230 4/14/1949 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Thursday, April 14, 1949

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks: I was awfully glad that my call finally got through to you. I placed it early this morning and was glad I did when it took so long. I could hear you perfectly but I wondered if you could hear me so good. Pop, you sounded just like you, but Mother you sounded strange. I wondered if you were feeling well or if you were upset by the earthquake or what. I know it was a terrible thing to go through. You know when Stella had Bernice, I was out there shortly afterwards and I remember how I'd look at Stella and it just seemed so impossible to think that she had experienced childbirth, and I feel the same way about this earthquake. It just seems terrible that you had to go through such a thing. I can't visualize such a thing happening out in Washington. The paper says more quakes are expected to follow this one so of course I am worried and thinking about nothing else. I wonder what is causing all the upsets. Is it the mountains? The paper said that 12 point something or other meant complete demolishing of the area and just think it was 8 points. After I had waited several hours and my call still hadn't gone through I checked with the operator again. She told me she had some other calls going to Enumclaw too. I just wonder who it was. Well my phone rang all day long. Everyone called to see if I had heard anything from you. Was there any damage done to any of your houses or store. Had you talked to Gladys when I called you. I was so sorry I talked only three minutes. I was just sick afterwards that I hadn't gone on for at least five minutes. But at least it was good to hear your voices and know you were o.k. The snow is piled high again. The temperature is supposed to climb up tomorrow though so most of it will surely melt. My boys are still here but Warnie called tonight and said he thought Jan would be back Sunday. Oh, I hope so. Warnie is leaving tonight or tomorrow for Portland to meet her but on account of the Easter rush he doesn't know how long it will take them to get back to Minneapolis since they are riding on passes. Elmer is working again tonight so I finished my ironing. Doris Ducret came over Wednesday and did a lot of the boys mending for me. My Toni seems to have turned out real good. I didn't get to bed until one o'clock last night but I did sit up and read for a while after I had finished up with my hair. I am so anxious to get out there and see you all. I'm already thinking about our clothes and trying to figure out what I can sew for us. I'll need all the time I can get now to do all the sewing I want to before leaving. I still feel so bad, Pop, that the operator cut in when you were telling me about being up at the store when it happened. If I had only taken more time. I bet there was a lot of work to do up at the store. Probably everything fell off from the shelves. Well I had better stop as I would like to get a letter off to Stella. Do you have my telephone number. It is Walnut 1621. I wrote yours down this time. If no one was at the house I was going to have them call the store. I sure hope no more quakes will happen now and I am anxious to get your letter. With Love, Helen