Erwin Letters

6/20/1953 Sadie Erwin to Jeannie Dahlstrom

2010-12-12T15:40:00.001-08:00

Sadie at P.O. Box 44, Enumclaw
Jeannie at 907 29th Ave S., Minneapolis

Dear Jeannie,

Your nice letter came yesterday and I was very happy to hear from you, and to hear you girls are having such a nice time.

I have intended writing you and Ruthie a letter all the week, but each day is so full I have kept putting it off for another day.

We are still having a lot of rain, and it is not hot here. You will be glad to come home and sleep under a blanket at night.

Aunt Ruth, Gary and I went down to Bellevue, Thursday. Aunt Stella gave me a permanent. My hair is real curly now.

Your mother, Daddy and Gail came home that day from their fishing trip up at Neah Bay. We had some of the salmon your mother caught. It was oh so good.

I have another old nickel for you. When you come home will come down to see you. Perhaps we can meet your train. We miss you girls a lot, and the house seems funny with just Gail there.

Grandpa and I plan to go up to the cabin after work tomorrow if the weather is nice. We will be thru work at 5 o’clock. Aunt Helen said they might come up tomorrow too.

Give my best wishes to your Grandma and all the folks there. I’ll write again before you leave.

Much love to you and Ruthie,

Grandma Erwin

12/13/1944 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-12-12T15:24:00.001-08:00

Jim in India
Gladys at 9007 S. Elizabeth, Chicago

Dear Gladys,

Just returned from a twenty-one day furlough in Calcutta. Had a wonderful time. Like all leaves, hated to come back.

Was able to buy cokes, ice cream, steaks, fried chicken, seafood, everything a guy would want. My buddy and I went together. Two other fellows from the squadron came down a few days later so the four of us really had a time of it.

Your nice big package and lovely letter was waiting for me here at camp. Am really tempted to open the package but will wait until the twenty-fifth. Packages from mother and Elizabeth came too. I’ve got letters stacked high and don’t think I’ll get to answer them all in time for Christmas. If you get this, and I hope you do, it will just make it.

In mother’s last letter she said Cully has signed up and is playing now. Bet he is happy about it too. This is probably his last season so hope he has a wonderful one.

Vi wrote a nice letter to me and also sent a card. I’ll write a letter to her right after the holidays. I’ll never forget her playing “Wedding of the Painted Doll” on the piano. That must have been about ten years ago.

Don’t doubt that Wally is sick of his station. He certainly has been there a long time. He would be glad to be there tho once he was sent overseas. Hope he won’t have to leave.

We do have a couple of towns fairly close by but don’t go in very often. Once you’ve seen one of these small towns you’ve seen them all.

It’s getting so cold in the evenings, it’s hard to remember how awful hot the summer was. Imagine we’ll know again in a few months.

This is short Glad but must write to Stella and Helen yet tonight. Thanks again for the nice package and all of you have a very merry Christmas.

With love,
Jim

10/21/1944 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-12-12T15:10:00.001-08:00

Jim in India
Gladys at 9007 S. Elizabeth, Chicago

Dear Gladys,

A nice letter came from you today. A V-mail came some time ago so will answer them both now.

After supper this evening we played football until dark. Usually play every night. Just got out of the shower when the water went off. Made it just in time.

We’re living in a new area now and it’s really sharp. Believe it’s the best on the field. The tents are in good shape, electricity, a day room and the grounds are clean.

We get a full day off a week now so make good use of it. Tomorrow afternoon three of us are going out hitchhiking and look for a good place to eat. We did the same thing last week. Ate three meals inside of an hour.

By now Cully should have gotten the contract he wants. This year you won’t get the trip out of it tho. Hope he has a good year and doesn’t get banged up much. Hockey is a rough game and plenty of the boys get hurt all the time. Cully is more capable of taking care of himself now than he was before. If everybody thinks rightly, he can come out unhurt.

You both must have enjoyed your little vacation in Minneapolis. Wally was probably very happy to see Cully too.

Where does Vi & John live. They seem to get to Chicago three or more times a year. I haven’t seen Vi for about nine years but bet I would recognize her anytime, anywhere.

Don’t worry about me liking what you sent. It’s a big bother for all of you in the states to even have to send a package. I mean that Glad. People feel as tho they must send something and do. We really have everything we need. The few things that I do need, mother can always get and send.

Furloughs are just a short way off and hope to go to New Delhi. Hope I can find something nice for you. These small town merchants just raised their prices again because Christmas is coming and the soldiers will be sending things home. They really are terrible. Even when we pay them half of what they ask, it’s more than what we would be paying at home. I tried to buy some toothpaste in town the other day but it cost $1.20 in American money. The merchants will all be able to retire after the Yanks get out.

We can vote if desire to. I feel the same as most do. All the politicians boast what they’re going to do for the veterans. They’re just using us for the goat. Either party, doesn’t make any difference. We just want to get home.

Mother should know very close to where we are now and she’ll let you know. If one of my recent letters went through, she will know within fifteen miles. Can’t hardly get much closer than that.

The rains have let up, malaria season is practically over. The food is much better now and getting along okay. Haven’t gambled for months and have quite a bit of money saved. Hope the war ends within the next year and will be seeing you all soon.

Love, Jim

7/24/1944 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-12-12T14:48:00.001-08:00

Jim in India
Gladys at 9007 S. Elizabeth, Chicago

Dear Glad,

Would have written sooner but didn’t have your new address. Dad sent it to me a week ago. A letter from mother came, she mailed it while in Chicago.

Since you have bought a home, you’ll probably stay in Chicago for a long time. Are you going to sell the cabin now?

We are attached to a Combat Cargo Squadron. The planes are up all day so we have to work nights. We start work at six, eat at midnight and then go home when we are finished. That usually isn’t before breakfast time.

There is a fairly good sized town about 35 miles from here but I haven’t been to it yet. In mother’s letter she said that you would rather have me buy things for you, instead of sending the money I owe you. That’s okay with me. The only thing is, Glad, these Indians have raised the prices way up. Perhaps articles were cheap before the Americans got over here, but they are a long way from it now. I’ll do the best I can tho. There is probably some things you have in mind you would like to have me try to get, so I’ll wait until I hear from you.

This field is up close to a mountain range and not too far from Burma. They say it’s only 20 minutes flying time from where they’re fighting. Planes go pretty fast so imagine it’s quite far away. We haven’t had any excitement here and don’t expect any.

Rumors are out again that we are to move once more. Think we are going into China after the monsoon season is over so if we move now, it will probably still be in India.

The news sounds good and hope the war in Europe will be over this year. Maybe this other deal will be over soon after and maybe we could be home for Christmas in “45”. That would be okay.

Will close for now and hope to hear from your soon. Say hello to Cully and the children.

With love,
Jim

3/10/1944 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-12-12T14:32:00.001-08:00

Jim at Lakeland Field, Florida
Gladys at Hotel Guyon, Chicago

Dear Gladys,

Received your letter this evening and was glad to hear from you again.

Yesterday we had a big inspection. Had officers of all different rank here from the Inspector General’s office in Washington. Everything went over okay and they were well pleased. They told us that we would turn in our field equipment at P.O.E. [point of embarkation] so we won’t be going into a combat zone.

I saw in the paper recently that the Hawks were up in third place. Mother told me about Cully winning another hat [hockey hat trick]. Was glad to get the clipping.

We all got cards to fill out for change of address. When we leave this field, our P.O.E. address will be added on and mailed. Wrote one out for you so when we go, you’ll get it and know we’ve left.

I asked one of our officers if he knew how soon we would be leaving and he said we would be here for a week or so but wouldn’t know how much longer. Our first sergeant said we would be here for payday. Don’t know which is right. Most likely neither one knew.

Sorry to hear Cully got his draft call before he was able to get into a defense job.

2/28/1944 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-12-12T14:20:00.001-08:00

Jim at Lakeland Field, Florida
Gladys at Guyon Hotel, Chicago
Dear Gladys,
Have received two nice letters from you and have finally found time to answer them.
Thanks very much for the dollar. I can always use it.
The place isn’t nearly as bad as anticipated. Have met a lot of lovely girls and have been having quite a time.
By the indications, we will be leaving sometime in March for P.O.E [point of embarkation].
The weather has been hot and everybody is getting tan.
Two fellows and myself from my squadron and an M.P. went on a party Saturday night. My girl’s car got a leak in gasoline just before she was to pick us up, so the girls took us out to some lake and had a wiener roast. The cab picked us up again about 3 in the morning and brought us to the field. Then the women went home. They really must have had a bill.
Our passes were up at midnight but the M.P. got us back on the field okay. We had a wonderful time.
I filed my income tax return and found out that the government owes me a little money. To be exact, it is $134.00. Good news to me.
You are probably glad to have your place empty again. Viola sure stayed long enough.
Yes, I’ve been in the army a year and a couple days now. The time has gone fast. Have really had a swell time and met plenty of people. Have seen plenty of country too. Don’t regret any of it a bit.
Haven’t told Mother that I think we’ll be across within the next two months. Can’t ever tell what will come up in the meantime to change their minds so haven’t mentioned it yet. She probably figures on it anyway tho.
Our weather is still hot and am getting a good tan (guess I said that before).
Last Monday night I scored 25 points in a basketball game. Made me feel darn good ‘cus I was tight the night before and in Tampa all afternoon of the game. We haven’t lost a game yet so hope to win the championship. We start our softball league tonight.
It’s my day off today so am trying to catch up a little on my mail. Have a date tonight and every night after. Sure having a swell time. Hope we won’t leave next month.
I’ll write again soon and let you know how everything comes out.
With love,
Jim

2/6/1944 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-12-12T13:48:00.001-08:00

Jim at Lakeland Army Air Base in Florida
Gladys at Hotel Guyon in Chicago

Dear Glad,

We arrived here in Florida last night. The place looked bad in the dark. You should see the place with the lights on. Woo ---.

The only thing missing are the camels to go with the sand.

Last night was cold. Today I’m dripping with perspiration inside the barracks. Outside the wind is blowing hard and sand fills the air.

Some of the fellows moved into tents that didn’t have floors or electricity. I, being one of the more fortunate, am living (pardon me – existing), in a tar paper shack.

The post exchange is over 1/2 a mile away and then it would give a small coal bin a close race.

Lakeland is seven miles away and has a population of approx. sixty thousand. Tampa is only thirty-five miles from here.

There is only one bus an hour taking fellows into town. One bus handles so many fellows you know.

There is an 11:30 curfew in town seven days a week. Don’t even let up on the weekends. Guess they want us to be good little boys and stay home.

Strangely enough, they do have a few airplanes. Six in all, I believe. The payoff is there isn’t a hangar on the place.

I work in a sub-depot which we don’t have either. The latest rumor is all men in the same boat are going to McDill Field in Tampa. Certainly hope we leave here.

Our train ride was okay. Had nice pullman cars and our meals were good. Everybody had just gotten paid so played cards. I made $29.00 on the train and seven more this morning. Okay huh. Don’t tell Mom.

