Winder, Ga.4-12-1936.
Mr. R.G. Ware,
Mayo, Fla.
Dear Brother:- This is a beautiful Easter Sunday afternoon. I attended the Ist. Baptist
Church this morning. Last Sunday, worship at church was rained out. My church membership
is in Ist. Baptist Church in Gainsville, Florida, but today, I joined Here Eby relation,
six months, till we return to Florida.
I am alone, As Frances has gone with others to Gainsville, Georgia, which was
devastated by a terific cyclone. I was sitting, last Monday typing, where I am typeing
this letter, where it is so bright all at once it turned so dark, I switch on a light to
see. That was the time, 26 miles away, Gaunsville, was torn to pieces, in three minutes. I
have not gone to see it, as I could do them no good and would be in the way, as afflicted
City needs help, on lookers. Soon after we came through Cordele, Georgia, on our way up
here, a cyclone, killed people there. If that one, last Monday, Had come this way, now you
would have no brother in this world.
You remember Charley Liddon, who lived near us, in 1871. You
also remember what a sorry crop we had made, the year before, our first year in Florida.
So we rolled up our sleeves, never to say die or be discouraged. How hard we worked to
make a good crop next year, and made it. Then in September, there came a three days
hurricane, from the North East, blew down trees, whiped our cotton to pieces, flooded the
country with water, which raised Santefe River higher than it has ever been since. What a
fine crop of corn we had made, between the river and creek, and how we never got an ear of
it, all covered with water, How I was having chills and fever, and felt the log house,
rise a little, twice to go with the wind, dident. How our sister Sallie, who kept house
for us, had gone on a visit, after the storm, and I had caught a big possom, next morning,
how boiled it, till its legs bones stuck out. Then with baked sweet potatoes, we sailed in
on that possom, and soon we were on the out side of his meat. Possom meat or not, no chill
has shook me since. Strange, I have any good thing to eat in old age, I want, then I
dreamed of hot biscuits and speckle gravy.
But I started out about Charley Lidded. Last fall, after I moved to Gainsville,
Florida, I learned, he lived there. I knew he had belong to Providence, before we did. Now
I had been pastor of that church, in 1892, but I did not think to hurt him up. So after
years of my neglected duty to him as his pastor, I visited him. I found him old and sick.
I ask him about his church life. He said he had been baptized into Providence Church, in
1867, but had been out a long time, but had all ways loved the people of God. I said if
you love the people of God, let me have you restored to their fellowship? And he did.
"And the Angels echoed around the Throne, rejoice for the Lord bring back His
own."
Your brother,
G.W.S. Ware
