Elma and Al

Lots of good history in this one.

Grandma! You knew we were going to read these because you saved them! Anyway, clearly, they couldn’t wait to be together. They were not spring chickens either. Remember that she was 24 and he was 30. I wanted to give some reference to the phrase that she mentions “I’ll do the cooking honey, and you can chop the wood”. The phrase was from a song written and sung by Bill Bailey in 1902. Later this song would be recorded by Patsy Cline in 1953.

She also mentions the death of a priest, Reverend Frances Luebberman. It took me a while to find any information because she spelled his name wrong. He died on March 6, 1931.

Grandpa was such a descriptive writer. See for yourself below.

Elma is distraught in this letter, because she hadn’t gotten a letter from Al in a day or two. : ) She talks about how glad she is that Al has a job, because many people are starting to struggle. Those are my words, but my interpretation is that the depression was just starting.

The interesting part about this letter was the last part when she mentioned Victoria Marx. Victoria Marx married Walter Sitzman. She mentioned that they were having difficulties, so I’m wondering if Walter lost his job in Chicago. They moved back home and more than likely were being supported by her family of Marx barbecue fame. The interesting part is that her sister married my grandmother’s older brother – my grandma had two brothers and Ed was the older one. Ed married Tillie, short for Othilda, who was Victoria’s sister. Ed died fairly young – he had schizophrenia and was in the state hospital. I don’t need to say anymore about that. Tillie went on to marry Carl Rodenburg in 1947.

I decided to post another letter from Al, because in the next letter Elma is distraught that he did not write. But here he is on March 10…

They sure are missing each other. I had to crack up when I saw the big X on the center of the actual letter. The use of the X to represent the X cracks me up. Funny though, I do not ever remember seeing them kiss in public. Or even in their own house. I knew them for probably 30 years, more like 25 because my grandfather died in 1991 and I was 25, and I never saw them kiss.

On another note, there seems to be a competition between Marie and Oscar andc Elma and Al. And remember that Marie was my grandma’s little sister and Oscar would be her husband. Oscr Nunning. They would both die well before my grandparents and I never knew them. We never spent time with them. I find that interesting.