Dear Dad Letters

During the time that Peoples Temple was in Guyana, members would regularly send brief, focused notes to Dad or Father or Jim Jones. These letters fall into several discrete forms or genres. Below are brief descriptions of these categories with links to several letters that serve as excellent examples of each category.


Strategy For The Enemy

During their time in Guyana conspiracy theories ran rampant within the community. It was not unusual for Jim Jones to tell harrowing tales of enemies of the Temple that were plotting against their every move. This collection of letters provides evidence of the way many members thought about those theories and the lengths they were willing to go to if it meant protecting their cause. These letters were transcribed and annotated by Jon Lueth.

from anonymous – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1B-10a-b

from redacted – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1B-7

from Edith Roller – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-BB31A-61-62

from Sharon Cobb – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-C-21

from Bea Orsot – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-C-28

from Tom Partak – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A3

from Bob Davis – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A6

from Nancy – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A15

from Peter W. (Wotherspoon) – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A19

from Carolyn Looman – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A21

from Bea Orsot – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A29c

from Millie Cunningham – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A34

from redacted – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1B-3

from Don Jackson – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1B-9

from Jeff C. (Carey) – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1B-12


Personal Thoughts, Confessions, and Apologies.  

I chose to transcribe and annotate a collection of what I would call personal confessions and apologies. Not all of them fall under this categories though, while some are more just ideas from members to Jim Jones, about how to handle different situations within the Temple. 

from Wesley Bridenback – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-AB-20

from Terri – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-AB-47

from Jack Barron – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-AB-64 | sdsu

from Jimmy Cordell – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-C-12 | sdsu

from Angela Casanova and Georgianne Brady – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-C-33

from Jocelyn Carter – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-C-34

from Christopher Campbell – transcript | annotation| pdf 89-4286-EE1-C-35 | sdsu

from Loretta Coomer – transcript | annotation| pdf 89-4286-EE1-C-46

from Bob Davis – 89-4286-EE1-D-16 – transcript | annotation| pdf 89-4286-EE1-D-16

from Herbert Newell – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A1


<Title Category>

<brief description of category>

<Danella’s letters>

from Jack Barron –  transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-AB2

from Shirley Baisey – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-AB15

from Shirley Baisey – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-AB21

from Jean – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-AB35

from Jean – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-AB46

from Gene – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-C20 | sdsu

from Loretta Coomer – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-C22

from Candace Cordell – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-EE1-C40


Baylee Heiden

from Al Touchette – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A10

from Beatrice Jackson – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A12

from unreadable – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A17

from Peter Wotherspoon – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A19

from Oliver Morgan – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A33


Sarah Hubbard

from REDACTED – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A4

from Bob (Robert) Davis – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A6

from Judy – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A11

from Bea Orsot Grubbs – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A29

from unreadable – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A2


Allison Odenthal

from Nancy – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A15

from Ruby Carroll – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A20

from Cynthia Davis – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A22

from Millie Cunningham – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A34

from Orde Dennis – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A53


Ashley

from Herbert Newell – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A1

from anonymous for Jim, Carolyn (Layton) and Maria (Katsaris) – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A43

from Lue Ester Lewis and Andrea Walker – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A45

from Carolyn Thomas – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A54

from Jeff Carey – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B12


Mikayla

from anonymous – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A36

from Vera M. Talley – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A40

from anonymous – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A44

from Liane Harris – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A46

from Anita – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A51


Jessica Low

from Thomas Partak- transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A3

from Teresa King – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A58

from anonymous – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A55

Nathaniel Swaney – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A56

Mary Ann Casanova – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B17


Tierney

from Pat Patterson and Michaeleen Brady- transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A30

from Ruby Carroll – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A41

from Anonymous – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B1

from Tish LeRoy – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B2

from Redacted – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B3


Brecklyn Carey

from Redacted – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B4-5

from anonymous – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B10

from Mary Lou Clancey – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B21

from Don Casanova – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B23


Jared Turner

from unknown – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A47

from redacted – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B15

from Geraldine Bailey – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B18

from Shanda Oliver – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B19

from Elsie Bell – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B22

 

Emily

from Gertrude Nailor – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-A35

from Sue Jerram – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B26

from redacted – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B27

from Bea Orsot – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B28

from Tom Kice – transcript | annotation | pdf 89-4286-N1-B30