Mary Kauer: Dec. 17, 1926 Rib lake, Wis

Dear Friends,
How are you? I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was uneventful. The weather was warmer then I think it should be for December in Wisconsin.
Here is the next letter from Mary.

For those who find it hard to read, here is what it says:

                  Rib Lake Wis
                  Thurs. 8 P.M.
Dear Howard:-
  I got your letter this
morning and  certainly
enjoyed reading it. That's
the kind of letter I'd
like to get every day.
Don't you s'pose I could
get somebody else to write
to me too so it wouldn't
be so hard much for you. I
don't know whether I'll

be able to write a very long
letter or not tonite as I want
to fix Johns box up yet so
I can send it tomorrow gee,
Xmas is coming in a hurry.
And I haven't got anything for
you yet. How would a quart of
good whiskey do? Alright? Or Clara
says they have some little
dolls down in the store that
stick their tongue out when
you push their stomach
that would be nice for kids
wouldn't it?
  Say Howard, by the looks of
the weather and the roads
here I don't s'pose you could come
Sat. so I guess I'll go home.
Pa was in the store yesterday

and he asked Clara
if I could come and she
said I could go and stay
for Sunday right away. I
wonder if they plowed the
roads yet. Pa said that
around the town hall corner
it was all drifted.
I'm going home Xmas nite
and stay over Sunday so
you be sure to be there
then. I don't s'pose you can

come over during the week
if the roads are so bad.
I tho't maybe you could
come and help me iron
again.
  How are you? You didn't
catch cold going home did
you? gee, I was surprised
at the change in the weather
Monday. I'm all O.K. except
that I was so mad at the
kids tonite that I got a

headache. Say you said I could
boss you if I didn't make you
wipe the dishes. Well, how would
it be if you would wash them?
And then if you always let me
sleep till noon when I'm tired you'll
be a real good scout. I'm beginning
to think you'd be a nice old man ( I mean husband)
 Say I'll have to quit now as
it's 8.30 already
                       Goodnite & Love from
                                                 M.K.

Well it was not a short letter. She didn't really said much, but she wrote almost five pages.
I wonder if they were able to get together for Xmas.
the weather sounds like it was on the snowy side. More then we have right now.
I tried to find an example of the kind of doll she mentioned but I could not find one on the internet. I'm sure Grandpa would have chosen the whiskey over a doll.

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

This was taken from the Empire State Building on I think someones class trip. In the 1950's.

Lois Marie was Grandpa's niece. These are her children.

This looks like the Johnson boys cutting firewood. But I could be wrong.

Well that's all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will come back soon for so more faded history.
Till Next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Lillian L. Dec. 12 1926 Chicago, Ill.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good week. Mine was fairly uneventful. I can't the say it was for other places in the country. I wonder how all of these massive killing events will be seen in history. The only wish I have is for this kind of events will very soon stop. But I know it won't. There is to much unhappiness out there and to many negative influences to stop.
Enough of that. Here is the next letter from Lillian.

  For those that find it hard to read, here is what I think it says.

        Chicago. Illinois
           Dec. 1926
Dear Howard:-
  Your letter of some
time ago will place
a few lines, to let
you know am still
alive. I dreamt of
Rasi one night, Is
he sick or some-
thing? I didn't even
hear of your fathers
death at all untill
you write. Well,
Howard I hope you
are Healthy & enjoy
it just the same
My Uncle died few
weeks ago. Mr. Yakkala.
He was sick many
years already. he
was in bed for a
week this time when

he died.
 I been feeling
pretty good. I had
a cold & sore throat
for 2 weeks. But
that's nothing as long
as I can stay up &
work at same.
I'm still working
in a restaurant. I
get $18.00 a wk with
board. it's pretty fair
I can live on it
any how.
  How is the weather
there? I bet there
is a lot snow.
only sometime
But it sure is
cold sometime
In Wisconsin
Michigan there is
always a lot of snow.

Have you seen Elmer
Venett lately. His married
now too. You knew
Uinnifined Uluf an, did-
n't you? When is
your turn coming
I guess I will soon
If everything goes
OK. If not break
off any sooner.
I don't care much
of getting married
anyhow yet. I'm
young yet but. I s'pose
everyone gets just
the same. I s'pose
next summer I
will be in Wisconsin
for a while. If not
for Xmas. I'd like
to go at Xmas, but
it is hard to get off.

