**** UPDATE: I found a letter to "Gerald, Ruby, Larry, Darius, and Roy, and Myrtle" in regards to the Cunningham farm (which I am realizing is what the family in this posting lived on) that Ellen owned (apparently following her divorce from Sylvan). I have come to the realization that their last name isn't Gwaltney (not sure why that name is written on the envelopes) but Cunningham! And Gerald is Sylvan's brother, I'm pretty sure. Even in the firm letter below, she tried her hardest to explain why she had to do what she did and she still loved them.
Dear Gerald, Ruby, Larry, Darius, and Roy, and Myrtle, October 31, 1976
This letter has been on my heart for many months, but it has been difficult to find the time and energy to write it. I can only hope you will all read it and understand why things have worked out the way they did.
When different members of the Cunningham family requested that I sell the property to them during recent years, I asked the to have it appraised and have the statement of value sent for me and then I would be glad to discuss the price with them. No one ever did this. These kinds of calls persisted so I became curious about what the place was worth. I didn't plan to sell it until the highway to Charleston was completed, so I wasn't interested enough in selling it to pay the 75 to 100 dollars to have the appraisal done. One day as I was looking at the Clay Messenger, the ad of the Sutton Real Estate Company. After some questioning of local real estate people, I decided to call them and get some idea as to what the property was worth. I told them, "I'm not really interested in selling some property I own out there in West Va. unless I could get 20 or 30 thousand dollars for it, but frankly I would like to know what its present value is. is there any way you would look at the property and give me an idea of what you would list it for without any obligation on my part?" I had no idea it was worth that kind of money. If any of the Cunninghams knew it and had told me, we could have worked out a deal that would have benefited all of us, because I had no intentions of selling the property to anyone else at that time.
Two weeks later, Mr. Sutton called and said he had a sale for it at the lower figure and he sending me a contract to sing for him to list it for ninety days! I backed out and told him I wouldn't sign for less than thirty-five thousand! I had found out it was really worth some money and figured I'd better wait until the contract was out and i could spend more time on the deal. But he told me he would list it for 35 thousand so I couldn't back out. I felt safe in signing that figure which I thought was a ridiculously high figure. I talked to Larry on April 15, 1976 and he was going to get with some of the other Cunninghams and call me back. He never did. For some time I kept putting Mr. Sutton off while I debated with myself and waited to hear from the Cunninghams. None of the Cunninghams had indicated that they could or would be interested in paying that kind of money or anything at all. Each one, Holly, Warder, Larry, they had all asked to set the price and refused to tell me what it was worth to them. In the rush of work and problems that faced me in Virginia, I didn't have the time or inclination to hunt up the phone numbers and addresses of Larry or Holly or anybody else. I told Mr. Sutton that Gerald and his family lived there and I couldn't sell it until I had time to write them. He said the buyers had been up and talked with Gerald. They were interested only in the coal and that the family could continue to live there.
If I delayed any longer, his buyers might go elsewhere. With the future of coal so uncertain, he didn't know if he could get a price anywhere near that which he was offering again. So I agreed to the slae. I came out there several times and if the Cunninghams had been willing to play fair with me I would have been glad to have shared with them instead of Mr. Sutton. He took 10% and the Federal taxes will get a lot more. But finally in June I accepted payment. Now I understand that there is some murmurings and bitterness. I'm very sorry, I had always considered that property as being held in trust and not really mine but except for Gerald and his family who did what they could to keep it up and to protect it from careless hunters etc, none of the Cunninghams would help me in putting the place to any real use. So again I say, I'm sorry if I have hurt anyone.
Darius, these pictures were sent off in January last year, and were received by the end of the month. But I just never got around to fixing them up for mailing. On the few occasions when I had the time, I was too broke to send them away before. Since Jan. I just haven't stopped long enough to take care of business letters let alone personal letters. Anyway here they are. I wish I could have gotten them sent before everybody was mad at me.
It has taken much of the day to get this written, so I'll bring this to a close.
Hoping you are all well and that you will find it in your hearts to understand and forgive, I remain
Your friend always,
With Love,
Ellen
This roll all have "9-10-72, W. Va." written on the back. Other additional words written on the back are written below.
"Ruby's"
"Best"
"Ruby's"
Ellen Cunningham is in this picture in the back in the middle.
Again, Ellen Cunningham in the middle in the back.
"Ruby, Gerald and Ellen"
"Ruby's"
"Make copy for Ruby.
Ruby with Ellen
Kathy
Letha
Krista
Gerald
Sheila and Shelma in back"
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These pictures are dated Sept 72 on the side. I believe they are of the same time period as the black and white photo's. Everyone seems to be dressed in the same clothes.
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This roll is dated Oct '72. There is nothing written on the backs of these pictures. And the envelope just has "1972, Gwaltney family" written on it. There's a lot of puppies in a lot of these pictures. And I'm noticing two adult women in the photo's. The second picture, with the adult woman holding flowers looks to be the same woman and the pictures in black and white, so Ruby Cunningham?. I don't know who the other woman is or the older man in the photo by himself. The children all look like the same children as the previous black and white roll.
Ellen in the back on the right. :) Sitting in the grass with puppies and children, in a dress.
That's Ellen of course in that picture.
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There are two rolls of JUST dog/puppy pictures. The envelope says "Dog pictures, 1972" on the front, and "1972 Princess Puppy Pictures" on the back. On both rolls there are lots of pictures of puppies, and only one picture of Ellen in each set. I left out the puppy pictures. They aren't of the same day, because she is wearing different clothes.
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This set of pictures is inside an envelope with the following written on the outside:
"Copies sent to
Darius
Birchfield
Ruby
Shelma
Shiela
Sent 12/23/75
mailed to people 11/1/76"
Since the names are the same as the black and white photo's I'm assuming this is the same family, 3 years later.
Ellen 4th from the left.
Ellen in the middle with the children.
Ellen again 3rd from the right
I love this picture of Aunt Ellen. :)
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