Chapter 15 – Dear Daddy – The Farm Letters

Category: Chapter 15

Feb 5, 1933-from Ruth to James

Posted on February 5, 1933 by ddadministrator

Dear Daddy.

how are you I am fine I am writing with my new pensel, it sure is pretty. If in your next you’l send me the candy box fill it up to the brime. And next time you send your wash when its washet and we send your washing to you I’ll slip in a qurter of a layer cake to you. Will you please send me a tube of Kolynos tooth past? and send another pensal the same coller as mine to Mother as a suprize to her? cause she hasent any pensel at all of her own. and if you can send me up some empty cheese boxes? Well I gesse this is all.

Love from Ruth.

Feb 5, 1933-from Martha to James

Posted on February 5, 1933 by ddadministrator

Dear James,

We found this pencil tablet so we’ll write your letter on this paper. I sent you $3 on Friday. As long as money is so scarce just get the boots fixed and let the rest of the things go. I’d rather you’d buy yourself a Sunday shirt with the rest of the money. Will you do that please, and get one with collar attached and look around and get as good quality as you can.

The package came thru all right but the pancake flour is buggy. I’ll feed it to the birds. We have plenty of everything now but yeast foam and coffee and washing soap, but you needn’t send them till after pay-day. Please don’t run a bill for us. It is so hard to get caught up again.

It was 8 below zero just before sundown so I’ll have to keep the fire again. There is a strong North wind too. I’ll put new cuffs on the blue shirt and send it next time. We have the puzzle done except for one corner. It makes a pretty picture Just a little smaller than the bread board.

We wish we were all together, either here or there. It gets more lonesome all the time. The children have fallen asleep at last. They had a giggly streak tonight. We all send big hugs and kisses to our dearest Daddy. Martha

Feb 2, 1933-from Martha to James

Posted on February 2, 1933 by ddadministrator

Dear James,

I discovered today that the mail man had not taken one of your letters so that is why there has been a long time between them. I’ll send this one in it’s place. It is below zero again tonight and I have tucked the children into the big bed and I’ll camp by the stove and keep the fire going. We used the first wood from your rick today but we took it from the back so it doesn’t show. I keep a pile about 2 feet high in the kitchen all the time to dry.

Darold was over and played most of the day. If it isn’t too much for your leg, with you working ,will you look for outing flannel and get the best value you can for 10 cents a yd.? John has just one shirt so when you get the other, buy some gray or blue chambray, 4 1/2 yds. will make 3 shirts. It should cost about 15 cents a yard.

Henry brought the eggs and butter on Monday. The eggs were 10 cents a doz. and the butter 14 cents a lb. On Tuesday his mother came over in the morning and stayed all day. We all enjoyed her visit. Mr. Shaw went to Vokes to fix an old saw that several neighbors had bought together and they brought Mrs. Vokes over on the same trip. I’m sending you John’s boots and you decide what to do about them. If the cobbler can patch the toe I believe it would pay to have new soles and heels put on, don’t you? He is wearing his tennis now. They are pretty short and holey too.

The mailman gets thru every day but no other cars have gone by since the last snow. He had to shovel his way thru a drift on Jenson’s hill the first time. They say he never misses a day. We need paper and envelopes and I’ll mark down the other things too.

1. Outing flannel.10 yds. at 10¢ per yard.
2. Chambray (blue or gray) 4½ yds. at 15¢ per yard.
3. 1 spool white cotton thread No. 20.
4. Paper and envelopes.
5. 1 lb. coffee.

If you have sent any of these things just disregard the list. Keep off your feet as much as you can. The children will each write a long letter as soon as we get paper. I hope Esther is better and you keep well.

Lots of love from the kids and myself. They were tickled to get your letter today.

Martha

Feb 1, 1933-from James to Martha

Posted on February 1, 1933 by ddadministrator

My Dear Martha,

Well girl, you folks must have lots of snow but I hope that the mailman can still get thru. We are just getting ours now, it started some time last night and was sure going some this forenoon. They have had out all the Street car plows and have plowed out sidewalks and lots of folks are out shoveling. I believe I will send you another package tomorrow on account of the weather. I am glad you folks are taking care of the little chickadees for I think they are the most friendly little fellows I have ever seen. I hope John and I can fix a lot of nest boxes so we can have lots of birds around.

My leg is getting along fine all tho I still go have it dressed. It is to the stage now where it itches. I am driving a night run on Minnehaha tonight so I have done a lot of laying around today.

Did you get the butter and eggs that you ordered from Henry’s? I have been listening for the A and P program but have not a line on it yet. I will get the info for you for I think you have a good idea and maybe we can make something on the side by it.

Jim saw Bill this morning and Richard has just got over the measles and back to school and when they found it out at school they sent Carol home for 10 days for fear she might come down with them. Mary Jane goes to a different school and she’s going right along. I have not heard from Esther for a few days.

Love, James

Feb 1, 1933-from James to Ruth

Posted on February 1, 1933 by ddadministrator

My dear Ruth,

I wish I could just step in and surprize you folks this afternoon. Our snowstorm has stopped and it’s growing colder. Is the old Ford pretty well covered with snow? If you could brush the snow off of it before it thaws it will help to keep the top in good shape, but better to just use the broom to do it with so as not to tear the cloth.

Say Ruth, the next time you bake a cake will you just wrap up a piece and slip it into the package for I would sure like a sample. The candy you sent was great and I still have one piece of it left.

Say Ruthie, you and John will soon be going to school again and I wish you would promise Daddy that you will go and come together as long as the cold weather lasts and if the snow is still deep I believe you had better go around by the road.

Love from Daddy

Jan 29, 1933-from Martha to James

Posted on January 29, 1933 by ddadministrator

Dear James,

It is Sunday afternoon and we are sitting around the table reading or writing. I’ve been busy all day and still have dinner dishes to wash and bread to bake. We were too tired to take baths last night so this morning 1 heated water before the children got up and they bathed and put on clean clothes. It started to snow soon after I got up and has been snowing hard all day and blowing some from the south-west but it is not cold. The children have spent most of the day reading Scattergood stories out of the old American magazines.

I hope your leg is well. You must have hit it pretty hard to bruise and cut it as badly as you did. Be careful of infection. We are almost out of reading material. Can you find “Little Women” and “Little Men” by Alcott? and “The Jungle Book” by Kipling? Maybe you can buy them second-hand.

(Later)

I’ve finished the dishes and the bread is nicely baked and all the chores done and it is still snowing and blowing as hard as ever. Our seed catalogue is from Yankton, S.D. You look over the catalogue and give us some idea of the amounts of seed to send for. I intend to make John’s knickers next week. Will you find out what the name of the man is who conducts the A and P program on the air? It is Colonel Somebody. I want to write to him about cultivated blueberry plants. He talked about them last summer. There may be something in it.

I can’t think of any more news.

Love, Martha

Jan 29, 1933-from Ruth to James

Posted on January 29, 1933 by ddadministrator

Dear Daddy,

What do you think we could do for lice. The cat has it. today we gave her a bath with lysol in it, and used soap on her and then rinsed her good and wrapped her up in my pink baby blanket and dried her. I made some book ends a day ago and they turned out swell. Gee but we sure have a heap of snow it’s clear up to the window sill by the table. Do you read the Scattergood storys? If you don’t I’ll give you the author, Clarence buddington Kelland. He sure has good storys. Will send you down an American and if you look in the contents in the fiction part you’ll find the author. Well this is all.

Love from Ruth.

Jan 29, 1933-from John to James

Posted on January 29, 1933 by ddadministrator

Dear Daddy,

How are you I am fine. We’ve had a real snowstorm. it’s snowed constantly for two days and every time Mother or Ruth empties the pail I have to shovel new paths. I sure hope your leg feels better. There was some dough left from the crust of the pie Mother made so we gave it to the chickadees. in some places the snow is 21 and 1/2 inches deep. Goodby love from John L.

Jan 27, 1933-from Ruth to James

Posted on January 27, 1933 by ddadministrator

Dear Daddy,

How is your leg. I am very sorry you hurt it. Yesterday John and I started a skee jump and sled slide. I have yours and Mother’s valentines made. Please send us 1.00 worth red mint candy harts, and 8 one cent valentines. when you are able. We are all fine. The chickadees are still around the house. Well this is all cause Moms is writing too so love from Ruth.

PS John had to shovel us out again this morning.

Jan 27, 1933-from Martha to James

Posted on January 27, 1933 by ddadministrator

Dear Jim,

We’ve been thinking and talking about you tonight, hoping your leg is well and wishing we were there to keep you company. We got your letter and your nice package today. I hope you kept some of the fruit for yourself. We felt like giving three cheers when we read that you are coming up to get us.

Ruth made another cake today and John got me a sleigh-load of wood, some kindling and some kitchen and heater wood. It isn’t very pleasant to split-wood after a snow-fall. They have played inside most of the time the last few days. Ruth made a little rag doll and painted the hair, face and shoes on it and has been sewing clothes for it. John got down the play-box and played with his trains and airplanes and made a lot of small bows and arrows.

Ruth saw a chickadee fly into the bird house you put up. We put bread crumbs and lumps of fat on the little platform and they make away with all of it. The mailman is the only one who goes by since the last snow. He has a pair of skis on the front wheels and tractor wheels on the back. He came up to the pump one day to get some water for the car, and I was surprised to see what a small man he is.

(Saturday morning)

It is snowing and blowing again and much colder. I had just got the fires burning and breakfast ready when Mr. Vokes drove into the yard and asked if we needed anything from town. I ordered some butter and eggs and I won’t need anything until pay-day. We had ice-cold grapefruit, cornmeal mush, toast and coffee for breakfast. The grapefruit was delicious and we use the toaster a lot. I hope your leg will be well soon. Now you can get caught up on your reading. We’ll all write again tomorrow. Love from us all, Martha