Nellie Currier: March 8, 1928 Manchester, N.H.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. I know a lot of places were very wet, including around here. But Monday was a drier day, finally. We were able to get a few things done outside.
Anyway, here is the first letter of a new person. Her name is Nellie Currier:

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

                485 Lake Shore Rd.
               Manchester N.H.
              3/6/28.
Dear Mr. Johnson:-
    Your name was
sent to me by Mrs. Braun.
I am seventeen years old.
I have medium brown hair,
and blue eyes. I am five feet
four inches tall. I have no
photo of myself just at
the present but hope to get
some before long, and if
you wish to correspond with

                   2
me I would be more than
glad to send you one as soon
as I have some taken. I
am closing and hope to
hear from you soon.
                     I am
            Miss Nellie Currier
            485 Lake Shore Rd
            Manchester
                          N.H.
P.S. Please excuse my
writing because it is almost
bedtime 11.30 P.M.
                      Good night.

Just a brief introduction. She sounds like a nice a girl. At this time I think Grandpa was almost 28 years old. Now a days, it would be very frowned upon for a 17 year old girl trying to hook up with someone ten years older then she was. Times have changed, some what.
There will be some more letters from her. Hopefully, if I remember right, there is a picture of her in one of them.
It looks like Grandpa was a member of Mrs. Braun's.

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

 7. A Quarter to Two in the Morning.

 8. The Proposal.

I like this scene in number seven, where the father is trying to kick him out with his knee.
And the traditional proposal. Will she say yes or will she say no?

Now here is a random picture for you to look at.

This was taken by someones class trip to D.C.


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

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

Helen Balusik: Feb. 27, 1927 Evanston, Ill.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a nice weekend.Mine was nice and warm. Although, my husband had spent the whole weekend doing field work for his brother. I didn't see much of him all weekend and when I did he was very crabby. But who could blame him. I hope my brother-in-in-law is able to get better soon. But I already know that recovering from something like meningitis takes a long time to get over. So I will just have to grin and bare things for the time being.
Enough of my whining, here is the next letter from Helen:

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

                     Evanston, Ill.
                    Sunday Feb 26-
Dear Mr. Johnson:
    I was pleased with your
letter and also with the picture.
I will try & describe myself but
am enclosing a picture and
that will give you a better
idea what I look like.
  I am twenty-two years old-
brown hair & eyes. Five feet three
inches a hundred and thirty-five
pounds.
 I will send your picture back
but I'll wait till you send me
another one of yourself.
  Evanston is a pretty place
in the summer time only about
six miles out of Chicago also
near the Michigan lake about
four blocks east of here.
But I love dear old
Wisconsin I guess because
I was raised there

I love to go skating very much
and also love music but
many of the other amusements
I do not care about.
My mother also has left us
five years ago but my father
still is out on the farm.
I will write more next
time if you answer.
  Will be looking for
a letter but if you do not
care to correspond please return
letter & picture back.
                 Sincerely,
                      Helen D. Balusik
                     1414 Ginman Ave
                      Evanston, Ill.

There was no picture with this letter. It could be mixed up with all of the other old pictures. Or maybe he lost it some where along the way. Maybe another one will show up in another letter of hers somewhere in the future.
As for describing her self, she sounds like she is about my size. I don't know if most women would include their weight. I don't think I would, would you?
Now I know where Evanston is located.
In 1920 the population was 37,234. In 1930 the population was 63,338. Boy that was a jump in 10 years. Today the population, or at least in 2014, it was 75,658.
I guess it grew slower after the 1930's.

Here are two more viewer cards from the Courtship and marriage of a couple.

 3. Third Call. Mother Wants to know if He is Coming.

4. Waiting for him.

The things that at colored do pop out more.
In the first one, to me it looks like the mother is giving him a warning or reading him the riot act. Notice the girl peeking out from behind the curtain.
The second one she is just waiting for him to show up. Dreaming about the possibilities.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

No idea who this is or when it was taken.

Well, before I go I would like to tell you something. I recently found out some people could not comment on this blog. I want to say, I'm sorry. I didn't know. I think I may have fixed it. So if anyone wants to leave a comment to try it out, please do.

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

Helen Balusik: Feb. 19, 1928 Evanston, Ill.

