing hawks away from her mother’s hens or attending Dame Memorial Episcopal Church on Sundays. Ida is buried at Pine Hill Cemetery in Burlington, NC.
Surviving family members today remember Ida as a tiny, spunky lady with a warm personality, greeting her grandnieces and grandnephews with hugs and kisses. Ida continued writing in the late 1950’s to her grandniece, Mittie Lou Edmunds, the granddaughter of Mittie W. Pruett. I have some of their correspondence as well, and today I write letters to my cousin Mittie Lou. I am thankful that Ida was an avid writer who could convey so much personality and cultural interest in her letters. There are 90 letters in this collection all written between 1908 and 1916. Here are the first thirty of the letters:
Hello Aubrey, how are you? Hope you are well and gaily. What are you doing to day? I guess you have groed so that I would not know you now. Weather is getting warm so you can foller Dady and Uncle Willie. You must come and write soon. Hear is a big kiss for you. From Ida.
Hello John, I am well, how are you? And how is Ninie getting on? Can she walk? If she can it is time you was making her that squart gunn. Why ant you tendon the meaten at marrin? I was down ther Friday night. I never saw none of you all but I saw Fred Goad and all right. You all must write soon from I to J. By by.
Hello Sue, how are you? Well I hope. Have you got enything to eat down there? If you have I want to come and board with you. Well I have not got my pictures yet. You all must come soon and write soon. By by
Hello Sue, how are you by this time? Well I hope. Well xmas will soon bee hear. Get your[self] ready for it. Well I have no news to tell you. We have got eggs to make out with for xmas, but we are out of the butter biness. I dont milk now at all. Well you all must come soon write soon. Wish you a marry xmas and a happy new year. By by. From M I.
Hello Sue, how are you? I am fealing all right. I have put in a bed quilt to day and quilted it out and hemed it and it is not bed time yet. And I went from home and spent the day. It is telling what I could have done if I had stayed at home to day. Ask Willie why it is that he cant send me a post card some time. Tell him he is getting two bigg for his old hat. I will see a bout him when I come down there. Well you all must come real soon. Write soon. By by, from M I.
Hello Susin, how are you by this time? Well I hope. I am feeling all right. I wanted to come down there and went to Weal the other Sunday, but I dent have no body to come with me. Did you go? How did you like that new preacher? I want to come down there at xmas if we get done cutting tobacco by then. I dont think we will get done before. Come soon write soon. From Ida to Susin. By by.
Hello Willie, I am well, how are you? I have no news much to write. Sallie was down hear Sunday. He look good. Just as well to me as he ever did. I will not thank you to go with me to get them glasses. I have not got no use for them. I can see that he is a fine looking man and as long as I can see that good I am all right. Well you must come soon write soon. From M I to W T. By by.
Hello Willie, how are you by this time? You said on that card you sent Lillie you thought me and Mama might send you a card. I sent you a card the other week. What about it? Dent you get it? That is too I recken that I have sent you that you never get. I will send you this one and if you dont get it I dont recken that I will send eny more. Well you must come real soon. Write soon. From M I. By by.
Hello Sue, how are you? I am well. Well I have no news to write. We are stil dry up hear. How is it with you? It has not rained hear since before you was up hear. Have you eny thing to eat? I am out. I am staying hear with out eating. Tell Nina to get done doing a rong and come to see me Sunday. Well you must come real soon and write soon. From M I to Sue. By by.
Hello Sue, I am well and I hope this will find you the same. Well I have not go any good news to tell you. Only I have 39 little chickens and our garden is looking very well. How is yours looking? Well you all must come soon. I hope to get down thar agan some day. Write soon. From Ida.
Hello Mit, I am well. Hope you are the same. Well I have no news. Well cousin John has not been back to see me any more, ha ha. I have just been setting hear eating candy till I am almost perserved, ha ha. Well you all must come soon. I am coming to stay a week some day. Well come and write soon. From Ida.
Hello Mit, how are you by this time? Better I hope. I received your cataloge and post card all right. Was glad to hear from you, but I was sorry to hear that your thumb had got in such a shape. I heard you speak about your thumb when I was there and said it was store, but I never thought a bout it getting so bad. I truely hope it is better by this time. Tell Nina I wish she was up hear to sing Casey Jones for me. Well I will stop, you must come as soon as you can. Write soon and let me hear how your thumb is. I can read your left hand writing all right. From M I to Mit.
Hello Mit, how are you? I am well. I have no news much to write. I heard from Ruth the other day. Her little baby is dead. Thay never sent us no word. Thay barried it down thare some where. Thay never brought it up hear. Well I have put up 10 cans of tomatoes. How many you put up? Well I will ring off for this time. You must come soon and write soon. By by. From Ida.
Hello Nina, how are you? Guess you are having a good time helping to tend to aunt Sue’s little chickens. I will have some little chickens to tend to about day after tomorow. Wish I could see you for I want to hug you good. Write and come soon. Hear is a kiss for you. From Ida.
