669 1/28/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Sunday, January 28, 1951

Sadie Erwin 1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, It is seven o’clock and 18 below already. We had a high today of 14 below. By morning it is supposed to be 25 or 30 below so I’m not going to send the kids to school since they have to walk down to the highway now to catch the school bus. I just wrote to Stella the other day so probably won’t get another letter written right away so will you tell her Dick Gerber committed suicide right after Christmas. He was having trouble with his wife so when she was gone one day with their two children, he shot himself. He left her with a 40,000 dollar home, however, and plenty of money. Mother, that will be quite an experience to serve on the jury. I hope you get on an interesting case. Elmer got a form to fill out the other day to be put on file for jury duty. My finger that was smashed is much better. I just keep a band aid around it now and it is still sore but it really doesn’t bother me any more. Thanks for the birthday card. It came right on the 24th. That same day a woman from the Home Service Dept. from the gas company came out to test my oven by baking a cake. She brought all the ingredients and pans and everything right down to the hot pad holders. Ordinarily they don’t frost the cake but since it was my birthday she made a wonderful frosting. The cake was just beautiful. After it was all finished I made coffee. Grandma Carlson stopped over so the three of us had cake and coffee. The second National Geographic came Saturday. Have you started getting the Post, Pop. I wonder when and why I stopped sending you the subscription. The radio just announced it is now 20 below. I will be so glad when spring comes. On account of Davy I’ve hardly been out of the house. By the time spring comes he will be able to sit up so I can put him in a car seat and just go. We haven’t even been able to have company because Davy has been staying awake all evening but he is doing better now so this coming Friday night I have invited Recrofts over for bridge and Saturday night the Martins, Corls, and Fernstroms are coming over. Davy weighs 12 lbs now and is getting nice and fat. His head got awfully lopsided because he slept on his back and always kept his head down on the same side. Now we put him on his stomach and he turns his head on the other side so I think that will fix things up. That picture of the kids is so bum I’m not even going to get frames. Elmer doesn’t think I should even send you yours, but I will since I have it but don’t keep it out in plain sight because the kids really look much better than they do on that picture. Well Folks I will stop for now and will write again soon. Love, Helen Morning 26 below.