Barbara was born in Davidson County, North Carolina to William and Sarah Winkler Frank. She was the oldest of eight children.

She married Newton Lucas in 1865 when she was 23, and they had three children, Minnie, Ruth and Willie.

Ruth, Newton, Willie, Barbara, Minnie

We have three letters from Barbara to Minnie, one written August 29, 1861. Her letters are chatty, and in this letter she talks of hair pins and dress fabric she has seen, also the state of Willie’s buggy which has gotten muddy. She writes:

Ruth sent you a letter today. I told her it would have been very good if she had left somethings out – I want you to be sure and Burn it – she had no business to say anything about  P____ she don’t like Elmer very well and is a lttle jealous of Lizzie because Willie takes her more than he does Ruth” 

I wonder what Ruth had spilled in her letter that left Barbara so concerned? I guess we will never know! Lizzie is Willie’s future wife. Barbara also asks about Minnie’s two children, Mamie, age one, (not our Mamie) and Claude, age three:

Ma would like to know if Mamie ever gets spanked, hope she don’t…I do want to see them so bad.”

Ma is Sarah Winkler Frank. Sometimes Barbara looks stern in her photos, but I don’t think that was her nature at all. She seems warm and caring.

Newton and Barbara on their wedding day, August 29, 1865