NO LETTER TODAY!

This envelope postmarked December 18, 1934  is addressed to my mother.  The letter was from her sister.

Part  I

When was the last time you received a personal handwritten letter in the mail?  I know for me it has been ages.   Some younger folks may have never received a personal letter, much less composed one.

I have recently been reminded how nice letters are.  My father died nearly two months ago (mother died three years ago), and we six children now have the task of going through their things and closing that door.

Mother must have never thrown away a card or letter in their seventy-four years of marriage.  We found several large storage containers of letters, cards, and other keepsakes to go through.  Since I am the family historian I asked for letters and such items, and it has been neat to read things from the past.

I have found letters to and from my grandparents and my parents. These letters give me new insights into their lives.  My grandparents and parents were deeply affected by the Great Depression.

I found one letter (six pages) from my Grandmother Susie to my mother written probably in January 1935 right after my parents were married.  Susie mentions she owes $3.00 to her brother and hopes to pay it.  Later Susie says that Mr. K. said if my grandfather could pay $1000 by the first they could keep the place, but if not, another man was ready to take it.

Grandmother goes on to say” We don’t know what we are going to do. Daddy [my grandfather] said we were going to have to stay here till spring as we can’t sell anything now.  We could have traded it for $40.00 of land at Artesia . . . .  We will have to buy another team if we farm this land, also a plow.  Daddy said he wished he had sold out this summer and gone down to Artesia and picked enough cotton to have lived on, also got us a place but we are not going to worry ourselves sick about it.”

One letter to my mother from her sister and brother-in-law written December 17, 1934:  “Enclosed you will find a dollar from me and B.M. for a wedding present.  We don’t know what sort of a present to send for a newly married couple….  Wish we could send more.”  My parents married on December 31, 1934—my father was in the Army.

The letter continued with marital advice:  “I know you are economical and will hunt all the bargains you can and in a place like El Paso a person ought to find lots of bargains, so I know you two will get along just fine on $45 a month.  . .  .  don’t think I am tired of being married or anything of that kind for I wouldn’t exchange my place with any single person but I feel like that we have been through enough in this depression that lots of times I had to smile when really the tears were just behind the smile.”

The letter below discusses what the family plans for Christmas presents and mentions my mother’s upcoming wedding.

What will future families find when they are going through their parents’ belongings?  Will there be any lettesr?  What will historians use for research?   Check out one of the online book sites and see how many books were written about correspondence, especially that of John and Abigail Adams.  My husband researched letters and diaries for his dissertation which covered social and cultural life in Oklahoma Territory right before statehood.

We have social media now—how can that be preserved?  Unless emails are printed, there are no visible records.

It is time to check the mail box (the outside one) but I know there will be no letter today!