Martha transcribed all the letters with their unique spelling, punctuation, and grammar — or lack thereof — so they are immortalized here as originally written.
Nevis, Minn 73
October 7, 1932
Friday
Dear James,
We got home O.K. yesterday. We miss you. On our trip home we followed 34 to Nevis and found the road much better than it had been. I took the children to school this morning, came home and then drove down to Jensons for the milk just see if I could negotiate their yard and the hill and made it just fine. I feel sure that with more trips to Nevis I can drive to Brainerd so if you can get a ride that far come up as soon an you can as we are lonesome without you. I covered the car and tied the canvas on and took the tools in as you said. I looked at both stove pipes and they are all right.
I painted the North and East windows and frames yesterday and then ran out of paint. The old wood just soaks it up. I asked Mr. Jenson to get me another can and the next fair day I will get at it again. This morning I sawed that pine tree that you had brought into the yard, raked up the shavings and carried the boards you had piled on the bench out to the chicken coop.
The temp was 40 this morning at 6:30. When I went out to the little-house [the privy] a bird flew up from behind it and lit on a branch of the tree standing there. It stayed there for about a minute, a perfect target. I think it was a partridge. I'll send your blanket with the laundry and PLEASE get yourself a raincoat.
I must close. Lots of love and kisses and thanks for fixing the house so good. Write to your folks.
Martha
Mpls., Minn 74
October 8, 1932
Saturday
[Letter to James from his sisters]
We have been here to let you know that Mother is quite sick. Don't know just how bad she is. A letter from Emily written Thursday morning & a card written late Friday says she in no better. Reo's had planned to go down this week-end to bring them up for awhile so we are going down anyway.
Reo and Esther
Nevis, Minn 75
October 10, 1932
Monday
Dear James,
We had to bring out the winter coats and mittens this morning. The temp was 20 at 6:30 AM. Sat. night the rain water in the boiler froze but I had drained the car radiator in the morning and covered the hood. We went to bed about 9:00 and left a good fire and at 1:30 I got up to let the cat out and put in more wood so it wasn't quite so cold. We should be able to hold fire all night by getting up twice. Jenson is going to bring us another load of wood this Friday afternoon. On Saturday I finished the south and east walls of the living and we moved the chest of drawers and the bookcase and stand and John's cot in, and put the round rug in front of the heater and it all looks quite cozy.
Jensons dug their potatoes Sat. and got 20 bushels, they said. They are digging Wrightly's potatoes on shares.
This morning I shall mend some winter clothes and then bank the north end of the house. I believe you could build a tar-paper lean-to there for the car. I wish you were here. We could get wood in together. It is going to take a lot of it. We didn't go anywhere on Sunday. I had to iron all morning and the children took turns reading out of "The Little Pioneers." And we all helped fill the wood boxes in the evening and walked down to get the milk.
If the mice aren't too bad we can keep some surplus food in the attic. It is cool there and cleaner and easier to get to.
I must stop now and see what I can accomplish. Am glad you found everything O.K. there. Love from us all.
Martha, Ruth, and John
P.S. John has been very good about getting in the wood.
Nevis, Minn 76
October 12, 1932
Wednesday
Dear James,
I was glad to hear from you but sorry to hear that your mother is ill. If you get a chance to go to West Concord, do so, and tell your mother we are sorry she is not well, and find out if there is anything we can do for her.
The children are both tucked in and I am sitting by the heater writing. The heater is a dandy but it surely eats up this light wood. Yesterday, Mr. Jenson brought us a bushel of potatoes and a load of wood, and in the afternoon Mr. Shaw came over to get the boiler. He asked what you had said about the wood. I told him that you said he could get 10 loads for each of us out of the East end of the woods. He said he would go in and cut it down and take it out when it froze up. He asked what you wanted for that old heater and I said he could have it for hauling it away. But he just wanted the sheet iron to fix a little heater he had and that is all he took.
Ruth came home from school at noon yesterday. She hadn't felt real well in the morning but thought she'd try it. It seems to be the stomach flu, she had cramps just like John had when you were here. She stayed home today too, but is much better tonight and will be able to go tomorrow. John and I are fine. I have got along fine with the car. It starts easy the way you showed me and I drain the radiator each time I use it as soon as I get home. We called for John yesterday afternoon and drove on around by the new road on the west line. It's a fair road but narrow and hilly as they all are around here.
As for the money, I suggest that you pay Ted, get them to reduce the rent to $8.00 and pay that, let the insurance go until the next check, keep enough money on hand to go to West Concord if you are called, keep out what you need for yourself and send the rest to us as I haven't much to go on.
I gave the window frames a first coat of white inside today and finished the first coat of green outside. I also carried up enough sand from the basement to bank the west end. The temp was 34 at 6:30 this morning and it is just 32 now but there was a strong west wind that made it seem colder.
Well, 6 o'clock comes early so goodnight. The children will send their letters soon.
Love from us all, Martha
Wed. morning. Temp. was 25 at 6:30
Mpls., Minn 77
October 12, 1932
Wednesday
My Dear Ruth,
Well I wish you could have seen Daddy trying to make an apple pie. I got the crust all mixed but when I tried to roll it out it wanted to wrap around the rolling pin and then it stuck to the board so I could hardly get it in the pan, but I finally got more flour on it and the pie tasted pretty good. I wish you were here to help me eat it. Did you find the package of gum I sent in the box of curtains? Say Ruth and momma, finish that roll of film. I would like to see what that bunch of pictures is like.
(Thurs. A.M.)
I just got a letter from momma and she said you have been sick the same as John. I am sorry and hope by now you are feeling fine again. I have a cold sore on my nose and a big water blister on my thumb where I touched the hot stove so I am using salve today. Do you let the old kitty sleep in the house nights? If not, fix her a nice box in the wood-shed, cover it over and just leave a place big enough for her to get in.
Well Ruth, this is all the news for now, write soon.
Love from Daddy