Dear Friends,
The weekend is finally here. The weather is finally feeling like spring once again. I mentioned last time that my broth-in-law was in the hospital with meningitis. He is still there and will be for a few more days. its slow go but little by little he will be back to normal. In the mean time my husband has to help with the chores. Milking in the morning and right now planting some of the fields that need planting. He is getting a little time off from his job to help as much as he can. But he will not get the full time off he needs so some days he will be burning the candle at both ends.
Anyway, here is the first letter from a new girl, Helen Balusik:

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

                               Evanston, Ill
                               Feb 18-28
Dear Mr Johnson:
     I have received the
list of members in Mrs. Brawns
Club and as I was looking
over them I saw your name
there and seeing I know Ogema
quite well I thought I would
write.
  My home town is Phillips, Wis
so that isn't far from where
you live.
  I don't think its necessary to
give my description, for I presume
Mrs. Brawn has sent it to you.
  I will write more next
time if you answer.
  Would like to hear from you
and please send pictures of your-
self I will have one for you.
                 Sincerely,
                               Helen Balusik
                              1414 Hinman Ave.
     As you can see this is a new person. There are a number of letter from her.
Mrs. Brawns Club must have been a place for people to meet other people looking for a spouse.

Here are two viewer cards from a new series. It follows a couple from courting to marriage.

 1. The Bashful Lover Makes His First Call.

 2. Second Call. Improvement on Call No. 1.

In the first one they call him a Bashful Lover. The look on his face tells me something very different. How about you? And the look on her face and body language tells me if she could she would give him the what for if he made the wrong move.

Notice the woman in the second one. The chaperon.
Could you imagine if this was the way everyone went about dating today. I know some people do set their ways based on this kind of matching up. This is when respect and manners mattered. At least on the surface.


Here is a random picture for you to look at.

I do not know who this is or when it was taken. The picture is dark. I did my best to kind of lighten it up so you could see the girl.

Well that's about all I have for you today.
I hope you have a good weekend, mine will be mostly at home because the husband has to help with field work and milking cows for his brother. Who is home now. But will he listen to the doctors advice to step back from things for a while.
I hope you come back again soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Feb. 7, 1928 Wausau, Wis.

Hello Friends,
How was your weekend? It was toooo cold here for me. Just when I thought I could put my warmer jackets away it gets cold again. This week is once again suppose to get warmer as the week go on. One thing my husband did this weekend was by four more little calves. We now have a total of 9. Maybe some time I'll take a picture of all of them and show them to you.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary:

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

                          Wausau, Wis.
                          Feb. 6, 1928
Hello Howard:-
  I just wanted to ask you
how many proposals you've
had already. I happened to think
of leap year as I was writing
the date. You needn't try to
dodge when they propose
because you'll be caught one
way or the other. If you
say no, you've got to buy a
silk dress, and if you say yes
you've got to keep on buying
them the rest of your life.
So I think you are up against
it right.
I s'pose by this time your
hand is all healed up unless
someone threw another
rolling pin at you. And that
would be a shame because I
think one rolling pin a year

is enough, don't you?
  How is your cook? You said
last time that she had just
came that day.
And you are you still looking
for a job as a cook? You said
you had to eat your own cook-
ing for two weeks and are
still alive. That's pretty fair
your almost as good at
cooking as I am. I don't get
sick either when I eat my
own cooking, but everyone else
that eats it, does. That's why
I gave it up as a bad job.
Say, I told you that Alex
Messal & Florence Vlach were
married, didn't I? That was
before Xmas already so I guess
you would know it by this
time.
They are staying at Messal's.

You know Alex's cousin works
here, too, and she was so
darned surprised she couldn't
get over it. She said he's been
looking for a girl so long. Her
name (Alex cousin) was Wanda Schacht before
she was married, you got an
introduction to her once at a
party at Schacht's. She asked you
whether you knew Beulah Anderson.
Are you still having as many
party's as you had all winter?
Or are you going to be good
and not have any during Lent?
Gee, I'm glad you're having such
a good time, now maybe you
won't think I was crazy be-
cause I liked to go to parties
so well.
Say Howard, I wish you could
have seen my roommate. She
isn't with me now as she is
doing light house keeping.

She was good to get along
with and I liked her real well
after I got acquainted with
her. But gosh is she ever bash-
ful and scared stiff of men.
I don't know whether I should
laugh at her or get sore some-
times.
I'm back at my old job again.
I had a wimpies with the house-
keeper because I wasn't strict
enough with the girls so I told
her to get another inspectress.
But oh gosh it was hard the first
few days, I was always so tired
I just ached all over. I t'hot I
was going to die pretty soon.
Say Howard gosh darn you if
you don't tell me who told
you all that junk last
summer I'm going to do some-
thing awful to you. I don't know
just what but you'll be sorry you
didn't tell me. So long          Me


At least she explained how Grandpa hurt his hand. I suppose she is the one who throw it. I wonder what they fought about all the time. I also wonder what kind things someone told Grandpa about her that got her so steamed. Did he ever tell her who it was?
It sounds like Grandpa was having someone come in and cook. But it sounds like Grandpa could kind of cook too. I'm trying to remember if I ever saw him do any cooking when I was growing up. Right now I  don't think so. I wonder if his mother was not up to cooking at that time.
It sounds like Grandpa was a party animal at that time. I wonder what kind of parties he had?
I guess Mary was not a leader kind of person since she gave up the insprectress job. Some people  are just not good at being a leader and some are.


Here are the last two viewer cards for the Earthquake of 1906.

 24. Refugees' camp in Jefferson Square.

25. Ferry landing from Oakland.

I wonder how long people had to stay in the camps.
This is what it looks like today.



Looking on the internet I think I found a picture of the Ferry terminal of San Francisco today.

 


Here is a random picture for you to look at:

Not sure exactly who this is but I have an idea.

Well, that's about all I have to say except that I learned that my husbands younger brother is in the hospital with meningitis. Not sure how he got it or how he is doing. He can not have visitors for a few days. I hope he will get better soon.
I hope you will come back again soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Jan. 18, 1928 Wausau, Wis.

Hello Friends,
Another week done and the weekend ahead. It's suppose to be on the cool side here. Depending on where you live you might see a few snow flurries. I hope it does not happen here.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary.

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

                           Wausau, Wis.
                            Jan. 18, 1928
Hello Howard:-
 I s'pose you think I'm a dandy
to wait so long before answering
but I haven'y improved any as
far as writing goes. I hate it as
much as ever. I just read
over one of the New Years
cards you sent me, and in the
verse that's on it, it says, "May
all the months roll swiftly
by." Now thats a heck of a
wish to have for me when you
know I'm an old maid already.
And if the time goes so fast I'll
soon have gray hair. I'd be a
sweet looking sight then, wouldn't
I?
Rose isn't here any more, she
stayed home Xmas. I was home
too, I got home Xmas morning
about nine o'clock. We certainly
had one heck of a good time at the
wedding. Most of the company
stayed till three, but Mr. Lamberty
& Pete L., Anton Kauer & Joe, Mrs., and

Rose Kauer stayed until daylight.
Teacher was there & she stayed up
too & went to Medford right away
the next morning with Pete L. She
likes him as much as ever but
she keeps right on saying she
doesn't. Isn't that bull headedness?
But then I forgot, she's a Dutchman
too and what else can you expect.
Mary & Jos. got quite a few presents
and some real nice ones at that.
They both went back to work but
I guess they are going to leave
next spring. They were at our place
till after New Years and Mart said
she was glad when they left. She
and Mary don't agree very well.
But neither do I when she's around
me very much. It's a good thing
that she get's along better with Jos.
than she does with us or they'd soon
want a separation.
Well, I s'pose I shouldn't be
telling you all this junk. Ma
always says if she and Joseph
get along that's all that's necessary

because we don't have to live
with her. I guess you better
burn up this letter, it sounds
just like some gossiping old
hen, doesn't it?
  You said I should call you
up when I was home, but gee
Howard, I was scared to. And
what would your ma have
said?
You said you had a sore hand
for about a month? How is it
now, any better? I hope so be-
cause I don't s'pose you like to
go around with one arm in a
bandage, especially if it's the
right one. How about it? Just
give an account of yourself. I
s'pose you had it around some-
body so long that it almost
froze and now you got rheumatism
in it. I really shouldn't feel
sorry for you at all, but I think
I will anyhow.
You remember that picture you
sent last time. It's out of a paper.
The woman is reading and the

man is washing the dishes. The name
of it is," Mary had a little lamb."
Now do you mean to tell me
that I look as big and moose-like
as she does? But gee, wouldn't
it be nice to have a man that
would do all the housework for
you? That's the kind I'm going
to be on the lookout for from
today on. So in case you know
of any you tell me and I'll put
in an application for him. But
I haven't much hope. The big
men aren't much good but the
little ones are no good at all.
The most of them are so crabby.
Well, so long, this is enough
dumheit for one day.
This letter is scribbler than
most, but maybe you can make
out some of it.
   So long and be good
to you.         Dutchee.

Well for someone who does not like to write much, boy can she write. Every time she says how much she hates writing she write a longer letter.
I wonder what was going on between the two of them. It almost sounds like a love hate relationship. If he had a sore arm I wonder if had anything to do with her or if she was being jealous for some reason.
She sure does like to put labels on people for what the were. The teacher must have been Dutch. But then again she is calling herself Dutchee.
It sounds like the wedding between Mary and Joseph finally happened and that everyone had a very good time. But she makes it sound like the other Mary is very hard to get along with.

Oh well, here is a random picture for you to look at.

Not sure what is going on here. The girl in the middle might be Mary.

Here are two more viewer cards from the Earthquake of 1906.

 22. City Hall from McAllister St., looking northeast-- Souvenir hunters in foreground.

23. Ruins of St. Ignatio's Catholic Church.

I wonder what kind of souvenirs they were able to find and how long they kept them.