Well, Howard I hope
you enjoy Xmas
I have to go down
the Laap be/4 I go
work. so Please
excuse.
Give regards to
all. With Friendly
             Love
    Your friend
        Lillian
 444 N. State St
        Chicago, Ill.
   c/o Glabas

I apologize for any miss interpretations I may have made. A few words I think might have been Swedish. Like 'Uinnifined Uduf' . I think if it is Swedish might translate to 'undefined Olof'. But I'm not sure that is what she meant. 'Olof' I think was a term referring to a man. I could be wrong.
She is still working in a restaurant and getting $18.00 a week plus room and board. i wonder what that would translate into pay today.
I think that life back then was so much simpler then it is today.
I think she must have moved since her last letter. The address is different for the last letter.
I wonder if she ever got married.


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

I think the second one from the right might be Grandpa.

No idea who they are or when it was taken.

No idea who this is. It was taken in March 1926.I think it says 'Home Mountain Mich.

Well that's all I have for you this time.
I hope you will come back again soon for some more faded history.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

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

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. It did not look much like winter around here. But that will be changing for a couple of days. Other wise the weekend was very quiet for me. I stayed home the whole weekend. With the exception of getting a few things Sunday for the week. My life is on the boring side, sorry.
Anyway here is the next letter from Mary:

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

                Rib Lake, Wis.
                Dec. 9, 1926
Dear Howard:-
  I s'pose you cussed
at me today because you
didn't get a letter but I
forgot all about writing last
nite. Clara had a couple of
old hens here and they talked
so much so you see it's not
my fault.
  Gee, you should hear
the baby now. There's nothing

sweet about her. She's crying so
loud I bet they hear her at Wurtgen's.
I'd raise my children so they'd never
cry. Wouldn't you? But they wouldn't
dare take after me.
  There is band practice tonite
and it sounds good. The baby quit
crying now else I couldn't hear it.
Well, I did all my ironing Tuesday
evening and yesterday afternoon I
was up at Kelnhofer's and got a
fruit cake for John and I took
my tickets to the bank. I had 49.
The barrel they have there is full
so they are using a box. So that
means a pretty slim chance for me.
Tonite I want to make 2 dresses
for the baby for Xmas. Mrs. B's
gone so I've got a good chance.
I can't think of anything else
to write so goodnight Mary. K
P.S. You got quite a compliment from Mrs.
                                                           Bushau

I wonder what the tickets were for? I suppose it was for some kind of a raffle. I wonder who was the lucky person who won and if she will mention it again?
I wonder if she was able to finish both of the dresses she planned to make for the baby?
So many wonders with no chance of ever being answered.

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

I thought I would show you a couple pictures of babies since she talked about the baby. I have no idea who they are.

A senior picture of Deanna '56. it was taken at the Drake Studio, in Medford, Wis.

I decided to share another clipping from the scrap book.

WPA Strikers Picket Governor's office.

Bearing signs deriding Gov. Philip La Follette because he gave them no satisfaction in confer-
ence, striking WPA (works progress administration) workers are picketing the executive offices
in the state capital at Madison. here are four strikers as they paraded in front of the en-
trance to the governor's suite.

I wonder how long they picketed?
Oh well, that''s all I have to share with you today.
I hope you come back again soon for more faded history.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Dec. 6, 1926 Rib Lake, Wis.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good Thanksgiving Day. Mine was good. But I chose to work on Friday. I'm not a fan of manic shopping. When I shop I like to have elbow room and time to look at what I want without pressure to hurry up and go and then wait in a line that runs halfway around the store just to check out. But that's me.
Anyway here is the next letter from Mary:

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

                Monday 3.30
Dear Howard:-
  I've just got about 2 1/2
minutes time to write
so this won't be a long letter.
I've been working like heck
and I'm not thru yet.
I just t'hot I'd write
so you don't think I died
and send me flowers.
I got all your letters and
certainly was surprised to
get 3 at once. The butcher
was just in the store

and he laughed and said that
you must be lovesick. Pete
said maybe your other girl
quit you so you had lots
of time to write.
In the evening I was buying
some toys and the butcher
asked me if I would give some
to the fellow I got all the
letters from. I told him I
t'hot you deserved some.
  That fellow from Milwaukee
is here for hunting but didn't
get anything yet. Not even a
rabbit.
  Well so long and lots of
love from ?
P.S. I'll try and write a longer
letter tomorrow nite.

