Whoops Grandma–it’s 1931.
Evansville, IN
Feb 24, 1931
Dear Al,
Well Al if this is a punk looking letter don’t blame me for if you could see me sitting here, you’d know the reason why. After a real days work and in a chilly house with my big winter coat on. But I made a good beginning by going to church and communion this morning. It was some feast day to gain a big indulgence and don’t think that I forgot you Al. Seen your mother and spoke to her. She, right away, asked if I heard from you. So, Al, I guess I’m not the only that’s always thinking of you. Well on the way home I stopped at Mesers and got the wash for we told him we would do it for a few weeks until they were straightened out. Mom and I did the washing and bottled the P.D.Q. and the rest butchered a pig and made sausage. We bought it from Marx dressed. After I came home this afternoon with Harold I pitched in and done their ironing (It was some washing and ironing no one knew what ,dƒ÷Tena did until now. I finished it all up and mom and dad and Harold and I taking it back tonight. Helfrich’s were there and we stayed until about 9:30 when we got home Oscar and Marie were sitting here with the fire out and it’s not summer time here yet. Marie said she wrote and told you what a good beginning we had yesterday morning. I raised two of the most perfect blisters in my hand pumping up that darn tire that’s how tough I am.
Al I was sure glad to hear you got into something else outside of work and worry. I might but didn’t like how it turned out and if you haven’t got the flu by this time be sure to be careful and don’t get it cause mamma don’t want her sweet daddy to be sick and so far away that she couldn’t even kiss him and make him feel better. Don’t think Al that I wasn’t there cause I didn’t want to be Sat. or any other day. Al you know I’d much rather be with you than any or all the rest in all the world. Really you don’t believe how dead Evansville and all that’s in it seems to me since you left it. I go round like lost almost all the time Al. I am lost without you and your love and sweet kisses that I guess I already never thought enough of before Al for I know now how much I really loved you before. But don’t you think Al if we can stick it out this way until later on we’ll do lots better for you might get to come back home. I don’t do like you said last week unless you can’t stand it anymore for I’d never forgive myself Al.
With all love and many kisses
Elma
My comments:
So it’s been 12 days since Christina Meser died. I know, it seems longer, doesn’t it. The part of this letter that got me was the part were she talks about picking up and doing the Meser’s laundry. She comments that it was actually washing AND ironing, and that no one knows what Tena/Tina did. I struggled with trying to figure out who is Tina/Tena and what was she doing that no one knew about. Then it hit me. Tina was Christina and she was referring to the fact that no one knows what she did as in the washing AND the ironing. She/Christina was probably the glue that held her family together. I wonder what happened after they stopped doing the washing.