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Riverview man's letter to JFK's widow published in new book

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By RAY REYES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 10, 2010

TAMPA - Russell E. Weir never expected the handwritten letter he mailed so long ago from his Riverview farm to a grieving Jacqueline Kennedy would appear in a book.

When he received a call in October 2009 from a representative of historian Ellen Fitzpatrick telling him that his letter was among more than 200 being collected for her book, "Letters to Jackie: Condolences From a Grieving Nation," he was thrilled.

But he responded in the easy-going manner befitting of a dairy farmer, Weir's daughter, Darla Huddleston said.

"Well," Weir said to his wife, Kay, "how about that?"

Release forms were sent by overnight mail so Weir could grant permission for publishers to re-print the correspondence, Huddleston said. Relatives in Brandon and Sumter County — where Weir retired — were also surprised because he never said a word about writing the letter.

They, along with Weir, were looking forward to getting a copy of the book.

He never again saw the 114-word letter he addressed to the First Lady shortly after John F. Kennedy's assassination shook the nation to its core.

Weir, 89, fell and broke his hip on the day the release forms arrived, Oct. 15, 2009. He died the next day from complications from the injury, Huddleston said.

"He would've been so proud," Huddleston of Leesburg said, "that people would think that his letter could be so worthy."

Weir's missive was one of 800,000 mailed in the first seven weeks after Kennedy was killed on Nov. 22, 1963 in Dallas.

Most of the letters were destroyed because of the overwhelming volume of mail, but 200,000 pages were kept at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, largely ignored, until Fitzpatrick decided to cull 250 for her book.

The collection, released last week by HarperCollins, divides the letters into three categories: vivid recollections of the day Kennedy was killed; letters that express views on society, politics and the presidency; and personal experiences of grief and loss.

Weir's letter falls in the third category. Dated on Nov. 27, 1963 and penned on stationary with gold roses drawn on the upper right of the pages, it began by telling Jackie Kennedy that he was a Protestant who didn't like the idea of a Catholic president—a sentiment echoed by many Americans during that era.

"However, I felt a desperate urge to extend my deepest sympathy to your children and you," Weir wrote. "As an American, I'm deeply ashamed at the manner in which the President met his end. As an American, I'm also very proud of the great courage you displayed during the entire ordeal."

After he sent the condolences, Weir simply went back to the business of running his dairy farm, Huddleston said. Decades passed and Weir took up more jobs selling metals and running auctions.

The avid letter-writer, who would frequently send letters to lawmakers and editors of local newspapers, also upgraded from pad and pen to an electric typewriter and finally to e-mail, Huddleston said.

And all that time he never told his family how Kennedy's death moved him enough to send a short, heartfelt note to the White House.

"He was one of those people who took citizenship seriously," Huddleston said. "We were so touched."

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920.

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