T.B. III letter Maxie

Letter from Thomas B. Saunders III to Maxie Lorraine Sanders Guinty

July 6, 1971
Dear Maxie:

This is the Quarter Horse Magazine I told you I would send, in order that you could learn something of your Texas kin, and I hope you’re not too disappointed nor disillusioned when you see some of these mugs in print.

On page 34 the “Family Museum” article begins, and since the wording may be too small to read under some of the pictures, I’ll try to identify them.

In the center square framed picture, on page 34, in the upper left side of the page, is your grandfather’s brother- Thomas Bailey Saunders, my great-grandfather and his wife, Elizabeth Harper. They’re a pretty stern and determined looking couple, and I guess really were in making the trip to Texas in ox drawn wagons- and driving their livestock. The couple in the other picture are my grandparents- William David Harris Saunders- son of T.B.S and father of T.B.S II, my father. I imagine the Harris name was named after his father’s brother- your grandfather. In the picture is his wife, Anne New.

Below is another pic of W.D.H. and a small one at age 18 in his Confederate Army uniform in 1863. Below these pics are two large ones of Geo. W. Saunders bro. Of W.D.H. and son of T.B.S.I. At these pictures left is a sketch of G. W. drawn by a famous western artist, Wallace Simpson. Under the sketch shows his close friend Will Rogers and he together- this pic is reproduced in the magazine. Above these is our genealogy framed- of which you have a copy. The books, which are shown below, are there because each one makes some reference to, or tells some exploit or experience or happening in Texas history about T.B.S.I, W.D.H., Geo. W., T.B.S.II or some little windy tale about me.

Pictures shown of the other walls and their captions are self-explanitory with perhaps the one in the lower right hand corner, which shows a pic of my father in the extreme top left corner and my mother to his right- and me in a “little Lord Flaunt Le-Roy suit” with wide collar at about 8 years of age.

They’re not too clear, but some to the right that are better show my wife and I standing together, just as we got out of the car to attend a dance at the country-club, during the Xmas holidays—before we were married—and that was a long time ago. The pic by it is of my wife about that time. These I’ve described above are on page 35. The other pages and pictures are pretty well described, with the exception probably on page 36, showing my grandsons with me. The one sitting on my left is over 6 ft tall now, ropes, breaks horses and plays football. The younger one standing behind us is II now, plays Little League baseball, is tall and wiry- and quite a cowboy. I imagine you can tell I’m pretty proud of my grandsons and daughters- as well as all my family.

I was glad to hear that your grandfather did drop the U out of his name for the sake of brevity- so now in your quest for information on kinfolks you must add that “U” for authenticity- and between the both of us we may jump a bunch of skeletons out of closets- find out how many horse borrowers, cattle rustlers, coon hunters, preachers and just plain good christian folk

There were among us, so let me hear when you find something- and be sure not forget to send the pictures you mentioned.

Best Regards,

T.B. Saunders

http://www.wasrg.org/resource-tbsaunders1.htm

Click on the icon to return to Home Page, Sanders of Randolph and Montgomery