Every time she mentions how often or how many letters she received from Grandpa I wish I could see some of those letters. But I know that the chance of that happening is slim to none. I hope that maybe someday I can find Mary's family and find out if any of his letters ever survived. I would give them all of her letters so they could see what she was like when she was young.

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

These two pictures were put on postcards. I think if I remember right, these are pictures of deer that were killed by maybe coyotes or something like that.

 This is Ruth Johnson. No idea what year it was taken, it was a pictures glued onto a cardboard type frame.

Well that's all I have for you today. I hope you enjoy your weekend.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

P.S. Before I go I'll show you a picture of the deer my husband got on opening day hunting season.

Mary Kauer: Dec. 1, 1926 Rib Lake, Wis.

Dear Friends,
How was your weekend? Mine was good. The husband got a deer on Saturday Morning. An eight pointer. So We will have more meat for the freezer. Maybe before I sign off I will include a picture of him with his prize.
Anyway here is the next letter from Mary.

For those that find it hard to read, here is what is says:

               Rib Lake Wis
               Dec. 1, 1926
Dear Howard:-
   Don't you think I
ought to get a prize for writ-
ing so many letters in one
week? Just think this is the
2nd one already. I'll get to
be a real handyman with
the pen by Xmas.
  You asked me if I wanted
to go to your program. You
bet I do so I s'pose I'll have
to pray for good roads till
then.

Maybe you'll have a new
girl by that time since 4 of
them came to see you in one
day.
 Mrs. Unger, she lives near the high school,
                  was just up here
to get a feather bed that Clara
gave her. She said she wanted
to make some cushions. That
made me wish that ma would
give me a feather bed so i could
make some pillows cause you
said you use about half a
dozen.
How can you tell time

on your watch if you pasted
my picture inside of it? Gee, it
must be awful to have to
look at that so often.
 If you see Anna Ronila
some time ask her how she
likes being married, will you?
But don't tell her I said so.
Then maybe she'll tell you
such a long sad story about
it that you'll be a bachelor
the rest of your days. Is her
husband here too or is

he just coming for Xmas/
I can't think of any more news
or questions to ask so
   goodbye honey and don't
work too hard. X from M.K.
P.S. Can't you get Thomas to
baby you a little?
If it gets too lonesome
Sunday I'll start to argue
with Pete. How's that?

I wonder if Mary got a feather bed so she could use the feathers to make pillows for Grandpa?
The kind of watch Grandpa had was a pocket watch. I s'pose he put her picture on the opposite side of the watch.

Grandpa had this kind of watch for many years. I can't remember if anyone in the family still has the watch of not.

Not to much in this letter to comment on.

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

Not sure who this is. There is a date on the back of July 4, 1938.

This is Kelvin Metzer. Without his cowboy hat. I was told he often wears a cowboy hat.

Not real sure who is in this picture. The one closest almost looks like it could be George.

Well that's all have to share with you today. I hope you have a good Thanksgiving. Try not to over eat or over shop afterwards.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Nov. 30, 1926 Rib Lake, Wis.

Dear Friends,
The work week is finally over, for most. Including me! I will have a nice long weekend. It's opening gun, deer season around here. It won't be an ideal hunting time because there is not a chance of much snow on the ground. But a good hunter will have a little luck but not as much as usual.
Enough of that, here is the next letter from Mary:

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

            Rib Lake, Wis
            Nov. 30, 1926
Dear Howard:-
  I got your letter
yesterday noon and it
certainly was a surprise.
Mrs. B. laughed about it.
She said I saw you Sunday
all day and then I got a
letter Monday morning.
I told her that you had
something important to
tell me, that's why you

wrote.
How do like this
rain? Now you can put
skates on your car. It's
fun to watch people
walk on the sidewalk. They
all walk as tho they are
pigeon toed because it's so
icy.
How are you, did you catch
cold? You said your feet were
so cold. So were mine but
they got warmed up by morn-
ing. And I dreamed about
you all nite or I mean for 3
hours not all nite. I'll tell

you what some other time.
I can't think of any more
news just now so I'll say
goodbye as I have to
do the ironing this after-
noon.
    Love from me
P.S. There was a funeral
here yesterday afternoon.
It was for Albert Ziemker's
sister-in-law. She died early
Sat. morning.

