Unknown Swedish letter: April 5, 1928 Ogema, Wis.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend.The weather around here had it's ups and downs. It all depends on where you live. On Saturday there was one very close lightning strike that made me yell a little. We don't think it struck anything. I guess someone was trying to get my attention for some reason.
Anyway, here is the next letter. I do not know who it is from or even sure what it says, exactly. It is in Swedish. I did my best to try to translate it. I'm not going to type it up because a lot of the words I'm not 100% sure I got right. I will tell you that I'm pretty sure it is a chain letter for prosperity. If you know Swedish maybe you can figure it out better then I can.

Good luck trying to figure out the words. I hope you can do I better job then I did.I tried to use Google translator and a Swedish/English dictionary. Between the two things I did get a few words right.
I almost was not going to show it but then I thought someone might be up to the challenge of translating it.


Here are the last three cards for the courtship and marriage set:

 24. Married and Settled.

 A vision of the Future.

25. "I Just Knew It Would Be a Boy."

The marriage has begun. In the second one there are three children. Two girls and a boy.
The one in the last picture looks like she was one of the bridesmaids.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

No idea who this but, I do know it was taken during someones class trip somewhere.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today. I hope you have a good week. It's suppose to be a very comfortable week around here. Just the way I like it.
I hope you will come back again soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Helen Balusik: April 2, 1928 Evanston, Ill.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good week. Mine was good. I'm involved with the Medford Area Community Theater. I'm in charge of the back stage. I'm not a singer so I'm usually back stage. The play we are doing is "Spamalot". It is a must see thing to do. The performance dates are July 7, 8 & 9th of July. So if you happen to find yourself in the area, you should come check us out.

Anyway, Here is the next letter from Helen:

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

                            Apr. 2-28
Dear Howard:
  Your very welcome letter
was received also I thank
you for the pictures you
send me they are very good.
I will enclose the one you
want back.
  Today looks so much
like rain but I hope it
doesn't rain tomorrow for
that's my day off.
Yesterday being Sunday
I went to church at nite
to Chicago. They had such
a wonderful singing there
wished you could have
heard them. Also a girl

about five years old sang a
couple solo's for the audience.
Say Howard, I just want to
ask you this, I have a very nice
girl friend she is also working
here- She is about twenty-seven
years old quite tall and she
wondered if your brother
wouldn't like to correspond
with her. It is only up to him,
of course, but perhaps he don't
care about girls, does he?
So many people around here
are sick with mumps and
the different contagious diseases.
One of my girl friends just
got through with the mumps
Saturday she didn't work for
a week. Seems to me every
time my throat is a little
sore I think I'm getting them (Ha Ha)
Maybe I will be fooled some
time.
I could laugh here in
the city the women they love to
go out and take walks
with the dogs. I often think
if they had to work on the
farm for a change like
some of us poor kids do eh?
The trees are all budding
here and the grass is almost
green, sure looks lovely in the

spring especially about next
month.
It won't be long and you will
be going fishing and canoeing
won't you? My I really do
love to go fishing I don't think
there is any other sport I like
better. I have to laugh when
I hear my father say the first
time he went fishing he
caught a frog-(Ha Ha) Some
fisherman I'll tell the world.
What are the latest songs
around there?
Well I must say goodbye
          and be good.
"write       "Happy Easter
soon           to you Howard"
                  Sincerely Helen

First let me show you the picture he sent her that she sent back.

Grandpa is the one with the x above him. Not sure who the neighbors are.
I wonder what kind of songs the little 5 year old sang. To bad she didn't say.
As for the girl she knew that maybe wanted to write to Grandpa's brother Thomas. I think she would have been a little to tall for him. He was on the short side.
I wonder if she ever got the mumps.
She's right about laughing at the city women that walk their dogs. What else could they do? If they worked on a farm they would be to busy doing other chores to walk a dog. It applies to people today, also.
As for fishing. I wish I could go fishing sometimes. It's hard for me to fish with my husband because he has no patience to sit still very long. I could say in one place for a long time, even if I don't catch anything. It's the quiet time. Very relaxing for me.
I hope Grandpa had a Happy Easter

here are the next two viewer card from the courtship and marriage set:

 21. The Father's Congratulations.

22. The Wedding Breakfast.

Her father finally welcomes the groom into the family.
This must have been an early morning wedding if they had a breakfast and not a dinner.
Notice the little girl in the front behind the fern.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will come back soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Mattingly; March 31, 1928 Willisburg Ky.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. For me the weekend was not to bad. Kind of on the hot side. But it was not to bad. There was a good breeze on Sunday and on Monday. On Monday sometime, a maple tree in the yard broke off. There is only one tall branch still there but it will have to be cut down . The tree was very rotten. it happened while I was at work and the husband was not home at the time. So we are not sure when or why it came down when it did.
Enough of that. This next letter is a little hard to figure out. I think it is from a Mary Mattingly from Willisburg Ky.Someone cut the post mark and stamp so I could not tell for sure if the information is right.

 I will do the best I can to write what it says so it makes sense.

                            March ib 31, 1928
Dear friend I received far non
thrul the friendship club while
I am a minbir I would in
for receiving letters from you
for description says you are
a farmer I live on a farm
on in you farm life I am
27 years of age have for cokeall
Dark hair on Brown eyes
I in joy receiving letters
I would be glad to meet
for I live in the mafarboard
of Willisburg Ky.
So I will close looking to
hear from you soon from
mary Mattingly to H Johnson
my adress is Mary Mattingly
Willisburg Ky.


I am sorry for not being able to make enough sense out of it. I will try to look up some of the words on the translator. There is a possibility that some of these words are Swedish. I don't know how many letters there are from her. Right now, I hope not to many.

Here are the next two card from the courtship and marriage set:

 19. The Bridegroom's Kiss.

 20. The Mother's Kiss.

It's official, they are married. Sealed by a kiss from the groom and then by her mother. I wonder if many use the kiss from the mother in their ceremony. I've never seen it before myself.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

No idea who this is or when it was taken.

Well that's all I have to share with you today. I did my best to write what I thought the letter said.
I hope you will come back again soon for more Fading History.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Nellie Currier: Mar. 29, 1928 Manchester, N.H.

Dear Friends,
The weekend is here. I hope you had a week. Mine was on the quiet side. No drama. I hope the weekend will be a good one, again.
Here is the next letter from Nellie:

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

                     485 Lake Shore Rd
                    Manchester  
                                       N.H.
                           3/29/28.
Dear Howard:-
   I am answering a letter
to you which I received a
few days ago and just got
around to answer it. I sure
was glad to get your photo
but I am sorry to say
that I have no photo of
myself at present to send
you. You are not mad are
you. Cheer up I will

              -2-
have some soon to send
you. We are having some
peachie weather here now
in Manchester.
I saw two or three blue-
birds yesterday and our
fields are alive with robins
running and hoping around.
Well I can't seem to think
of any more of import-
ance to tell you in this
letter so I will put an
end to my brief letter.

Hoping to hear from you
soon I remain as a friend
                  From
              Nellie Currier,
             485 Lake Shore Rd.,
             Manchester,
                      N.H.
P.S. Howard how tall is
your other brother that
is 32 yrs. old? I have a
girl chum over here that
says she would like to

            -4-
correspond with him. Do you
think he would want to? This
chum of mine is 23 yrs. old
and has the same address
as I have because she is
living with me, and her
name is Hazel Higgins
she has been married but
has been divorced and has
a little boy 2 years old now.

Not to much here. The weather was nice in Manchester. The robins were all over the place.
I wonder if Thomas corresponded with Hazel? I guess that is something I'll never know.

Here are the next two viewer cards of the courtship and marriage set:

 17. Placing the Wedding Ring.

18. The Blessing.

The wedding continues........


Here is a random picture for you to look at:

I think Julia is on the end. But I'm not sure exactly which one is Grandma Weberg.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will come back soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Sigrid Niemela: March 29, 1928 Mt. Iron Minn.