I’ll write again soon and let you know all that happens.

With love,
Jim

1/19/1944 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-12-12T11:36:00.001-08:00

Jim at Barksdale Field, Louisiana
Gladys at the Guyon Hotel, Chicago

Dear Glad, Cully and family,

Have finally started a letter that I’ve wanted to write for a long time.

Thanks for the dollar, candy and stockings you sent me for Christmas. We can usually always get candy bars but rarely have good chocolates so was glad to get them. Our brown dress stockings are plenty thin so wanted a warmer pair and you fixed that up. As far as the money, it’s the same story so thanks a lot again.

I was down to Lake Charles again over the weekend. Think I get more passes than anybody else on the field. Tomorrow I’m going to try and get a three day pass.

The men that recently left on furloughs were sent telegrams today to be back by midnight Sunday. All married men have been ordered to move on the post and were told to send their wives home. Starting Monday, nobody in our group will be allowed off the post. We have gone through this plenty of times before but think this time we really are going to move. Think it will be for overseas training. A major said that we would be on the train for five days so probably will go west and end up in the Pacific. We all want to go east and then to England so hope it works out that way.

They really have kept me busy lately. Last night was on K.P., this morning, room orderly, and am corporal of the guard tonight. They shouldn’t bother me again for awhile.

Friday we had snow and was it ever beautiful. Maybe if we had it all the time it wouldn’t look so nice. The sun came out bright and strong and it all melted in a hurry.

I was glad to hear that Cully didn’t get into the service. Suppose you are still plenty worried about it tho. Hope he doesn’t have to go at all.

Mother has been sending me the clippings so I’ve been able to keep up with the Hawks pretty good. She makes it plain to return them right away and always do. Cully will really have a swell scrap book. Hope the team has picked up since the last news I heard of them. Mother said they have a new goalie so maybe that will help.

Yesterday a plane crashed and three fellows were killed. The funeral was held today. It’s the first time we have had a bad accident since I’ve been here. A new group of pilots just came in so can figure on anything now.

I was pretty certain of making Sergeant the first of the month but we have a new commanding officer and he changed things a little. Hope to make it the first of March.

The folks talk about your cabin all the time. They go up practically every Sunday. They certainly enjoy it.

This is a swell field and a good town and will hate to leave both. It’s been nearly five months since getting here so is about time to move. Would like to get near Los Angeles if we do go west. If we go to California it will be out in the desert tho.

A kid a few bunks from me just got back from Minneapolis. He only had a three day pass but made it okay. If something happens and we don’t get shipped out, maybe with a bomber part of the way, I could get to Chicago. It would be swell if I could.

Hockey season should be ending in a few months and suppose you’ll go west again. If Cully gets through this he had better stay in a defence job and play safe.

Suppose your two daughters are still growing up fast. Haven’t ever seen Jeannie but hope to some day.

The three years mother spent as [a Christian Science] reader sure went fast. She enjoyed it but am certain it is some what of a relief not to have that to prepare every day of the week.

Being corporal of the guard is easy, but don’t get much sleep. I just have to post the new reliefs every three hours.

It has been swell being so close to Helen. I even wore Elmer’s suit a couple of times. It was risky but plenty of fun.

I like my work fine. It’s easy and not a lot of repair work to do. There will be plenty on the other side tho. Hope we go across in the near future. No point of being in the army if we’re going to lay around all the time.

Our squadron has been fully trained for quite awhile so are due to go. We hear new rumors every day as to where and when we will go but nothing ever develops. This latest threat might not even go through. Will just have to sweat it out.

Hope everything will work out for the best for all of you and know it will for me.

Thanks again for the Christmas gifts.

Bye for now,

Jim

P.S.
Helen said Elizabeth was visiting you. Tell me all about her. We have written to each other quite a bit so am anxious to know.

4/14/1941 Gladys Dahlstrom to Sadie Erwin

2010-12-11T22:04:00.001-08:00

Dear Folks,

Excuse the fancy stationery but my paper is in the bedroom and Ruthie is asleep so I will just scribble a note on this.

Today is nice and warm again. The grass is getting green fast now.

Cully just finished putting the wheels on the trailer and has it all ready to go. I’m getting things lined up to go. We just have today and tomorrow as we are leaving early Wednesday morning. I haven’t called or seen Woodfills and have skipped many others but we just haven’t the time for everyone. I did stop to say hello to the Bushes the day I went to St. Paul. They are fine. Harriet is coming along swell too.

Alice Steene – Irv’s wife, died yesterday morning. She has been real sick for about a month. I guess she didn’t want to live either.

I went to the dentist Friday and am going back this afternoon to finish up. I had two cavities.I don’t know just when we will reach Los Angeles but we expect to be there a couple of days so if you wanted to write us you can send it General Delivery. I will send you cards along the way. We plan to drive to New Orleans – then to Lerado, Texas and down into Mexico as far as Monterrey and perhaps to Mexico City, depending on how we feel when we get there. We will leave our trailer and load in Texas.

We will stay at Muriel’s one day and also plan to spend at least one day at Uncle Perry’s. I will send them a card after we get started. Wally is at Camp Haan. It is supposed to be near Los Angeles.

Well, I will close but will write more soon – on the road.

Love to all,

Gladys

5/11/1945 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-12-11T19:42:00.001-08:00

Jim: 497th Air Service Squadron, 44th Air Service Group

Gladys: 9007 South Elizabeth, Chicago, Illinois

Dear Gladys,

It’s a dark, rainy old morning so there isn’t much to do. I have received some very nice letters from you so will start now to answer them.

The picture of the two girls is swell. Thanks a lot. Ruthie is certainly getting big. Think she looks more like you all the time. Doesn’t seem possible that Jeannie is over two years old now. Imagine she is all over the place.

In Helen’s last letter she said that they were still hoping to get the job in Indiana close to you. It would be nice for both of you.

Glad to hear Ralph likes Panama. In the summer time, the country is supposed to have a terrific odor which isn’t too pleasant. There probably is plenty of malaria down there too. Just so he likes it, that’s all that matters.

Ralph has a long time in the service. If he would have had some overseas service, he would probably be getting out of the army now.

We have some fellows in our squadron that have had previous duty across and are leaving for the States tomorrow by plane. They were all drunk last night. Must be a happy feeling to know that the war is all over for them. The war with Japan shouldn’t last much more than a year then everybody can go home.

I’m working in the Information and Education branch of Special Service. The Lt. in charge is twenty-four and lives out at Ballard in Seattle. He is a swell guy and I like him very much. Just the two of us are in the office and not too much to do. There are close to three-hundred men taking self-teaching, correspondence or university extension courses. We also have classes on varied subjects in the evenings.

When the war is entirely over, the men have two choices as to what to do. They may either increase their education or indulge in athletic activities.

We are now working hours in which the day starts at 5:30 and finishes at 1:30. It gives us a lot of spare time. The new hours are so the men won’t have to work during the terrific heat in the afternoon which will soon be upon us.

Our company commander was relieved from duty a few days ago. We now have a captain that has 30 months overseas so he will undoubtedly be leaving too.

The hockey program with Cully’s picture on the front came. I showed it to everybody. The article about him was nice too. If you’re still in Chicago next year, Cully will probably play again. Read in a paper from home that Paul Thompson has quit the club.

Now that the battle for Burma is over, we won’t have much to do. We would all just as soon leave India anyway. Would just as soon see the Pacific.

I’ve been writing letters like crazy. You will be hearing from me more often now.

The movie, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” is playing this evening. It has certainly had plenty of publicity so want to be sure and see it. We are also supposed to see a film entitled, “Two Down and One to Go.” It was supposed to be shown to all American forces immediately upon the announcement of V-E Day. Now, they can’t find it. The picture was to carry priority next to combat. This army sure is messed up.

I have some pictures being developed so will send you some. I would like to have a couple of snaps of you and Cully too.

Will close for now Glad. Will write more often now. Take it easy on those kids of yours and most of all don’t pinch them. You do that like nobody can.

Bye for now,

Love, Jim

1/19/1945 Jim Erwin to Gladys Dahlstrom

2010-11-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

Jim in India
Gladys at 9007 S. Elizabeth, Chicago

Dear Gladys,

First of all, thanks a million for the lovely Christmas package. It came in plenty of time. I enjoyed getting everything. I really had a wonderful Christmas and hope you all did the same.

Our weather in the evenings still is cold and foggy. The days are getting warmer now.

I am going with one of the new Red Cross girls so don't mind India at all now.

Played a kid tennis the other day. Beat him 6-2 6-0. We only had two rackets here at special service but have gotten ten more recently. A lot of fellows would like to play if the courts were closer. We are going to build some courts in our area soon.

The officer in charge is a Captain Beck, the man from Seattle is a 1st Lt. They both are swell and enjoy working here. The Capt. is on leave to Calcutta now so I use his jeep all the time.

The picture of all the girls at the cabin is very nice. Who does the dog belong to? Is that the one Cully had?

A girl from California sent me a package with a qt of liquor in it and it's the only package that hasn't arrived. Hope it shows up. That stuff is like gold up here.

I received and finished an accounting course. Have applied for the next one now. After each course, I'll get a certificate. Some of the later courses give college credit. I can get all the courses I could have gotten by going four years to college. The one I just sent for has to come from the states so will probably be a couple months before it arrives.

The Red Cross had a ping pong tournament last week and I won that. Got a couple cartons of cigarettes and some bars [beers?]. A kid in my sqdn and I are going to play every other week and split the prize. Good racket if nobody shows up and beats us.

The group uses our squadron's basketball court for all the games because it's the only court with lights on it. We have played two games and lost both. Hope to get started soon. Our sqdn won the championship last year while in Florida.

Hope the Hawks [Chicago Blackhawks] have started winning some games. Last paper I saw they were still last. How is Cully [Dahlstrom] doing? Making any goals?

One of the officers in charge here at special service is from Seattle. We have a good time talking about Wash.

We have had several traveling shows here and more are coming. Everybody enjoys them. Lilly Pons & husband are coming next month.

There are some rumors floating around that we might move soon but I doubt it. Everything has been set up for a long stay.

Thanks again for the Christmas package. Say hello to Cully and Bernice for me. Jeannie wouldn't know who you were talking about.

With love,
Jim

February 25, 1905 Albert Erwin (age 20) to Louisa Erwin

2010-08-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Minneapolis, Minnesota

February 25, 1905

Dear Carl, Mamma, Ruth and Grandma,

I was very glad to hear from you again. I am very well except a blister on one heal which I got from walking around so much today.

Another boy and myself took the car out to Fort Snelling [and] we walked all over the place, looking at the cannons, horses and other things. Then we took a car to St. Paul and got a transfer to the Como - Harriet car which goes through Como Park and then into Mpls.

We have had a week of very warm weather, but it is a little bit colder to-day. I suppose that there has not been much of any sleighing in St. Peter. We have had some very nice sleighing but it gets warm out so quick here in town.

A friend of mine took me roller skating last night. We skated until half past - one o'clock and did not get up until half past eleven today. I did not fall down at all, but I was just as dirty as a coon (nigger).

