Tag Archives: Emma (Knoll) Mace

House Paint (Gladys)

Letter transcription:

Kentland, Ind.
Jan. 13 – 1944

Dear Daddy –

Two letters today, of Dec. 31 & Jan. 1, and Jan. 2. I can’t understand why you got some of the boxes for Christmas but not ours. Of course there wasn’t much in either box but just the idea of sending gifts.

It is clear and cold again today. The temp. was 4° above in Chicago this a.m. However it isn’t that cold here now because the sunshine has warmed things up somewhat. I will be glad for spring so we can get out more. I have been taking David out every day since he recovered from his cold. He gets so restless after his nap if he doesn’t get to go out. We went over to see Jimmy Ed yesterday. He is about over the flu but can’t go out yet. He is over it enough that I wasn’t afraid to take David in. They have such a good time together. It was so much fun for David to play with Jimmy’s things for a change. He seems to tire of his own so quickly and is usually nosing around trying to find something he shouldn’t have.

We had fried chicken for lunch and I gave him a bone to chew on. He seemed to think that was the best thing he had had lately. I got two frys from Zells. They had an order to dress 30 for the NuJoy. However, I dressed the ones I bought.

The Foulkes are away on a trip thru the East. Coke said Harold had to go on business

[page 2] and she was going too. I saw Herman Diedam at their house so I presume he is redecorating while they are away. Our walls could stand a coat or two of paint but I am not planning to do anything to them yet. The paint Sandy used on the outside must not have been the best because it is peeling off in places. I noticed some spots on Funks house that is doing the same. I think Sandy painted for them too. Link had Chet Hall paint his house last summer. There were large spots that the paint had chipped off down to the boards. I watched Chet paint and decided there might be things he could do better because I didn’t think he did a very smooth job. However, with the man power shortage getting more acute all the time, we can’t be too “choosy” about help.

Had a long letter from Marie. Isla has been ill. At first they thought she had T.B. but later decided it was thyroid. She had flu strep and took sulfa and that was wrong for her. Dr. Maurer is treating her now trying to get her over her thyroid trouble without surgery. David still isn’t so good. He and his mother are in Ark. Now and Isla’s husband is running the shop. Marie said they hadn’t heard from you for a long time, but hadn’t written so didn’t expect to hear. When we were there in Oct., I thought David looked bad. He says he feels better now but Marie says she is worried about him.

I am enclosing a clipping from the Democrat of David’s picture. You should have the original picture by now.

Nick & Dorothy went to Chi. Today and Buddy is coming here to stay and spend the night.
Love – Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/10/05/house-paint-gladys/

Raking Leaves (Gladys)

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
11-5-43

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Oct. 24 & 25 came today – a little old after having Oct. 30 but appreciated just the same. It has cleared off & the sun is shining very bright. About time to hang up clothes this a.m. it got cloudy but I hung out clothes just the same so feel now like it was the thing to do. I don’t want to hang things in the basement yet. David is awake now after a short nap so I think I’ll get him ready to go out for some of this fall sunshine. He hasn’t been out yet today and likes to go out so well. – Have been out & gathered in clothes. It is very nippy in spite of the sunshine which doesn’t seem to warm very much. I suppose this sounds funny to you.

[page 2] I didn’t get this finished when I started and since have been to cosmopolitan club to Bergens to get a flower for Mrs. Plummer (the cake I baked was somewhat a flop as far as size was concerned so we ate it and got her a potted plant). I went to Plummers then to town to mail some things – I ordered those cold tablets for Marie & they came today so forwarded them to her. You remember I got some for them last year. Dave said he didn’t want to take them but Marie, Isla & Mrs. Mace take them. – While in town I stopped in the Restaurant. Saw Phyllis eating and asked her where Art was keeping himself. She said in Goodland & Monticello. He told Dorothy he was coming to see me but I haven’t seen him yet. Elsaleah isn’t teaching there this year. I don’t know who Phyllis goes around with now that Art & Elsaleah are gone. I see her a lot in the late afternoons when I happen to be in town.

[page 3] I noticed the latest group to enter the Army from this county includes Lowell Ford. He was the only one I knew out of five.

I slipped upon the town election. Saw in the paper that it was all G.O.P. but the entire vote was only 39 so I wasn’t the only one who didn’t vote. Link Trustee from first ward, Reed for Ward two and Harry White for W. three. Bob H. re-elected as Clerk Treasurer. I think the new Hufty baby will arrive sometime in Jan. I don’t know the Wilsons date but Doris has to wear maternity dresses now. Mrs. Gilmore has been ill and Lucile is home from Fla. She said this is the first time in 3 yrs she has been where it is this cold. However she said it felt good. She gets very tired of the weather down there – said it gets monotonous, warm all the time. Now I can’t imagine getting tired of warm weather – I really mean that, and you would so welcome some good vigorous cold snappy weather.

[page 4] Our boys & Zell’s girls finished raking our leaves this evening & burned them. They are going to rake Zell’s back yard tomorrow & pile the leaves on the garden. There were too many leaves to not rake. It is good to leave some on but not as thick as they were. I left them around the shrubbery in front and back too. We didn’t rake too clean – left some for fertilizer. Not all the trees have lost their leaves so with the winds we have will still have some.

So far the Ind. coal has been burning very well. It makes more clinkers but not bad. I scrubbed the furnace room last nite. Was afraid to sweep because of my irritated throat & sinus. At any rate the room is clean and without raising a dust. Jim cleaned the soot out of the furnace when he was here. I suppose it will need to be cleaned quite often with this new coal. At that I had to pay $7⁰⁰ a ton, so it is not cheap.

Must get this ready to mail.
“Love Mother”

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/05/24/raking-leaves-gladys/