Dear Friends,
I'm not to sure what to say about this last weekend. Mine was not to bad. The weather was hot and I got a little sun burned. Now for all of the other things going on in Florida, wow. It's almost hard to imagine that kind of thing even happened.For so many people to lose their lives like that. At the hands of someone just wrapped up in so much hatred. My heart goes out to all the families and friends who lost someone or had someone hurt. I wonder what my grandparents would have thought if something like that happened in their time.
Anyway, here is a letter from a new girl, Sigrid Niemela:

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

                  Mt. Iron, Minn.
                   Mar. 29, 1928
Dear unknown friend,
  Far I fell sure that
we can become friends.
I am just a lonesome
girl of 21 looking for
friends and companions.
Living in a small
town makes life very
monotonous and dreary
and my chances are
scarce of escaping, as
I'm staying with my
aged grandparents.
Seeing your name in
a club paper to which
you belong I thought
I'll try and I might
be lucky and win a loyal

friend.
 I am Finnish, age
21, brown hair, blue-gray
eyes and mare stout
than thin.
  If you feel that we
could be friends please
write soon and send
a photo if you have
one. I haven't at
present.
               Sincerely,
                Sigrid
address Miss Sigrid Niemela
Bx 196 Mt. Iron,
                        Minn.


It's a nice first letter. Just putting her feelers out just a little bit. I wonder what she meant by "mare stout". I think I know. Maybe a little on the heavier side. I'm not sure if she does ever send a picture.
I had never heard of Mt. Iron, Minn. before so I looked it up.
It was founded in 1892. It was incorporated into a city in 1972. The population around the time she wrote was around 1300. Today it is around 2890.  The city motto is  "Taconite Capital of the World"  Taconite is a low grade iron consisting largely of chert. It's found around Lake Superior. It's located in the north east area of Minnesota.

Here are the next two pictures from the courtship and marriage set.

 15. The Wedding March.

16. The Wedding.

I think it would be interesting if I challenged someone to copy these wedding pictures for their wedding. I doubt if anyone would because of the style of dress is very old fashioned.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

I'm not sure if I've shown you this one before of not. I do not know at this time who it is.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today. I hope you have a good week.
Don't forget to drop by again soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Helen Balusik: March 25, 1928 Evanston, Ill.

Dear Friends,
I hope your week was a good one. I don't know about you but I am also looking forward for the weekend to start.But it is on the warm and humid side right now with rain on the way. Just as long as it's not like what we got last Sunday.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Helen, it's a long one:

For those that find it hard to read, here is what it says:

                    Evanston, Ill.
                    Friday evening
Dear Howard:
   Surely was pleased
with your nice long
letter  - I wonder if I
can write as much
I'll try. Now and see.
  Yes, I sure have the
spring fever and oh how
I wish to be at home
when everything seems
to love the out doors.
I heard the robins are
back already. Seems
great to have warm
weather once more.
I always do come
home for the summer
I get too lonesome
out here in the city.

especially when I have my
dear old dad, brothers & sisters
at home. I can hardly wait
to see them again.
  When I come back there I
sure would love to meet
you and get acquainted-
I have never thought there
was anything like "a friend-
ship club" until a friend
told me about it. It is
interesting & quite thrilling
don't you think?
  No, I haven't read the
article "The Homestead on
Popple Creek" _ I usually read
the Chicago papers while
I am here- in what paper
was it do you know?
  I was out to take my
music lesson tonite, I am
learning to play a guitar. It
surely is interesting- I hope
I'll be able to play when I
get back to Phillips. There
are two other girls one plays
a violin & the other a mandolin
so we have great times
practicing how to play to
gether.

Just think only a couple
weeks and Easter is here,
the time seems to go by so
quickly. I believe I will
have to work Easter Sunday
that's the way it goes always
just when you want to be
off you cannot be.
  I have two girls that
work & room with me
we have all kinds of good
times together. One of them
can tell fortune so I keep
her busy telling mine. Altho
sometimes it comes true whatever

                  2
she tells me will happen.
I have greeted Anna &
Frank Novy for you.
They are surprised how
you and I got to
corresponding altho
they don't know the
secret___ Ha Ha. That's
the best part of it.
Seeing every body is
gone out or asleep I
seem to be the only
one up. I'll have to blow the lights
out also_
  Last nite I was to
a concert it sure
was good. The
orchestra played only
on bells but it

certainly sounded fine
something new to me
wished you could
have heard them play.
They were players from
Europe, so they
travel around and
make money that way.
I feel I haven't any
thing else to say if
you have a picture taken
again send me
one will you? Perhaps
you want your other
one back already
don't you? I love to
look at you two
couples they look so
happy- It must have
been a happy day_ HaHa

Well, I will sign off
for tonite-
Hoping to hear from
you soon again.
    Sincerely
                Helen


Now that was a nice long letter.
I wonder if she was able to master the guitar.
I wonder what the article was about that he told her about.I tried to find it on the internet but so far I have not found it. Maybe someone else will.
I wonder if he did send her another picture.
I wonder if she was able to get home for the summer.
And the concert, sounded very interesting. nothing but bells. I wonder if that kind of group is still around.

Well here are the next two cards in the Courtship and marriage set.

 13. The Bridesmaids Ready for the Ceremony.

14. The Bride Ready for the Ceremony.

It's getting closer to the walk down the isle.

Now for another random picture for you to look at.

written on the back " Mr. & Mrs. S.A. Swanson
                                   60th Anniversary
                                    Sunnyside School
                                     Nov. 25, 1960"

Two years before my time.

Well I better close for now. The storm is getting closer.
So everyone stay safe and I hope you will come back soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy
  

Nellie Currier: March 19, 1928 Manchester, N.H.

Dear Friends,
How was your weekend? Around here it ended in the dark. Sunday a small but very powerful storm went through. We were out of electricity for 6 hours. All of town was out also. I think they were out around half that amount. There were a number of trees that were blown over. In my yard, only a few small branches came off trees. So we were luckier then some.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Nellie:

As always, for those that find it hard to read, here is what it says.

                   485 Lake Shore Rd,
                   Manchester, N.H.
                        3/18/28
Dear Howard:-
  I am trying to answer your
yesterdays letter which I was
more than pleased to answer.
You say you have always had
a good reputation so far, but
how about in the future. Ha, Ha.
I try to be jolly once in a
while anyway, but you can't
help getting mad once
in a while, can you? You must
have to work pretty hard for a
living seeing your parents

                2
are both gone, or didn't you live
with them. I am living with
my father as my mother has
been gone for nearly eight years.
I suppose your other brothers
are both older than you aren't they?
We are having a terrible snow
storm out here to-day. It is snow-
ing so fierce that we can hardly
see across the road. Some snow
storm, eh? i suppose you have
worse ones than this don't you?
I am sorry to say I have
no photo of myself just now
but perhaps by my next writing
time (if you answer this letter) I
will have one to send to you.

                (3)
But Howard, if you want to
you can send me a photo
of yourself when you get one I
would be more than glad to
see what kind of a guy
you are.
  I suppose you have
about a thousand other letters
to write from the club girls
haven't you?
Well having nothing
else to say for this time
I am closing my

             (4)
second letter to you in hopes
to hear from you again before
long.
                     I remain,
           Miss Nellie Currier
           485 Lake Shore Rd
                Manchester
                                 N.H.

Well letter number 2 from Miss Nellie. Not to much here. Still trying to get a feel of one another, I think. I wonder how much snow she got at that time back then.
He must have told her he had a good reputation.
Grandpa's mother died Feb. 13, 1928. I wonder how long it will be before there is a letter from someone saying something about her death. She was born Jan. 5, 1857. Which made her 71 years old.
Grandpa and Thomas were late in life babies.

