When Wilbur Meyer’s mother gave him a box of old letters, he removed their stamps to add to his collection and threw the letters in the attic, where they stayed for about 45 years.
About five years ago, his wife, Peggy Meyer, came across the 23 letters, which were the correspondence of a husband, Thomas Blair Wooff, and his wife, Lovinia Jemina Pond Wooff, of Concord. The pair had been separated during the Civil War.
“After reading the letters, we fell in love with the people and felt their story should be told,” said Connie Markley, Peggy Meyer’s sister.
The letters were passed down through the Meyers’ family since the war that took place nearly 150 years ago.
Peggy Meyer spent time researching the people who wrote the letters and the war that divided them at the Jacksonville Area Genealogical and Historical Society, where employees became interested in the story and asked the women to share it.
“Life & Love of a Soldier,” the program by Peggy Meyer and Markley, was presented by the Tazewell County Museum and Educational Center and the Morton Tourism Association Saturday at Morton’s Knights of Columbus Hall. Spectators experienced a lesson in history, complete with snacks, tea, Civil War-era costumes and a love story.
The demonstration, which the women said they have performed about 55 times throughout Central Illinois, begins with Peggy Meyer’s brother-in-law, Mike Paul, singing and playing Civil War-era music on his guitar to set the mood.
Then, Markley reads the letters while Peggy Meyer interjects with history.
“It’s rare to find letters between a husband and wife from these times,” said Peggy Meyer.
In the mid-1800s, women did not usually go to school, but Lovinia Wooff’s father was a school teacher, so all of his kids learned to read and write, Markley said.
Peggy Meyer said she and Markley had trouble deciphering the letters because of nearly illegible handwriting and different spellings that were used at the time.
In the letters, the couple express their love of family, trust in God, beliefs in patriotism, fear of the unknown and loneliness.
Though Thomas Blair Wooff was killed during the Peach Tree Creek Battle July 20, 1864, and Lovinia Jemina Pond Wooff died three years later, their love lives on through their letters.
“We thought people should appreciate what people sacrificed to make our country what it is today,” Peggy Meyer said.
For more information, or to schedule a performance, e-mail treespwm@frontiernet.net.
