The following is a letter found behind the doorframe of a closet in the house. It is presumably to Edgar Haun, one of the five children of the Haun family who lived in the house from 1913-1944.
Charleston, Tenn
May 30, 1921
My Dearest Edgar,
I wonder how you are today. I am about half sick and have been in bed most all day.
I got home last night and was not disappointed for I got what I was expecting – a fuss as usual.
They have been trying to find out if I was with you yesterday. The answer I gave them back was a plenty for they didn’t know any more than before.
Edgar, I will never forget you. Although we can’t be together my love for you will be the same and when you come back to me I will still be the same little girl.
I am glad we had that bad luck last night but don’t tell Bula. Was you surprised when you found out I was out there?
When are you going to be leaving for school? Hate to see you go. Would give anything to be with you before you go away but I guess it is impossible.
I can never forget last night. That was the dearest hour I have ever spent with you was with my last.
Edgar, I don’t know what I will do since I can’t be with you. Go crazy I guess. For there isn’t another boy I like even as a friend. Snyder called at noon and I didn’t go to the phone for I didn’t have any desire what ever to talk to him. It was a plenty what they said to me about it and I don’t give G.D.
Dear, Bula said something about us going somewhere Sunday and taking our supper, will it be so you can go?
When Old Tyrant gets your letter I will tell you what he has to say about it. He is trying to get my mail but don’t think he will succeed.
Edgar, everybody is doing their best to get us to quit. But don’t worry, me no one will ever get me to change my mind for I love you and can never forget you. When you went with George I was the bluest girl in the world and why did you treat me that way?
Sweetheart, I am anxiously awaiting for the time to come for you to take me away from this terrible place. My life here is one long day of _____. I had much rather be the poorest girl in the world and have you as for it to be this way.
Edgar, when you call out here have the operator to ask for me, I will call you every time I can.
I am so hot and sick I can’t write any longer. Hope to see you before you go away.
Lovingly Yours,
Lilly
Renovate Mee 
How interesting to find that letter—very likely hidden there by Edgar! It is great to see the overall progress on the house and we look forward to making a visit again in a few years to see family and house when be are back in the States.
My my..Lilly was quite smitten and a bit of a rebel wasn’t she? 🙂
1. A. How did we never find this???
2. B. I agree with Debbie. Lilly was quite a character! Somewhat refreshing…
Hello!
I found your blog & the letter to Edgar Haun. This is a love letter to my grandfather! I am just astonished that you found it and posted it. And even more excited that I saw it. By the way, as an aside, my grandmother’s name is NOT “Lilly”. Might we suppose that Edgar left poor Lilly in tears. Let us hope she recovered & found a more suitable love.
Thank you
Vicki Haun
To think our Grandfather was a heart-breaker! He went on to marry Sally George Gill and after teaching and working as a Principal in Tennessee, he moved to the Gulf Coast of Florida where he started a real-estate and contracting company.
Vicki has a family picture of your house! Let her know if you want it.
Kay and Vicki –
Thank you for the comments, it’s amazing to hear from you!
The letter to your grandfather was indeed quite a find, and one of the few “hidden treasures” from the house so far. Shortly after it was found I used it as a main talking point for a presentation I gave at Chatata Valley’s local Baptist church (New Friendship) for their Decoration Day (a small event held every year for those families who have relatives buried in the valley’s cemetery, a tradition going back over 100 years) where people talk about the old days and memories of times and people past. Always at Decoration Day is Rodney Fitzgerald, who is a cousin of yours as his grandmother was Edgar’s sister (and actually I believe her name was Lilly as well, though I could be wrong on that). He informed us that Edgar’s eventual wife’s name wasn’t Lilly, and though I didn’t think it would matter being almost 100 years down the road, I did get his permission to post the letter on the blog since I didn’t have any other connection to the family and we have yet to find out who the Lilly was that actually wrote the letter. My father has asked around some, but so far we haven’t been able to pin down a Lilly that would have been the right age at the right time in the right place.
I’m very happy that you found the blog and were able to see the letter, and I’m sorry that the blog hasn’t been updated more. As I’m sure you’ve noticed there hasn’t been anything added in quite a while, and though I do have several updates to post and hope to do so soon (your comments have reminded me that I need to), as it so happens my family and I had to temporarily relocate out of the country almost two years ago for work. The house, however, has continued to have some work done on it as my father is the “caretaker” while we’re out of the picture for a short time. We’ll be back in the house within the next couple years to continue the very slow renovation process.
That being said, if you have an old picture, or any information pertaining to the house or its former residents, I would be very grateful to have access for both the blog as well as the ongoing restoration. Last month we were able to go back home for a short time for a vacation and to get some work done on the house. I’m updating the cover picture to a picture I took at that time to show some of the new roof on the wing, as well as the facelift given to the front porch which I’ve always thought might have been added during the time your family occupied the house as there’s evidence that it isn’t original to the structure – at least in it’s current form.
Thanks for getting in touch, and hope to hear from you again soon!