Nellie Peterson: May 12, 1918 Paxton Ill.

Dear Friends,
I hope this post finds you all well. As you notice I have a new name. Nellie Peterson. I still have more letters of Theresa and Katheryn but I decided I should do all the letters in chronological order. I went through all the letters and divided them into years. So I have to do a little back tracking time wise. This is the oldest letter I have. There are a few more letters from another person before I get back on track where I left off with the first two girls. This way if a number of people mention something it will create a story that can be followed from different points of opinion.
So here is the letter from Nellie.

  If it is hard to read, here is what is says:
                                                    Paxton Ill.
                                                    May 12 1918
Halow Howard:
Suppose you think I was never going to
answer your letter. But you bet I am, I
have been so busy that I haven't had
time to write before, but hope you will
excuse me this time for not answering
any soon.
Today it is Sunday and it is just
pouring down rain. We expect my brother
and his wife home today if it hadn't
of rain.
Say Howard you ought to see the
air plans go, hars here. One evening
there went five and another evening
there went one so low down you could
read the number on the air plan,
Have you flok's got any of your
garden planted yet. We got all of our
planted and we got 47 little chicken
beside.
We are going to plant corn
next week if the weather stay nice.
                      2
I have been to two parties since I
got down here.
What's going on up in Ogema.
Suppose you are having all kinds
of good times since I left.
Say Howard does Thomas have
to go to war.
Sure enjoyed your stick of gum
me and my aunt devited it. It tasted
good cause it came from Ogema.
How's your mother? Greet her
from my mother.
News is short so will ring off.
Thaursting to hear from you soon and
tell me all the news.
Greet all your floks from us be sure
and keep some for your self.
with love
your friend
Nellie Peterson
Paxton Ill.
write soon

There might be more letters from her later on but I'm not sure.
I kept some of the misspellings and fixed others.
She mentioned Thomas and maybe going to war. He did not have to go fight over seas. He got as far as Florida. He was in the cavalry.

 For those of you who don't know what war, it was the first world war.
She said something about air planes flying real low where she was.
Here is a picture of what could have been from that time.


I wonder what made gum from Ogema so good that she and her aunt enjoy it so much?

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, I found a picture from a Mother's Day gone by.

Aren't you glad it's not 1960?

Now that spring is here I'll show you a picture of breaking land from a time gone by.

I'm thinking this picture is from the 19 teens.

The other day one of my brother-in-laws saw a family of bears(mother and four cubs), run through his yard to a woods that is not there any more. Once they saw it was gone they ran back to the woods they came from. With bears around I will not be putting up a bird feeder again. I do not want to give a bear a reason to come into my yard.
So in honor of this event here is a picture that just might amaze you.

I asked my dad who Me is and he was not sure. He thought it could have been his cousin Lois Marie, maybe. Looking at it now it's hard to believe people really did this. Times have certainly changed.
Well that's all the news I have for you this time.
Till next time, enjoy the weekend.
Your friend,
Sandy