Helen Balusik: March 4, 1928 Evanston, Ill.

Dear Friends,
The weekend is finally here. And for most it will be a three day weekend. I know a number of people that are planning to go camping plus there are graduations going on around here this weekend. As for me, I will not be going camping and at least for this weekend no graduation parties to attend. The parties are on different weekends in June. I just wonder what Mother Nature has in mind this weekend. It could be a wet weekend.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Helen:

As always, for those who find it hard to read, here is what it says:

                         Evanston, Ill.
                         Mar. 3-28
Dear Friend Howard:
    I surely was pleased with
your nice long interesting letter.
I always thought boys hated to
write but I think I'm mistaken.
  I am resting up a little bit
this after noon I usually have
two hours off in the afternoons
but then work till seven thirty
I wait on tables so it keeps
me busy running up & down
all day. But the girls I work
with are so jolly & full of fun
that I hardly know I'm
working sometimes. Nothing
like being happy ( Smile & the
world smiles with you.)
  I can hear a radio going
I wish you could hear the fine
melodies they broadcast some
times. Do you ever try getting
the Sears Roebuck band over

                  2

your radio?
 I can imagine how lonely it
is out on the farms. For I have
often staid at home all winter &
was too anxious to get back
to the city. But I love to be
home in the summer time it
gets to be so dreadfully hot here
that you get tired of it.
  I certainly was glad to hear
you don't drink for there are
very few fellows that haven't
that terrible habit.
  My home is six miles out
of Philips right on Highway 13.
I have often passed through
Ogema but I don't think I
like it as well as Philips, perhaps
because I don't know it as
well.
  I would think you could go
ice skating there almost all
winter, seeing winter lasts there

                   3

so long.
I got myself a pair of hockey
skates but went only a few
times and the ice melted- so I
don't suppose I will be able to go
again until next winter.
   Its a beautiful day and looks
so much like spring. Spring is
a great time for the homesick
blues, if you know what it
is to be homesick, do you?
 I will have to close now
for I have written more then
you have- but I always
like long letters, thats why I'm
bound to write them kind.
        In hopes of hearing from
         you again
                      Sincerly
                                  Helen


She sounds like she was a very nice person. Very polite.
As for Grandpa not drinking. I think he told her a fib. He didn't drink much. But I he did do some. Remember this was still during prohibition.
Apparently she, at that time, had not visited Ogema. I wonder if she ever did visit and maybe liked it later?
It sounds like she worked in some kind of restaurant as a waitress.
I wonder how often she came home to Philips.
I wonder what kind of things they played on a Sears Roebuck radio station. I never even knew there was such a thing, did you?


Here are the next two cards in the Courtship and Marriage set:

 5. One O'clock in the Morning.

   6. Half-Past One in the Morning.

Well, it looks like they are getting along just fine. They are sleeping together, in away so to speak.
And then they get caught by her parents.How embarrassing.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

This is from 1967. I thought with the beginning of construction time in Wisconsin, I would show you some construction from a time gone by.

Well that's about it for today. I hope you have a great holiday weekend.
I'm still not sure how well the comment thing is working on this blog. So feel free to leave a message or two just to test it out.
I hope you come back again real soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy