686 5/15/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota Tuesday, May 15, 1951

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, What a day this was. The first thing this morning I called a real estate woman and she came out to appraise the house. She thought we could get around 14 thousand for it. I told her everything was indefinite right at this time but anyway now we know a little more about what we can expect for the house. Then, at one o’clock, I had to be up at school as Jimmy was in a play. Stella and Sandy went with me. We saw the play and then the mothers and children were served ice cream and cookies. We came home from school and I went right down to the hospital expecting to see Davy feeling just fine but instead he was lying absolutely motionless and looked just terrible. The nurses told me he was weak and failing. Elmer met me up there after work and we stayed around awhile and then came on home. We had dinner and did the dishes and Stella and I decided we would go down to the hospital. First, before that, when Elmer and I were coming home our car started burning and Elmer stopped and opened up the hood and there was some short in the motor and it was smoking like the dickens. He disconnected the short which was from the battery and we drove on home. Then, after dinner and everything, in which Stella called Harold, we decided to go down to the reading room at sixth church on 18th and Hennepin. We took Sandy along (the car was o.k. to drive because Elmer fixed it). We left the house in an awful summer storm and it was really pouring and still is and thundering and lightening. I got up to along Lake Calhoun and the car started racing like the dickens and then stopped. I got someone to push me out of the way of traffic and parked and we sat and sat and I kept trying the car at intervals but finally wore down the battery. Then Stella and Sandy and I got out and walked up to Hennepin and Lagoon, which is about five blocks from where we left the car. We went in the hamburger shop which is there and called Elmer. He got his dad’s car and came up and got us and then we went back to our car and Elmer found that some gas line had come disconnected. He fixed it but the battery was dead so the car wouldn’t start and the bumpers on his dad’s car wouldn’t fit our bumper so we left the car up there. Tomorrow I will get Nellie to take me up and get the car home. Anyway, we are back here now, still soaking wet but I decided to write to you before doing anything else. At this time Sandy plans to leave for Enumclaw Thursday with Adeline and her boy. She will get there Saturday. Stella isn’t sure now if she will be getting her car as planned as the first garage man who called her is out of town until Friday and the garage man she talked to today told her there wasn’t any car there for her so we have to wait until Friday until she can talk to the first man. I can’t make any plans at all until we know about Davy. This evening Stella and I thought we would both take Science and Healths and go to the hospital and read for Davy. The hospital just called and told us to come down so Elmer will get his dad’s car and drive Stella and me down and we will stay there all night and read for him as planned. Will add on to this when I get to the hospital. Midnight – Stella and I are here with Davy. We brought the S and H along and are reading and knowing the truth. We plan to spend the night here if necessary. More later. Love, Helen