My Dear Cousins & Uncle...Aug 26 1935

I really enjoyed this letter from Martha Belle FAMULINER a lot.  She was writing to her cousins and Uncle Quincy about their recent visit.  In a way it's a sad letter because the visit was a brief one and Martha Belle had obviously planned for them to stay overnight and had pre-made as much of the dinner as she could have. She is very outspoken as to how upset she was that the visit was cut short but she recovers and goes on to talk about the farm and how they had just finished threshing wheat and barley and how she looks forward to another more lengthy visit from her relatives.

Patti Shumate TUCKER forwarded the letter on to another cousin, Virginia Shumate MORAN, and her comments show who the real culprit was in regard to the short visit, her husband Selwyn Dennis TUCKER.

Letter from Mrs. J.B. FAMULINER (Martha Belle SHUMATE)
to her cousin
Mrs. Selwyn D. TUCKER  (Patti SHUMATE )

Harrisonville Mo
August 26 1935

My Dear Cousins & Uncle,

I was glad to hear that you reached home safely and felt your trip worth while, I have wondered and still am wondering, at what time you reached the Ozarks, and if you spent the night there and found it cool.

Seldom have I been so disappointed that you didn't stay and make us a visit as I had planned so much on your doing so, and had a thousand things I wanted to talk over with you and Uncle Quincy and really get acquainted.

I didn't tell you when you were here, (the time was too short), that I had my supper all prepared, with a dressed chicken ready to fry, in the refrigerator, & I had baked 2 cakes a lovely Angel food and a Devil's food, & we had frozen a freezer of ice cream and had it packed in the basement, waiting serving.  So I would be free to visit with you.  I wished afterwards I had served you ice-cream and cake, but you were in such a hurry to go there wasn't time.

I was so stunned that you couldn't even spend the night that I had a big cry after you left and when James Jr. came back from starting the engine to pump water for the hogs and found you had come and gone he was certainly surprised and disappointed too as well as his Daddy when he came home.  In fact it took me days to get

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over it, if I have yet, the disappointment was so great.

We have had it much cooler the past week, and is cool and raining this morning so the dust is all settled now.

We have been busy with our threshing, Friday and Saturday.  We threshed our wheat, oats, & barley.  If you never lived on a farm, perhaps you don't know what it is like.  We had 23 for dinner each day, I had the girl that you saw here and her sister to help me and we got along fine, but our grain didn't turn out very well.  We had too much rain in the spring and too dry since, besides the army worms ate the heads off the wheat and barley so badly.

I wish you were here today; I am sitting on the front porch writing this on my lap and watching the gentle rain come down.  It feels so delightfully cool and refreshing.

When you come out again, I hope you can come the last week in Aug. or in May.  It is most always cool then, and much more enjoyable to visit.

I hope you and Uncle Quincy will write to me often, I will enjoy hearing from you both and do take good care of yourselves and cousin Selwyn's health.  Hope he gets over the arthritis, it is so miserable.  I want so much for he & my husband to meet, think they would enjoy each other.

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Uncle Quincy looked so much like Papa I loved him the moment I saw him.  Here's hoping we all meet again before too long and have a real visit.  I must close with lots of love to all, I remain
Sincerely, Your Cousin
Martha B. FAMULINER

P.S. Charles Jr's. Grandparents came, shortly after you all left that Friday afternoon and took him back to K.C. with them.  We miss him.   M.B.F.

This part is written in pencil and was added by Patti Shumate Tucker (Mrs. Selwyn Dennis Tucker), the recipient of the letter.  Patti was forwarding the letter on to her cousin Virginia Shumate Moran.

Sat. P.M.
Dear Va, Been so busy cleaning out things preparatory to Fall cleaning past week, haven't written, but am sending this recent letter, which made me feel more than ever that husbands really do mess things up sometimes.  Dad & I were so anxious to spend at least a night in Cuz. MB's home, but my restless husband just wouldn't.  Guess he tho't he'd done his part in bringing us by for our little ghost of a visit, for which was really thankful.  The days past week have been so perfect & the nights good for sound sleep, which have enjoyed, since couldn't sleep in the Rockies.  Too high for my nerves. S. going to a stag picnic this P.M. so a lonesome Sat. & have to cook dinner since T. gone home. Lots love
Devotedly Sittie (Sittie was Patti's nickname)

The FAMULINER and MORAN Connection comes through the SHUMATE line:

The author of this letter is Martha Belle SHUMATE (wife of James Buford FAMULINER), the daughter of Jason Champ SHUMATE and Jennie LACKEY. Martha, or MB,  is writing to her cousin Patti (Sittie) SHUMATE (wife of Selwyn Dennis TUCKER) and Patti's father, John Quincy SHUMATE.  Quincy's wife Louise Elizabeth McLean passed away in 1930.  Patti forwarded the letter to another cousin, Virginia SHUMATE (wife of James Henderson MORAN III), the daughter of Nathan McClary SHUMATE and Margaret Jane ADAMS.

Champ SHUMATE and Martha Jane MCCLARY were the parents and grandparents of the Shumates listed above.

Grandfather Adams' Sisters

"Grandfather Adams' Sisters. This was made from a tintype picture."

This photograph was found among the papers of Virginia Shumate MORAN.  Some one had written the following notation on the inside cover: "Grandfather Adams' Sisters.  This was made from a tintype picture."

Virginia SHUMATE's grandfather was Cyrannus W. ADAMS, born Aug. 26, 1826 in Pulaski County Kentucky and died Dec. 7 1893 in Rockcastle County Kentucky.  He married Mary Elizabeth CUMMINS who was born July 15, 1843 and died Aug 6 1881 in Rockcastle County Kentucky.  For more information about Mary Elizabeth CUMMINS and her parents check out my blog post dated January 6 2012.

Cyrannus W. ADAMS

Cyrannus was the son of Absalom Adams and Cyntha A. Evans.  Cyrannus had several siblings including 3 sisters: 

James ADAMS (b. 1829 Kentucky and married Cyrena Sarah WHITAKER, I think he might've moved to Jones County Texas and died abt 1910)

George ADAMS (b. 1832 Kentucky and married Charlotte L., last found in the 1880 Census for Iona, Jewell, Kansas)

Cyntha/Syntha ADAMS (b. 1835 Kentucky and married John STARK, last found in 1880 census for Umatilla Oregon), 

William Gaines ADAMS (b. 1837 Kentucky and married to Rachel S. MCWILLIAMS, his headstone says G.W. but most everything I've seen indicates he was W.G. died 1892 in Kansas at a Confederate Veterans Rest Home.), 

Margaret A. ADAMS (b. about 1839 and married John C. BROOKS died after 1900), 

Rachel J Adams (b. 1844 and married John A. WINSTEAD, died 1921)

Here's the same photo with some adjustments made using paint.net.  We can't know exactly who these women are but because of the notation we can narrow it down to three women: 

Cyntha/Syntha ADAMS, 

Margaret A. ADAMS or 

Rachel J. ADAMS.  

They were the sisters of "grandfather ADAM's".  Based on the dates of birth I'm guessing that the girl on the right is Rachel Adams who was born in 1844.  Rachel was 5-8 years younger than her sisters.  But I could be wrong.  Such is the way of genealogy and time!

Two of three sisters of Cyrannus Adams
Cyntha, Margaret or possibly Rachel

Brasfield-Thompson Lumber Co. Nov 4, 1910

Letter to J.W. Moran from
George M. Brasfield
Note that "answered" is written on the letter.

George Moore Brasfield was born in Weakley County Tennessee August 18, 1868.  His parents were George Robert Brasfield and Sarah Ellen Moore.  George married Virginia Elder January 13, 1892. He and Vergie had one child who they named George Frederick Brasfield.  This George married Minna Booker.  I haven't figured out all of the Brasfield/Moran connections but there are Brasfield's in the Moran family tree.

When George M. Brasfield wrote this letter to John W. Moran he was living and working in Tacoma Washington in 1910.  He was the president of the Brasfield-Thompson Lumber Co, manufacturers of hardwood lumber, specialties in oak, ash and gum.  His vice president was J.W. Thompson, who might've been the same J.W. Thompson who was born in Weakley County in 1859 and died there in 1924. A.L. Foster was the company secretary and J.N. Penrod, treasurer.

In addition, George had a lumber camp on the Cache River in Arkansas and the Brasfield post office in Arkansas was named after him.  He had lived in Memphis for a time and on the letterhead Memphis is listed as the Office for the company.

In his letter George is specifically asking for a loan of  $5000.  We don't know if it was a personal loan from J.W. Moran or if he was asking for a bank loan which was possible since J.W. Moran was the President of the Dresden Bank.  I lean toward the side of it being a request for a bank loan since at the end of the letter George Brasfield is also sending his regards to George Boyd who was a cashier at the Bank of Dresden and was kin to J.W. Moran too.  If it had been a personal loan I don't think he would've mentioned George Boyd.

George goes on to indicate that his mother and "John" would most likely endorse the note for him.  I can't say for certain but it's possible that he is referring to his brother John Coke Brasfield who moved his family to California where he formed John C. Brasfield Publishing Co and was the founder of  Architectural Digest.

On the envelope someone has written "answered".  It could've been J.W. Moran, George Boyd or even J.W.'s son Charles Harrell Moran since all three of them worked at the bank.  We'll never know for certain if George M. Brasfield received his loan but my intuition tells me it was granted.  J.W. Moran was an astute businessman and there is a clear indication that this was not the first time George had asked for money and it had previously been granted.

Mr. J.W. Moran
Dresden, Tenn
Nov. 4th, 1910

Dear Mr. Moran

I am making some deals out here in timber and land and the prospects of coming back look mighty good but I am shy of enough cash. Can you loan me 5000 for a year at 10%.  I do not want to lose this deal because it is a good one and absolutely safe.

Mother and John I expect will endorse the note.  Its all right I assure you I haven't sold any of my Memphis and Miss. Land.  Pretty nice Country out here growing fast and many opportunities for good investments in timber and growing city property especially.

I hope you will accommodate me again.

With regards to yourself & Geo. Boyd
Very Respectfully,
Geo. M. Brasfield
(over)

P.S.  I have no expectation of making this my permanent home.  Only out here temporarily, about a year I think.  I do not have to have this money for 30 or 40 days but need letter to him about it soon.

Very Respectfully
Geo. M. Brasfield
1218 Fidelity Bldg
Tacoma Washington

To me it's amazing that this letter was sent on Nov 4 1910 from Tacoma Washington
and arrived Nov 8 1910 in Dresden Tennessee.  Just four days!