I am a soldier boy in the National Guard now. I have got a regular soldier suit and have to go down and drill every Tuesday evening.

Next fall I will have to go to camp with the rest of the Company at Lake City for two weeks. We get $1.50 a day when we are out at camp.

Please say hello to Mr Oman? for me.

I am sorry that Grandma's cough is worse, but she will very likely get better as soon as the weather improves.

Say Carl did my skates fit you all right or probably you have not had a chance to try them on.

Well I will have to close now for I have a couple more letters to write and I want to get to bed at 10: and it is after nine now.

So good by write soon.

Albert

I got the money last night. Did you give Olsen his money.

8/26/1999 Diane Lowry to Jim and Vickie Carlson

2010-08-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

London

Jim & Vickie - Hi! I'm in London - still hasn't sunk in.
I'm staying in a B&B, close to Victoria Station. Spent
the day on an opened-top bus tour. Tomorrow will
do Tower of London, B. Palace & W. Abbey. Also
saw a musical tonight. This is a pretty happenin' place!
See you soon,

Love, Diane

9/9/1997 Mary Lowry to Jim and Vickie Carlson

2010-08-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

3326 Park Avenue North

Renton, WA 98056

Hi Jim & Vickie!

Enclosed is Felix check. Dad is doing fine. Thanks for everything!

Love, Mary

5/11/1999 Mary Lowry to Jim and Vickie Carlson

2010-08-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Jim & Vickie,

Mike and I went on a 5-mile hike yesterday up at Lord Hill State Park in Snohomish. Actually, we took a wrong turn, but I, of course, had left markers at each intersection & had the 10 essentials in my pack. It was beautiful! Otherwise, I continue to re-decorate. You and Vickie will be surprised at the guest room next time you're here.

Here is Felix check. Talk to you later.

Love, Mary

10/5/1980 Helen Carlson to Mary Lowry

2010-03-04T19:43:00.001-08:00

Mrs. Mike Lowry
455 Argyle Drive
Alexandria, Va. 22305

2825-98th Ave. N.E.
Bellevue, Wa. 98004

Dear Mary,

Our weather is still beautiful and today we went to Discovery Park at Fort Lawton and went on a nature hike that was very nice. Then we went to Gas Works Park and watched the kites being flown. Friday, when I was at cousin Verna’s, daddy went to Magnuson Park where he saw the largest kite in the world. It was pulled by a city dump truck to get it up in the air. This summer weather brings out the crowds.

I am mailing five Barbie outfits to Diane tomorrow. I am getting better all the time but still an amateur. I won’t send Barbie yet as I have more outfits I want to make. Diane wanted to know the name of this Barbie and I didn’t know they had names, but on her box it says, “Pretty Changes Barbie.” She has a long blonde wig and a brunette one.

Jimmy called this morning from Naples, Italy. He sounded happy and will be back home in two weeks. Vickie is leaving Friday to meet him in Greece and they are going to run in a marathon. Vickie went to Belgium a short while ago.

We celebrated Benson’s 43rd anniversary Thursday night by going out for dinner and then playing bridge. I hope you had a good time playing bridge Friday night. Daddy got up at 5:30 this morning as he is so upset about the trial. Their sentences can range from 30 to 130 years in prison, but they are going to appeal. I hope it will do some good.

Jimmy has seen the house he and Vickie will live in for the year they will be in Italy. He said it is beautiful, right on the ocean side. I am sending you the letter we received.

Tiffany is moving, but I haven’t talked to Rouela, but just see all the help over there with a truck and carrying things out.

More later.

Love, Mom

2/27/1997 Mary Lowry to Jim Carlson

2009-10-15T18:43:00.001-07:00

Dear Jim, (& Vickie)

I am enclosing the correspondence Barbara sent me about Florence’s death. I wrote her a condolence note already.

Thanks again for coming out in August. Your computer did a good job with your itinerary. Too bad you get no meal on either flight coming out! You will be starved when you arrive.

Don’t plan to rent a car, since Dad’s car will be here to drive. The airport is only 10 minutes away, so we can easily pick you up and drop you off.

I don’t know how they wrote all those letters back in Mom’s day. My hand is already getting tired after writing the note to Barbara and now to you. We are still planning on you picking out our computer when you’re here! Sorry we will miss you, Vickie, but hope to see you another time soon.

Love, Mary

2/6/1997 Mary Lowry to Jim Carlson

2009-10-15T15:51:00.001-07:00

Hi Jim & Vickie,

Here is your rent check. Diane is just as happy to be receiving $100 a month for her commission. She has it pretty good around here – free meals, rent, housekeeping, etc!

I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from the travel agency. I think they were shocked I turned down their vacation!!

Love, Mary

4/7/1997 Mary Lowry to Jim Carlson

2009-10-15T13:50:00.001-07:00

Dear Jim & Vickie,

Thanks for your call last week about the comet. Unfortunately we didn’t get your message until after it had passed (because it was dark). But next year we won’t miss it.

Diane says “hello” and to tell you her end of service conference is in Washington D.C. in July. She doesn’t yet know the date, but of course would love to see you if you’re in town.

Mike & I celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary Friday by going out to dinner and seeing “The English Patient.”

I’m leaving pretty soon for my Enneagram group. Diane is sitting at the dinner table with Scott (her new boyfriend). Mike is downstairs & dad is getting ready for bed. Talk to you soon.

Love, Mary

6/6/1997 Mary Lowry to Jim Carlson

2009-10-15T13:44:00.001-07:00

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the Enneagram computer information! Of course I am the real expert, so I disagree with him on some items.

Diane will be in D.C. July 9-14 but has to come back right after. She has some free time in there so hopes she can get together with you for lunch. We’ll let you know more about here schedule later.

Dad is in a new Adult Day Care which I think is working out better for him. They have a quieter, more structured program. He rides the bus to and from the center. When they have an opening we go to 5 days a week.

I bought a wonderful vegetarian cookbook and have been preparing some delicious meals! Too bad you won’t be here longer, to taste some.

Bye for now. Love, Mary
P.S., Enclosed is Felix check.

3/9/1951 Sadie Erwin, Enumclaw to Mary Carlson, Minneapolis

2009-08-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Mary - Thanks for your nice letter and Valentine. While I was in Seattle I was kept so busy did not find time to write you a letter.

You should see all our snow. The sun is out now. The weather is not at all cold. We know it won't last long, meaning the snow.

Our trees are just full of robins. They have eaten all the red berries from my bushes. Our school is closing at 1 P.M. today so the school buses can get the county children home before dark. I called Aunt Gladys this morning. The Bellevue schools are closed today too.

I know you have lots of snow there, also cold weather. Little Gary loves the snow. He has his mother out making snow men for him. The snow is so wet it is easy to do.

I must get ready to go down to the bank.

Good-bye now.

Love to you all,

Grandma.

11/23/1980 Helen Carlson to Ruth Erwin

2009-07-05T19:55:00.001-07:00

Dear Ruth and Jim,

It was nice of you to call the other day and I wrote you a letter but tore it up the next day. I will tell you why in a few minutes.

First – Mary and Diane are moving back here the first of January, into their Mercer Island house. Mike comes here often so it probably will work out O.K., I hope. I don’t know where Mike plans to live when Mary leaves.

Anyway, Harold ordered twenty dollars of wood for the cabin from Joel Allen. I offered to pay my half but Harold said no, but if we used some we could pay him. He asked Joel to put a sign on the logs “Do Not Touch.” This past Tuesday Stella and I went to Enumclaw to see Minnie Prest as she was recuperating from an accident she had had in her home. We stopped at the store first and saw Gary. Linda was there also, so I talked to her, of course, but I didn’t have a chance to tell Gary about the wood. Anyway, after seeing Minnie, Stella and I drove up to the cabin and to logs were there with a sign, “Do Not Touch, For Bensons and Carlsons Only.” I am telling you this so you can let Gary know I didn’t have anything to do about it. With $20.00 worth of logs there, which I didn’t count, I don’t know how much each log should cost. Gary is welcome to my share. It was freezing in the cabin, but there were some big chunks by the fireplace and kindling, so I know Gary donated it and I really wish he would use the cabin. He always calls, but Stella is the one to check with. Anyway, the river is high and working on our bank.

Bensons were at a cocktail party at Nell’s a couple of weeks ago and a man who lives up there said he would pay $25,000.00 for the cabin. I don’t know what it is worth. I’ll talk to you more about this later.

On Dec. 15th, Monday, I am having the Christmas luncheon and I hope you and Patti can come. I can’t very well invite Linda also.

Lillian and Cully are coming for Thanksgiving and Ruthie insists they stay with her. I wonder how that would work out. Elmer and I are going to Benson’s, but we are going out of town for Christmas.

This ends the gossipy letter and I hope to see you soon.

Love, Helen

12/15/1950 (est.) Sadie Erwin to Helen Erwin

2009-07-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Helen and All,

Just a card now. Both letters received, also your box addressed to Ruth. Our weather is mild, but lots of rain. Mrs. Thomas has been crocheting a shawl for David and called this morning to say she has it finished. I’ll mail it today.

Thursday night after work we went to Bellevue, Jim, Ruth, Gary, Pop and I. We picked up Glad and Cully and went to Northgate to to see the tallest Christmas tree in the country. 212 feet high, with 3000 colored lights. A beautiful sight to see. We went back to Dahlstrom’s for a lunch. Got home at 3 A.M. We expect Gladys up tomorrow. We will go down there Christmas evening – will write a letter this weekend.

Love, Mother.

Tree cut down near Greenwater.

10/13/1996 Mary Lowry to Jim and Vickie Carlson

2009-01-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

Mary & Mike Lowry
3326 Park Avenue North
Renton, WA 98056

Jim & Vickie Carlson
309 Yoakum Pkwy 601
Alexandria, VA 22304

Dear Jim & Vickie,

The computer isn't working for some reason this weekend, so I decided to communicate the old fashioned way.

Our party was a success! Everyone seemed to have a great time. We had 33 cousins & cousin children for a buffet dinner, the played games in the ballroom. We played pounce, (which Diane won over-whelmingly - a real humiliation), a game like password or charades, and a dice game Jeannie taught us. After the larger crowd left, Jeannie, Sandi, Ruthie & spouses & Bernice stayed all night. We stayed up until 2 AM playing games. The next morning we had a delicious brunch of melon, berries & lime provided by Jeannie & a delicious variety of breakfast rolls brought by Ruthie. Even Mike had fun! A couple time people mentioned how pleased they were you came out for Stella's funeral. Jeannie said she had prepared herself emotionally & was controlled - until she saw you.

Sandi & Dick were in Italy for a few weeks and want to rent a villa next year there and have all the cousins come. They have already put you two down as they know you like to travel. I said it sounds great & we would think about it & that they should watch "Enchanted April."

By the way, the main reason I'm writing is to enclose this letter from John Carlson which I thought you, Jim, could answer better than me, however, I may write a short note.

Also, I love the family history & am in the process of reading it now! Velva is putting it on a disk to share with the cousins.

Love, Mary

817 4/9/1979 Mary Lowry to Diane Lowry

2008-12-04T16:50:00.075-08:00

Mary Lowry
St. Peter, Minnesota
Monday, April 09, 1979

Diane Lowry
2825-98th Ave NE, Bellevue, Washington

Dear Diane,
We arrived in St. Paul last night. Daddy is at his meeting, and I am in a restaurant in the hotel waiting for breakfast. The plane ride was very smooth - and I wasn't even scared! I talked to Nellie last night, and to Phyllis this morning. Phyllis is picking me up at noon, and we are going to the IDS center for lunch. I think I will see Karen and Barbara tonight at Nellie's. We miss you.
Love, Mommy and Daddy

816 12/1/1978 Mary Lowry to Diane Lowry

2008-12-04T16:50:00.073-08:00

Mary Lowry
The Monocle, Washington, DC
Friday, December 01, 1978

Diane Lowry
4050 92nd SE Mercer Island, Washington

Dear Diane,
Daddy and I ate at this restaurant last nite. Tomorrow I am going to look for a house for us with uncle Jim. We are having a good time.
Love, Mom & Dad

695 7/29/1969 Gail Dahlstrom to Helen Carlson

2008-12-04T16:50:00.071-08:00

Gail Dahlstrom
Kansas City, Missouri
Tuesday, July 29, 1969

Helen Carlson
2825-98th Ave NE, Bellevue, Washington

Dear Aunt Helen,
I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner but I’ve been so busy lately. Thank you for your nice letter. I really wish I could get home soon to talk with you and everyone. I’ve got so much planning to do and I’ll need tons of help. I’m so happy that you approve. We will, of course, have a long engagement as we’ve decided to wait until Greg graduates and I go international (hopefully next summer). So, we’re going to set a tentative date in next August.
I had a wonderful time in San Fran with the Wilcox’s. Kerry was home too so that made it extra fun. She loves her fashion college in Miami and will graduate this next year as it is only a 2 year school.
I’ve done several special assignments for TWA. Over the Fourth of July I was working at the Terminal and met Pat Paulsen and Barry Goldwater. Last Friday I went to Northwest Missouri State University and had to make 2 speeches on “The Life of a Flight Hostess”. I couldn’t believe they asked me to do it!! I do like flying but sure wish I could get transferred to San Fran in the fall. I’m eligible on October 9 but it will probably be closed so I may be STUCK in K. C. for a long time – I sure hope not!!
How is Uncle Elmer, Aunt Stella, Mary, and everyone? If not next month, I’ll come home the end of September for sure. I saved a publicity picture of me for you and will send it next time I write.
Well, I have to go now but thanks again for writing and do say hi to the family for me!
Love Always, Gail

818 6/16/1959 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.069-08:00

Helen Carlson
El Dorado Motel, Hollywood, California
Tuesday, June 16, 1959

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Mother,
We are at this motel in Hollywood. Everything os going along beautifully.
Love, Helen

694 11/1/1957 Gladys Dahlstrom to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.067-08:00

Gladys Dahlstrom
Chicago, Illinois
Friday, November 01, 1957

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Postcard from Chicago
Dear Folks,
We are on the train (the road is rough) and will be in Chicago in a half hour. We have had a wonderful time, the weather has been real nice. We have gotten to bed early every night. Cully and I are both feeling real good. Didn’t get any mail in Minneapolis but probably will in Chicago. I hope so anyway. Cully’s folks are fine. Had dinner at Edna and Ockie’s Wednesday night. The boys sure have grown. I’ll call Agnes when we get back to Minneapolis. I know all is well with you folks.
Love, Gladys

693 10/29/1957 Gladys Dahlstrom to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.065-08:00

Gladys Dahlstrom
907 29th Avenue South, Minneapolis 6, Minnesota
Tuesday, October 29, 1957

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Postcard from Minneapolis
Dear Folks,
Will be in Minneapolis in 30 “. It has been a wonderful trip. The weather beautiful. They just announced it is 51° in Minneapolis. Had a good lunch. Time has gone fast. We have relaxed and slept and enjoyed every minute. Both of us feel fine and know why. It is so good to talk the same language. I know all is well with you folks and at home. We wish our girls were with us. Ruthie took us to the Olympic Hotel this morning. It was the best way. More soon. Love to all – Jim and Ruth and Gary too.
Gladys

692 7/28/1955 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.063-08:00

Helen Carlson
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Thursday, July 28, 1955

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Minneapolis
Dear Folks,
We have been rushed ever since we arrived. We got here about 9 P.M. Tuesday night and have been on the go ever since. Today it was 106 out and we are all still meeting tonight. We were taken out to dinner tonight at the Automobile Club by the Recrofts. They are the ones we knew in Georgia. Everyone has been just wonderful but I don’t have enough time here to really see everyone.
The kids go swimming every day and my two have already learned how to swim because the water is so warm.
I was glad to get your letter. We had a wonderful trip out here and I’ll tell you all about it when I see you.
I called Cousin Ruth and had a nice visit with her.
Love, Helen

225 7/23/1955 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.061-08:00

Helen Carlson
Browning, Montana
Saturday, July 23, 1955

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Saturday Night, 8:30 P.M., Montana
Dear Folks,
We are just short of Kalispell, Montana and came to a nice camping area by a lake where there are toilets and running water and since it was five o'clock we decided to stop here and set up camp. While Elmer and Jimmy put up the tent and got our sleeping things ready, the girls and I got supper going. Your camp stove is wonderful and makes cooking an easy job. I think this camp is full by now so it's probably best we didn't go on to Glacier tonight as it would have been dark and maybe the campgrounds would have been full. We plan to start out about seven A.M. tomorrow morning and will feel more like seeing Glacier.
We had lots of fun with Dahlstroms today. They met us on schedule at 4 A.M. at the office and we were on our way. Our car started heating up before we reached Ellensburg. We filled it with water from the river and when we got to Spokane it was hot again so we had to stop at a filling station and have it flushed out. It has been O.K. since so I guess there isn't a leak in the radiator.
We left Dahlstroms at Bonner's Ferry but first stopped along the road and took pictures of each other and had some cold water and fruit juice. For lunch we were real lucky and found a roadside table under some trees so Glad and I made sandwiches in a hurry and the kids all had fun and we all enjoyed it.
It's quarter to nine Montana time and we are all going to bed, in fact everyone is in bed already but me. We got our hot weather today and there was plenty of griping. It has cooled off nicely now for sleeping tonight. More later.
Love, Helen

802 10/20/1954 Sadie Erwin to Albert Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.059-08:00

Sadie Erwin
Valparaiso, Indiana
Wednesday, October 20, 1954

Albert Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Albert,
We just talked to all of you. It was swell to find you all together.
The new car is lovely. Everything has gone along perfectly. Spent yesterday afternoon in Chicago. Had lunch in the Marshall Fields tea room. Shopped then went to a show at the State Theatre on State Street. Saw, "A Star Was Born." When we got back to the depot Mr. And Mrs. Hummerstone were waiting for us. Gladys had called them in the afternoon and said she would see them when she and Cully went to Cleveland. They waited 45 minutes for us to come. Frank was at the curb when our taxi drove up. Had a nice visit with them and he helped us on the train.
The weather is perfect. The leaves are such a beautiful color. I like the city of Lansing very much. We did not leave there until noon today. Hope to get to Winifred’s for lunch tomorrow. We called Hallie tonight to let her know we could not reach there tonight.
Now about your trip. Take the small suitcase. Get 100 from our checking account. Buy one new shirt that will fit you. Bring ties, sox, pajamas, slippers, toothbrush, shaving case and handkerchiefs. We can buy new robe and shirts in Minneapolis. After getting you at the airport we will go to Waseca. We will come down from Frank's that morning. Cully can tell Jim all about the plane. Gladys will call Cully later to find out if reservations have been made.
This is their first nice weather here in three weeks. Rivers are high. We were through water tonight that was scary. Have a nice room at a hotel.
Hope Jim and Ruth will not have to work too hard. We will be back in time to work Saturday night, October 30th. I am writing this in such a hurry, keep making mistakes.
Love to you all, Mother.
Remember I am buying your return train ticket in Minneapolis before you come and getting our berth reservations. Had a good sleep - another beautiful day. Let the kids, Ruth and Jim read this letter.
Love, Mother.

224 6/16/1953 Gladys Dahlstrom to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.057-08:00

Gladys Dahlstrom
Carl Dalhstrom Realty, Box 511, Bellevue, Washington
Tuesday, June 16, 1953

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Mother,
We are enclosing a deed for you and Pop to sign - (on the other lot) near Helen's. Mr. Morrison is ready to go ahead so we will have your money for you too. We are selling it at $1300.00 (cash). Anyway, please sign just as your names are typed on the deed and bring it down with you Thursday. Cully will notarize it for you.
Helen said you called this morning and that you would be down Thursday. I will not see you as we are leaving for Neah Bay very shortly. We have decided to take Gail with us. She sure is excited. Anyway, we will be back Thursday night so will be here to see Jim and Ruth. Tell them we will be looking forward to seeing them.
Isn't the weather nice? Hope you get a real good permanent. Must hurry - but thanks a lot. I will be up to see you next week.
Love, Gladys

691 6/15/1953 Gladys Dahlstrom to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.055-08:00

Gladys Dahlstrom
Carl Dalhstrom Realty, Box 511, Bellevue, Washington
Monday, June 15, 1953

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Mother,
My girl came today to stay with Gail so I am at the office helping out. Yesterday we had our open house and though we did not sell it we had a lot of people come to look and they seemed to like it a lot.
Cully and I are going to try to leave tomorrow afternoon for Neah Bay and stay until Thursday. Helen will take Gail for us.
We haven’t heard from our girls yet but should get some word today. We keep wondering how they are getting along. I am sure that they are having a wonderful time.
I am enclosing a letter that we feel would be okay for you to rewrite and send to the Phillips. If you think of anything that should be added do so but keep a copy of what you change. Otherwise my letter will be our carbon. You will notice I did not ask them to go up to Enumclaw nor did I mention anything about you folks coming down here to see them. There is no reason why it cannot be worked out by writing.
Helen is just crazy about her buffet. I think it is real nice too. She is busy working in Jim’s room today. I haven’t seen Stella but will drive up to her house after while. All the salesmen are out to lunch now so I have to hold down the fort until someone gets back.
If for some reason or other we do not go to Neah Bay, I will come up to Enumclaw toward the end of the week. Jim and Ruth said something about coming down to stay overnight and play golf too. I guess they can still come whether we are home or not. There are always part of the gang around.
It is a beautiful day here today. Suppose it is there too.
More soon. I hope you get an early answer from the Phillips and that their monthly payments shall start right away and be enough to make it worthwhile. Every little bit will help.
Here comes a customer so I will have to close.
Love, Gladys
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Phillips:
Mr. Dahlstrom has just informed us that present circumstances seem to make it impossible for you to pay us for the lot we deeded to you. It came as a surprise and shock as we have been counting on an early payoff. Mr. Dahlstrom also intimated that you planned to pay us on a monthly basis until such time as you could clear it out. Please write and let us know what your new plan for payment will be. Mr. Dahlstrom has assured us again that you are honorable but only in strained circumstances. We trust Mr. Dahlstrom so explicitly that we must try not to be concerned about this matter, though naturally we are disappointed to not be getting our money now.
You may either send your checks directly to us or leave them with the Dahlstrom Realty. They will give you a receipt. They are taking care of other Real Estate in Bellevue for us so perhaps that would be best.
Please let us hear from you as soon as possible.
Sincerely,

