Letters from a time gone by
A few day ago my aunt and uncle dropped off some old pictures and letters that belonged to my grandparents, at my parents house. I'm not sure who most of the people are but I think my dad is enjoying going through them and trying to figure out who they are. My mom would rather just throw them out or give them back to. They are very musty smelling.from being stuck in musty places for way to many years.
There was also a good size box full of old letters that were sent to my grandpa. So far most of them are from women who wrote to him before he married my grandmother. What ever he wrote to her or she wrote to we will never know because when she died someone put those letters in her casket. She died in 1980. My grandpa died in 1985.
The letters are all from the 1920's to the early 1930's. By reading some of the letters I think he was into some kind of writing club, more then likely looking for a wife. Some of the women were from close by. One was from Rib Lake. He lived by Westbero, which is about 5 miles away or so from where he lived. Other women so far were from Min., Chicago, Mass and from other places in Wis.
I plan on trying to read them and from time to time post one here. Just so you know there are hundreds of letters to go through. Boy did he like to write of what. I'm also trying to separate the letters by person. So far I have found that he has written to about 18 different women.But then some might be cousins also. I just wish I could have read some of the things he wrote. Then the stories would be complete. I do know he liked to tell jokes in the letters.
Reading these letters are showing me a part of him I never knew existed. I hope I can preserve the letters so that if anyone else is ever interested in reading them they can. I also would like to maybe find the families of the women who wrote these letters and share with them what I found. Most of the women only sighed their first name and didn't write their name on the return address. My dad might know some of their names so if he knows I'll make sure I include them them when I learn them.
Most of the letters are hand written but a few are typed. here is one that was written by Kay Clary on October, 30th, 1924
I will write it the way it is written in the letter. She at the time worked for Johnson & Higgins, Survey and Engineering Department of Chicago:
Dear Howard:-
Just tho't I would drop you a few lines in answer to your
letter, I surely was glad to hear from you as soon as I did. I am at work
now, hence the stationary.
The weather here is lovely I sure do wish it was this
nice during my vaction this summer. I am anticipating a wonderful time
next summer and believe me I am going to have it. What do you do all thru
the summer? I suppose you go fishing ect.
So they have quite a bit of liquor there eh? My goodness
that is some place then. Do you have exciting parties? We just had a
peach of a party at the Edgebrook Golf Club a good time was had by all.
I am very sorry to hear that your mother was ill this summer,
and am glad she is better. Give her my love and tell her I said not
to do too much work around the house there, to let some of her heavy set sons
do it, ha- ha. I'll just bet "Elmer" is some shiek eh? Are you going to
have a Halloween Pary? I have been to couple of them so far. I bet you have
the real parties when it comes to Halloween out there with all your pumpkins,
cornstalks and oak leaves. That is where I would like to be for a party like
that some time. Maybe we could get a crowd to drive out some time and we could
arrange to camp close by you, wouldn't that be the berries?
Gosh I wish Xmas would never come, it seems that every time
it gets close to the holidays I am always broke. I guess I broke all the time
anyho.
Well, Howard I guess I will call it quits for this time,
hoping to hear from you soon,
Always your bestest friend,
Well that's one of many. I will try to post at least one from every women and from time to time others I think are very interesting.
Thought of the day:
"Read the introduction, it's usually written for a reason."
There was also a good size box full of old letters that were sent to my grandpa. So far most of them are from women who wrote to him before he married my grandmother. What ever he wrote to her or she wrote to we will never know because when she died someone put those letters in her casket. She died in 1980. My grandpa died in 1985.
The letters are all from the 1920's to the early 1930's. By reading some of the letters I think he was into some kind of writing club, more then likely looking for a wife. Some of the women were from close by. One was from Rib Lake. He lived by Westbero, which is about 5 miles away or so from where he lived. Other women so far were from Min., Chicago, Mass and from other places in Wis.
I plan on trying to read them and from time to time post one here. Just so you know there are hundreds of letters to go through. Boy did he like to write of what. I'm also trying to separate the letters by person. So far I have found that he has written to about 18 different women.But then some might be cousins also. I just wish I could have read some of the things he wrote. Then the stories would be complete. I do know he liked to tell jokes in the letters.
Reading these letters are showing me a part of him I never knew existed. I hope I can preserve the letters so that if anyone else is ever interested in reading them they can. I also would like to maybe find the families of the women who wrote these letters and share with them what I found. Most of the women only sighed their first name and didn't write their name on the return address. My dad might know some of their names so if he knows I'll make sure I include them them when I learn them.
Most of the letters are hand written but a few are typed. here is one that was written by Kay Clary on October, 30th, 1924
I will write it the way it is written in the letter. She at the time worked for Johnson & Higgins, Survey and Engineering Department of Chicago:
Dear Howard:-
Just tho't I would drop you a few lines in answer to your
letter, I surely was glad to hear from you as soon as I did. I am at work
now, hence the stationary.
The weather here is lovely I sure do wish it was this
nice during my vaction this summer. I am anticipating a wonderful time
next summer and believe me I am going to have it. What do you do all thru
the summer? I suppose you go fishing ect.
So they have quite a bit of liquor there eh? My goodness
that is some place then. Do you have exciting parties? We just had a
peach of a party at the Edgebrook Golf Club a good time was had by all.
I am very sorry to hear that your mother was ill this summer,
and am glad she is better. Give her my love and tell her I said not
to do too much work around the house there, to let some of her heavy set sons
do it, ha- ha. I'll just bet "Elmer" is some shiek eh? Are you going to
have a Halloween Pary? I have been to couple of them so far. I bet you have
the real parties when it comes to Halloween out there with all your pumpkins,
cornstalks and oak leaves. That is where I would like to be for a party like
that some time. Maybe we could get a crowd to drive out some time and we could
arrange to camp close by you, wouldn't that be the berries?
Gosh I wish Xmas would never come, it seems that every time
it gets close to the holidays I am always broke. I guess I broke all the time
anyho.
Well, Howard I guess I will call it quits for this time,
hoping to hear from you soon,
Always your bestest friend,
Well that's one of many. I will try to post at least one from every women and from time to time others I think are very interesting.
Thought of the day:
"Read the introduction, it's usually written for a reason."
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