Mary Kauer: Feb. 16, 1927 Rib Lake,Wis.

Dear Friends,
How was your week? Mine was good. Colder then I like but it was good. I am looking forward to the weekend. It has finally slowed down at work where we are working normal hours and no over time. So it will be a nice two day weekend for me.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary.

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

                    Rib Lake
                    Tuesday eve.
Dear Howard:-
  I won't write a
long letter tonight
as I want to finish
a dress yet that I have
started.
  Thanks for the
Valentines and the letter.
And I'm pretty tired tonite
as I walked town yesterday Monday
morning and then in the

afternoon the depot agent called
up and said there was a telegram
for us that Mrs. Denis in Canada, that's Franks
mother, had died. So I walked
home again in the afternoon be-
cause I thot if ma wanted to
go to her funeral she would
have had to go last nite. But
ma didn't go, she says she would
not get there till Friday evening
and that would be too late.
it's too bad that ma didn't
go to Canada last summer, it's
ten years ago that she saw
her sister last. it isn't good
to for relatives to live so
far apart, is it?
  Well I think I'll close
now with love from M.K.
                              over

Clara is sick today
too so I've got to be
the kids stepmother.
I guess she has just
got a bad cold and
headache I hope she
doesn't get scarlet fever
or something like that.
Just imagine being
quarantined for almost
two months.

Not a real long letter. He sent her a Valentine. Maybe it was something like this one:

 Just one of many old cards I have that could be from that time.

I wonder what the dress looked like when she was done. It looks like she enjoyed sewing. It's something you don't hear a lot people doing very often. I'm not a sewer either. I wish I could be more motivated to do it.
It was sad to hear that someone died. Frank's mother. I wonder how old she was. I wonder if Mary's mother was originally from Canada.
I hope that all Clara had was a bad cold. Back then scarlet fever was something that could happen easily. It must have been hard to be quarantined for two months. That would be very hard for me to do. To be confined inside so long.

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

There is a possibility that this is Grandpa. But I'm not 100% certain.

Not sure who they are. The picture is, as you can see, not in the best of shape. I did the best I could to make it so the people could be seen a little better. There are four people.

This is Judy Anderson. Could be someones classmate.

As a bonus here is a picture from the scrap book.

This cat and linnet, pets of two murders serving life terms at California's Folsom prison, have
formed a friendship and are shown as they were photographed by the owner of the cat, a Japa-
nese who was convicted of a brutal murder. The whisker pulling is the bird's way of awakening its
pal.

Well that's all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will come back again for some more faded history.
Stay warm this weekend.
Your friend,
Sandy

Anna Rainila: July 9, 1925 Eagle River, Wis.

Hello Friends,
I hope your week was good. I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to the weekend.
It is Valentines Day on Saturday. Plus if you have not seen The Medford Area Community Theater production of "The 25th Annual Putam County Spelling bee", it would make a great date night. That is if you find yourself in the area.
Anyway here is the next letter from Anna.

As always here is what it says. ( I may get a few words wrong)

                   July 9, 1925
Hello Howard:
    I received your welcome
letter some time ago, but
sure don't seem to get time
to write to hardly anybody
which I am very sorry of.
But you can imagine a
dozen girls in one cottage
the noise they make
you hardly get a chance
to breath. "haha"
  I am sending you
some views of the place.
it sure is lovely. I
think so anyway.
The main Lodge includes
the office, parlor & dining
room.
  We have very swell
guests here, Mayor & his Body
guard from Chi. Head man
of theaters"       " Head Banker Chi.

they all are good tippers
I have made over $12.00
in tips in two wks.
  Talk about we have
had lately we go boat
riding almost every nite.
We go to the other Resort
across the lake to the
Everetts "Casino" that a
dance pavilion & joy & joy
we have fun. Nothing
but.
  kids are so busy
talking I can't hear
myself think so
Will quite & write
more next time.
         Your Friend
            Anna
P.S. I had the Punkest
        Fourth in my life.
worked all day. (haha).

It sounds like it was a very busy time at The Hemlock.
I found the mayor of Chicago for 1925 and here is a summery of what I found.

William Emmett Dever

He was mayor from 1923-1927.
He was a democrat.
While in office he did many improvements to the city's infrastructure.
  Completion of Wicker Drive
  Extension of Ogden Ave.
  Straightening of the Chicago River
  Building the city's first airport, Municipal Airport
He fought against corrupting influence of bootlegging & gangsters.
Despite considering himself "Wet" he enforced prohibition because it was the law of the land.
Media labeled his war on bootleggers as the "Great Beer War" and it resulted in a decline of crime.
He noted that although prohibition was a "tremendous mistake" he had no choice but to enforce it.
He was nicknamed "Decent Dever" by the press.
After his time as mayor he was a vice president of the Bank of America until his death on Sept. 13, 1929 at the age of 67 of cancer.

