Misc: Woodard/Christian Love Letters, 1931-32, Lincoln Parish, LA Submitted by: Kelly Christian Priestly, Simsboro, LA ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ************************************************ The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Letters Between Maudie Belle Woodard and Lee Dewitt Christian Married December 14, 1931 in Sibley, LA 1. (MBW) Arcadia, LA Sept. 3, 1931 Dearest One, I guess you will be surprised to hear from me won't you? But as I haven't anything to do now, I will write you a few lines. What have you been doing for yourself? I haven't been doing anything. Guess I will start picking cotton next week. Say, Milton {Davidson} told me about seeing you up at Junction City. Wish I could see you. Do you still remember the time we washed dishes? I never will forget that night. Have you been fishing anymore? I have but didn't have any luck. Milton said tell you to write him and tell him about his girl down there. When was the last time you saw Uncle Joe? I haven't saw them since 10th of May. Sure would like to see all of them. Do you like to go swimming? If you do, you ought to come down here. I can't swim myself but I like to try to learn how. Listen, send me one of your pictures and I will send you one of mine if you want one. Now be sure and write and send me one of your pictures. I am going to look for a letter from you next week so don't disappoint me. Dear, I guess I had better close for this time so answer real soon. A friend, Maudie Belle Woodard P.S. Wish you was down here to help me eat watermelons. I don't like to eat by myself. Now don't forget to write me next week. 2. (MBW) Arcadia, LA Nov. 6, 1931 Dearest and only one, Will answer you letter I received yesterday and was glad to hear from you. I wonder what you are doing for yourself? This morning I am so lonesome I don't know what to do. If I could only hold you to my heart then I wouldn't be lonesome. Maybe some day we can be together always. I hope so anyway. Sweetheart, you said you bet I love someone else. I don't love no one but you and never will. I don't guess you don't know how many times I have thought of you since I saw you. I didn't think you ever thought of me but now I know you do. Yes Darling, I will forgive you for not answering my letter sooner. I couldn't think hard of you if I wanted to. You ask me to send you one of my pictures. I will send you one in my next letter I have some new ones to come this week. You be sure and send me one of yours when you write again. Well Sweetheart, I guess I had better close for this time. Answer real soon. I am yours if you want me, Maudie Belle P.S. All I can do is dream and wait for you. Answer soon. BYE. 3. (LDC) Lillie, LA Nov. 9, 1931 Dearest Darling Angel, I will answer your letter I received today and so was glad to get it. Listen Dear, those words of your was so great to me I could not hardly stand it. I could not barely sleep last night thinking of you and wondering if you ever thought of me. Say, you ask me what I was doing. I am not doing any now. I have been picking cotton but got through. I guess I will go to work in a few days doing something. I will get some pictures made this week. They will not be good ones but I will have some good ones made before long and will send one of them too. I will be so proud to get yours. I will not know what to do. But still that will not be like you being here to talk with me. If you were mine only, there ain't no telling how happy I would be. You said you were mine if I wanted you. You know I would give anything in this world for you. All you have to do is say when, I will do the rest. You never did say I would be welcome to your home or anywhere else to see you. I thought maybe that might would break in someone else's business. I did not know if maybe that part belonged to someone else I do not know. Maybe you would be ashamed of me. Would you or not, I would not want to do anything that would hurt your feelings or make you feel bad any way. I would be willing to wait years and years for you. That would be so bad to ever think of such a thing. That would break my heart to think of that. I hope it want be very long to wait for you. That would mean so much to me. If I only had you in my arms and could call you my darling forever. That's what I would like to do, Dear. Can this ever be like that or will I have to wait and go through life like this and you on my mind all the time? Or can I have you to tell everything to and call you mine forever? I haven't any riches to bring to you. I think you ought to have that too, but that don't make a home every time. A humble home can be a good home too. I guess I had close for this time. Hoping to hear from you real soon and a long letter. I can't hardly wait for the next one to come. With much love and yours forever, Dewitt Christian P.S. I haven't heard from Milton yet. Is he still down there or not? Did he get my letter? Well, I had better make some biscuits and eat some supper and go to bed. There aren't anyone with me tonight. I am so lonesome. I don't know what to do. I wish you were here to cheer me. I need you so bad after my work is through and take you in my arms and kiss you too. Please don't get mad at me. I can't help but love you so bye-bye. Happy Dreams. **Written across the top of the pages is "Be good girl and wash the dishes." 4. (MBW) Arcadia, LA Nov. 13, 1931 My Dearest and only one, I will answer you sweet letter I received yesterday. Sure was glad to hear from you Darling. You said it was lonesome up there. It sure is lonesome here. I can't hardly stay here Darling. If I only had you to be with, I would be happy the rest of my life. Listen Sweetheart, you said in your letter when I got ready, all I would have to say was when. Do you really mean that? If you do, I am ready to live with you always. Just any day you get ready to marry, I am ready waiting for you. Sweetheart, I mean what I say. Now when you get ready to take me home with you, let me know what day you can come after me. Darling, you asked me was I ashamed of you. No, I am not. I wish I was there to cook supper for you tonight but I am waiting for you. Maybe some day I can. You asked me where was Milton. He is at home now. Yes Dear, you are welcome to see me anytime. I am sending you one of my pictures this time. Don't get scared when you look at it. I have loved you ever since we washed the dishes and wonder if I would write you, would you answer it. Darling, at first I thought you didn't care anything about me, but now I believe you do love me. I know I love you more than I can tell. I wish I knew this time next week we would be living together and we could love one another all we wanted to then. Well Sweetheart, I don't know any news to write so I will say good bye-bye to my Darling One. Be good and don't love anyone else. We will be together always soon. I am yours only, Maudie Belle W. P.S. Answer real, real soon. Love for you only Dewitt. **Written on the inside of the envelope "Sugar is white and so is salt. If me and you do marry, it won't be my fault." 5. (MBW) Arcadia, LA Nov. 18, 1931 My Dearest and only one, How are you this morning? Fine I hope. I am o.k. Say Sweetheart, you don't know how happy I did feel when I received your letter. You ask me how old I was. I am 18 years old and 4 days old and my mother was a Gaines before she married. And Dear, you asked me would I like to live up there. Yes Dear, I like up there alright. I would be willing to live anywhere you would want me to live. No, I don't want you to ask Mother and Daddy for me. They wouldn't care but I have always said I wouldn't let a man ask for me. Now Sweetheart, you answer this right back and tell me what day next week you will come and take me home with you. Dear, I can't stay away from you any longer. I love you so much. I will tell you the way to come. Come to Arcadia. Stop there and ask where Lark Woodard lives. Anybody in Arcadia can tell you where he lives and what kind of a man he is. I know you want to find out what kind of people we are before you marry into the family, don't you? Listen Sweetheart, when you write me and tell me what day you can come, you tell me what time you will be here and I will meet you at Mr. Mack Hood's. He lives about 1 mile from home. When you get to my house, you can ask the way to Mr. Hood's and they will tell you. But don't tell what your name is, and I will tell my sister-in-law that I am going to marry. She won't tell anyone. I will close hoping to hear from you real soon. Now please don't make me wait so long to be away from you. You said I wouldn't have to wait as long as I have waited. I am closing hoping to hear from you Wednesday and tell me what day I can go home with you. Bye-bye. Yours till I die, Maudie Belle P.S. Now don't make me wait long. 6. (LDC) Lillie, LA Nov. 20, 1931 Dear Darling Angel, How are you by this long time? I am not feeling good this morning. I have a bad cold. I received your most welcome letter yesterday and was proud indeed to hear from you and was glad to know your little heart was made to rejoice. Darling, I am going to give you some advice. Don't think I do not care for you. My love is great for you more than just a friend. I might have rushed you too much and too fast. Sometimes we make mistakes by not thinking as we go along. I would like for you to steal away in some lonesome place and ask God to guide you in this. He sure will. He is always ready to help in time of need. Don't have Dewitt love in it as you do this but have Maudie Belle around. We should want one another as one of God's greatest gifts and not just a chance to get married. You are young yet. You may can do better. I don't know. You have a long time to marry yet. Do not marry for spite or someone else or to get away from home. Be sure your love is great for me, not just to get married. Study this out yourself and be sure you are right. Give yourself time to study everything as you go along. I would rather you do this thing than any thing I know of. Life is only a few days. We want to make the best out of the few as we can. I do not want to risk any one's life or cause any one's heart to break or any pain whatever. I think I have had my part, but God knows best after all. Maudie, talk this over with your sister-in-law. Maybe she can help you some. Let her read this letter if you want to. I do not care. Maudie, I am talking like if you where my sister. I want to show you respect by all means every way I can. After you have studied this all out and sure you're right, let me know where you stand. If you decide you do not love me as you thought you did, I will forgive you and always treat you as a sister. And if you think I am the only one for you, let me know. Give yourself time to think. I like to be reasonable in everything and to do right to everybody. I do not wish to do anyone any harm. Try to think of what has to be done in a home to make home worthwhile. Be a good Girl and let me hear from you. In my next letter, I will let you know what day I will come for you if you still want me as a husband. My writing tablet gave out that's the reason I'm writing like this. Maudie, I do not mean to rob you of your love if you have another you like. If not and I am the only one for you, I would want to make things pleasant for you in every way. Darling, I had better close for this time. Do not get mad because I tried to give some advice. I think this is right. I would like to have some too. It would not hurt me. I would like to hear from you as soon as you think your mind is made up like you want to be sure your right. With much love, a friend indeed, Dewitt 7. (MBW) Arcadia, LA Nov. 25, 1931 Dearest Dewitt, I will answer your letter I received and was glad to hear from you. Sorry to hear that you was sick with a cold. Darling, you said for me to study over things. I have been studying all the time and have made up my mind long ago. Dear, I don't love anyone else but you and would be willing to die for you tonight. I am not marrying for spite. I am marrying because I love you and I know when I am married, I will have to settle down and try and have something in our home and help you all I can. Darling, I read that letter to my mother. I thought it would be best for her to know about it. She said for me to think over things first and then if I wanted to marry, she didn't have anything to do with it. Don't you think I did right by telling her? Sweetheart, you said you would let me know in your next letter what day you would come after me. Listen, when you come, I will be at home. I won't go anywhere to meet you for I can leave at home just the same. But I won't tell them when you are coming till I see you. Come in the weekdays and it won't be anyone here but me and my mother. When you stop, I will walk out and tell her I am gone. You may think I am in a hurry to answer your letter but I have made up my mind and there is no need to wait. Dear, the best way for you to come after me is to come to Hilly, then Cross Roads. When you get to Cross Roads Schoolhouse, take the left hand road and you will go about 6 miles. You come to a two story house that has been painted white. Well, there is where I live. I will be ready when you get here. No Dear, you know I wouldn't get mad at you for giving me some advice. I thank you very much for it. I know you wouldn't want me to marry you and love someone else more than I did you. But Dewitt, I do not love anybody else. There is no one that could come between me and you. Well, I will close. Answer right back and let me know what day you will be here after me so I can have things ready. Darling, I wish I was with you now. Maybe I could do something for your cold. Bye-bye. Your wife soon will be. Love to you always, Maudie Belle Woodard **Written across the top of the pages "I love you and no one else." 8. (LDC) Lillie, LA Dec. 3, 1931 Dearest One, How are you by this long time? Fine I hope. This one's o.k. I am sorry I can't come Friday or Saturday after you but I can't come but I will come after you as soon as I can. I am sure I can come by today week if not sooner. I'll try nothing longer if I can. I wish you were here today. It has been raining so much I couldn't do anything but cook and eat and sleep. If you were I bet I would laugh at you trying to cook without stove wood. I will try have it dry before you get here. Maybe you can stay one day any way. Maudie, I am glad you told your mother about everything so she would not be mad at me and you. When I come, you may laugh at me if your mother get after me. Say I'm not coming in. I will honk first then if you don't come out, I will ask to see a man. You be sure and come. I might not can stay long out there. I don't know. I will come between 2 and 3. Do not answer this letter. I will write another to let you know what day I will be there. I am going to Sibley. I will come from there to your house. If you have some special thing for me to know, send your letter to Sibley in care of D.O. Christian. I will close for this time. Be good. I will be with you soon. Dewitt Christian 9. (LDC) Sibley, LA Dec. 10, 1931 Dearest One, How are you now? I'm o.k. I have gotten to Sibley by the hardest. The roads were so bad I couldn't come in a car. Listen Darling, I could not come Wednesday but I will come after you any day you think would be best for me to come. You say the day. Be sure I will get the letter so I can come on that day. It would reach me Monday if you write me as soon as you get this so I will get your letter in time to come on the day. Address your letter Sibley, LA in care of D. O. Christian. Write soon. I sure do want to hear from you. It has been so long. I'll see you soon. Yours Forever, Dewitt Christian 10. (MBW) {Postmarked Dec. 11, 1931} Arcadia, LA Friday Morning Dearest Dewitt, Will answer your letter I received just now. How are you by this time? I am just as mean as ever. Ha, Ha. Listen Darling, you said for me to write you and let you know what time to come. You come Monday evening at 2 o'clock. Be sure to be here by 2. I will be ready waiting for you. The roads are so bad you will have to come to Arcadia then to Simsboro. When you get there, you ask the way to Lark Woodard's and they will tell you the way. But don't say anything to anyone about me and your going to marry. You leave in time Monday so you will be here by 2 o'clock. You turn around and blow your car horn and I will walk out and get in the car. You will know when you get to my house. It is a big 2 story house. Now be sure and do what I told you. I will be ready at 2 Monday evening and turn your car around and blow the horn. Then I will come out. Well, I will close hoping to see you Monday. As Ever, Maudie Belle W. **Written on the back on one page "Be sure and come at 2 o'clock!" 11. (LDC) Sibley, LA Dec. 12, 1931 Dear Maudie, I will answer your letter I received this morning and was glad to here from you. I think you can get it before Monday evening. I will be on time Monday at 2 o'clock. I will do what you said to do. We could have a break-down and make us late. I will be there on time. I will leave early so I will get there. So be good. I will see you Monday. If we are late do not give up. I will be there in a few minutes. Dewitt C. SUBMITTER'S NOTE: I found these letters in my grandmother's, Maudie Belle Woodard Christian, trunk. They were carefully placed in a box with a thin scrap of material tied around them. These letters are my prized possession. My grandfather, Lee Dewitt Christian, died before I was born so I always had to rely on others to get a glimpse of what type of a man he was. These letters offer me a glimpse of not only his personality but also everyday life. Sometimes when we do genealogy, we tend to get caught up in the search for names and dates, but we forget about our ancestors' daily activities and their personality. I truly hope that you enjoy these letters as much as I do and that you can find something of equal or greater treasure that belonged to your ancestors. Maudie Belle Woodard was born 14 Nov 1913 in rural Arcadia, Lincoln Parish, LA, and died 15 Apr 1993 at her home in rural Arcadia, Lincoln Parish, LA. She was a homemaker but did work for a time at Teen Town diner in Arcadia. Maudie Belle was the only daughter out of seven children of Larkin Reynolds Woodard, a farmer, and Dora Ann Gaines. I remember my grandmother as being a strong-willed, adventurous woman who always put her family first. She gave new meaning to the old cliche "Blood is thicker than water." When she said that her mind was made up, that was what she meant. These personality traits, mixed with the Christian's easy-going, mild mannerisms, always produced great tales for the grandchildren to listen to. Lee Dewitt Christian was born 12 Oct 1897 in Colquitt, Claiborne Parish, LA, and died 18 Aug 1967 at his home in rural Arcadia, Lincoln Parish, LA. In the 1930s, Dewitt was a sharecropper in the Lillie area of Union Parish. He later worked at the sawmill in Lillie, then at the Shell Plant in Minden, Webster Parish, and later for the LA State Highway Dept. Dewitt was the youngest son of Charles Willis Christian and Sallie C. Wise, who died during or immediately following the childbirth of Dewitt. Dewitt first married Mary Lee Boatright (1902 1930) in 1916 in Union Parish, LA, and had two sons. Family lore is that Dewitt and Maudie Belle were introduced to each other by Milton Davidson. Milton was the son of Joe Davidson and Minnie Mae Gaines (sister to Dora Gaines). The Davidsons lived in Bernice, Union Parish, and Maudie Belle's family would visit there often. Perhaps this is where the romantic dish-washing interlude took place? All of Maudie Belle's brothers and her mother didn't want her to marry Dewitt. They thought that she was too young to get married and furthermore that Dewitt was too old (16 years to be exact). Of course this didn't deter Maudie Belle one bit. Dewitt did not know how to drive at that time so his brother, Rev. D. O. Christian, drove him to Maudie Belle's house. When they drove up in Maudie Belle's driveway, she jumped out of the window and off they went to Sibley, Webster Parish. D. O. Christian, was a Methodist minister in Sibley, and he married them. I remember when news of an upcoming church wedding would arise, Maudie Belle would always say, "They should just elope. They'll still be just as married." Maudie Belle and Dewitt married 14 Dec 1931 and had six children. All the children are still living except for Ralph Dudley Christian son of Dewitt and Mary Boatright. Maudie Belle and Dewitt are both buried in the Alabama Baptist Church Cemetery in Lincoln Parish, as well as Maudie Belle's parents and deceased siblings. Dewitt's parents and most siblings are buried in the Colquitt Cemetery, Claiborne Parish.