Here are the next two viewer cards in the courtship and marriage set:

 11. Placing the Orange Blossoms.

12. Decorating for the Wedding.

I wonder if putting Orange blossoms in a brides head piece was a common thing.
As for decorating for the wedding, they sure like to use a lot of plants.


Here is a random picture for you to look at:

Not sure when this was taken. Grandpa is the one on the left.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you have a good week. Don't forget to drop by again for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Helen Balusik: March 13, 1928 Evanston, Ill.

Dear Friends,
Another week gone. The beginning of June. Almost half of a year gone already. Where has the time gone? It looks like this weekend here will be cooler and wet, again.
Oh well, here is the next letter from Helen:

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

                       Evanston, Ill.
                        Mar. 12_28
Dear Howard:
   Your very interesting letter
was received last week one
day and surely was glad
to hear from you. Thats
just the kind of long letters
I like to get.
  Well I'm glad we haven't
any snow out here. It is
like Florida here compared
to Wisconsin. It really is
a cold state at least I always
thought it was.
  So you don't think you like
to farm alone. You should
be glad you haven't some
one to fight and quarrel
with like some of the rest do.
I think it does a man good
to practice house-keeping (HaHa)
Yes, I did hear about
the fire out there that they
had last summer.
 Here in the papers all a
person reads is about death
and committing suicides and
such things.

It really is terrible what the
world is turning too.
  Yesterday was Sunday in
the evening I went to church
heard a wonderful sermon.
I like to visit different churches
some of them have such
wonderful choirs.
Do you happen to know
Frank & Anna Novy? They are
pretty good friends of mine
and I have heard they use
to live in Ogema so I
thought I would ask you
if you happened to know
them. They both work
in a cafeteria only a short
distance from where I work.
This is Frank's first winter
in Evanston so I don't think
he likes it here so well.
  it takes quite awhile
to get use to this hustle-
bustal  of a city. Especially
Chicago is terrible for rushing.
I go about two or three
times a week to Chicago because
that's where all the big
stores are, and the amusement

                  2
places.
I can smell something good
cooking I hope it is chicken
We have a very good cook
here a person can't help
but want to eat all the
time. She's from Dorchester, Wis.
  You asked me what
direction from Phillips I live
I believe it is north about
six miles. (The prettiest spot
in Phillips seems to me) I
suppose just because I live
there- Ha Ha.
It is getting late so I must
get busy and finish my
days work. The best part
of a day is when the work
is finished don't you think?
Well I hope I can hear
from you soon - I also
love to get your nice letters
I didn't think mine were
very good -
               I remain
                 your friend
                    Helen


   Once again someone mentions his long letters. It's so sad that I will never be able to see what he wrote.
I wonder what kind of news he shared with her.
If I remember right there was a big fire somewhere around here.
   It must have been a warm year around by Evanston. She was right about Wisconsin being a cold state. it can get a little to cold around here during the winter months and some spring too.
 live around a big city I suppose a lot of news was about who died and how.
Being 1928 it was getting close to the big crash. Maybe some people were ending it all before it even happened.
Grandpa must have been telling her how lonely being on a farm was without a woman in his life.
Dorchester  is south of where I live about ten miles or so. It's a small town.
It is always amazing how many people from around here ended up in the bigger cities.
I wonder if Grandpa knew Frank and Anna Novy? I hope I spelled the name right.
Her statement "It really  is terrible what the world is turning too." In my opinion can be applied today.
Also she is right, that the best time of the day is when work is done. That is right no matter when you live.
I guess maybe sometime I will have to check out where she could have lived, just to see if it is as pretty as she says.
I do enjoy her letters. I'm not sure how many there will be from her.

Here are two more viewer cards from the courtship and marriage set:

 9. Showing the Engagement Ring.

10. "My Wife To-Morrow."

I wish there was a better closeup of the ring.
I wonder how much time there was between getting the ring and getting married.One last stolen kiss before they walk down the isle.      

   Here is a random picture for you to look at:

I have no idea who this is. But I'm sure someone will tell me.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today. I hope you have a good weekend.
Come back soon for more fading history.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy