My grandmother and my mother wrote to each other at least weekly. The distance that separated them was only 40 miles and we got together often when I was young. They were quickly written as my father went out the door to the post office, some had rings from coffee cups. They were of the generation that picking up the phone did not happen too often.
Although those letters are gone, I have a collection of letters that they exchanged when her daughters were first away from home in the early 1940s. They shared the every day occurrences that are so valuable to hear today, when we can no longer have those conversations.
Postmark
October 26, 1943
Dear
Margaret,
I spent Monday in bed. I coughed and had such a pain under my
shoulder. Today I am washing. It's lots warmer. Mrs. Parrette asked me to help her with a
lunch at the Legion rooms on Thursday, and Saturday I go to Richfield with
Mary Callahan to a lunch at the new Park Inn.
You can still smell the effects
of the fire. We put a new pipe
upstairs. The one we took down was open
work. I don't know what saved us. There wasn't a full stove or else-- Maggie
called here yesterday to say Mary & Betty got in at 3.30.
We got a full barrel of cider
now. The men brought the barrel they got
Sunday back full.
Sunday night we could not find
Duke when we came home. Daddy went up
the road and whistled and we all called.
When the bus stopped he went out with me and I thought he followed
it. Finally we had to leave and as soon
as I started the motor he came running all out of wind.
It sure is lonesome here
now. We were wondering what all
happened to you yesterday. I had a call
from the hospital to come up and help wash dishes with the electric
dishwasher. I said no. Mary Betsy gets $10 a week in Newberrys.
Must get dressed and get my
clothes out, such a wash. Tell Herbert
his apple pie was good Sunday night and Mamma killed three of her pet
chickens.
Love,
Mother
Duke came home
I assume that Duke is the dog in the photo. Who is the human?
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