Barry & Barry March 15, 1926 Phillips, Wis

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was good and fairly uneventful, no dramas for me anyway. I hope this week will be a good one two. So far so good.
Here is the next letter. It is from an insurance company called Barry & Barry.  It has to do with the death of grandpa's father.

Even though it is typed I will type it up just to type something.

                                    March 15, 1926
Mr Howard H. Johnson,
                                    Ogema, Wis
Dear Sir:-  Re Estate of Peter W. Johnson,
              Petition for administration filed today and hearing set
for second Tuesday of April next, when you should be here to
make proof etc.,
      Under the law your Mother, as Widow is entitled to the fol-
lowing personal property. to-wit:- All articles of apparel and
ornaments; also all wearing apparel, family pictures and ornament
of the deceased, except such as may have been specially bequeathed
also the household furniture of the deceased, also all provisions
and fuel on hand provided for family use also other personal pro-
perty to be selected by her, not exceeding in value $200.00.
   For this purpose a separate inventory is required and if
you will send us a list of that we can be preparing it.
   As to the General Inventory, wish you would make a list of
all personal property not included in that allowed to your Mother
and we can be preparing that. This included every thing in
way of personal property on place, Farm Implements. Cattle,
horses etc., Also any notes or other securities held by your Father
at time of his death and any account due him from any one.
   Please note the date of hearing- Second Tuesday of April,
being the 13th day of the month. it will not be necessary for
your Mother to be here unless she wants to.
                                                    Yours Very truly,
                                                    Barry& Barry,
                                                   By M Barry

I wonder if that was quick to hear from an Insurance company about this sort of thing. I don't know. Maybe it was long. It was all settled anyway.

Here are a few random pictures for you to look at.

No idea who this is. It was taken in Minneapolis by A. Larson located at 313 Washington Ave.S.

No idea who they are either. It was taken at Medford, Wis by I think Zeit. I don't know if that's right. It's hard to tell if the first letter is a Z or maybe an H.

Another picture where I have no clue who they were or when it was taken.

Well that's all I have for you today. I hope you enjoy the week
So till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Mar. 9, 1926 Rib Lake, Wis

Dear Friends,
I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to the weekend. For me it's the beginning of a vacation. What am I going to do? Not sure. I still have rehearsals for the play at night so I can't really go anywhere. Plus the husband will be trying to make hay, weather permitting.
Enough of that. This next letter is from Mary and it's 7 pages long. Lots if info in this one. But I also have to warn you that there are a couple of things in it that may be on the controversial side. So be prepared.

 Well here goes:

                 Rib Lake Wis
                 Mar. 9, 1926
Dear Howard:-
  I got your letter this
morning and since it
was such a long one
I'll answer it right away
That's the kind I like
to get.
  So you think I ought
to pray for nice weather.
well, I'd like to see
you so I could tell
you all the scandal
of Rib lake but gee, I
don't get time to pry
for anything else, so
how can I pray for nice
weather?

I'll tell you all about
Kapity when I see you
some time. It's too
much bunk to write in
a letter.
Did you know "Shorty"
the barber at Bushaw's?
Well, he's going with Helen
Williams now and he
must be real stuck on her.
He says he met his true
love at last and all such
stuff. She was in the shop
one nite having her hair
cut and Shorty was making
love to her while he was
cutting her hair. He had
the curtains down but
not quite far enough

so I think half the men
in town peaked in at
him. They said that Wagner
and Shroeda would go
to work a little while
and then go back and
watch a little while
and then go back and
watch Shorty. I guess they
sure kid him enough
about it. Well, next time
he'll turn out the lights
if he doesn't want to be
seen.
  You wanted to know
where Williams is going.
I don't know anything
about that, seeing I'm not
one of Mr. Williams
friends.

So you think Ed and
the teacher will soon
be (one). Well, I hope
get your five dollars (and give me some of it)
and I wish I could see
Ed once. Wouldn't I tease
him? I guess men are
all alike. They all say
they'll be bachelors and
they'd never be so fool-
ish as to get married and
first thing you know
they are "tied". If it's
that serious I s'pose there
will soon be a little
Ed to call you (Uncle Hai)
 So you still get lonesome
Well, I've given you all

kinds of advice on how to
get over it so why don't
you follow it? I s'pose
Thomas is feeling blue
now since Edna left.
You wanted to know if
I was sat on the floor at
skating. Wilma says I sit
on the men. it wasn't quite
that bad but I did take
quite a Fin tumbles.
Once I tripped that Indian
or N***** half breed. And I
fell once while I was
skating with Harvey Wagner
and three times with a fellow
from the office. I guess he
felt sorry for Wilma so

he tried to teach me and
that's what he got for it. But
he bumped into me once and
made me fall so we're even
again. It's great I'm anyway
but I was up Sunday afternoon
and I could hardly stand on
them (skates) I don't know what was the
matter with me.
  Say, I feel all spooky now.
I just came back from lodge
meeting and the ladies were
telling ghost stories up there.
I was glad that I didn't have
far to walk but everything
was dark up here and you
know how that makes you
feel.

I guess I had better quit
writing now and go to sleep
as I want to do some sewing
tomorrow. I made me one dress
already and I want to make
two or three more then I'll be
all set again. Mrs. Bogumill
has company and all they did
this week was sew. This place
looked like a dressmakers
shop the last few days.
You wanted to know what
is the matter with Dodge. Mary
Schneider is working there now
and I think she said he had
kidney trouble.
    Good bye & good luck
          from M.K.
I'll send you food this
week.

Like I said a long letter. I'm sorry about the word that should not be said, spoken or written now a days. I just decided not to write the full word as she did as it is very improper to say now. I do not agree with her doing it but that was then this is now. It is history that is fading away, I hope.
As for the scandal, wow. I wonder how long that stayed fresh in peoples mind.
I also hope the two of them did get married as he said she was the true love of his life.
I wonder if she ever got the hang of roller skating?
I certainly hope she got all of her dresses made the way she wanted to.

Well here are a few random pictures for you to look at.

 I think the man might be Grandpa. I wonder why the woman is covering her face?

These two pictures are of one of my uncles senior class trips in the 1950's.

Well I think that's all I have for you today. Once again I hope you were not offended by her language. I can not promise that they are all going to be clean but if there is foul language again I will always warn you before you start reading so you can op out reading it.
Enjoy your weekend, I know I will.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Edna (Eddie): March 4,1926 Chicago, Ill

Dear Friends,
How was your weekend? I will say I had no drama in mine, that I know of. I just wish it would stop raining so much. But what you going to do. Mother nature is going to do what she's going to do.
Here is the next letter from Edna, aka Eddie. Plus her sister or maybe Gladys ( I think) added her letter also, which is written on an index kind of card.

I will say I'm sorry right now if I do not copy it right. My eyes are tired and the sisters letter is written small and with to many loops. Plus writing on the side and top upside down.
Deep breath... Ready...

(Upside down)
PS- Sure dreamed a
funny dream about
you last nite. Ha!
                        Chicago, Ill
                         March 4, 1926
Dear Howard,
  Well, how is the boy?
Hope you didn't get cold
feet going home the other
night. How is Alice??x
Like me, eh?
  Say, I've been bumming
ever since I came back.
Monday I went up to
report at the office. See
I have to give the girl in
my place notice. I'll
begin Monday I guess
   Gladys did not get
my letter so she was
not to meet me. So I

called up Al's as she was
staying there. She told me
to hurry down there. That
evening we went over to
see Ernest. He sure has
changed. Oh! boy & big.
  I've been to several
shows and one dance since
I came back. Ernest took
me to an operetta Monday
night. You remind me
of it some time and I'll
tell you. it sure was
funny.
  Today Gladys & I were
to a Movie. Now I'm
awaiting a telephone call.
I'm going out tonight.
What are you doing
for amusement? Is your
cousin there yet? Or has

Mary taken her place?
Please don't get sore with
me. You must understand
my language by this time.
You know what a fool I am.
I have some thing to
tell you a j--- It sure
is good. I don't dare to
write it. Remind me of it
when I see you. if you
are a single man. Ha!
  My boss jumped about
2 feet when he saw I
was intending coming
back again. He said he
almost was believing I
had fooled him. Poor
fish. I might fool
him yet.
Have you seen

Luella since I last saw
you. Did you ask her? better
hurry old boy.
  I think I must get
ready too. Gladys is almost
ready for dinner. And its
almost time for us to go.
 Gee, I hate to have Gladys
go an other case as she
will be doing one of these
days either tomorrow or
Saturday.
 Please excuse scribbling
and grammar also errors.
  greet your mother &
the rest Au revour
           as B/4 Eddie
(written along the side)
I know you won't see that  blob. ha!

Now for the other letter.

                  Thursday:
Dear Mr Howard: As Sis is
so occupied in writing I will
have to so so too. Well how
are you anyway/ Eddie & I
are just fine and sure are ha-
ing one good time since we
both got back to Chi at the
same time and Ernest lives
right across the street so we
are always together.
 I sure was sorry to hear
of your fathers death. I hope

your mother is well
Gee you and Eddie
must be on terible
terues. She spills
bits of your convers-
ations every once in
awhile and I am sho-
cked beyond words
some times because
I have been out the
job for 10 months and
never heard or saw
anything so I sure
consider myself alre-
ost au angle ha ha
How is Thomas? Greet
him from me. Oh ya
tomorrow I go out on
a case again, so I hope
a nice thing to look
forward to work. Vel I
may see you some
time this year if I
can get home don't
know yet. Give my love
to your mother all of it
             From G. ?


This was a challenging one to read. Not only what is written but the order to read it. What do I mean? Well the paper is folded in half, first page is easy to start but you open it up and have to figure out if it continues first on the right of left side. This one was right first then left.
Then of course reading the second letter was lot of fun, not. I know I spelled some words wrong because I wasn't sure what the were for sure. They could be Swedish words.
I wonder who Ernest is? Just another question where the answer has faded away never to known again.

Well here are a few random pictures for you to look at.

No idea who this is or when it was taken. It was from Ashland, Wis. at a studio called Bailey.

I wish I knew who this little girl was and when it was taken.

This is the model T that was know as Grandpa's courtin' car. It has a shade that can be pulled down on the back window and on of the back side windows. How do I know this? Because it is still around. My dad has it in his garage. It's been a long time since he had it out. Maybe someday he'll take it for a spin around town again. This picture was taken August 4, 1935. Not sure who is in it.

Well that's all I have for you today. I hope you have a good week. If you get time Friday maybe you can drop by again for more faded history.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: March 4, 1926 Rib Lake, Wis.

Dear Friends,
How was your week? Mine was calm. The weekend looks like it's going to be another half and half weekend. Half wet and half dry. At least I'll be able to catch up with my housework. Been a little busy with a play I'm going to be in. it's going to be a great show when we are finally able to to show a real audience.
But that's not history, yet.
So here is the next letter from Mary. (Now that's history)

As usual for those of you that find it hard to read here is what I see:

                    Rib lake Wis
                    Mar. 4, 1926
Dear Howard:-
  I'm trying to do
what you told me to.
Answer your letter real
soon. I got both cards &
letter this morning. They
are both dandy. specialy
the one (I miss you like the D.
 How was the Institute
at Ogema? of course it couldn't
have been as good as ours
was here.
  I s'pose Helen called you
up Tuesday and told you
that she was up here.
Gee, I was glad to see her

but oh, how I looked. Like H.
She says she has to go
to the doctor once more.
I'm glad I'm not in her
place. I hate doctors
and dentists.
  Say I guess this writing
is worse than usual but
I'm writing on my lap so
it's not my fault.
  Wilma & I were skating
tonite and when we came
back she went into Share's
and made Mr. Hipke buy
us a dish of ice cream.Gee,
it was good. She did that
Sunday too but then there
was such a crowd of

men in there. Say I've got
to quit writing for tonite
I'm falling asleep over it.
Hello Howard:-
Well, I think I'll
finish this now or
you won't get it before
Sunday any more.
I tried to write some
more last nite but
it was impossible.
  How are you getting
along? Are you sick as
much as usual? I'm
fine only I've got a
couple of blue
marks from skating
Say, what's the bankers
name? I must ask dad

if he knows him.
Gee, he ought to
have a heart and
not tease you so
much. He must of been
young once himself, don't
you think so? Do you
ever blush when you get
teased? I would like
to see you blush once.
I blushed this noon. I
said something to Wilma
that didn't just sound
right and they thot
I was awful.
  Well so long & good
luck from Mark K.

Not really much here. Just a normal letter. I wonder what word the D stood for. I have a number of ideas what it stood for, how about you. but I'm almost sure the letter H stands for hell or maybe heck.
I wonder what she meant by a banker teasing  him.
I wonder how long it took before she saw Grandpa blush.
I wonder what she said that was so bad that she blushed.
Just faded history. never to be known again.

Here are a few random pictures to look at.

 No clue who, or where or even when it was taken.

Just another picture of an unknown woman and children.

No idea who this young man was.

Well that's about all I have for you today. I hope you stay safe until next time we meet.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Feb. 23, 1926 Rib Lake Wis.

Dear Friends,
How was your weekend? Mine was a half and half kind of weekend. Half wet and half dry. It made it very interesting for the wedding I attended. It was an outdoor wedding. They do say it is suppose to be a symbol of good luck. But it was not a heavy rain just drizzly.
Anyway here is the next letter from Mary:

 Here is what is say for those of you that have a hard time reading it.


                Rib lake, Wis
                Feb. 23, 1926
Hello Howard:-
  I got both of your
letters so I spose it's
time to answer now.
You said it was so lone-
some without your dad.
well, I can imagine
how home would seem
without pa, even if I
do scrap with him once
in a while.
 I started this letter
last nite but went to
sleep over it so I'll
try my luck now. I
bet you'd never guess

what I do now. Just
think I can roller skate.
Wilma had a lot of
fun the first time I
went because I couldn't
stand on the skates
but now I can skate
pretty good and gee
its fun. Almost more
than ice skating.
There is one (big Swede)
that goes and he's a
peach of a skater. He
goes frontwards,
backwards, sideways
and around in a circle.
When I can do all that
I think I deserve a
medal.

So Lavina and Elmer
are married at last. well
here's wishing them good
luck. I guess Lavina
worked here at Dick's
awhile, didn't she? I
saw her a couple of times,
at least I thot it was
her, but never to speak
to her. I think it's awful
that so many Swedes
come to Rib Lake. I'm
afraid there will be war
between them and the
Germans pretty soon.
Because you know they
never agree.
Well, I'll have to quit

writing now or I have
to up town yet and then
it will be supper time.
      Good luck and best
      Wishes from M.K.
Wilma made a silk kimono
for herself and she said
she'd lend it to for a week
when I get married but
I told her you wouldn't
have me and I didn't
know of anyone else
that would so I guess
she'll have to wear it herself.


It sounds like Grandpa missed his dad. For her to get two letters from him in one day tells me he had it bad for her but, they never really did anything about it.
Elmer finally got married. I hope I spelled her name right.
She always has to mention things about Swedes and Germans. I wonder if there was a lot of tension between the two groups back then or was it just something Mary liked to focus on. Maybe someday I will learn if there was.
I wonder who got to wear the silk kimono first on a special occasion.

Here are a few random pictures for you to look at.

Here is a picture of I think the same couple I showed you a couple of posts ago. It was taken I think in Birnamwood, Wis.(I think I spelled it wrong) Still not sure who they are.

I think this is Grandpa's brother Thomas.( We knew him as Uncle Thomas)

No idea who this is. But I do wonder if it might be Grandpa's dad. So that would make him my great grandpa.

Well that's about all I have for you to day. I hope you can come back on Friday for the next letter and random pictures.
Enjoy your week.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Helen: Feb. 16, 1926 Westboro, Wis.

Dear Friends,
It has been a very wet week. To wet for my taste. I just hope the weekend is more on the dry side. Well as dry as it can be even though the ground sounds like you are walking on a sponge.
Anyway here is the next letter. It from Helen. No idea right now what her last name is. She lived in Westboro.

It's a sympathy note. here is what it says:

             Westboro, Wis.
              Feb. 16, 1926
Dear Howard:-
                 Please
accept my sincere
sympathy in your
great loss. My thot's
have surely been
with you, although I
haven't been able to
do anything for you.
  Hope you will all

be given strength, so
you may succeed thru
all the trials set before
you.
I tried to call you, but
couldn't get the line, so
wrote a few lines instead.
Call me sometime if you
are not too busy.
     With love
              Helen

I found out how he died. It was a kind of freak accident. A heavy sliding barn door came off and fell on him. I sounds like a very gruesome thing. I wonder who was there when it happened. I don't know much about my great grandpa. I do know he spoke and wrote in Swedish more then English. I think I have shown you a number of pictures of him. I'm sure there are a few more of him that will show up.

Here are a few random pictures.

This one was taken by S.A. Johnson from Phillips, Wis. No idea which church it is.

This is a postcard of the First Luthern Church  in Ogema, Wis.

I wish I knew what the gathering was for. Maybe a funeral.

Well that's about all I have for you today.
I hope you have a good weekend. Me, I have a wedding to attend. I just hope the weather cooperates.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Feb. 15, 1926 Rib Lake, Wis.

Dear Friends,
How was your weekend? Mine was O.K. It started out good but then the rain started Sunday night. We did see a number of different baby wild animals. Baby ducks, turkey's, geese, partridges, ground weasels and we think there might be a doe with babies hanging close to out place.
Here is the next letter from Mary. But it was two letter in one envelope.

  This is the first letter.

              Rib Lake Wis.
Hello Howard:-
  Just a line to
let you know I'm still
alive. I didn't have
time to write this week.
So I'll write next week
some time. I'm getting
all excited over the
masquerade. Maybe I
won't be able to walk up
the steps.
            Good luck from
                       M.K.

second letter

                Rib Lake, Wis
                Feb. 15, 1926
Dear Howard:-
   I got your letter this
morning but I did not
expect such sad news.
It seems awful that your
father should have such
a sudden death, but I
guess death takes us all
by surprise. I read your
letter over several times
before I could believe that
I was reading right.
  But please Howard, don't
take it too hard. Because
we will all go some day.
I can't tell you how

bad I feel and I guess
words won't help you any.
But I will pray for your
father because I think
prayer helps us all. You
believe that too, don't you
                 With Love
                         Mary

Well the first letter she did not know about his father death. He was 69 years old. Grandpa and Thomas were late in life babies. He had three older brothers. His brother Peter Joseph died in 1923 and was 41. He never married. His brother Joel Oscar was 25 when he was killed out in Washington state. (I'll tell his story at another time). His brother Nels Alfred died in 1963 in a horrible accident that also killed his wife and two other people. He was 75.
My great grandpa had wrote a letter back in 1896 that was published in a thing called Homeseekers Handbook with accounts of personal experiences in Price County, Wisconsin. It was originally published in Swedish but was later translated November 18, 1971 by Mrs. John Oberg (nee Augusta Swanson).
Here it is so you can read it.

It tells of his start in the town of Ogema, Price County.
I also have the Swedish version of it.

Here are a few pictures to go with the family theme.

This is Grandpa on the left and his brother Peter Joseph. It could have been taken in the 1919's somewhere.

This is a picture of Grandma's parents. Grandpa and Grandma Ecker. No idea what year it was taken.

This one was to big to put in the scanner so I had to take a picture of it.
It's the Confirmation Class of 1914
Swedish Lutheran Church, Ogema, Wis
Photo by Dake Medford Wis.
Grandpa could be the second from the right first row. But I could be wrong.

Well that's all I have for you today.
I hope you drop by again real soon, for history that has almost totally faded away.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Feb. 3, 1926 Rib lake, Wis

Dear Friends,
I hope this post finds you all well and that you had a good week. Mine was good. But I'm sure we are all in agreement that we are looking forward to the weekend.
This next letter from Mary is five pages long plus three funny things she included.
So since it is a long letter I'll get right down to it.

First I'll show you the letter; Here is what it says:

           Rib lake, Wis
           Feb. 2, 1926
Dear Howard:-
  Thanks a lot for the
Valentine you sent me. I
couldn't imagine what in
the world was in such a
large package ( I thot
maybe you were sore at
me and were sending
back all my letters) Wilma
brat it up and when she
said it was for me I
thot she was just kid-
ding. Mrs. Bogumill thinks
that big one is just a
peach. So here's a x
for it.

 Say, I said I'd get married
every day for $10 but you
never even said you'd
give me a nickle, did you
 you should at least made it five nickels.
You I'm sending you a
picture on " The easiest way
to take care of a baby."
Keep it, it may come in
handy some day. But don't
ever let your wife  see
you trying a stunt like that.
  There's going to be a
masquerade here Feb. 12
again. I'm going to mask
but don't know yet how.
I wish you were here so
you could come too. I'd
like to see if you'd know

me. I guess it will be
quite a big doings
as the American Legion
is giving it. No unmasked
persons are allowed on the
floor before 10.30 so I
guess most of those that
like to dance will be masked.
Did I tell you about the last time?
I don't remember?)
  How is Inez getting along?
I hope she likes me a
little yet. Or did you
talk her out of that? Tell
her hello for me when
you see her and give her
a big kiss for me. You
ought to be able to do

that. Else what's the use of
you being a big husky
Swede?
How's Thomas and Edna?
Are they still on speaking
terms or are they sore
again? Couldn't you play
cupid for them and kind
of help them along? You
know you should help
where ever you can. "Be charitable"
it says in the Bible. And
helping a fellow to get a
girl is an act of charity,
isn't it? That is, it would
be if the girl isn't some one
like me.
How is Ed and the school

school teacher? Have they a
soft spot in their hearts
for each other or is that
all off? Has Albert got a
girl yet or does he still
hate them. Gosh, if he
knew how nice girls are
he'd change his mind, don't
you think so?
Well, now I asked you all
the interesting questions
I could think of so you'll
have to write a long
letter next time to answer
them all.
 (Ain't I smart?)
----------from Mary.

And now for the funnies she included.

        She wrote on the top one:  I'd stuff the keyhole.

 She wrote on the side: I bet you'll be doing this is in a couple of years.

She wrote on the top: Oh we won't go home until morning.

I like this letter. She has a lot to say about a lot of different things. I just wonder if Grandpa answered all of them. I also wonder what he sent her for an early Valentines. Plus I wonder if she will ever say what it was.

Well here are a few random pictures for you to see.

No clue who they are. 

These are the cousins I met Memorial weekend. I wonder how old they were in this picture?

Grandma is the one in the middle.

Well that's about all I have for you this time. Enjoy your weekend. I know I will.

Your friend,

Sandy