690 7/17/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.053-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Tuesday, July 17, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
It is a rainy chilly day this morning and feels just like fall. I have to go out to the store pretty soon and want to mail you a letter then. I received your letter mailed from Portland. It sounded as though you and Ruth had a nice time. Too bad it was so hot. I thought of you folks on June 22nd on your anniversary. I don’t know why I couldn’t have at least gotten a card sent to you. It must have been your 42nd anniversary.
I had a letter from Stella yesterday saying she might come back and buy another car. I sure hope she does. It will be a temptation to ride back with her. I certainly would do all I could to help you while I was at your house. Jim and Mary would be no trouble at all and they sleep late in the mornings so it would be kept quiet there. Our roads in the neighborhood are all dug up now as the sewer is going through. They should be through with it in a week or so.
Last night I went to sewing club. I stopped for Frances and it was her birthday. Bertil had given her 100 one dollar bills. She said if she had had that many last week she probably would have run away. I feel sorry for her. Her house is such a terrible mess and all those kids that she doesn’t have much free time. Her dad was there last night too and whenever I see him he tells me again how swell you folks treated him.
Elmer said he was going to Neah Bay this weekend. He is having a wonderful time and likes it out there and likes all of you.
Vernie didn’t do anything with Jim’s broken front tooth. When he is older he will have to have a gold cap put on it. The nerve isn’t exposed now so he just smoothed it down.
The Aquatennial starts this weekend and lasts for a week so I suppose house hunters will be especially scarce. This seems to be a slow time anyway.
Well Folks I sure hope I’ll see you soon. Elmer says my coming out before the house is sold has to be entirely my decision. I suppose he feels it is not his place to encourage me to hurry out there, when it means you folks will have to put up with me.
I’ll stop for now but will write soon. Dahlstroms are planning on coming out in August. They plan to stay with Ralph. Mr. D. is feeling fine. For awhile he thought he had something wrong with his prostate gland but he is perfectly alright so put Glad straight on that.
Love, Helen

223 7/3/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.051-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Tuesday, July 03, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I just wrote a letter to Elmer so will get one off to you now. It is a rainy day but looks as though it will clear up later on. Last night I had the sewing club over, which includes Mayme Prall and that group. I always enjoy all of them so much. I had made a gelatin salad, with chicken and celery and other things in it and it didn't set for some reason or other. We couldn't eat it so ate the hot rolls and potato chips. Luckily I also had some brownies so at least I had a little something to go with the coffee. I wrote to Elmer last week and asked him what he thought about our coming out before the house is sold as his Dad will take care of things here. Yesterday I received his letter and he said it would be imposing too much on all of you if we came now so I decided I might just as well sit around here and maybe the house will sell one of these days. I had signed exclusive for two weeks with a Mr. Kleckner but he didn't bring a single person around. His time is up now and I am not signing with him again. Mr. Carlson came over with his real estate agent so I probably will give the house to him.
I have been working hard around the house. Washing walls and things like that. Over the weekend I laid rubber tile in the hallway by the bathroom and bedrooms. It looks awfully nice and I'm quite pleased with my job. Yesterday I took eight kids over to the Ford plant. In this gang of eight kids, they are all brothers and sisters. The four girls each have a brother two years older. We all enjoyed seeing how the Fords are made.
Tomorrow is the 4th of July and I'm going on a picnic with the Carlson bunch. The kids will enjoy it and I will too. I hope the day is nice but the weather report is for more rain. We certainly have been having a lot of that.
Jimmy has to go to the dentist today as he fell over his bike and broke half his front tooth off. I don't know what Vernie is going to do with it.
I'm planning on moving my refrigerator, stove and washing machine out. They will go for 18 dollars, 15 dollars and 15 dollars, respectively. To sell them I have to take too much of a loss on them and those three items are new and in perfect condition. The only thing is, I don't know if I will be able to use a gas stove in Bellevue. I wonder if they have bottled gas if not natural gas. Elmer doesn't remember to tell me that when he writes.
My old car is still getting me around. I had it in the garage one day last week but all that was the matter was a short in the battery so it was a small job. I had a flat tire Sunday and went out and started to change the tire but Pearce came over and fixed it for me. He got the spare on only to find it had no air in it so he had to do a lot of running around for me but he is very willing to help out.
Mrs. Bruff, the practitioner here who worked for Davy, didn't send me a bill so I called her and she said she didn't want me to pay her anything since things turned out as they did. I told her I knew she worked hard and I wanted to pay her so she finally agreed to send me a statement and she did and charged me twenty dollars for over a month's work. I thought that was very reasonable. I owe you for Grace and a million other things but am going to get you paid up when the house is sold and I get out there.
I suppose you are all working as hard as ever. The 4th will be a busy day for you. I hope you are all fine and I will write again later.
Love, Helen

222 6/20/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.049-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, June 20, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I'm finally going to get a letter written to you. It was certainly nice talking to you yesterday mother. I figured out why Jimmy kept saying wrong number when you called. For over a year and a half now some woman has been calling practically every single morning at about the same time and asking for Della. I have explained over and over to her how to dial the number she wants but still she can't get it straight. Jimmy thought it was that woman. Evidently the way she finally gets her right number is to call the operator and have her dial it for her. Elmer kept telling me I should call this Della since by now I know her number, and ask her if she can't explain to this person how to dial, because it really is a nuisance having her dial my number all the time.
I just wrote to Elmer and told him about this one awful real estate man but now I wish I hadn't told him about it or he will be worried. Anyway, I had this one terrible repulsive man here to look at the house when I had it open listed. I smelled his liquor breath as soon as he came in the house. He acted all right but he sat and sat and sat here asking all kinds of questions about the house and he was very, very unlikable. Tonight he called me on the telephone and said he was very surprised to find out I was a liar. He had seen my exclusive sign on the house and when I had talked to him last week I told him I hadn't signed exclusive, which was true then. I was so mad tonight I just could hardly stand it. I certainly told him what I thought of him over the telephone. I ended up by telling him if he ever came over here or even called me on the telephone again I was going to report him to the police. The more I think of it the more I believe I will still call the police tomorrow and tell them about it. First I'm going to check with the Better Business Bureau and find out if there is any such real estate agency as the Nicollet Real Estate. I don't want Elmer to worry about us here alone because all my neighbors know I'm alone and they all keep good watch on the house. I enjoyed this episode with the real estate faker anyway. It was a wonderful way to get rid of my emotional upsets by telling him how terrible I though he was.
We had quite a storm last night. I had open house and the agent Mr. Kleckner came, but it stormed so hard we knew no one could possibly go out and look at houses. This Mr. Kleckner knows Cully and many, many other people we know. After Mr. Kleckner left my bridge girls came and we were all without husbands for the week so we played bridge until one o'clock in the morning, then I made coffee and served a little lunch and it was two o'clock before they left. Telling about what a close watch my neighbors keep on the house, two different neighbors knew what time the bridge players left last night.
Monday night I took Jimmy and Mary and two neighbor children over to Lake Harriet. The Children's Theatre put on two plays, the Three Bears and Rumplestilskin. We all enjoyed the plays. They were at the pavilion. A wonderful evening was had by all of us and it didn't cost a cent, except for the Popsicles the kids had. There is another play on tomorrow night so we plan to see that one too. We are going early enough tomorrow night to have a ride on the launch first.
I talked to Mrs. Ellsworth the other day. She is still with her friend at the Curtis. I do hope to see her real soon.
Morning
I'm not going to send that letter to Elmer after all telling him about the real estate agent who called last night. I don't want to worry him or he might quit his job out there and come back. That would be just terrible.
I'm going to the post office now so will stop but we are getting along fine and I hope all of you are too. I will write more soon. I hope someone buys this house pretty soon.
Love, Helen

221 6/13/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.047-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, June 13, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

[Enclosed in Father's Day card]
Dear Folks:
I'll get a good letter written soon. Open House tonight so I have the jitters. We are going out for our supper pretty soon as I don't want to mess up the kitchen. The real estate agent should be here soon. The kids and I will stay away during open house from 7 - 9. Hope some one will show up. I've been working hard on the house and the yard so it looks real nice. Love to you both.
Helen

866 6/6/1951 Stella Benson to Helen Carlson

2008-12-04T16:50:00.045-08:00

Stella Benson
Glendive, Montana
Wednesday, June 06, 1951

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota

Dear Helen,
I just woke up and missed seeing the Badlands. The station wagon had a flat tire and that is being fixed. We will have breakfast in Glendive, 40 miles from here. Stayed at Bismark last night. Slept in the car from one until 3 this morning.
Stella
Tell the folks hello. See you soon I hope.

220 6/3/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.043-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Sunday, June 03, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I feel just terrible that I haven't been getting any letters written but ever since Davy passed away I just haven't gotten back into the regular routine. I sure miss the little thing and certainly wish he would be moving out to Washington with us. Our house is up for sale and I hope it will be sold soon. Elmer and Stella and Sandy had planned to leave Tuesday morning but Stella had a wire from Harold this morning saying he would arrive by plane tomorrow afternoon so now they may wait over a day or so. Elmer is supposed to be on the job June 11th, a week from Monday. He is anxious to start his job and it is strange the way it came through at exactly the right time. After I sell the house I'll buy a better car and then drive out with Jimmy and Mary. I sold my gas stove and the piano to Warnie and Jan. I think I will move the refrigerator and the beds out by freight and I don't know yet how many other things. Last night we had a farewell party for Elmer. The Fernstroms, Martins and Corls and Nellie and Pearce were over. We wanted it at our house to wind up the last of our parties here. We are leaving lots of good old friends but we will make new friends out there I am sure. I've waited eleven years for this to happen and am awfully glad we are finally going to live out there but of course losing Davy takes the thrill out of everything. It has been just wonderful having Stella and Sandy here. Stella certainly hasn't had much of a social whirl but she says she doesn't care. She has seen her club girls and we have done a few things. Grace Auld spent last Tuesday with us. She was staying with a friend of hers out at Lake Minnetonka. We were very disappointed in her but will tell you all about that when we see you.
This week has been rainy and miserable. I hope it clears up tomorrow. Mary and Jimmy have been in bed with the chicken pox all week. Jimmy came down with them the day Grace Auld was here and Mary broke out the next day. They were pretty sick with upset stomachs and fevers but today they feel much better. You know I thought Mary and Davy had the chicken pox a while back but now I see they both had the hard measles instead. Now I hope everything will go along smoother and we'll get the house sold and get started for our new home. Thanks for the checks you sent. Tell Gladys I also received hers. I'll get more letters written after Elmer leaves. Frances and Frank Woodfill came over Thursday night to see Stella. The Woodfill bunch sent ten dollars enclosed in their card they sent after Davy passed away since we had requested no flowers. Now every day I get all these ads in the mail about monument markers. Right after he died they even started calling on the telephone about tombstones.
Tomorrow night we are invited over to Elmer's folk's for dinner. Bob, Elmer's brother, is leaving town too. They are moving to Duluth so won't be so far away. I suppose Glad and Cully are in their new home. Gladys will love it I know and her housework will be much easier. Saturday was Elmer's last day at work so he will be home tomorrow to help do things and I'll get his suitcases packed. I have to get Mary to bed now so will stop but I'll write more real soon and we're thinking about you all the time even though the letter writing has been bad. I know your telephone bill was just terrible. Mine was bad and I know yours was much worse. I'll even things up one of these days. I hope you are all fine and I'll write more later.
Love, Helen

740 5/31/1951 Gladys Dahlstrom to Helen Carlson

2008-12-04T16:50:00.041-08:00

Gladys Dahlstrom
Box 511, Bellevue, Washington
Thursday, May 31, 1951

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota

Dear Helen, Elmer and Stella,
Thanks for the darling Birthday card. I jumped a mile when I opened it and have had lots of fun showing it around.
Mother called me to tell us the wonderful news of Elmer’s job and his coming west. I waited to write because we were in hopes of hearing more about it. It really doesn’t matter just so long as you are coming west. I know how terribly busy you must all be. We will have a place for him at our house and do all we can for him and help him find his way around, etc. It seems a blessing that we haven’t done anything about the Studebaker yet. Cully says we will clean it up and have it ready for Elmer to use. Later if he should want to buy it we will make him a good deal and easy terms. At least it will be something to drive until he knows what he does want. We also have a house that I want him to see. It is two bedrooms down – nice living room with fireplace – dining – kitchen and utility and an unfinished upstairs. Something like yours there only no basement and not brick. However, it is a handy, nice location and can be bought right for about $10,500 or perhaps some less and an easy 4% terms. I suggest even though you have listed your house with a real estate office, try running your own ad over a weekend or anytime and put the price in the same as others have it. If you sell it yourself you can always take the papers to the title insurance company and have them close the deal in escrow. The charges are very small. You should come out okay on your nice place as prices have gone up quite a little since you built. Do not let anyone cut you way down. (Have many people seen it?)
Glad Stella finally got her car. Bet you have been getting around and seeing people now.
We plan to move next week. Better stop at the office when you get to town to find out where we are. I’m putting things I’m through with that Helen might use in a box for her – like old drapes, rugs, etc. Will also have some older dishes you may want to use for everyday use. If not we can always give them to the Good Will.
We closed the office yesterday and drove up to the hills. Had our picnic lunch at the Dalles, saw the folks and Jim and Ruth when we came back. Harold was golfing but saw Bernice. She will come down Sunday with Ruth to see Ruthie’s play and go to Jeannie’s piano recital. They may come Saturday and stay over night. The following Saturday night, June 9th, Ruthie’s big play will be on. Maybe Stella and Harold and Elmer can see that.
When is school out there? Will Helen stay until you sell or come when school is out? At any rate it will be soon. We are all looking forward to seeing you.
Harold wanted us to wait for our wiener roast until Stella gets home so we will. I must write a note to Grandma and so will close.
Love to all, Gladys.

689 5/24/1951 Gladys Dahlstrom to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.039-08:00

Gladys Dahlstrom
Carl Dalhstrom Realty, Box 511, Bellevue, Washington
Thursday, May 24, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Mother,
It was good to get your letter. I’ve been wondering about everyone. I also received my first letter from Stella and will send it to you. Please save it for me. I’m also enclosing yours (from them) because I know you will want to keep them.
I feel so sorry for Elmer. I almost hate to have the girls and kids leave him there alone. It will all work out though. I told them to put the price plenty high on the house to allow for offers. They can always come down. It would be wonderful if they could sell before the girls start west.
I called Miss Auld and picked her up yesterday and drove her to the station. It seemed to please her. She will be in Minneapolis in the morning so will call the girls then plan to see them next week on her way back.
Your Tipso drive in the moonlight sounded wonderful.
Ruthie is in one play June 2nd at 2 P.M. That same day is Jeanie’s Piano Recital at 4. We plan to move that weekend so we sure will be busy. The house is coming along swell. Haven’t sold this place yet. One party was back tonight for the 4th time but I do not believe they will buy. They love the grounds but would need to make too many changes in the house.
Hope to see you soon. Come down when you can.
Love to all, Gladys.

739 5/21/1951 Sadie Erwin to Helen Carlson

2008-12-04T16:50:00.037-08:00

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington
Monday, May 21, 1951

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota

My Dear Helen,
Your letter written Thursday at the hospital and Stella’s written Friday, came this morning. I appreciated your call Friday night very, very much.
Stella’s wire hit me hard for I had had so much faith that we would win over the doctors material laws. Little Davy has served his mission here if he has helped us all to become better students of the truth, and we know he is with God and safe from all earthly woes.
Papa and I had to go into Tacoma Friday to the paper house to get supplies. Of course my thoughts were with you all most of the day.
Gladys and the girls came up Saturday afternoon. I worked at the store until 3 P. M. then came home. Went over to Ruth’s where Gladys and the girls were. Jim got off at 7:30 that night. Went down to Bellevue. Ruth had gone home with Gladys earlier.
Our weather is beautiful. We were very busy at the store yesterday. Last night after work (10 P. M.) Papa and I drove to Greenwater. Had a lunch there, then drove on up to Tipso. The mountains were beautiful in the full of the moon. They had just opened the pass to thru traffic Saturday. There were just a steady stream of cars going both ways all day. After reaching the second Y there was lots of snow all around. By the time we reached the top there were just two narrow lanes to travel in with banks of snow twice, and some places three times, as high as the car on both sides.
Jim, Ruth and Gary will leave tomorrow night to go over to Oregon to see Jack Thim and Gertie for a few days. Will be back to work Saturday. Gladys Haff will help out some while he is gone.
I’ll write as often as I can and you girls keep me informed of your plans. I trust you can come west real soon. You will be more anxious to leave that neighborhood than ever now that you know there has been a lot of gossip, but suppose it is no worse than some others. I am glad the Carlsons have been so willing to help in every way they could.
Cully says there is no doubt but Elmer could land a good position out here and thinks he should just come on out. However, let divine Love lead the way, then it will unfold as it should, for you can not be out of your right place, and there is a place for us all.
More later.
Love to all, Mother.

687 5/18/1951 Stella Benson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.035-08:00

Stella Benson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, May 18, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Mother and Pop,
I just sent the telegram. It’s now just five in the morning.
Helen and Elmer came home from the hospital about six last night. I had dinner all ready and then Helen went right to bed. She was just exhausted from loss of sleep. I wanted to go sit with the baby last night, but had no car or money. I’m sure Elmer would have given me money but he really felt as if the baby was being well taken care of and that we needed our rest. I went to bed about 8:30 and read for him until about ten and then went to sleep.
The hospital called about 12:30. Elmer went right down. He sat and held the baby’s hand. He said the baby’s eyes were just glossy and didn’t seem to see him. Also blood started coming from the stomach up the tube. About half an hour before he died the baby just closed his eyes as if he was just worn out.
The nurses were going to fix him up some and Elmer came to get Helen to see him. I didn’t go because I thought it should be just the two of them.
They will not have a funeral. He is going to be cremated.
I tried and Helen sure tried too but I guess tonight I was just too tired to do what I should have. Maybe if I had only gone down I could have prevented this. I guess I’ll never know.
We all had hoped so he would make the grade but at least they have warned us enough so it didn’t come as quite a shock, but still is hard to believe.
Will close now and get dressed and have things straightened a little before they get back.
We will both write later. I wonder if Helen will leave Elmer alone for the summer now. Will have to wait and see.
Love, Stella
P.S.
Tell Harold for me. I won’t write him today.

688 5/17/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.033-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Thursday, May 17, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I’m up here with Davy so thought I would write a few lines to you. Elmer’s sister Florence sat with Davy this morning until I got here which was about one. Stella and I have sat here all night the last two nights. Last night there was a shift of dumb nurses on and Stella and I were glad we were here but ordinarily the nurses take good care of him and are in and out all the time so I don’t really think he needs a special nurse. Davy is more or less in a coma and lies so still but he drinks a little milk from the bottle at feeding times. He is getting awfully thin. We are knowing the truth for him constantly and I keep knowing he lives in mind and not in body.
Mother, I don’t think there is any use in coming right now. You are busy at the store and I know you would come and you know I would love to have you but Stella is good company and good moral support and we are both learning a lot in Science. As for the kids going back with Stella, I can’t even think that far ahead.
I called Stella a few minutes ago. She had talked to you. Thanks for sending Grace the 25 dollars. Please keep track of what you are spending, including your telephone bills.
Helen
Friday morning
Davy passed at 3:30 A.M. Elmer was with him and held his hand. He came back for me and we went down to the hospital. Davy already was tightening up and didn’t look like my little baby. He would have been 7 months tomorrow. We’re not having a funeral. Cremation. More later.
Love, Helen

686 5/15/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.031-08:00

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

685 5/13/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.029-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Sunday, May 13, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
Eden and Wally and their girls are due over pretty soon as they have been over to Eden’s mother’s house today and are going to be going back to Anoka so will stop here for a few minutes to see Stella and Sandy.
I hope you had a happy Mother’s Day, Mother. Stella and I certainly planned to get a gift off to you but we haven’t been getting a thing done around here other than run back and forth to see Davy. I’m sorry we got you out of bed this morning but as soon as we get scared we run for the phone to call you. Elmer and I dashed down to the hospital after they called us to tell us Davy was failing but by the time we arrived there he already was a little better. I feel so helpless and get almost frantic when I think of him full of tubes and I have no way of getting him out of there. They took the tube out of his nose yesterday and the nurse said he was happy and smiled and cooed at her but in a few minutes he filled right up with gas and got sick and uncomfortable so they had to put the tube back again. Poor little thing, he looks so pitiful. He also has a tube on his penis and then the thing sticking in a vein in his leg where he gets his feedings. Today, however, they did start to give him milk and they said he just loved it. He was having pains when we were down there again this afternoon and he looked pretty sick but we discovered that tube down his nose was plugged up so we got the nurse to fix it before we left. This operation was a terrible thing and when I get him home I just have to get him away from this neighborhood. Before he went to the hospital someone reported us to the school for letting our baby die without medical aid and the teachers questioned Mary and Jimmy and when I heard that I was good and mad and called the school up and made a fuss about that and everyone is doing so much talking that I just want to get Davy away from here. I want to come back with Stella but it doesn’t seem fair to you to stay with you for awhile with three kids. Mary and Jimmy wouldn’t cause any trouble and I’m sure they wouldn’t disturb you when you were sleeping but I don’t know about Davy. Elmer said I could have a real estate appraiser out here to see how much we can sell the house for and he said if we did that I could either go out with Stella and check on houses to buy out there or probably it would be better to stay here and wait until the house is sold and be here to help move out. I don’t know yet what we will do. It all depends on when we get Davy home and then we can start thinking of other things.
Stella and Sandy and I went to church today and enjoyed it very much. We went down to see Rose in the Sunday school afterwards and then took her up to Lake Street to the Hasty Tasty. She said John has been going to a psychiatrist but isn’t much better. I still don’t know what is wrong with him. We got our first bill from the hospital for the first seven days and it was for almost 250 dollars. 60 dollars alone for blood transfusions and 50 dollars for the use of the operating room. Elmer’s dad paid the bill for us.
Morning
Haemigs showed up so I had to quit. Elmer will mail this. Thanks very, very much for the check. Your telephone bill worries me so we’ll try to write instead or send a wire.
Love, Helen