Hello Mit, I am well, how are you? I will be glad when the weather gets good so you can come. You said on your card that you had something to tell me. Why dent you tell me what it was on the card? For I may some day die up hear in a snow storm and then I would have to wait till Judgement Day to find out what that was that you had to tell me. Ha ha. Well you all must come soon and write soon. From Ida.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. Are you most done laying by tobacco? I am done hilling at last. You said I must send you one of my pictures, I have not got them. I saw W. F. Yeatts last Sunday. He come back and made them over again. He said that them would be all right are [or] all wrong–one–he dent no which, so I recken he told the truth a bout them. Thay will show be one way are [or] the other. You must come real soon and write soon. From Ida. By by.
Hello Sue, how are you by this time? I am well. I have not got the measels yet. But that dont keep me from beeing speared hearing talk of the measels and the cold wather has about got the best of me. You said you was a going out to see Nannie the other night. I sure do wish I could have gone with you. Do you get a heap of eggs? We dont get eny at all. Well if the measels spar dont kill me, I will come some old time. You must come real soon and write soon. Beset wishes for a new year. From M I to Sue.
Hello Sue, hope you are well. I dont feal good at all. I have no news worth telling. Do you get many eggs now? I have one hen laying. Mamma get three and fore eggs a day. Well little Low Renie Dickson got married last Sunday. Well you all must come soon. By by. Write soon. From M I.
Hello Mit, I am well. How are you? I have not got the smallpox yet. Thay say that old ugly Claud is getting along vary well with the smallpox. I do hope that no body will not get the smallpox from him. I want him to have all of them his self. Mit have you any thing in the way of something to eat at your house? I am fealing vary weak this morning, for I am out of anything in the way of something to eat. I have been wanted to come down there to get me a mouth ful of something to eat, ha ha. But it looks like I will never get there. Well you must come soon write soon. From Ida.
Hello Jack, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. How are you getting on farming this fine wether? Are you done planting corn and how many tobacco hills have you made? Farm work is going on veary slow up in this part. Well I have no much to write. Charlie Stow[e] died last Satursday and was laid to rest Sunday after noon. Mr. Scot Watson has bin on the sick list for som time. There is right much sickness about now. The mumps is among hear. I have to keep closs now. I have bin in one place so long I have wore the hide off in some places. Well you must come soon. Bring Mittie and the baby child. So by by. From M I to John.
Hello Mit, I am well. How are you? Well I hope. Well I saw right many people at the picnic from down thare. Why dent you make John bring you and the childern? Well I hope that I will have more news to write next time. You all come and write soon. Good bye, from Ida.
Hello John I am well, how are you? Well I hope. Has it rain a enough for you? Are you still looking for more? I guess you are most ready to go to cutting tobacco. Well I will stop by asking you to come soon and bring Mittie and the baby. So by by, from M I P to John.
Hello Mit, how are you? Well I hope. I feal better to day than I have for two weeks. But I dont feal good yet. I have no news to write. Alice and her children are well. What is Nina and Aubrey doing thes days? Tell them I am coming down the play with them when I get better. Well you all must come soon and write soon. Excuse this card please. From Ida. by by.
Hello Mit, how are you by this time? I am well. I hope the children is well by this time. Write as soon as you get this and let me know how thay are. I dont know what could be the matter with Aubrey. I had a fine time at xmas. I went some where ever day in xmas and that some where was to the spring and mail box, ha ha. I dent have much company and was very glad of it, ha ha. Cousin Susie can move again and I will not cry, ha ha. Well you all must come as soon as you can and write soon. From Ida.
Hello Mit, I hope you are all well. Have you all planted any tobacco? I have planted about 11 thousands hills. How is your garden? Our little old garden is looking very well if it will keep on raining maybe I wont starve, ha ha. But I am getting very weak, ha ha. I tell you I am, ha ha. Well you all must come real soon and write soon from Ida.
Hello Sue, I am glad to know that you are hanging on yet, ha ha. I am afraid that you will have to stand some more snow, ha ha. For it is cold enough now to be snowing. Well Alice and her childern are well. Some of the childern has had the chicken pox and are well now and the rest has not taken them yet. Well you all come soon and write soon. Bring the childern with you when you come.
Hello Sue, how are you getting on this fine weather? Ha ha. Well we are done selling tobacco all except one little dab and I guess it will go off soon. I will be glad when it is gone. I am coming to stay a week before long. I heard from Uncle Dave the other day. He can not walk any at all and I dont guess that he will ever walk any more. You all come soon and write soon. When I get to the poor house I will come any time then, for I will be clost. Ida.
Hello Sue, how are you? Well I hope. Well I am coming some day. I have got my new dress made and I have about run short of any thing to eat, ha ha. Well I got Uncle Charlis book all right and it is not much good after I got it. Well you all must come real soon and write soon. From Ida. Mamma said tell you to send her a bottle of Laxfos, she might need it before thare was any passing. By by.
Hello Sue, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. Well it is just like it always is. I have no news to write, ha ha. I am sorry that I could not come the other Sunday. We dont get any eggs at all. Well I am looking for Sandy Claus at xmas. Are you looking for him? Ha ha. Well you all come and write soon, so with the best of wishes I will say good bye. From Ida. I am coming at xmas. Bake me a good cake, ha ha.
Hello Susin, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. How manny hens have you got setting? I have got one to day. You must come soon. Mamma is sick, Joe has bin after the doctor for her to day. Come soon and rite soon, from M I P to Susin, by by.
Visit part 2 of the collection to continue reading Ida’s letters.
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