Kissimmee, Fla. R. 1 Box 115
January 29, 1926

My dear Mother: - It is quite a long time since I wrote to you last. We believe, however, that you are well or else we would have been informed of your illness.

John Standing in Forest

        It is raining today and I did not go to work. There is very much rain here. We have showers very frequently in between sunshine. The weather generally corresponds with March and April weather in Pennsylvania. I can not see that this climate is especially healthful, although there has none of us been sick at any time. I had a little cold in my head one of the first weeks that we were here. Lena has a little cold for the last week or so, but does not amount to anything. The weather is changeable and these southern people don't mind getting wet. They will not stop work for rain but I do. I see men working in the swamps cutting trees standing in the water up to their hips day after day. One man told us he was wet up to his ass for thirty days in one stretch.

Grandpap & Children

        We now rented the room we live in for fifteen dollars a month and are keeping house, which we like very much better. Our fireplace serves us as a stove. We rigged up a piece of sheet iron to lay across the fire which answers the purpose very well. Our fireplace is ideal. We haven't the least bit of smoke, good heat, and plenty of wood. We only need to go to the woods to fetch it. The pine wood and cypress is full of pitch and burns like coal oil. (green)

The Cox Family

        I surely was shocked to hear of cousin Israel's death. It must have been an awful suspense for him from the time he stumbled until he landed. You know, "All things work together for the good to them that love the Lord." Israel surely escaped the long drawn out disease of kidney trouble, with which he too was afflicted for many years. I am made to believe this was a blessing to him. It must be awful hard for Frances. Cousin Aaron wrote me a very pathetic letter. One after the other of Uncle Aaron's family is crossing the great divide, and there is Sam Marlin's family. They have these unexpected deaths in their family too. All of this makes us more conscious of the inevitable fast approaching us. When we see our friends and acquaintances passing away one by one.

        A few days ago Mr. Bishop (our landlord) rapped at our door at five in the morning, and informed us of the sudden death of Mrs. Overman, a certain lady living in a tent about 100 feet away from our window. She took sick with indigestion after ten o'clock and died before eleven.

Hotel Under Construction

        The only advantage I see of us coming to Florida is that I can work almost every day, get good wages and escape that high coal bill. I am saving more money now than I ever did, but I suppose it will take most of it again until we are organized again at home.

        We do not know for certain if we will be home until April 1st or latter part of April. We hesitate to undertake the trip before the settled weather comes, for the roads through Georgia are of sand clay and in case of rain weather are almost impassable.