Bristow, Iowa
Jan. 10, 1920
Dear brother + sister: -
Worum scrieve ye leu nete een maul? Ick heb al so fauck oot kecken for een breaf. Smoens beet coupka ta denk ick al un jow. Ven ick mean houl breaf so scrieven vill, denn heb ick vol dre dage vack, ien dat nimmt jou amen een vak dat je um lesen donut, ne? I suppose you are pretty well settled by this time, what? These short days a fella can’t do much tho or don’t you have many chores yet. How many animals have you in all? Chickens, pigs, cows, calves, mules, horses, etc. Have you got any fuel there or do you have to buy all coal? How do you like it, anyway? Do you know any of your neighbors already? Have you been to church there already and didn’t it seem strange? Has the minister been there to see you already? Do you have plenty to eat? Do you sleep well? Did you go to town already to do some shopping? Have you got any eggs? Are you homesick already? Do you get the Abington News? I suppose than you read that Ray Hahn and Leola Hutchinson were married and also the marriage license of John Isder and Katie Keilman. They were married Tuesday evening and we had a big and who could refuse to go then so close by. There were 49 there in all and I guess we can all say we enjoyed a pleasant evening. The older folks sat in the parlor and the rest played games in that big sitting room. Otto Folkerts were all there too. Geo. Dickman and mother also. Geo. goes with Tillie Kielman now. Katie had a blue silk dress. Quite plain but looked good too. Folkert and Dena were married Christmas Day. They were married a week after you and Geo + Tillie a week after we were. John + Katie were married on Keilman’s wedding day. We had no big to Folkert + Dena’s wedding. We have Katie a white table cloth for wedding. Maybe you have rec’d the package and if not I guess it will get there. You’ll find em of all shapes + complexions. I promised to make some for your wedding but I forgot or else I would have send them by parcel post so I thot I’d send some now. Altho Rev. Schacker can’t help eat them, Uffe can anyhow. (Rec. wasn’t at the wedding anyway). Now don’t go to any fuss about Thanking me for them and don’t be too silnmack mit eour mann nemmt ock mann een but couka ta snamiddags. Those little ones are so since for little kids when they come. Kids here like them very much and our little girl does too. She knows where to find them in the pantry. I don’t suppose your little girl cares for them yet and if you save them for her they will become stale. More tomorrow. Hub’s going to bed and I’m going with him for once. I usually crochet an hour or so after he goes to bed.
Sun. afternoon. Here I am again. Went to Church this forenoon and got there on time too. We sometimes get there 20 min. Late Had a nice crowd and Swyter + Lena were also here. They came yesterday. Went to church with the car Sunday. Seemed real nice too.
Yesterday we got a big parcel post package from Arius’s pa. It contained our new abus kalander, a bag of animal cookies, a doll for baby like Katrina (the one pa gave her) and and an assortment of books and pamphlets for Arius to read.
You can’t imagine how baby loves dolls. I never saw the like. And how she likes babies. Whenever she hears the dog bark she hollers “beebe, beebe”. She thinks we are getting company, and that a baby is coming. At the wedding the other day right in the middle of the ceremony she heard a dog bark and hollered “beebe” with all her might. Arius had to plug her mouth to keep her still. I guess we’ll have to see that we get a baby so she has a companion. Ha! Ha! She has a word for most everything now but it’s a job to understand her. I’m trying to break her of the habit of sucking her hand and believe me it’s worse than weaning her. I sew mitts on her nightgowns. Now she starts sucking the other hand. Have to sew mitts on the other hand too I guess.
I suppose you get your mail at Stout. You don’t write and let let me know so I’ll risk sending it to Stout. If you don’t get this letter or the package let me know. Ha! Ha!
Have you got your piano there already?
We sold our fat hogs the last Sat. in the old yr. And took them to Ardale. We had 30 in all. Got a check of $1252+ for them. Nice sum, what? Bess got $1019 poultry money last year. I’m almost ashamed to mention mine $450.
Geo. + Tillie had there baby baptized last Sunday. They named her Deona Thelma. Some name. They thot Dena was so plain so they made it Deona. Made that name up themselves. Goe. is just as good a friend again as always. One night we all went to Geo. + Tillie in honor of Folkert + Dena’s wedding. Louie + Mamie, Katie + John, we and Folkert+ Dena were there. They were making their home with Geo. + Tillie this winter. The next week we all went to Louie + Mamie to now they are all coming here some evening.
We butchered a hog day before Christmas. It broke its leg so we had to butcher it. Its resting peacefully in the parlour yet but this week we have to make the worst of it, ha! Ha! We ordered a quarter beef from Sniffen but it isn’t here yet. We intended to go at it last week but our beef don’t seem to come. I have to wash this week too so it means a busy week. Haven’t done any sewing yet this winter, and I have so much to sew yet before spring. Have started crocheting for my curtains. Have about 1 ½ yds done. Takes almost 10 yds. Did 1 ½ yds in a week. Made some wide lace for a pillow case on baby’s bed. She is sleeping on it now.
Got that doily and pincushion ready for the auction sale and also a box of fudge, I think that came to $1.30. We didn’t go to the sale. It was so awful cold + we were butchering then too. We butchered one hog right after I got home, you know.
My chrysanthemum (can’t spell it) is so done blooming. Have a few in water yet. My geraniums are blooming just lovely and also the primrose and dark red carnation, that colored carnation ahs 3 buds and they flower similar to the primrose is blooming and texas balsam is blooming and that cactus has a bud too. My flowers are lovely and I think a lot of them. I surely would bawl if they froze one snow.
I’m going to quit or else I’ll think of something else yet and I don’t want to write any more cause I think 12 pages is enuf + I guess it will be a cold day before I get 12 pages from you. Maybe you are busy getting breakfast anyway when you get this and are liable to let your pancakes burn before you get all this trash read.
So Long
Arius and Anna and Meta