Submitted by Teresa Penny [email protected]
My husband and I transcribed them the best that we could. I left everything spelled the way it was in the letter. Some parts of some letters were not legible.

Letter written by JG Johnson to ?. The first three pages are missing . No date or place, but I believe it was written in Russell Okla about 1908

page 4

In the same connection I will lose the land first. Your ma thinks White and Cavasas is all the people there is fit to live around.

Sept 3

I am back from Breckfas in my little house all alone it is dark and cloudy wind from the north this is going to be a rough bad sept- I fear.

I will send or go to the office today though I will not send this letter off till I get a letter from you all as I have not on (one) anser from you all sinc my other other letter later

well winnie have just come from the office with your welcom and some letter was so glad to hear from you and to hear you was well and doing so well glad to hear of your big boy I will send you a name. Name him Baley or Joe. Baley Walter named his boy Talbert after Judg Talbert of Hobert. He was the judg when Dave was tried for his life. Walter and Lizzie read your letter Pearl was not at home.

Winnie and Ma is at Dave yesterday waiting on Dave’s wife staying there with just John and Babe old lady Gallaway is living way down the country. Dan Miller. Will wanted your ma to come and stay with Lizzie. Your ma to him Lizzie ‘s ma was living and she could wait on her that she would not. But she would go and stay with John Dave and wait on Dave’s wife in a little old shack of a house and a credit white till full pay her money (this does not make sense to me, but that’s what I could make out)

Will has a farm house with large rooms and has got the cash to pay any time. She wanted or would give her a dollar a day as long as she would stay and been in 400 yds of my little house she could step over home any time she wanted too and in 500 yards of Walters.

Prove up on my land we had to stay on it 8 months clost as a home before we could get a deed to it. I have staid clost all the time until the time to get my deed it will be in October or Nov. But your ma has not staid a month all put together. You ma promised me if I went to Texas last winter with her and Maudie and Charley she would stay with me on my place at Blake till we got a deed as I had to let her have the deed of my place at Russell made to her. She said we would have a place a peace. It was a trick I cant help it she has got the deed to the place at Russell and I am left without any place or any money I am in a worse fix than when she went back on me in Texas . I could made something if I could get a deed to this place. It may all come rite yet. My proof may go through all rite . I have some mity good men sticking clost to me all the time. I could get a deed by suing your ma and getting proof of her promise to stay but I do not want to do that. Have a case in court rite in on top of the murder charge .

Dave’s mother is living his wifes mother is living but still your ma will go and stay in the little old shack of a house and waite on Dave’s wife.

George and Fannie is living in old dug out one of the first ever put up in the country. The old dug out I fixed up for cotton pickers the first year I came up here. But your ma rather stay there than in a new house. My little house is new just put up last fall your ma is like Owen thinks her way is the only way there is hers Georges and Charley Owen thought his way was right but it led to death . I think your ma wants me to go back to Texas to Charley and Maud but I can not do that if she wants to go I am willing for her to go. Winnie I will say your ma is treating me rong but I can’t help my self I am an honest man. I will close write as soon and as often as you can.

Your Father JG Johnson

Russell, Okla

Sept 12

Mrs Winnie Parton

Dear daughter and family it is with great pleasure I write you a few lines this leaves us all well, Winnie I was so surprised to hear that you had not got a letter from me in so long. I could not amajan why did not ans my letter your pa got a letter from you the other day telling about your boy I am so glad you and the baby are getting along so well. Tho sorry to hear your eyes are so bad hope they are better now Winnie bathe your eyes in warm salt water you strained your eyes to soon after your baby was borned Winnie you don’t no how anxious I have looked for a letter from you or Jim you know I was uneasy til I heard from you I am staying with Fannie now. Waiting for her time to come which is not long sometime about the last of this month so you see the girls is always trouble and a old mothers mind some way It would be so much pleasure to me if I could be with mine in sickness enyway if no more I pray it will be sometime Winnie I want you to take care of yourself and boy and bring him

This letter was written by Joseph G. Johnson to his daughter Winnie Johnson Parton / en/in

April 12 . I’m not sure on the year , probably around 1908 or so. There was apparently another page to the letter, which is missing. He refers to "being with his own during sickness" in this letter. By that he is referring to his birth children as opposed to his step daughter Fannie.

Letter to Winnie Johnson from her father Joseph G Johnson

Jan 25 /09

Russell Okla

Dear son and daughter I will write again I will send you two letters this time as I did not get my other letter off as I did have money to buy my envelop I hate to let you kno how hard I have been troubled your ma taking George and Fannie in my house at Russell We are so badly crauded we cannot take in any travelers or borders but It dont bother your ma a bit . All I get is 2 meals a day as I dont eate supper George and Fannie has a good time as your ma does all wasing and most all the cooking and she is so short and crabbied to me I can hardly stay on the place. Your ma and Will has beat me out of both my places your ma has turned this one over to George and Fannie it is only bringing me in 2 meals a day your ma more than pais for what she eats. Will bought my place near Blake I give him a deed last fall for the money to be paid as cash at once but he never has paid me a dollar. He came to Russell told me if I would give him a reciept I had got from the land office at Lawton he would pay me $100 in 15 days I would not let have it In a day or two he sent Walter for it your ma beg me to let Walter have it we let Walter have it so I have got no money till yet. So the best pants I have is patched on both knees . So tell Jim and Billy to send me a little money to buy me a pare of pants I hait to let you kno all this but it is all saif to send any . Send to Blake as it is a post office order office.

I have to go to preachin with both my knees patched and me with two little places and can't get a dollar.

J G Johnson

Letter to Winnie Johnson Parten from her father Joseph G Johnson

January 18 , 1909

Russell Okla

Dear son and daughter in ans - to your kind letter recd- a few days

I will write you a few lines this morning I am very well this morning the balance of the conection are all well hope this will find you all the same Maudie lift for home the 16 she staid one month with us. We sure haited to see her and Truett leave but such has to be the best of friends has to part. We have rite cold weather but mostly dry we have had 2 lite snows

Tell Billy B. I will let him and you know in time if I will need any money I have money owing to me but I do not kno that I can get it this winter. If I cant I will have to call on you for a little I will close for the present. Though I had for got to tell you Walter went on a mans band for $250 the man run away and Walter hast to make the band good He left some property I do not kno how much Walter will get. I will close write soon and let me hear from you all

J G Johnson

A letter written to Winnie Johnson from her father Joseph G Johnson

March 11, 1909

Russell Okla

Dear son and daughter I will ans -your letter recvd - some time back I will start to Texas about the 25 th of this month I think the hard weather will be over by that time That will Thursday I want to then make it down by Saturday and be with you all on Sunday Tell Jim to see the other boys Billy and Jim me and Joe Hodges and all the children if he has time and send me a little it will not be much all a little I will write agan in time and where to send if you all send the money orders to Blake as it is a money order office

your ma said she wanted not come till summer as one of us had to stay with our little home she will stay Fannie and George I bought one gallon of onion sets today ½ a bushel Irish potatoes to plant after the full moon which is the 6. I will have Irish potatoes and onions to eate when I come back next summer. Your father

J G Johnson

NOTE: In the letter, JG Johnson spoke of "Ma" not wanting to come because one had to stay on their little place. I believe they had a land grant or homestead property which stated that someone had to live on the land and work the land for a certain number of years before they could get the deed; therefore, one of them had to stay on at all times.

Letter written by Joseph G. Johnson only three months before his death. Written to his daughter Winnie Johnson Parten. He was visiting one of his children in Cleburne at the time of his death.

Cleburne Texas

March 19, 1912

Dear Son and Daughter and family I will write you all a few lines as your ma and maudie is writing this leaves all up. but I am very porley and feble my lungs and kidneys is wearing me out some days some days I feel very pert some days I am hardly able to live . tho I have been coughing so many years the older I get the worse it hurts me. I dont know how long I will hold out. Hope this will find you all well and doing well. Excuse my bad writing I am too trimly to write good. Ans when and as often as you can. Jim tell me how you are geting on farming the farmers is not doing much in this country they appear too carless here about planting they all had to buy their feed in town this winter they are hauling feed by our H (probably means house is written above our) every day This country round Cleburne too poor to raise good peas. Yesterday was butiful this morning dark foggy and cloudy this is a mean climate never get two days alik together I will close . Your father

J G Johnson
Cleburne Tex
Rout 6 box 11

NOTE: J G Johnson died June 14, 1912 of Tuberculosis