another letter from Patricia W. Surface to Minerva Brown

aunt minerva collection

Dear Minerva

25 FEb 1992

Thank you so very much for the lovely Brimson book that you and your committee have sent to the Tazewell County Public Library. It will be a valuable and interesting part of our Virginia room collection. Laurie appreciates it, also. She is out of town just now but I feel sure she will be writing you too.

I went to the Deskins-Maxwell Cemetery a couple of weeks ago, and went all through it. There are a few, but not many, fieldstone markers. I feel that Witten Maxwell is not buried there. I talked with Nellie Bundy, former director of the Historic Crab Orchard Museum. She suggested that I look in the Raleigh Witten Cemetery which is located not far from the museum. I plan to do this soon. The family I wanted to ask about this has just lost a son, so I need to wait a little before I call them.

I finally got the Bureau of Vital Statistics Microfilm of Tazewell Death Records and I went through the 1889-18969 period and did not find any record of Witten Maxwell. I did find James Witten's death record, but unfortunately, like the county death record, it failed to give the name of his parents. I was quite disappointed but not much surprised.

I am enclosing a copy of that record.

I also plan to go through the 1880's on the Bureau of Vital Statistics microfilm to see if Witten Maxwell's death might have occurred earlier than we thought. Also I plan to check some more of The Maxwell deeds in hopes of finding something that might help us.

I hope all goes well with you and Mabel.

Fondly-Pat Surface