Well, I guess that's about all I have to show you today. I hope you have a good weekend.
Don't forget to stop by again soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your Friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer & Rose: Dec. 19, 1927 Wausau, Wis.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was good. On Saturday my husband and I spent the day with our girls over in Wausau. We had dinner together for Mother's Day and our youngest one's birthday, which was on May 5th. She is 28. After that the husband , me and our oldest went and saw the Movie, Captain America, Civil War. It was O.K. After that we shopped a little and went home. Sunday for Mother's Day my husband took me out to eat and then we bought a few plants to plant outside. The rest of the day was just a chill out.
Anyway, here are two letters, one from Mary and one from Rose. They were in the same envelope.

I decided to show you Rose first. As always for those that find it hard to read, here is what it says:

                 Wausau Wis.
                 Dec. 18, 1927
Dear Howard:-
 I suppose you'll
be surprised to get
a letter from me
but as Mary is
writing and as I haven't
got any thing else

to do. I thought I'd write
you a few lines.
We are all O.K., hope the
same of you.
We like Wausau awfully
well but we're going back
to good old Rib Lake for
Xmas any way I am
I'm not saying for sure if
Mary is or not cause she
don't know whether she's getting
off or not well Howard guess
I better be quitting cause
I'm writing so scrawly you
won't be able to read it.

Anyway I wish you
a Very Merry Christmas
& a bright & happy New
Year.
as ever
        Rose.

And now here is Mary's letter:

                         Wausau Wis.
                        Sunday Eve.
Dear Hart:-
Well, first off I'm going
to wish you a merry Xmas
and a happy New Year. I
don't know whether I'll be
home or not this year but
I hope so. It wouldn't seem
much like Xmas if I'd have
to stay here, although I
must say I like my job,
my boarding place and
Wausau in general, real
well.
Anton is coming home,
I think he's home today already
but John isn't coming this
year. That's heck, because I'd

miss him if I do go home and
he isn't there.
You asked me what I'm doing
Well, inspectress. I have to
look over the rooms and
see that they are all right and
such stuff. I work from 9 to 12
and then from 1:30 to six. I must
say that I like it awfully well.
We went on a sleigh ride last
Sat. eve and there we about
40 of us and the sleigh tipped
over. You should have
seen us. I guess we were an
awful looking sight with
our heads buried in the
snow. One girl sprained her neck
and the other one hurt her
ankle but it wasn't bad.
Well, so long and good luck
and Best Wishes from
                             Mary.

I wonder if either one of them made it back home that year?
At least it sounds like they both enjoyed their jobs.
I like her job title, "Inspectress" It sounds like it was someone who checked rooms before a guest moved in to it.
The sleigh ride sounded like it was fun until it tipped over. It must have been a big sleigh if it held 40 people. But I'm sure there was more then one sleigh for all those people. I wonder if there was any law suits. I know if that happened today there would be some big law suits.
This was the last letter from 1927.
So the next time you drop by it will be a new year.

Here are two more cards from the viewer cards of the Earthquake of 1906.

 20. City Hall--Photographer in foreground--Tall brick chimneys left standing.

21. View from Moulder School distributing station showing tons of flour on sidewalk.

I wonder how long all that flour lasted.

Here is a random picture for you to look at.

I didn't have another sleigh picture but here is a wagon and horses. I have a correction. This is a manure spreader.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you find yourself coming back again for more Fading History.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Thank you note: Nov. 25, 1927 Ogema, Wis

Dear Friends,
The weekend is here! It's starting out really good. I just hope it stays this way for awhile. It should, spring is here, finally! The leaves on the trees are finally starting to pop out more and more.
I do have a busy weekend planned. I'll tell you more about next week.
Anyway here is the next letter. It is just a thank you note.

As always here is what I think it say:

  We wish to thank
you, for the kindness
and sympathy shown
during out late
bereavement.
Chase Harless family
Mr. & Mrs. Edward Talbot
   and family.

I'm not sure I spelled the one last name right.
I wonder who pasted away. Was it Ed who past away earlier in the year? I don't think so. If it was, boy was that a late thank you.

Here are two more cards of the Earthquake of 1906:

 18. Refugees' camp former dwelling in the ruins in background. This is earthquake work.

19. Looking south, corner Sutter and Stockton.

If you notice in the first picture above the doorway of the make shift shelter is a horse shoe, upside down.  Now in my book that tells me that there is no luck to be held. Maybe back then it meant differently.
In the second picture, I wonder what that tall frame of a building is? Is it something that was under construction or a new building that was just gutted by the fire?
Just something to think about.

To stick with the theme of morning here are a few things that go with that subject.

I do not know who this pertains to. I do like the image on the front.

Not sure when this was taken. In the second picture I think the couple on the left might be Grandpa parents. So that would make them my great grandparents.

Well that's all I have to share with you to day. I hope you are able to enjoy this weekend and also I would like to wish all mothers (including my own) HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!
I hope you will stop by again soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy