Mary Mattingly: April 26, 1928 Willisburg, Ky.

Dear Friends,
The weekend is here once again. This week started out on the hot side and ended very wet. Why can't things just be more in the middle and not to the extreme? I guess we just have to except that nature has a plan and does not want us to  know what it is.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary Mattingly. It was a very hard one to get right. Between sometimes bad spelling and broken English it's been very challenging. So if I get it wrong I'm sorry.

As always, for those that find it hard to read, here is what it says. I've done the best I could to get this one right.

          Willisburg Ky April 25
     Mr Howard H Johnson
Dear friend I take the pleasure
in answering your letter I
received yesterday and glad to
get it an now sure glad to get
your picture and will send you
mine as soon as I get them I
sent them off a while ago I
guess I will get them soon
how is the weather with you
By this time it is pretty
good weather here now the trees as
having art and the front trees
are in bloom in my garden is
up and winter is about 5 month
I have three Brothers and
three sisters
I live at farm of 40 acres and
have one horse and one hog

and a bunch of chickens I
enjoy farmers life I like
to raise chickens and work in
garden any kind of work that
I can do one the farm I haven't
any milk cows I did have
to but I had them I miss
one year baring a crafs tending
and didn't any feed for them
I am sorry I did I live a
bout 6 miles from the town
it is a high place have you
any sisters Now you ever in
Springfield I not there afar
I ward too glad to meet you
so I will close for this time
looking to hear from you again
soon Your friend
Mary Mattingly

I did my best to write what I thought she meant. A number of her words are misspelled or maybe a little Swedish.Some words were so bad I was not sure how to fix it so I just wrote what I thought the word was, even if it made no sense.  If I got it wrong, once again, I'm sorry.
It sounds like she lived on a farm and didn't mind doing that kind of work. Being a hard worker is not a bad thing in my book.
It sounds like she came from a big family.

Here are the next two viewer cards in the Childhood Fun set:

 Getting Our Pictures Taken

  Driving to Market.

Having your picture taken with all of your favorite things is always a must have kind of picture.
I wonder how fast a couple of pig could go pulling a wagon with a little girl in it.
I wish I could challenge people to take a picture similar to one of the ones I've shown. I wonder what they could look like.



Here is a random picture for you to look at:

No idea when this was taken. This is the Johnson home place. It looks like in the middle is a newly wed couple. I am not sure who it is but I do have a clue. I'm sure someone, maybe on Facebook will tell me who this is.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you have a good weekend.
I hope you will drop by again soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Helen Balusik: April, 24, 1928 Evanston Ill.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was good. No drama, as usual. it was a humid one.
Here is the next letter from Helen, it four pages long:

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

                    Evanston, Ill.
                      Apr. 24-28
Dear Howard:
   I hope you haven't given
up looking for my letter or
have you?
  I have been so busy lately
I didn't get any letters written
whatever-
  Today I went to Chicago
had to get my guitar fixed it
cracked a little so I went to a
big music store & there I run
into the record department
so I made myself at home.
I was looking for some good
records so I played all I wanted
& finally picked out three to
send home- "My Blue Heaven"
is a late one & it sure is
pretty- So I hope the folks at
home like the ones I send.
  I came back from the
city found a letter from home
it sure did thrill me.
Really Howard, I wish you
wouldn't call me such sweet

names in your letters maybe
you won't think I'm sweet
when you see me- see Howard?
You will think just the opposite
I bet.
No, I never read the joke
"His, fatal mistake but if it
isn't a nice clean joke please
do not send it to me.
  You bet next Summer
we will have to have a
game of horse-shoe together
can you play it. It is very
easy and you can have
so much fun especially
when couples play. Every
Summer in the evenings we
play it so much at our
place. Sometimes have the
phonograph going at the
same time- But I suppose
you do not know many of
the boys around there, do you?
Do you think you know my
brother Pete? he is quite
popular around Phillips
seems everybody knows him

                 2.
Tonight is a concert near
here again so I am going
as long as it is walking
distance.
  No Howard, I don't think
I would get so homesick that I
would have to come home
it use to be years ago when
I first came here but now
I almost like city better altho
I like to come home for a
vacation every Summer But
still you never can tell
about the girls can you?
Last year I was back in
the city at the time the fair
was going on in Phillips.
Too bad I didn't go maybe
someone would have
introduced me to you
Oh well, we will meet
some day, won't we Howard?
  My birthday is gone by
already so I'm not twenty-two
any more it was last month
one day.

