McFarland-Russell Family Papers

Lexington Ind. May 30 ~ 1880

Mrs. C. C. Russel I received your letter of the 16th addressed to your Cousin Eliza H. Reid M - becomes my duty a Son to be the communicant of the Sad intelligence that my Dear Mother has been sleeping the sleep of death since August - 1878. She bore her afflictions with the fortitude of a Christian. and retained her faculties almost - to her last - moments. yielding her breath in full peace of mind and convinced that she was leaving the earthly State for a better and

a happier in another world If any consolation can be afforded under So heavy an affliction as you & I have experienced it must - come from a higher power. I have heard my mother speak so often of her Uncle & L Cousin Thomas McFarland. I would be glad Ok: so glad to meet one one at least - of the McFarland family

Hopeing that I may again hear from my relations in Texas

I remain as ever Lawson Reid

Headville Robertson Co. Tex. March the 28 1880 Mrs. C.C. Russel, dear sister I received your letter a short time ago was glad to hear from you and that you was doing well. I am sorry to hear that Tom is so low though. I hope he will git well yet I wrote to him last week I am also sorry to hear that Pa has got a canser on his foot I would go to see them if I posably could due so, but my condition and poverty keeps me from going. Times are hard and money scarce. I have rented forty acres of land this year. I am going to plant about twenty four acres in cotton. What could I do in Orange to make a living at or East Texas Research Center

Could I duo any thing at all then with out some capitol to commence on. I expect to move from this county if I ever git able. I am too prone to buz land lease at the present prices of land. I expect to move two or three hundred miles farther west some where on the border counties if I cant find some other way of making a living besides renting land. Sis says she will write to you in a few days. Give my respects to all enquiring friends tell Bob to write to me and you must write oftener. You must excuse this badly writen letter Kate -- Mabe I will duo better the next time I write. Your brother with much affection. William McFarlan East Texas Research Center

Hamilton, N.Y., Mch. 27,1889. Mr. R. E. Russell, Orange, Texas. Dear Sir,-

Your paper received yesterday, and very glad to hear even that account; though you are not the person who was first addressed and we are unable to dtermine satisfactorily who you are, yet we judge you are a relative of Hewey Russell, or did we [underlined] get the name wrong? I hasten to reply, because while I received the paper safely, yet if you were to mail a letter, I might not that so well as you misdirected. Hamilton is in Madison

Country where we live, and Hamilton County is quite a distance north and east of us. My address in full I will give below. If you are Henry R.'s brother, you may remember Rev. R.'s daughter Mary, my aunt, She is very ill with dropsey and is suffering intensely. We think unless she gets relief soon, it will be [illegible] for her to live long. Her husband has been dead many years, and one adopted daughter also died about four years ago, so that she lives alone. Aunt [illegible], mamma, and myself take turns in caring for her as she cannot be left alone. Hoping I may soon receive a letter from you + that you will explain yourself I remain, to the whom [?], Miss Lottie A. Williams, Hamilton, Madison Co., N.Y.

Bleakwood, Texas

Aug 28th 1887

Mrs. C.C. Russell

Dear Sister,

I read your letter sometime since. Was glad to hear from you. I hope your health is improving rapidly by this time. We are all up but not very well. Eddie has been having fever & chills some, but has missed it now. Miss Lola's school or [Coney?] is out and she will not take up at Bleakwood untill the 12th Sep. We made every arrangement for a Ten month school, but the assessor failed to put in five of the schollars [scholars] in time for for them to draw any money from the state so we are beaten out of near $40.00 and I don't know that we can rase [raise] that much more than we had to rase [raise] already. I fear we will fail We will have a school meeting tomorrow and see what we can do. We didn't have the concert at close of the [Coney?] school on account of warm weather. We went to mass as I wrote we would

Chopren Louise, May 2313

Mr R E. Rufsell

My Dear Son I was glad to hear from you I arived here all well I had fever satirday and sunday but I am all rite now I like the place verry well if I leve well Cecil is very much pleased Julia will be home next sativday the planer is vanning but the mill will not start before the first of the month I have not ben out very near sence I have [illegible] onley to the mill last night I couldnot see much it was solute Grindvill is going to give the bording house upon the first they have somuch trouble with servants he is [illegible] a house with four

[stamp] ORANGE TEX SEP 23

Miss [illegible] McFarland Bleakwood Newton Co Texas

Orange. Orange, Co. Texas, Sept, 24, 1871

Miss Kirrie Mc Farland

Dearest Friend

your most kind and welcome letter of the 20th came to hand in our [illegible] and you can say to your Father that I also received his but will not uncover it this time. The time which you have set will suit. Ma says that she will come. Pa says that it will be impossible for him to come. Tom talks like he would go and Aunt Sue + Uncle Heenry will come I guess. Tell Ma that Clark says that he should like very well to wait with her but it will be impossible for him to have her business, do you think it will be necessary for me to have any [illegible] if you do let me know and I will try and find your one [illegible] Well I guess thats enough of that for the present, you did not say whether you would come home with me or not please let me know by return mail. try and persuade your Ma to come down to Orange and I think she will get well. I think Ma can talk her into the notion of leaving house for a while. Have you said any thing to Thomas yet, I will be up there a few days before hand I may go up to the Fair. Will. Stark. and I will come up together we will start up about the 9, or, 10. I will go up home with him and we will go from there to the [illegible] you ought to be here the first of the month the Thespean Society are going to give a Ball in the Hannah Hall and if you were here you could see what a fine turnout Orange afford I think it can beat any other little town in Texas. I tell you Orange is coming out all the while. tell your Pa that Pa says he would like very much to come up but all hands cant leave home at once, he has just got his shingle Machine started and he cannot leave on that account, and then he has to be in Houston the first of November so you see it will be impossible for him to come. has [illegible] yet. I would like very much to see them while I am up there