Lillie Carr Pruett Jones (1889-1957) with husband
James Edward Jones (1872-1958), and two children
Mildred & Jim Jr. circa 1919
Post card signed by Lillie C. Pruett, circa 1910
Lillie Carr Pruett (1889-1957) was the tenth and last child born to Ephraim Thomas Pruett (1840-1907) and Delaware Green Watson (~1848-1915). She was raised in the Wilmer community of Pittsylvania County. The local post office was held at the nearby store of L. C. Giles. In the year 1900, Lillie’s household consisted of her parents, her sister Ruth, sister Alice, brother Joseph, and sister Ida. (Read more about her parents in my post “Letters from Grandmother”) They all neighbored the family of Ellis Hannibal Jones (1849-1940), a prominent farmer in the Dry Fork vicinity.
All of the letters in this collection were written before Lillie was married. She inscribed several of her cards, “Lillie C. Pruett” on the other side. Lillie was high-spirited, extroverted, and had a love for dancing. These letters are addressed to either her older brother, Willie Pruett, or her sister-in-law, Mittie Watson Pruett, (wife of John B. Pruett).
In 1915, Lillie married James Edward Jones (1872-1958), a nephew of Ellis Hannibal Jones. Within a few months following, the untimely deaths of Lillie’s mother Delaware and Lillie’s brother Joe took place. The old Pruett home was left empty, so Lillie and Edward Jones took up residence there along the Irish Road. Mr. Jones had four children from his first marriage, which included three sons: Lee Hutch, Leonard Frank, and Earnest Carter Jones, as well as a daughter Nellie Kate Jones. There were also two babies who died as infants, Mary Ellen and Samuel Edward Jones. The first marriage lasted about eleven years before Edward Jones became a widower when his wife Mary Annie Willis (1879-1911) passed away at the age of 31. Throughout the second marriage with Lillie, six more Jones children were brought into the world. They were as follows:
- Mildred Ethel Jones
- James Edward “Jim” Jones, Jr.
- Melvin Green Jones
- Neal Thomas Jones
- Jerleen “Jerri” Jones
- Phillip R. Jones
Lillie and Edward Jones, Sr. raised their large family near Dry Fork where many members of the community connect to this Jones family and were influential throughout the 20th century. Here are eighteen letters written by Lillie Carr Pruett between 1908 and 1915. I’ve added punctuation, but kept the original spelling.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. You sed John sed next time he waited to see me I would come. You tell him I sed I guessed he would. You just aught to bin up here the other night to went with us to the dance. I over had a good old time. You must be sure and come xmas if you dont before. I want to come xmas. I dont recking I can come before. Answer soon and come soon. From Lillie to Willie. By by.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well, but I am mighty tired. I went to the school breaking up this evening and I stayed and danced until sundown and then had every thing to do but that is all right If I did. I over had a good time. I will send you my preatest postal this time. You must write soon and come soon. From Lillie to Willie. By by
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well at this time. I am sorry that you are mad. If you could have seen the company I had that hevining you would not asked me to went with you. Shaw, but I am coming just as soon as Mamma gets well. Anser soon, I want to get enough post cards to fill my album. Rite soon and come soon. From Lillie to Willie. [Continued on the back] Come the third Sunday and I will go with you home if I can and thay have got over the mumps.
Hello Mittie, how are you? Well I hope. I dont feel so good today. My face is swelled up untill I can hardly see. How is Nina and the baby [Aubrey] getting along and Susin? Mamma keepes mightly doty with her cough. Well I have no news. Ida hant got her pictures yet. Well you all must come soon and write soon. So by by. From Lillie to Mittie.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well and just as happy as I can be. You must come Sunday. I have something I want to tell you. From Lillie to Willie.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well and feeling all OK becaust xmas is most here. I am looking for old Santy Claus to come to see. You sed you had made 17 dollars. I am glad to hear that but that ant dowing me no good. Well I must stop for this time. My [bom?] has come so by by. Write soon and come soon. From Lillie to Willie.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well and never felt better in my life. I wish every body was as happy as I am. You must come soon and write soon. By by. From Lillie to Willie.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. Say you must be sure and come Saturday and go to the picnic. I hope to hear from you soon and I hope to see you soon. From Lillie to Willie.
Hello Mit, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. Say I hope you had a good time at xmas. I did not have much of a time. I did not go any where at all. Say did you get meny presents at xmas? I got a nice bracelet for a xmas present. It sure is nice. You must come as soon as you can and tell Willie I sed I would write and tell him the way to come up here if he did not know. Write soon and come soon. From Lillie to Mittie.
Hello Mittie, how are you? Well I hope. I am veary well this morning. Mittie I wish you was up here with us today. Joe is gone to Danville. You just ought to bin with us the other night. I danced till 12. Well by by. Rite soon and come soon. From Lillie.
Hello Willie, how are you getting own? Well I hope. I am well at the present time. I wont treat you like you did me. I will send you the preatest post card I can get. You sent me the uglest one you could find. I sure did enjoy your company fishing Monday. You must come soon and write soon. From Lillie to Willie.
Hello Mittie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well. How is the little ones getting one? Well I hope. I sure did have a fine time xmas. I never went to but one dance. Yes I sure was glad when that old man got married. It tickled me mightly. I want to come down there Saturday if Joe will come with me. But if we dont come some of you all come Sunday and see us. Well I must stop for this time. Hoping to see you soon. Write soon and come soon. From Lillie C. Pruett to Mittie C. Pruett.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well at this time. Well I have no news to write except old lady Betsy Meadows is ded. Well you must come soon. I looked for you yestaday but I dint see you. By by. From Lillie to Willie.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I am well at the present time. I guess you are most done selling tobacco by this time ant you? You better let me judge peaches for you, for I always pick the sweatest ones I can find. So by by. Write soon and come soon. From Lillie C. Pruett to Willie T. Pruett
Hello Willie, how are you by this time? Well I hope you just ought to ben with us Saturday night at the dance. I had a fine time but not like I would if bro had ben there. You sed you saw him the other night. That dint do me no good. You dont now how bad I want to see him. You must come soon and write soon. By by. From Lillie Pruett to W. T. P.
Hello Willie, how are you getting own? Well I hope. I am well and never felt better in my life. You just ought to ben up here to day. I over had a good time. Write soon and come soon. From Lillie to Willie. [In the care of Mr. J D Mitchell, Dry Fork, May 3, 1909]
Hello Willie, how are you by this time? Well I hope. I am well and never felt better in my life. You dint stay that week like you sed you was going to doo and I am mad because you dint. You must be sure and come xmas and bring Lillian with you and stay all night with me. Well I will close for this time. Rite soon and come soon. From Lillie Pruett to W T P.
Hello Willie, how are you? Well I hope. I recken I am as mutch as common. I recken I dont hartly no how I am. I am glad you got a good price for your tobacco. I like to hear that you can get something if I cant. You must come soon as you can and see us and write soon. So by by. From Lillie to Willie.
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