Well Howard, I am wondering
what you are doing just
now I suppose cooking supper
because its five o'clock
now- I sure would like to
walk in some of these nice
days & see you step around
that stove see what a good
cook you are-- Ha Ha I
bet you can beat me
any day-
  I will have to say goodbye
& hope you forgive me for
not writing sooner- Oh I
know you will
    Will be looking for an
      answer soon.
               Lovingly
           Your new friend
               Helen

A nice long letter.
Lets see... Grandpa must have called girls by kind of sweet sounding names. I wonder what he tried to call her. I wonder if he tried to be a kind of Romeo or Casanova. Tried to woo and flatter them. Boy I do wish I could have known that part of him. I wonder what I would have thought of him.
He must have sent her a kind of joke she thought was offensive.
It sounds like she was still playing the guitar. I wonder how she cracked it.
https://youtu.be/5w-_xbBmXJ4
I think the song is one I have heard before. Here is a link to it.It was sang by Gene Austin in 1927.

I wonder if she made it back home that summer.
I wonder if Grandpa was a good cook. I don't know if I ever saw him cook when I was growing up.

Here are the next two viewer cards from The Childhood Fun set:

 "See My Kittens."

The Kindergarten Class.

A cute scene with a little girl and her kittens.
A bushel of puppies anyone? I wonder how long it took to get a good picture of the puppies in that basket.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

This is Gary Berg. No idea exactly who he was or how old he was in this picture.

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

Sigrid Niemela: April 20, 1928 Mt. Iron Minn.

Dear Friends,
Boy what a hot week! I am no fan of hot temps. I hope this next week will be more comfortable. There were a number of places that had storms go through and caused some damage and had no electricity for a while. It got windy here also.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Sigrid:

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

                    Mt. Iron, Minn
                    Apr. 20, 1928
Dear friend Howard,
  Received your letter
yesterday. Thanks a
lot. I'm so glad it
was a nice cheerful
long one too. I just
love them so. Even
if I'm such a poor
one at letter writing
but you mustn't pay
me back with the
same kind, remember.
We're having just
horrid weather again.
Snow, slush and chill.
Wednesday there was
such a storm all
the electric lights even

went out, some poles
had fallen down &
wired broke. I've been
waiting for spring so
anxiously but it looks
like I can wait in
vain.
 I'm glad you think
good of me, and I
hope I can prove
it someday that I
try and be worthy to a
friend like you.
What difference does
it make if you write
to that girl in Ill. &
many more. I cert-
ainly don't care, for
she must have been

           2.
lonesome too, like we,
and wants friends.
 I'll send my greetings
to your birthday now
even if it is late
kind of now. My birth-
day will be May 9. Not
so far off & I'll be a
year older again.
Oh, I live yet quite
a ways from St. Paul &
Minneapolis, so prob-
ably it is too far for
you to venture. Any-
way near to 300 miles
north yet. it's about 65
miles from Duluth even.
I have second cousins

Minneapolis and if
Grandpa gets well. I'll
go there for a visit
this summer. We may
meet someday so lets
not lose hope even
if we live so far
apart.
I have some pictures
to be developed now&
if they come out fair
I'll soon send one.
Must close now &
hike to bed, nearly
eleven already.
                 Sincerely,
                       Sigrid

 He must have told her about the other girls he was writing to. Maybe to see how she would react. I wonder if she replied the way he liked.
I'm not sure if there is a picture of her included in a future letter or not.
It sounds like the weather was being kind of nasty. It was spring in northern Minn. It is much like Wisconsin.
I know I did show you last time where Mt. Iron is located.
I wonder what she did on her birthday?

Oh well, here are the next two viewer cards from The Childhood Fun set:

 A little Shepherdess and Her Flock.

" Now, Victor, Don't You Think It Was Mean."

The little shepherdess is trying to take care of I think 5 sheep.

The little boy talking things over with his dog. I did this kind of thing many times with our animals over the years. I still do. They are the best listeners I know.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

This is a few of my cousins. I'm not sure what year this was taken.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will be able to stay cool where ever you are.
I hope you will come back real soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Nellie Currier: April 18, 1928 Manchester N.H.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was good. No drama. Just the way I like it. The rest of the country, not so much. So let me take you away  from the here and now and take you back in time.
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.
                    4/17/28
Dear Howard:-
  I am taking my
pencil in hand to answer
your letter that came to
me this morning. We are
having some very nice
weather over here in
Manchester. Anyone would
think we were having
summer over here now. It is

               2.
to bad you are having snow
now.
What is the make of
your car Howard?
We didn't have enough snow
all winter to have to have the
snowplow come through.
I hope you had a happy
birthday. Mine is a long
ways off yet. It won't come
until November.
I guess if nothing happens
your brother will get his
letter a few days before you

              3.
get mine because Hazel
sent hers two or three days
ago. Yes, I think if a couple
get married they ought to
keep their own religion be-
cause I know my father &
mother did.
We are sending away to get
a film and will have some
pictures taken next week
to send away.
I have got just two other
letters from the club that
I have cared anything about
of course I have wrote lot of
others but got no answers.

               4.
I hope you will excuse
this poor written letter
because I have a peachie
cold and can't seem to write
very good. So I guess you
will won't you, Howard?
I am closing this
very poor letter to you &
hope I can write better
the next time. Ha! Ha!
Bye Bye Howard
Hope I will hear from you soon
                  from a far away
                           friend.
                  Nellie Currier

( This was written on the inside of the envelope flap)
Apples are good,
But peaches are better.
And it you're not disappointed,
Please answer this letter.

It sounds like they weather was just as unpredictable then as it is now from day to day and year to year.
Grandpa's birthday was April 10. So at this time he is 28 years old.
I like that she was open minded about religion.
I wonder if Thomas wrote to Hazel and if he did how long they wrote to each other?
I hope her cold was not to bad.
I wonder if the little poem she wrote on the flap was original or if it was popular back then.
I wonder how much longer before she includes a picture?

Here is the next two viewer cards from the Childhood Fun set:

 Baby and Bunny.

Playing Grandma.

I wonder how long that bunny sat on the little boys lap.
What would your little one look like if they played Grandma?

Here is random picture for you to look at:

I'm not 100% sure but this might be Thomas. If is isn't I will correct it. That is if anyone knows for sure.

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

Helen Balusik: April 13, 1928 Evanston, Ill.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good week. Mine was okay, but it could have been better. Today I didn't have to work. I wanted to, but there was not the right work for me. It sure has been raining a lot here lately. Up north a number of roads have been washed out. Some of these roads will take months before the will be fixed so they can be used again. If I could I would send some of that rain west to California. They could use our extra water and would not turn it away.
Anyway here is the next letter from Helen:

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

                         Evanston, Ill.
                          Apr. 13- 28
Dear Howard:
   Sure was glad to get
such an early reply from
you. But Howard, such a
short letter I was surprised
at you. Because you usually
write such a nice thick
one.
  its one nice rainy day
out tonite I was suppose to
go out but didn't care to
on a nite like this. Would
be different if you were
here, would't it?
   Well just think of it
this girl I said was going to
write to your brother, well
she is very bashful and
she hates to write first to the
men so she said, if he
wanted he could write first
& then she would answer.
  Her name is Margaret
Sullivan and same address
as mine, that is if he
wants to write.

            2.
So you can tell fortunes, oh my,
tell me some of the fortunes
that you tell for yourself does
it ever come out the same
way? You sure have to tell
mine sometimes I know
I'd have a lot of fun listening
to my fortune telling.
   The cook we have here
tells mine sometimes on
cards too and we have so
much fun about it. Sometimes
she'll say you have a letter
coming on some one is
thinking about you and you
know how something like
that thrills a person. Really
if it was true.
    Well tomorrow is
Saturday again wish you
were here with your car
we could go for a spin
wouldn't we Howard- I'd
show you the Michigan
lake how beautiful every
thing looks around it
in the Spring ( this time of the year)

             3.
But, nothing like dear old
Wisconsin in the summer
time, is there?
   Early in the mornings I
can always hear the birds
singing- sure makes me
blue for "home-sweet home'
  Well Howard, seeing you
wrote so little to me I don't
think I better write much
either Maybe you don't like
me too anyway!
Hoping you are fine
and will be looking for
your letter soon.
                Lovingly
                       Helen

I wonder if Thomas ever did write to Margaret Sullivan. I'm not sure if he saved any letters he got from people like Grandpa did. Maybe one of my cousins has them. I know Thomas did keep a kind of diary and one of my cousins does have them.
As for Grandpa's fortune telling. I think he did. I used to have a set of old Tarot cards. I had let my younger sister use them for awhile. I asked for them back and now she can't find them. Maybe someday I will be able to get them back.
Grandpa must have really wrote long letters. If only someday I could see of them I could see what he wrote. Oh well. History that has faded away to the point that I will never be able to see it.

Here are the next two viewer cards from the Childhood Fun set:

 Caught in the Act.

 A Sudden Shower.

In the first one, I wonder what was being sampled by this, I think, little boy.
I like the second one with the older girl is giving the little girl a shower experience.

Here is a random picture for you to look at.

This was taken during someones class trip. Not sure what year.

Well that's all I have to share with you today. Remember, stay dry.
Don't forget to come back again real soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Sigrid Niemela: April 12, 1928 Mt. Iron, Minn.

Dear Friends,
I hope this post find you all well. I had a very good weekend. The play I was involved with was  a success. It will take me awhile to get the songs out of my head.Everyone who saw it will say how much they enjoyed it. Other then that everything else for me was very quiet.
But it was exciting last night in Wisconsin. Rain. Lots of rain. Up north they got so much rain some roads were washed out. it will take months for them to be fixed right.
Anyway, here is the letter from Sigrid:

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

                    Mt. Iron, Minn
                     Apr. 12, 1928
Dear Howard,
You don't mind I hope,
if I call you by your
first name, for I con-
sider you as my friend
now, and hope we can
be so forever. I received
your most welcome
letter a few days ago.
Thanks ever so much.
I haven't had time to
answer it before tho:
 Oh, but its cold here
again. Snowed yester-
day like everything and
today is like December,
and I was so waiting
for nice days ti cheer

me up.
What do you mean
by saying "chain letters",
I never heard that
expression used before,
I just wrote to mother,
she's always waiting for
letters and news of
grandpa's illness, no matter
how often I write. I
have no brothers or
sisters married. I often
wish some were so
I could go & see them
sometimes & relieve the
monotony of this life.
But it looks as if we
all are born old-
maids & bachelors.
Mother always teases
me, that I'll be the
 first one if any at

                2.
all. She thinks I'm
"wild" rather if I get
loose but I think she's
mistaken. But because
I'm not under her
wing & here in town
instead of the farm,
she's so suspicious, but
she's a dear mother all
the same, even if I
hardly know her.
 Have you ever traveled
anywhere here is Minn?
I've never been out of
this state, and only
about 300 miles off
from this town, so
I certainly haven't seen

very much of this
world yet. I wish we
were closer so it
would have been pos-
sible to see each
other sometimes only I
assure you there's noth-
ing on me to see worth
looking at, if we ever
do meet.
 I'll close for this
time and next time
more. Let's hear from
you soon again. Pardon
my pencil writing, it
isn't nice I know but
I hate to write with
ink so I never even
think of it when I
start.
             Sincerely,
                  Sigrid.

It sounds like winter was still holding on in her area at that time. She did live in the upper north east corner of Minn. Winter still does that yet in that area.
I wonder if grandpa was asking her if she would like to get a chain letter. I wonder how often Grandpa did things with a chain letter?
Chain letters today are the kind of things you get on Facebook or your e-mails where you are suppose to send it to a certain number of people. If you do that you will have some kind of good luck. Do you get yourself involved with those kind of things?
I wonder if she was ever able to travel father then 300 from home? I hope she did. There is so much to see in this world I still hope I will someday get to see.
 I wonder if she was "Wild" or if it was her mothers way of getting under her skin by saying she is one thing when really she was the opposite. I wonder how close she was to her mother. She makes it sound like they were not very close to me, how about you?

Here are the next two viewer cards from the "Childhood Fun" set:

 "Now Children, You Must Kiss and Make Up."

The Truants.

Kids and puppies always go together.
I wonder what is in that barrel? Whatever is in it the boy on the top is about to get a swat on the behind.

Here is a random picture fro you to look at:

Taken during someones trip out west. I wonder if it still exists and if it still says: "The Land of Infinite Variety".