738 5/12/1951 Sadie Erwin to Helen Carlson

2008-12-04T16:50:00.027-08:00

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington
Saturday, May 12, 1951

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota

Dear Helen & Stella,
I’ll start a letter to you tonight and add to it as I can. A nice letter from each of you came this afternoon, then just before I went up to the store late this afternoon your Mother’s Day wire was telephoned to me from Tacoma. Many thanks to you both.
It rained here today off and on. Hope we have a nice day tomorrow. I went up to the store this morning and worked until about three o’clock, then back there again this evening.
I think it is wonderful the baby has been spared. If God was with you girls the night he seemed to be passing on, He certainly can take care of him the rest of the way.
Ducts in his liver is not his life. God is his life. It has been proven once, and there is no doubt of the perfect healing for him in our minds. It was grand you two girls could stand so firm in the face of death. You must have a better foundation in C. S. than you realized.
That Tuesday night after talking with you, Stella, I called Gladys. She was out. I did not wait long before calling Miss Auld. She said she would go right to work on life. Said she had been restless that evening. Sort of waiting for something. Said it must have been my call. She is also working for him to be perfect in every way. That same evening Gladys felt uneasy and had tried early in the evening to get me. She called right after I talked to Miss Auld. She and Cully both worked for Davy that night. Cully kept saying, “that little guy must live and get well when we all are working and praying for him.” Cully has a lot of faith in C. S. and tries to apply it the best he knows how.
We know this is costing a lot of money, Helen. Papa and I feel we can loan you at least $1000.00 if you want it. You can pay us when ever you can spare it. If you want to you can allow us 3% interest. That is more than we get by leaving it in the bank. Let me know right away how much you need and I’ll send you a check. You do not owe us a thing for telephone calls. Just forget about that. We wanted to hear quickly about Davy. Gladys has already given me 4.00 and would give me more if I wanted it.
We all are so glad Stella went back just at the time she did. Another proof of divine Love’s care for you back there.
Sandra is a sweet girl. Nothing naughty about her. Hope she is having a good time, and I am sure the children enjoy having her there.
Harold was up to the store last night just before we closed. Said he was writing to you Stella about the car he has lined up for you to drive home. He gave me the address of the company you are to get the car from, in case you should call before getting his letter. Said for you to contact them right away. He wants you to stay long enough to see some friends and not to feel hurried. Hoped you could play some golf. After leaving the store he went over to Jim’s.
I saw Bernice, Friday. She and the Lane girl were going past the store. Flash was with them. Both girls were on Bernice’s horse going out after Virginia’s horse. I talked to Belle one day last week. They seem to be getting along fine. Hope you have heard from them. Harold spoke as though he had written several times. Maybe he forgot to mail his letters.
Madeline’s sister, Mrs. Leaf, was in the store last night. Said Madeline was having a wonderful time in Dakota. Expected to return to Minneapolis to come home with you, Stella.
Monday night
I could not finish this after talking with you, Stella, yesterday morning. We all felt that Davy would live for we certainly declared life for him many times. Later a sense of peace came over me and I knew he was living, only we wanted to hear the good word from you folks.
We were very busy at the store yesterday. It wasn’t really a nice day although it did not rain. It was cloudy much of the time and a cold wind blew in the morning. We kept waiting to hear from you. Jim called the operator to have all my house calls transferred to the store. Then when evening came we realized it was hard to get a call thru when Harold’s call was delayed from 8 to 10 hours. He was to let me know when his call went thru, but must have thought it too late last night to call me. I called Gladys right away this A. M. after talking with you. She said she would call Grace right away, and then write you a letter.
I feel sure this healing of Davie’s will bring other good to light. You have wanted to come out here to live for such a long time. It will be wonderful to have you here. You will find your house will have a good buyer and you can not lose on what it has cost you. Papa said not long ago he saw an ad where Boeing wanted engineers. Elmer will have no trouble in finding a job, I know. There is always room for you here, Helen. The baby will not bother Papa or me. He sleeps upstairs and does not hear the noise down here. We have plenty of room and we want you to come. Write often and let me know how everything is progressing. Insist on taking the baby home as soon as possible. And keep in close touch with Grace Auld. She is so faithful and is doing some wonderful work.
I will write again just as soon as your letter comes, which should be tomorrow afternoon. I am going down to Gladys’s Wednesday. She wants me to come down so we can just talk, about Davy, C. S., your coming and everything in general
I stopped at Ruth’s on my way to work this afternoon. She was giving Bernice a Toni. Belle was there too. Harold forgot to tell her where Bernice was, then she saw Flash at Ruth’s and felt sure Bernice must be there. I take it that she checks on Bernice every night after school.
It is midnight.
Love to you all, Mother.

684 5/9/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.025-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, May 09, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
Elmer and I just came home from the hospital and Davy is so much better and looks and acts like his old self. He held his rattle and he drinks a lot of water and he even talked to us. Stella and I sure put in a tough night last night. First the hospital called about eight in the evening and said they thought it would be a good idea if Elmer and I came down so we went right away but there wasn’t much we could do so we stayed a couple of hours and then came home. Elmer went to bed and Stella and I put the coffee on and we were sitting at the dining room table talking when the phone rang and the nurse said we should hurry right down and Davy would be going at any time. We told Elmer we were going and we hurried down there. Stella and I sat right by the crib and knew God was Davy’s life and God fills all space. The tension got pretty bad and pretty soon the nurse ran in with her stethoscope to hear Davy’s heart and the other nurse ran in with he log book to write down the exact time of passing and the nurse said, “this is it” and Davy took a deep hard breath and we could see the blanket go up with the breath and it stayed up and then it came down again when he let his breath out. Stella and I just stood there saying God is his life. Then we realized that we couldn’t think clearly with all that going on so we left and went down to the main floor and sat in the lobby and kept thinking those same things. We stayed there an hour and then Stella ran upstairs and they met her with smiles and told her Davy’s temperature had gone way down and he was sleeping normally. We stayed there until eight o’clock this morning and Davy was doing so fine we came home and I slept. Stella couldn’t go to sleep so she straightened up things around here and got in a nap this afternoon while I went back to the hospital. Davy still has the tube down his nose but that is just taking gas off from his stomach and I don’t think it is too uncomfortable. He also has a needle in his leg as he is getting these intravenous feedings. Last night he also had a tube up his rectum which sent in cool water but they took that out when his temperature dropped. Oh, I will be so thankful when I get him home. Then we will go to work on the other business and I know that will turn out perfectly too. According to the doctors he has about seven months to live at the longest since they say he has no ducts but I’m not worried and Elmer too said to get to work on my Christian Science so Davy will live. I want Elmer to sell the house and move out there where we will be around all the right thoughts and Elmer wants to go too. If we can afford to leave this town I’m sure we will but Elmer says if we sell the house we just have to keep enough to buy another house and we will now be up to our necks in doctor and hospital bills but I should think we could pay on them out there just as well as we could here. Tell Gladys I got her letter the other day. She wanted to know if I had Mrs. Bruff stop her treatments when I called Miss Auld and I did. I asked Mrs. Bruff to send me the amount I owe her but she hasn’t done it so I will call her tomorrow and talk to her and straighten everything out. I’m so glad, mother, you happened to mention Grace Auld the other day on the telephone, otherwise I wouldn’t have thought of asking for help from a practitioner so far away. I will certainly make up for all the telephone calls you are going to have on your bill. You will have an awful bill. I’m so glad Stella is here. She is the one I needed last night at the hospital instead of Elmer. I was so glad she was with me. Stella did get to have one golf game so far. I think it was Tuesday morning she went out with a neighbor and they played nine holes. Stella said she played just a terrible game and here she had hoped to be a little good in front of this other girl but I’m sure she will have better luck next time. She enjoyed it anyway.
How is Gary coming along. He is probably all over the mumps by now. Sandy and Jim and Mary are having lots of fun and they get along just swell. Sandy is such a nice little girl. Stella called up our school principal to see if they would take Sandy in school while she is here but the rooms are so overcrowded they just had to turn her down. Jimmy brings home his arithmetic and speller, though, so Stella tried to give Sandy some lessons. Our weather has been very nice but it did turn a little cooler tonight so Elmer had to turn the oil burner back on.
How are you Pop? I sure hope we will move out there so I can see all of you often.
Well, I had better stop for now Folks but I really appreciate everything you’re doing for Davy. All the help and all the telephone calls and now I can write Grace Auld a letter and tell her how wonderful things are coming along.
With Love, Helen

683 5/9/1951 Stella Benson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.023-08:00

Stella Benson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, May 09, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Mother and Pop,
Last night Helen and I both felt that Davy received a wonderful demonstration. The hospital called about 8 o’clock and wanted to prepare them that he might not make the grade. They went down and about 10 came home again. Helen and I were sitting and talking and drinking coffee right after we called you and the phone rang and it was the hospital and they told us to get right over. Elmer stayed home and Helen and I went. They expected him to go any time and Helen and I sat there and told him he was God’s perfect child and no one’s thoughts could possibly hurt him and everything else that came to our minds. I kept thinking over and over that God is his life. About four o’clock they really worked over him so Helen and I left and went down in the lobby and really worked for him away from seeing all the things being done. We both dropped off to sleep and at five I went back up to see him. The nurses couldn’t get over it; his temperature had dropped way down and he was breathing normally and looked just perfect. I practically ran downstairs to tell Helen. She could see the good news the minute I walked in the room. We stayed with him until eight o’clock this morning so by the time we got home and cooked breakfast we were too tired to even call anyone then.
Helen and Elmer both went to see him today and he is really doing swell and looks good. He will be ok now.
I was suppose to go to a bridge luncheon at 12:30 today but of course called and said I couldn’t possibly make it.
I sure wish my family would write. I’m not going to write to them anymore. Also, wish I’d get a car. I’m sure lost with no means of transportation.
Davy is a darling baby and feel that he is going to be perfectly ok now.
It’s sure been nice talking to you but you will have a terrible phone bill.
Lots of Love,
Stella
Hope you had a nice trip. Will be fun to hear what you did.
All of the Carlson Family are acting just wonderful. Nellie brought over rolls and home-baked bread today and also said she would look after the children while we slept. Mr. Carlson went right to the hospital earlier last night to see Davy and also called again tonight. Florence also went to see him and sit with him today. Maybe all this is going to help for harmony in the family group here. I don’t know but I feel pretty sure Elmer read the Science and Health while we were gone last night. I left it sitting right out here and a slip of paper had fallen out of it so he must have opened it.
More later.
Stella

