Copied letter from Ethel Goodman Morton,
Kemp, Texas April 4, 1932
Miss Burnice Owens, my dear great-granddaughter, I'll try to answer yours of March 27. I went home with Luther and Calvin Owens on 21 of March, didn't get back down here until April 2. We are just tolerable well here & left all well at Walker's. Luther started back on 24, he had until April 2nd to bet back but he aimed to highway it most of the way, so he gave himself 10 days to make the trip. I hope you are well & doing well with your school. I haven't heard from Bingen in 3 weeks. They was doing very well then.
Well, you spoke about my initials. I have no middle name. I always sign my name Jesse Goodman & so did my father. I will begin on another page and tell you what I can and that is not much, but I never saw my father nor none of his folks. I did see one cousin and family. My father died about 4 months before I was born and I was borned Jesse Goodman. Jesse Goodman, Jr. was borned at Jersey, Arkansas January 26, 1851, and was married to Mary E. Splawn October 24, 1869. To this union was borned 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls. Two girls and 2 boys died in infancy, 4 girls and 4 boys married. Two girls has since died. I have 52 grandchildren and 64 great grandchildren. I will write my part of this more complete when I get back to De Queen and have our pictures in the paper, if it is the Lord's will.
Lots of love from your grandpa. Write again.
Father's People
A short sketch of my people. My grandfather Goodman was named Daniel. He married Rhoda Bilbra. They left North Carolina in an early day, come to Georgia. I don't know whether father was borned in North Carolina or Georgia. He was borned in 1822. His name was Jesse Goodman. He came to Pike County, Alabama, there met mother and they married on 15 of October, 1845 and in December landed in Arkansas, Bradley County. There he died on 27 September 1850.
Mother's People
Mother was borned in North Carolina and come with her parents while a child to Alabama. Mother was the daughter of Jesse Lee and he was the son of a Jesse Lee. Grandmother Lee was a Bundy and a Quaker before she married, but all my people on both sides died members of Baptist as far as I ever knew. I think grandpa Lee was English. Grandpa Goodman was full Irish. There is lots of Jews named Goodman, can't tell whether they are my folks are not. I don't claim kin with the Jews. However, they was the chosen people of the Lord. Burnice, I don't know if you can make much out of this, but if you can study it if you can read it make just such changes as you think necessary. I will write a letter of my history. I am, if I live to get back to De Queen to write it out & have it printed. I will write it more complete than this is.
granddaughter of Jesse GOODMAN, Jr.