I tried to find the other two people she mentioned but I could not.

Now that I gave you a little history lesson here are a few random pictures for you to look at.

This Julia, Freda, Lille Weberg and Grandpa.

 This is Lily Johnson.

This is Ester Waleen.

At least that is what it says on the backs of each of the pictures.

Since tomorrow is Valentines Day here is a little Valentine form me to you.

Well that's all I have for you today.
I hope you have a great weekend. And if you happen to find yourself in the area it's not to late to catch a play. Which last night was a great hit.
So till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Jan. 30, 1925 Rib Lake, Wis.

Dear Friends,
I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to the weekend. It's suppose to be around 30 degrees. A heat wave! Yeah!!!
Anyway here is the next letter from Mary.

As always here is what it says:

       Rib Lake Wis
       Jan. 30, 1925
Dear Howard:-
  Well I supose you
think I forgot all about
you this time.
   How are your tonsils
now. Do they still bother
you? I'm getting on the
same as always. I was
at home last Sunday and
walked back. I had a
heck of a time for myself

but I guess my mother was
scared I'd freeze or someone
would kidnap me. She doesn't
need to worry, there's no
such luck.
  Rosie is still at home,
playing hired man. The
boys were all home from
camp last Sunday and they
look like a bunch of tramps.
They are all letting their
beards grow.
 Sunday there is a party at
Fuch's, its one of the boys

birthday.
 I was at a party two weeks
ago Saturday eve. here in town
and Sunday I went to show
but it wasn't with my cousin
or Charly. gee, I thot I was
smart.
  I read two of the books
already and I like them of
course. Only trouble is that
the girls are always so
awfully beautiful. But they
are the kind of stories

that I like.
  I'll have to close now
as it is near to supper
time. First thing I know
Hilda will be sore.
    good luck from Mary

P.S. Thanks for the Valentine
but its not so. I mean your
being bashful.

Not much to comment on here. Grandpa must have been having trouble with his tonsils at the time.
I wonder what the name of the books were that she was reading?
She mentioned the boys being back from a camp. It was a logging camp she was talking about, I suppose.
Here are a couple of pictures of logging. One is of a camp by Ogema. N. Nelson must have had the camp because that is what it says at the bottom of the picture.

I did my best to improve it. There are two of these pictures. This is the brighter of the two.

The one in the middle is Grandpa. Don't know who the other two are. Notice the beard on the one.

Here is just a random picture of  I think three of Grandpa and Grandma's boys with their chickens.

Since she mentioned a valentines card he must have sent her early, I decided to show you one of the old ones from around that time.

I know it's a little early but it looks like one a country boy would give to a girl he liked.

Well, that's about it for now. I hope you have a good weekend.
So till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Laura Spieles: Feb. 24, 1924 Westboro, Wis

Dear Friends,
   How are you? Did you have a good weekend? Mine was drama free.
Here is the next letter from Laura.

As always here is what it says:

            Westboro Wis.,
             Feb 24, 1924
Dear Howard:
         I think I
will answer you letter
this afternoon. Saturday
afternoons are always
so long that I don't
know how to pass
away the time.
  I was to the basket
ball game last night.
There surely was a
big crowd there.
were you there? I
don't think I saw you
or probably I didn't
know you.
  I think I know who
wrote that letter

and signed my name
to it. I will tell you
who it is when I
see you. I didn't send
you the valentine and
I think the same person
sent the valentines that
wrote the letter. Save
the letter because I
would like to read
it.
  I am glad you like
bobbed hair then
probably you will
like me.
  I would send you
a picture if I had
one. I haven't had my
picture taken since I
was a little girl.

Will you send me
a picture of yourself
if you have one. I
will close for this
time.       Yours truly
            Laura Spieles

It looks like the mystery continues over who wrote the first letter. As for the valentine she is talking about, this might be the one she is talking about.

   I wonder if we will ever learn who the mystery writer is.
The reason I know that this is the valentine she is talking about is that this come in an envelope with the post mark of Feb. 13, 1924 Westboro, WI.
Sometimes reading these letters it's almost sounding like somebody from a time that is not so long ago. Talking about going to a basketball game, the team might have looked something like this.


Oh well here are a few random pictures.

I'm not sure who she is but she was asking how her bobbed hair looks.

Another unknown person with bobbed hair.

This is a picture of my older sister and it's her birthday today. Happy Birthday Sis!!!

Well that's all I have for you this time.
So till next time.
Yours truly,
Sandy