Letters from Aunt Ida (Part 3 of 3)

Continuing from the second part, here are the final thirty letters written by Ida:

Hello Mittie, how are you getting on this new year? I am getting on fine. How is the baby child gettin on and how many hens have you got? Well you must come real soon and bring Ninia. From I to M.

Hello Mit, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. I wish I could have been down there to helped you eat peaches. I am coming just as soon as I can. Yes, Mit, I have heard from the miller. I have got two letters and his picture since you was hear. Well I have no news much to write. Thay have been carring on a meeting at the new church for about two weeks. I saw 21 sprinkling out there Satday morning. Well you all must come and write soon. From M I to Mit. By by.

Hello Willie,I am just toble. How are you? Well I hope. We killed a bout four hundred and fifty pounds of meat to day. I have just got thrue with it. Joe and Lillie is gone to the dance to night. Mamma is well as common. Are you most ready for xmas? I am not ready yet. I would like for you to come if you have time between this and xmas and wash my neck. I would like to get it wash before Ralph Hardy get hear. If there is eny chanch. Well you all must come soon and write soon. From M I to W T. By by.

Hello Mit, how are you fealing? I am well. I went out to church yestday to show my new hat, ha ha. Thare was two that joined the church out there Sunday. That was J. E. Pruett and W. C. Howly. If nothing happens I guess I will see hands lade on them Wensday morning at 11 oclock. Well you all must come soon. Write soon, from Ida. By by.

Hello Mittie, how are you? I hope you and Ninie has got well by this time. Tell Ninie that grandmother said she was well as common and she wanted to come down there to see her next Sunday if she could get eny body to come with her. She said tell you she was drying fruit in a hurry now. She guss she would get rich drying this time. Well you all must come soon and write soon. By by. From I to M. 

Hello Susin, I am feeling all right. How are you? Well I hope. Ralph dent get hear at xmas. That trobles me some, but I have not kicked on it. Well I will ring off, come real soon. Write soon. From Ida to Susin. By by. Kiss Ninia for me.

Hello Susin, how are you by this time? Well I hope. I am well. You must come soon. Come Saturday. Good by, from M I Pruett. By by. Rite soon. [Postmarked 25 Nov. 1908] in the care of Mr. J. D. Mitchell.

Hello Mit, how are you? Well I hope. I dont feal very good. I have the toothake. I have no news to write. How is Nannie and old man John getting on? All right I hope. Well you all must come soon write soon. From M I.

Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. Are you most done selling tobacco? Our last was soled yesterday. It soled veary well. Kiss Nina for me. Tell Sue and Mit I will send them a card next week. I would have sent them before now, but I thought thay got them where I sent before xmas. Tell them that Mamma has got 21 little chickens. Well you all must come and write soon. By by. From M I. [Postmarked Feb 17 1911. RFD No 4, Box No 13.]

Hello Mit, I am well, I hope you are well and gaily. Well I dont know of any thing to tell you. I wish I did have some good news to write. Alice and her folks are all well, except had colds. You must come soon. Are you most ready for xmas? You all must come and write soon. Good bye from Ida.

Hello Mit, I hope you are well. I have no news, only I am done cutting tobacco. Are you  all done? You must come and bring the childern as soon as you can. Well you all must come real soon and write soon. From Ida. This is a handsome card, ha ha.

Hello Mittie, how are you all? Well I hope. I am well. Well I have no news to write. You must come Sunday and bring the kids. I will try and bake you a little bread for your dinner. That is about all I have to eat. Well come and write soon. From I to M. By by.

Hello Mit, I am well, how are you by this time? Well I wanted to come the other Sunday, but it was not so that I could come. I wont say why I dent come, for I guess you know why that I dent come. Well you can get that happy hour alright. Well you all must come and write soon. Are you looking for Sandy Claus? I want to come at xmas if I can, you must bake lots of cakes for me, ha ha [continued on backside]

and cook one of them old big hams. I wish that I had a piece of one of them right now, ha ha. You must come at xmas if you can. Exuse this card. 

Hello Mit, I am well, how are you? Well I hope. Well I have no news much to write. Joe sold 12 hundred pounds of tobacco in Danville last week for 75 dollars. THat is getting there. I am thinking about going to the poor house when the roads gets better, ha ha. Well you all must come

Hello Mittie, how are you? I am well. How did you like cousin Call? I liked him fine. I would liked his visit better if I could have none [known] he was coming, but I done the best I could. I could have sat and listen at him talk a week and and never got tired of him. Kiss little Ninie for me, I am coming soon as I can. You come and write soon. From I to M. By by.

Hello Mit, I am well, how are you by this time? Well I hope. I have no news to write. My garden is veary common. Dont get mad at this card. Is Willie and John most ready to plant tobacco? I dont see nothing up hear looking like planting tobacco yet. I heard from Alice the other day. I have not seen here since before Sue was up hear. I dont guess I will see her eny more soon without I go over there. Things are all well. Well I will stop for this time. You must come soon and write soon. From Ida to Mit.

Hello Sue, how are you, well I hope. I dont feal vary good to day. I have been having chills again. Will Paris [Parrish] said he could cure the chills and fatten me up, but from the way I look now I think he will have a pretty tuff job of it. Well you must come real soon and write soon. From Ida. By by.

