Puryear-Rodes Family Letters
MSS 737
Arranged and described 2011 - 2012
Vanderbilt University
Special Collections and University Archives
419 21st. Avenue South
Nashville, Tennessee 37203 - 2427
© 2013 Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives
[email protected] | (615) 322-2807
Scope and Content Note
This small collection of letters and transcripts is comprised of 1.04 linear feet of manuscript
material, ranging in date from 1892 until the death of Sara Puryear Rodes on August 21, 1997.
Other important dates for this collection are the time around the wedding of Sara Puryear and
Allan Battle Rodes on October 8, 1929.
This collection of correspondence chronicles the everyday business and lives of Sara Puryear
Rodes and her husband Allan Battle Rodes and their daughter Sally. It includes letters from
friends and other family members. The collection numbers approximately 230 letters.
Biographical Notes
Sara McKennie Puryear Rodes was born in 1900 and died on August 21, 1997 at the age of 97.
She was a native of Nashville and lived all her life in middle Tennessee. She was the daughter of
Gustavus Adolphus Puryear (1850-1936) and Rena McKennie Puryear. She graduated from
Miss Annie Allison’s Girls Preparatory School in 1918. She received her BA from Vanderbilt in
1922 where she was a member of Tri Delta Sorority and the YWCA cabinet. She had a sister and
two brothers all of whom attended Vanderbilt. She married Allan Battle Rodes on October 8,
1929, and they had one daughter Sara Rodes Lee, Sally, who was born on January 5, 1932.
She was a member of West End Methodist Church, a member of the Query Club, co-director of
Camp Monterey for 44 years and secretary for the Cumberland Science museum for more than
50 years. She was president of the YWCA in Nashville during World War II, a founding
member of Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, and a Daughter of the American Revolution.
Allan Battle Rodes, (known as Battle) was the son of H. E. Rodes and Mary Battle Rodes. He
received his BA from Vanderbilt in 1924. He married Sara Puryear on October 8, 1929, and they
had one daughter Sara Rodes Lee who was born in 1932. He was a business man with his own
company Franklin Building Supply. In the early years of their marriage he travelled often on
business. He died on January 20, 1989. Many of the letters in this collection were written by him
to his wife, Sara.
Sara Rodes Lee (Sally) lives with her husband John Lee, an architect, in Williamson County.
They have 3 children.
She grew up in Nashville, and received BA (1953), MA(1956) and her Ph.D (1989) degrees
from Vanderbilt. She divides her time between horses and writing, and she has taught English
literature at Middle Tennessee State University.
Sally Lee is the donor of this collection, and prepared the transcripts of the letters.
© 2013 Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives
[email protected] | (615) 322-2807
Container List
Box 1
Correspondence
1. 1892 (1)
2. 1911 (1)
3. 1915 (3)
4. 1918 (1)
5. 1923 (1)
6. 1924 (1)
7. 1925 (2)
8. 1926 (3)
9. 1927 (3)
10.1928 (2)
11. January 21, 1929 - March 20, 1929 (6)
12. March 21, 1929 - April 15, 1929 (5)
13. April 15, 1929 - April 22, 1929 (5)
14. April 22, 1929 - April 26, 1929 (5)
15. April 28, 1929 - April 30, 1929 (5)
16. May 6, 1929 - May 15, 1929 (4)
17. June 9, 1929 - July 16, 1929 (5)
18. September 6, 1929 - September 18, 1929 (5)
19. September 20, 1929 - September 26, 1929 (5)
20. October 7, 1929; wedding invitation for October 8, 1929 (2)
21. January 19, 1930 - June 21, 1930 (5)
22. January 21, 1950 - July 25, 1930 (5)
23. July 25, 1930 - July 29, 1930 (5)
24. July 29, 1930 - November 19, 1930 (4)
25. November 21, 1930 - November 26, 1930 (5)
26. December 4, 1930 - December 19, 1930 (5) and undated (5)
27. 1931 (7)
28. January 24, 1932 - December 11, 1932 (2)
Box 2
Correspondence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
February 2, 1933 - March 1, 1933 (5)
March 3, 1933 - December 27, 1933 (6)
January 2, 1934 - January 10, 1934 (8)
January 24, 1934 - January 30, 1934 (4)
January 31, 1934 - February 9, 1934 (6)
October 18, 1934 - October 22, 1934 (5)
October 23, 1934 - October 27, 1934 (5)
© 2013 Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives
[email protected] | (615) 322-2807
8. November 14, 1934 - November 18, 1934 (5)
9. November 19, 1934 - November 23, 1934 (5)
10.November 27, 1934 - date unknown (7)
11. 1935 (1)
12. 1936 (13)
13. 1938 (10)
14. 1939 (3)
15. 1941 (7)
16. 1942 (3)
17. 1943 (3)
18. 1944 (4)
19. 1946 (12)
20. 1958 (2)
21. 1963 (2)
22. 1964 (3)
23. 1969 (1)
24. 1981 (1)
25. 1983 (1)
26. 1986 (1)
27. 1989 (1)
28. 1990 (1)
29. 1997 (3)
30. Undated letters
Box 3
Transcripts
1. 1892
2. 1911
3. 1915
4. 1918
5. 1922 - no originals, transcripts only
6. 1923
7. 1924
8. 1925
9. 1926
10. 1927
11. 1928
12. 1929
13. 1930
14. 1931
15. 1932
16. 1933
17. 1934
18. 1935
© 2013 Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives
[email protected] | (615) 322-2807
19. 1936
20. 1938
21. 1939
22. 1941
23. 1942
24. 1943
25. 1944
26. 1945
27. 1946
28. 1958
29. 1963
30. 1964
31. 1969
32. 1981
33. 1983
34. 1986
35. 1989; 1990
36. 1997
37. Additional notes by Sally Rodes Lee on the letters from 1934 and 1936
Photographs
38. Sara P. Rodes and Sally Rodes, Delray Beach, Florida 1934
39. Ken and Jim Goodpasture, Sally Rodes, Jean Puryear, Delray Beach, Florida, 1934
© 2013 Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives
[email protected] | (615) 322-2807