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, stay dry.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Mattingly: April 11, 1928 Willisberg, Ky

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good week. Mine was good. I had most of the week off from work, except Tuesday. The reason I had off is because I'm involved with the local community theater. This week is when the public gets to see our hard working results. And last night was opening night. We were a hit! Now for the next two nights to be the same or even better.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary Mattingly:

Now this letter is once again very hard to figure out because of the, what I like to call, broken English. I'll do my best to get it right:

                    Willisberg Ky.
                     April 10, 1928
Dear Mr. Howard H. Johnson
I received your letter yesterday
was glad to get it. I
in joy receiving letters
it is a pleasure to receive
them and to answer them
I am American and belong
to the Baptist Church
I am sorry I haven't
a picture.
to send you today
I am going to have
some taken today
and will send you
one as soon I get
them send me one
of your pictures if you
have one I will

send you mine just as
soon as I get them.
I have a picture of my
one. My father is
dead. He died when I was
ten years old and my
mother is living she
is 73 years of age. I will
be 28 the 27 of next lik???
I am sorry for you I know you
are lonesome without your
mother she was your best
friend is she. So please send
me your picture and I will
send you mine as soon as
I get them so answer soon
from Mary Mattingly
Willisberg Ky.
excuse my bad writing
my pen is bad I will be better
                          next time

I guess each one is waiting for a picture from the other.
The one word on the second page I was not sure what it was. I tried to put what I thought it was in google translator, which was interesting. The language it detected could have been Norwegian. But I don't think it was suppose to mean corpse count. I could have guessed but it didn't feel right to me. Can you guess?
I'm not sure if a picture will ever show up in another letter or not. I guess we will just have to wait and find out.

Here are the next two viewer cards from the "Childhood Fun" set :

 A Stylish Turnout.

 Getting Ready for the Masquerade.

In the first picture , that must have been one big rooster to try and hook a wagon up to it and expect a ride.
I wonder what kind of masquerade she was planning on going to.

I'm always amazed at how bright the colors are in these pictures.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

This is was taken during someones class trip. I thought because of what has been going on lately this might be a good thing to show.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will find yourself coming back again real soon for more fading history.
Till then, stay safe.
Your friend,
Sandy

Nellie Currier: April 9, 1928 Manchester, N.H.

Dear friends,
I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend. Mine was very good. The weather was perfect and there was no major dramas for me but there was a tragedy. Two people were on a motorcycle and they hit a deer. Last I heard the man died and the woman was not in good condition. She use to work where I work but quit a number of years ago. I should know more by the time I post again.
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.
                                  4/7/28
Dear Howard:-
   I have received your
surprising letter to-day and
am taking the pleasure to
answer it.
Over here in Manchester we
are having some very nice
weather and hope it stays
so because it has been so
soft and muddy in the
roads that not even the

             2.
mailman can come through, I
told the mailman the last time
I saw him to walk if he couldn't
get through but he wouldn't. I am
living on a small farm at present
which is a mile and a half
from the city Carline.
Now Howard I am sorry to state
that I have no photo just now
but hope to have some taken by
the time you write again.
Hazel (my chum) said that she would
write to your brother, so warn him
because she may write any hr.
My mother is protestant and my
father is Catholic, but my mother
left us about 8 years ago and so
whenever I go to church I go to the
Catholic one as it is my fathers religion
But it doesn't seem to make much
difference nowadays does it. Howard.

                 -3-
I can't seem to think
of anything more to
say this time so I guess
I will have to close in
hopes that your brother
gets some strangers
news.
                 Goodnite
             I remain as a friend
                 Nellie Currier
                   485 Lake Shore Rd
                   Manchester
                                N.H.
P.S. Be sure
and write
soon Howard heh?

 And here I always thought that nothing could stop the mailman from delivering the mail. But it sound like back then a very muddy road could.I wonder if Thomas ever wrote to her friend, Hazel.
It kind of sounds like she didn't go to church very often.
I guess the kind of  religion you were back then didn't matter to her.
I tried to find Carline N.H., but could not find it. I wonder if she misspelled it or if it does not exist today.

Here are the next two viewer cards from the Childhood Fun set:

 A Bushel of Puppies.

A born Inventor.

There are seven puppies in the basket.
I wonder how many inventive young people did this kind of thing back then.

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

This is Larry Slaton from the class of 1957.

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