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