Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, October 9, l924

The following letter from MRS. J.M. CHASTAIN, who with MR. CHASTAIN, spent the summer here at the home of their son, FRANK CHASTAIN and family, was written to their nephew, W.R. CHASTAIN, of Leon, and tells of meeting some relatives who live near them in California, of whose relationship they did not know of, although they had been acquainted for several years.

Los Angeles, Calif., Sept. l9, l924.

Dear Nephew -- Will drop you a few lines and tell you about the relatives CHARLEY wrote you about, and we got her address from you. Well we found she lives only a short distance from us, and we have known her for three or four years, as she and I were in the same Sunday School Class at South Park Church. I wanted to claim her as my grandmother ALBAUGH, she looked so much like her, and she said, "Well, alright, I am everybody's grandmother. I am 98 years old now." So you see we were related but didn't know it. I did not tell her my name, only my grandmother's. We have been to see her twice. She knows very little about her mother's people, but remembers her uncles, LEVI, SILAS, BERRY and RENE. She remembers when they all signed to free colored GEORGE who lived with UNCLE RENE.

She had forgotten who AUNT BETSY married, and we told her JONES, and that FRED JONES, who is a Christian Preacher, is BETSY's grandson, and she had this written down so she could keep it. She is past 98 years old and hasn't an ache or a pain, goes to South Park Church regularly to all the services, Aid, Sunday School and Church. She is small and spry to get around. When we called this afternoon, she asked me to lay off my wraps. I said no, it isn't worth while, and she said "Did you come for five?" I had not heard that saying for many years. She lives with her youngest son and wife, has a nice room, and her daughter-in-law says she can stand more going than she can. Her son's name is BEN FRANKLIN MCCONNELL. She had six boys, then two girls. We met one daughter there this afternoon. Her name is ZORA MILLSAP and her sister FLORA, married a cousin to her husband, so both are MILLSAPS. She spoke of her brother, JOSEPH MARTIN CARTER, born Sept. 28, l822, and a sister, BETSY NEUREH CARTER, born Oct. 24, l820. Her mother's name was MAGDALENE SALLY CHASTAIN, and she married RANE CARTER, Sept. 3, l8l9. Her mother was born Feb. 23, l80l. That is JOHN's birthday, Feb. 23, l843. She has a nice picture of her mother and she looks like LEVI CHASTAIN. She went to the beach and had her picture taken with a woman who was l00 years old.

It was cloudy today or I would have taken one of her and JOHN. If CHARLEY found out about any of her mother's uncles and aunts, she would like to hear about them. We don't know, and don't know where your grandfather was born. Well, lest you tire, I'll quit. We got home alright and have been working and going and having company. We are feeling fine, the weather has been lovely and we had big forest fires about 20 miles away, which were terrible.

MRS. SALLIE CHASTAIN.

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
June 6, 2002