Hello Sue, how are you by this time? Well I hope. I am well. I have not ben to Sunday school none yet. Hope that little Nina will get to go if she is dying to go. I wont get no dahlias seeds this time. I got a card to day from them and thay said that thay dent have none and could not get none. Well I have no news to write. Well I have a little news to write. Mr. Johnson sent me his picture the other day. He is pretty as a pansy. Well I will stop. You must come and write soon. Please dont get mad about this post card, maybe I can do better next time. From Ida to Sue.

Hello Susin, I am well. How are you? I have got my new dress made at last, but Ralph has not got hear yet. Mamma said tell you all that she would write to you all when she got able to bye her some post cards. Tell Willie that I have stripped another house of tobacco. Well come soon write soon. From Ida to Sue. By by.

Hello Mit, how are you? Well I hope. Well while I have time I will tell you how I feel, ha ha. I feel very well, ha ha. I have no news to tell, only ever body is trying to brake their necks going to preching. All but me, I am nothing with it. They are going over on the Dry Fork road to the holly [holy] jumper tent to hear the holly jumper preach and I had rather hear a dog bark any time. Lillie said you all wanted a [ice?] plant, but she dent think to [continued on backside]

tell me till after Willie was gone when he brought her home. I will give you all one when you come again. You must come real soon and write soon. From Ida. 

Hello Mit, how are you, well I hope. No I did not go to church Easter Sunday. There was not any preaching at this church up here at Easter. Have you got any new things for spring, I have not got any thing yet. I want to go and get me a hat as soon as I can. Lillie has got her a hat and dress. Tell Nina that my little hen spilt her eggs and then would not set and I whipped her, ha ha. Well you all must come and write soon. From Ida.

Letters after marriage, written circa 1916

Hello Aubrey, I guess you are hard at work to day. You said on your card that you had been hard at work. Yes you poor little think, you have to work too hard to be as little as you are. Tell Dady and Uncle Willie that I said for them to do the work and let you do the talking and walking about, ha ha. You say you guess that we feel right grand in our new house, yes I do. You just ought to see me walking the streets of Burlington, ha ha. When I start out walking I just hit the high places ever now and then, ha ha. You must come real soon and write soon. From Ida. Here is a kiss for you.

Hello Sue, I am as fine as fiddle strings. How are you by this time? Can you use your arm good now? Do it hurts you any now? I hope not. I wish I could see your pansies, I know they are pretty. You said did I have any pansies, no I have not got any. I am going to sow me some seeds. You say you will send me some. Alright. I wish you would send me ever flower that you have got, ha ha. I sure would thank you for them, ha ha. I want to get me a lot of flowers now, for I have now got a good house to keep them in in the winter time. Harper said tell you all hello. You all must come and write real soon, so with the best of wishes I will say good bye. From Ida.

Hello Aubrey, I am well. How are you? Harper said tell you hello. You ought to be down here. You could have a good time playing [with] a little boy that lives here next to me. He is about your size, got him a billy goat and a wagon Saturday. He thinks lots of me. He said that I could help him play with his goat. You bet we will have a time with that goat, ha ha. You ought to be down here with us and the goat, ha ha. Write soon, here a kiss. From Ida.

Hello Sue, how are you? I am well and as fine as fiddle strings. I am glad you can use your arm some. Hope it is well by this time. My little flowers is looking fine. You must bring me some more flowers when you come to see me. Harper said tell Willie that his plants was up and was looking nice ha ha. Well you must make Willie bring you to see us. Tell him if he dont bring you to see me that I am going to get mad and stick my mouth out, ha ha. From Ida.

Hello Aubrey, how are you by this time? No I dont catch any rabbets, but I buy me a rabbet some times. I guess you have a jubblelee time over them rabbets that you catch. Harper said tell you to come down at xmas and talk to him some more. You say you go to school, you look like going to school. You are not larg enough to go to school ha ha. You must come and write soon, from Ida. Here is a kiss for you.

Hello Aubrey, I hope you are well. I am glad that you can read in your new book. Thank you little boy for that bundle of kisses, we appreachated them very much, for they was sweet kisses. Harper said tell you to send him  a big sack full of kisses next time, ha ha. Well you all must come soon and write soon. Good bye. Be a good little boy. Here is a kiss for you from Ida.

Hello Sue, I am well and I hope you are the same. Well the state is dry. I am glad of it, but it will not be much better around here unless thay would kill ever body around here that knows how to make whiskey. Well you all must come and write soon. From Ida. Well I have not got to write to my husband to night. Bless his bones, ha ha.

Hello Aubrey, how are you? Sorry to know you had the tooth ache. I hope it is well by this time. You say it has been so rainy that you had to miss Sunday school too are [two or] three Sundays. Well that was the way it was with me. We had to mis 3 Sundays on the account of the rain. You see I live a right smart little ways from the church and we dont go when it is raining. Harper said tell you that he would try not to work to hard. You must come and write soon. From Ida.

Hello Aubrey, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. Harper said tell you not to work too hard but he thought that you was a good little boy to be helping your Dady and Uncle Willie work as little as you are. He said tell you to come to see him, for he wanted to see you real bad and hear you talk. How are you getting on at Sunday school? I think of you ever Sunday morning. I think you are getting ready to go to Sunday school, jumping up and down, can not stand still for mother are [or] Aunt Sue to get your little cloths on you, ha ha. You must come and write soon. Here a kiss for you. Good bye. From M I K.

Ida at home, early 1960’s
Ida Pruett’s Christmas Tree, late 1960’s
Ida & niece Nina Pruett Edmunds, 1960’s