Abiding faith Letter 46

Letters of an Abiding Faith:

Legacy of a Slave's GrandDaughter to her Son

written by Ella Lewis to her Son (Rudolph Lewis)

Letter 46

April 9, 1987

My Dear Son,

How are you Fine I hope. This dont leave me doing So good. I Been Sick For last 2 months I thought I had Cold. I went to Doctor at Jarratt. He was doing me no good So I change Doctors I went to Petersburg Va. Come hold the Doctor say I had Bronchitis. Then I had Ear infection. But it Better now.

I Sorry I so long to answer your letters I received. Both of Them. I Just diden feel like riten. I was suppose to go on trip with Senior Citizens to South Carolina For 4 days the 29 of April.* But I not going the Doctor took all my money.

SueGal not doing So good But Every Body up and going.** I know you was surprise to see Peter and his Family. May he do Something down there For he diden do nothing here. I talk to Lucinda last week. They all is okay. Grover is Drawing his Social Security now.*** I guess he Could have Been drawing it years ago. Hate to get old.

Charlie Lewis lost one of his Sons Say he hung his self in Park in Baltimore.**** Well it Spring again. I not looking For you I look For you When I see you Coming ha ha. I hope you have good Luck with your Book and riten them.

Cleveland haven got married yet They still shaking. Lord we had a lot of snow this Winter. I guess I told you Sonnys wife had a Boy. Nancy had a girl she lost the Baby when she 5 month pregnant.*****

Well I guess I have said Enough. The weather is pretty here now. So you Take care of your self. Dont For get to rite me.

Much love

to you Send

Mother

Commentary

*A Senior Citizens Center was established in Jarratt, I believe, in the 1970s. In 2001, the family planned and gave Mama a surprised birthday party. She was ninety years old August 11. This work here was done in honor of that moment.

**"SueGal" is a pet name for Susie, Mama’s oldest living daughter.

***Grover is Lucinda’s second husband; at the time of this letter she was fifty-six.

****Charlie Lewis was the son of Irvin Lewis, Daddy’s brother. Charlie’s son Carl hanged himself in Druid Hill Park. I have gotten to know Charlie’s other son Angelo in the last couple of years. He is a good man. Charlie is dead, buried in Jerusalem church cemetery. Charlie told me before he died, "Tell people where you come from." I was then leaving to go to Zaire in Central Africa. I didn’t get a chance to visit him while he was in the hospital sick. I regret that very much.

*****I believe this Nancy is Nancy Briggs, a former classmate at Creath. Her family—Ophelia and Nick—moved to Brooklyn, New York, in the 1960s before I left Virginia for Baltimore.