Just think if I ever got a hold of the letters he wrote her. I would be doing this blog for a lot longer then I could ever think of. They wrote to each other a lot. Sometimes it sounds like he wrote her a couple of times a day.
I wonder what kind of dreams she had about him.
I wonder what they were doing that they had cold feet that took a long time to warm up.
I sounds like the weather was almost similar to the kind of weather we are having here right now. Was it global warming back then? Or is it a cycle that the earth has every 90 or so years?
I wonder what happened to the sister-in-law of Albert Ziemker's died of? How old was she?
Questions that will never be answered.

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

Just a winter picture. No idea when it was taken.

No clue who this is or when it was taken.

Just one of the pictures from someones class trip to Washington.

Well that's all I have to share with you today.
I hope you have a good weekend.
And if you are a hunter, I hope you have a successful hunt.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Nov. 11, 1926 Rib Lake, Wis.

Dear Friends,
How was your weekend? Mine was okay. I did have to work Saturday. Sunday was a nice day. It's hard to believe it's Nov. There should be maybe snow on the ground. Instead it's been raining here. I still think the weather is a month behind it's self. What do you think?
Anyway here is the next letter from Mary.

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

              Rib Lake
             Nov. 11, 1926
Dear Howard:-
  I got both of your
letters this forenoon and
was awfully glad to hear
from you. Gee I sure was
busy this week. One day
I worked till 8.30. They are
having a sale here and
they are all so busy. Mrs.
B. just was up here and

she said there were a
bunch of Finn's down in
the store.
Mary S. is here now
She is just playing with
the baby. My writing
looks awful but you'll
have to excuse it. I'm
s'pose to take the baby
out for a ride so I wanted
to mail this.

Did you get your car fixed
already? I didn't see dad
yet but I guess he was
to town one day.
Say who is it that is
staying at Horrens?
I didn't see anyone, I
wasn't out at all yet.
Well so long with
love x x from Mary.
The baby won't be quiet anymore.

Not a whole lot here. She has been working a lot and taking care of a baby. I wonder who the Finn's were.
I don't know if I spelled the place right that she mentioned someone was staying.
Once again she mentioned that Grandpa wrote two letter to her that she got at the same time. Boy, it sounds like he wrote a lot.

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

No clue who is in the picture or when it was taken. On the back is written "Make 6 prints".

No idea who these little girls are or when it was taken.

This is Ron Westberg. I think he graduated in 1960.

Well that's all I have to share with you today.
Stay warm, and dry.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

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

Dear Friends,
It's once again the end of the week. My week was uneventful. The weekend will once again be shorter for me. I have to work on Saturday, yuck. But I will get through it, like I always do.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary:

As always, for those who find it hard to read. Here is what it says:

           Rib Lake Wis
          Nov. 4, 1926
Dear Howard:-
  How did you get home?
I hope alright. And how
are you? I was pretty
tired this morning but
don't feel so bad now.
I want to sew an apron
tonite yet, I hope I don't
fall asleep over it. Did
you have to work very
hard today? I darned some

stockings this afternoon and
fell asleep on the job. I guess
I slept about a half an hour
with my head on the table.
It's easier sleeping with my
head on your shoulder but
I was so tired I couldn't wait
till Sunday.
  Have you seen Anna R.
yet? What has she to say
for herself. I hope she got
over her spell.
Did you tell Helen that we
were coming over Sunday? Or
did she say we should stay
at home.
 How's the honey? Is it as
sweet as the other was or
is it sour this time? Then it
would be like me.
Say, I don't know any news
today, I didn't see anyone and

Mary Schneider wasn't up
here so I guess I'll
quit and say good bye
till Sunday.
   Love from me
              guess who.
P.S. Say if you ever
want me to write a
real love letter you'll
have to hipnotize me
and then make me
write it

It sounds like she was doing a lot of sewing. She must have enjoyed using Grandpa as a pillow when ever she could. I wonder what Anna R. was up to. Was she up to no good or was she not feeling well? I think I would go with up to no good about something. What do you think?
I wonder if Grandpa was trying to get her to write a more affectionate letter or she thought she should but couldn't. I understand where she is coming from. I'm not comfortable at writing about my own feelings. She did spell  "hypnotize" wrong..
  I wonder if maybe Grandpa collected honey or maybe just found some. If he had hives, that would be another thing I never knew he did.
Reading all these letters do show me that there was more to Grandpa then what I knew about him growing up.

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

I'm not sure who these people are. But it looks like it's from the 20's.

I think this is an old school picture. Maybe taken at the Sunnyside school.

This is Dennis Anderson. I wonder how old he was in this picture.

Well that's all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will come back again for some more faded history.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy