(The) King and Me (Gene Wee): Earlier Letters from cousin Lucille

1930 Oct 5 – Oil Discovered, Lucille starts Junior College

                                                                              428 South Fleishel Avenue,
                                                                              Tyler, Texas,
                                                                              October 5, 1930.

Dear Cousin King :

How are you and everyone now? We are all getting along fine and business is getting better. Did you know that oil has been struck in another field about 40 miles west of here? It has seemed to help our business quite a bit.

Jake, Julian and I are all going to school again this year. I am going to [Tyler] Junior College here in town. Jack is in the high 7^th and Julian is in the low 6^th.

How is business in Wichita now? Did Poy go to China? Mamma wanted me to be sure to ask.

How is your mother getting along? Have you heard from her lately – or any one in China?

You must write to us soon and tell us how everything is. We always like to hear from you so much.

Your cousin,
Lucille Mardock

1931, Nov 1 –Trip to Ft Worth, New Car

                                                                              428 South Fleishel Avenue,
                                                                              Tyler, Texas,
                                                                              November 1, 1931

Dear Cousin King :

We want to thank you for the good candy that you sent to us by Cousin Joe. He got here Friday afternoon about two o’clock. Yesterday, we drove him to Gladewater, Longview, Kilgore, Henderson, Arp, which was right through the center of the oil field down here. Wish that you could have been here to go with us. We surely did enjoy having him visit us. It was the first time Jake, Julian or I had seen him. He left here this morning at eleven o’clock for Fort Worth.

How are you and everyone there by now? We haven’t heard from you in quite a while. Is business any better for you now? Things were a little quiet around here for several weeks, but seems to be better the last few days. All of us have been getting along fine. I finished my business course in the Tyler Commercial College about a month ago, but so far have not found a job.

I went to Dallas to the State Fair on the special train on October 18. I left Tyler at 6:30 in the morning and got back to Tyler at 11:00 o’clock at night. I had a nice time. I went with one of my girlfriends. Last Sunday, Papa and Jake and Julian and I went over to Fort Worth for a short visit. We left Tyler at 5:45 in the morning, and were back by 8:15 that night. I enjoyed that, too. It was the first time I had been to Fort Worth in about ten years. Nobody over there knew Jake, Julian or I because we had grown so much. Julian is larger than I am now, guess I will be the baby.

We drove to Fort Worth last Sunday in our car. We have a new car, now. It is a DeSoto six. We have had it about two months. If we had known Cousin Joe was coming, we could have met him in Fort Worth and brought him down here. Anytime you can come to see us, let us know, and we will meet you in Fort Worth.

Write to us soon, because we always like to hear from you. And come to see us if you can possibly get off. Thank you again for the candy. It surely was good and we really enjoyed and liked it.

Your cousin,
Lucille