Letters: Cobb/Bowers/Griggs, 1899: Fayette Co., GA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Pat Stricklin sstricklin@mindspring.com ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Brooks Station, Ga. March 31, 1899 Miss Pearlie Griggs, My Dear Neice I received your kind and welcome letter; was so glad to hear from you and to hear you was all well. (I could not decipher several lines of this letter because the fold had worn away some of the words and the letter was also torn on the right side). This leaves us all up but not well. I have been real sick on and off but I am better at this time. I began to think my time had come last Sunday night; was a week ago I had to sit up all night. (There were several words here that I couldn't decipher as well). I had severe pains about my heart. When the doctor got here, he said my lungs was causing the trouble. But thank God I am better now but not able to do anything yet. Pearlie, you can't imagine how I enjoyed reading your letter. Alabama can't claim you for you are a true Georgian as the old man said warp and filling. I know you can't enjoy yourself with those grinning girls out there. We have a few of that kind in Ga. but as a general rule, the most of them are intelligent. I wish you was out here. I know you would enjoy yourself. There is so many girls around here and they are such good company but as for the young men, they are scarce. There is sixteen girls in hollering distance of us and but two grown young men. But there is several at Brooks and County line. All the girls seem to think alot of me. All Mr. Cobbs' nieces think more of me than they do of their own aunts, or at least, they say they do and act like it. Pearlie if you could hear some of the folks talk around Mitchell Hill, I know you would be real amused. They say cotch and fotch and sot. And when they are speaking of anything soft, they say saft. Sometimes I think it is wrong to laugh at them but who can help it. They say yearth instead of earth but there isn't but a few that talk that way. If it is wrong to laugh at them, I hope God will forgive me and the rest around here. How large is Nannie? I would be so glad to see you all. Has Nannie got blue eyes or have they changed? You and Rhodum both had dark brown eyes when you was little, but your eyes was (The remainder of the letter is missing and uncomplete). Note: I believe this letter to have been written by Nannie (Owen) Cobb who had married Jefferson Davis "Jeff" Cobb in 1883. Nannie (Owen) Cobb was the half sister of Sarah Elizabeth Bowers. Sarah Elizabeth Bowers had married James Neil/Neal Griggs in Fayette County, Ga. in 1879. Sarah & James had moved westward into Alabama in 1888; the children mentioned in the above letter were their children. Rhodum Levi Griggs was 19, Bell Briggs died as an infant, Pearl May "Pearlie" Griggs was 15 and Nannie Griggs was 12 when this letter was written in 1899. Sarah Elizabeth Bowers' ancestors were of German descent and she had striking blue eyes which were evident even in the black & white pictures that were taken so many years ago.