682 5/6/1951 Stella Benson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.021-08:00

Stella Benson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Sunday, May 06, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

[Postcard enclosed]
Dear Folks,
Sure had a race to get on the train. The man at Auburn fixed our tickets all wrong. The scenery is beautiful and we’re having a wonderful time. Sandra is sleeping all curled up on the seat. It’s now 11:30 and we just left Spokane. I’ll try to sleep now.
Stella
Dear Mother,
Sorry I didn’t get the card sent before this.
I suppose by this time you know we tried to call you and then put the call in to Gladys. I reversed the charges because Helen has had such big bills. I’ll pay for the call when I get home. We were very upset and wanted to get hold of Grace Auld so talked to Gladys when we couldn’t get you. We felt just wonderful about an hour after talking to Gladys so felt Grace was working already. Grace called Helen early the next morning and Ruth called later in the day. We had a little information to give Ruth and told her to call Gladys.
The baby will be operated on at noon tomorrow (Monday). We have no fear anymore and feel confident he will be ok. The doctors told us they are afraid he has no ducts to his liver and that nothing can be done if that is true, but we hold to that as a lie and know he will have the necessary ducts.
I’ll close now and write tomorrow after the operation. Helen and I are going down in the morning to be with him before they operate. He is a darling baby.
More later.
Love, Stella.

681 4/23/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.019-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, April 23, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I just finished the dinner dishes so will answer your letter that came this afternoon. That is wonderful news about Stella coming, although I won’t believe it until I hear she is actually on the train. Both Jim and Mary are terribly excited about seeing Sandy. What is Bernice going to do. We will sure have a busy time and I just hope the weather is nice. It was wonderful out today. Really, the first nice spring day.
Elmer quit his job last Friday and started at the new place today. He had met a classmate on the street and this fellow asked Elmer if he knew of a structural engineer who was looking for a job and Elmer said he was interested if they paid good enough. He went over and talked to the men and they offered him 75 a month more than he was getting with Magney-Tussler and Setter. Elmer told Mr Magney and he said he would like to keep Elmer but they were not able to give him that much of a raise. Elmer quit then but Mr. Magney told him if he ever wanted to come back there to work they would always be glad to have him. It’s always a good idea to leave on friendly terms I think. Elmer is still interested in other jobs, however, but this one will be better than what he had until something else comes along. His hours are better on this job. He gets out at 4:30 instead of 5 o’clock. The 75 dollars raise really isn’t so very much more after they take out for income tax, but it will all help.
I took Davy down to see the practitioner as planned. Our appointment was for 1:30 and ordinarily that time would be o.k. but he decided not to sleep much that morning so by 1:30 he was really sleepy and he didn’t want to sit still or anything so we didn’t stay very long. Mrs. Bruff would like me to bring him down and leave him alone with her for about an hour but I don’t know how that would work out. He sleeps so much that it is hard to plan anything with him during the day. I thought Davy looked pretty good today but Elmer thought he looked green.
Thanks for the birthday card with the dollar to Jimmy. He loves to get money as he is on an allowance so he really watches his nickels. He said he was going to write you a letter and thank you for it.
I think it is just a shame that that darn Ralph causes the kids so much trouble. Isn’t there some way they can get rid of him? He is spoiling things for himself. I’m glad Stella and Ruth wouldn’t play golf with him. Mrs. Dahlstrom called me up the first thing in the morning after he had called her. She said he thinks they should fly out. They are kind of thinking of doing that because their car needs repairs. She talks about all the cooking and baking she will do for Ralph and he is hungry for so many things, so he said. She had better let Glad and Cully in on their plans as she hopes to have one of their cars to use if they should fly out.
After supper tonight Mary and her girl friend took Davy for a ride in his buggy. When they brought him home I gave him a warm bath in the bathtub and got him ready for bed so he should sleep good tonight. Mary is trying hard to go to sleep now but she keeps saying she wants Sandy to visit school one day. Jimmy is just as excited as Mary. Stella and Sandy can have the kids room and Mary and Jimmy will sleep upstairs. Sandy can sleep up there with them if she wants to. We moved the studio couch up there and there is another bed there and I have fixed it up pretty good so the kids like it at least.
Well Folks I had better stop for now and get this right in the envelope and addressed so I’ll be sure and have it ready for Elmer tomorrow. I thought the lesson was awfully good last week. Mrs. Bruff works for Davy every day, of course, and I’m sure Elmer will think he looks better one of these days.
Love, Helen

680 4/16/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.017-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, April 16, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I’ve been terrible about writing. I think I’m busy and you are twice as busy so I don’t see how you ever get any letters written. I’ve been making Mary a spring coat. It is royal blue gabardine with a bright plaid taffeta lining. I will also make the slacks to match to wear on chilly days.
Saturday Jimmy had his birthday party. A little premature but it was for the Saturday matinee. I had the twelve Cub Scouts over for lunch. They certainly behaved beautifully and used their best manners. They ate hot dogs and drank pop until I thought they would surely bust. I also had a spaghetti hot dish and then cake and ice cream. Then Pierce took half of them in his car and Elmer the other half in our car and drove them over to see the matinee, then they picked them up when it was over. When they got home the whole bunch played Cowboys and Indians outside. They are just beginning to play in a gang now. Until recently they paired off. The neighbors kick now because the boys run all over everyone’s yard and the ground is so soft from the frost just coming out of it. It snows every single day but it doesn’t stay on the ground and most of the old snow is gone.
Saturday night Elmer and I were invited over to Delores and Bob’s. We didn’t feel like going but I didn’t have a good excuse ready when she asked me. They come over here all the time. Just like they used to. Now Delores is mad at another friend of hers so I don’t trust her one single bit. Sunday Agnes called me after church and said she was going home and fix dinner and then if we weren’t going to be busy she and Fred would drive over. I put off our dinner then and we just snacked. Then I fixed dinner about five o’clock so Agnes and Fred could eat with us. The Close’s are all fine. Aunt Annie is up and around but still thinks she is an invalid. She has never been to Hamel to see Agnes’s house. She doesn’t think she can stand the trip.
Tuesday
I talked to you this noon and it sure is nice to be able to call up. It was fun talking to Ruth too.
Wednesday
I had to quit again as our pals – Delores and Bob dropped over with their two kids. Anyway, Mrs. Dahlstrom called me this morning to tell me Ralph had called her and she was very happy. You see, Ralph wrote and asked for his golf clubs and bag. When they saw what bad condition it was in they all pitched in and bought him a new bag. Then Wally also gave Ralph some of his good clubs. Mr. Dahlstrom packed the clubs and bag (Pop you know what a job that is) and sent them. They thought he would be so surprised when he opened up the package and found this nice new bag and clubs instead of his old one and then after three weeks they still hadn’t heard if he ever received them – thanks for fixing things up. I blame Ralph for all the trouble. He came back here full of complaints and gripes and told how abused he was and naturally his own mother would believe him and suggest things he should do when he got back there. I even heard him say he could stay at best a month and I heard plenty of his lies. I’m pretty sure Dahlstroms will go out this summer but they do plan to make Ralph’s house their headquarters.
Elmer hasn’t heard anything from Seattle. I think, in fact I know I told Gladys we weren’t getting along as well, but we really are. Elmer said too he’s been hard to get along with because he’s thinking about Davy so much. I really wouldn’t be too worried about Davy if Elmer wouldn’t every once in a while comment on it. The other night he looked at Davy and said, oh, he’s almost green. The whites of his eyes are green, but he looks better to me today. After I talked to you yesterday I went over to Selma’s for coffee and she didn’t notice anything until I was ready to leave and then she said, “gee he is a pretty color.” His hair is still real red so his skin kind of blends in with it.
The kids will soon be coming from school and then I’m going to the store. I’ll take Davy along. Jimmy’s birthday is today so I have to bake another cake but am going to get a box of cake mix. Elmer bought him a baseball mitt and baseball. Jim is a Southpaw and Elmer had a hard time finding that kind of a mitt. On the kid’s report cards S is the highest mark and it stands for superior. Jimmy gets all S’s every time and on this last report card he was marked with S+ instead of just S. Mary does just fine too. I’ll stop for now Folks and mail this when I go to the store. It’s been snowing again today. Are there floods out there now. St. Paul is having a flood.
Love, Helen

679 4/5/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.015-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Thursday, April 05, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
The day has come that I’ve waited six months for and that is that I’m sitting out on our front stoop with a sweater on. Davy is sitting here with me in his Teeter-Babe. The temperature must be up to 40 and it’s melting but the bare ground does show in patches. Still lots of snow however.
Your nice long letter came this afternoon. That will be fine if Stella can get some wear out of the black dress. I hope Jeanne and Gail are feeling fine now. Jim and Mary and Elmer had mumps a couple of years ago but it didn’t make them very sick if I remember right.
This morning I took Davy up to the grocery store.
Friday Night
Dear Folks, My letter didn’t get so far yesterday afternoon as the woman across the street came over with her little girl and then Elmer came home early as he had been out to Hopkins looking at some job he is working on. Anyway, the bombshell has kind of hit us again and I’m back to a practitioner again. I hate to even say this in writing but I do believe Davy is yellower than ever, at least he isn’t at all any whiter. Elmer said last night that we had to come to some decision and wanted to know how much more time I wanted. He is plenty worried and I can’t blame him. Anyway last night I told him I had to think about it and I didn’t want to talk about it right then. Today I went over to see Mrs. Scott, my neighbor who lives on the other side of Nellie, and she is a very good Scientist and has been for many years. I told her about everything and told her how I felt about Mrs. Reed. I’m nervous when I talk to Mrs. Reed and I don’t feel at ease and I was always so glad when we hung up, although I know she is awfully nice and really worked hard for Davy. I just hated to think of calling her up again and talking to her every morning. Mrs. Scott said the first thing I had to do was get another practitioner. She knows lots of them and she said there are different types who will suit different people better so she gave me the name of one who she feels is right for me. I came home and called her and I have an appointment with her for tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock. I am going to bring Davy with me. It just has to be worked out this time. Today I read almost all day long, and it says you have to get rid of your fear before the healing can be completed and I can’t get rid of my fear and worry. Elmer especially is feeling hurried about this because we can’t forget what that doctor said would happen if the condition wasn’t corrected. As far as Davy is concerned he feels just wonderful and now he tries hard to crawl when he is put down on the floor. He is so happy and cute that it seems impossible that there can be anything wrong. I was going to call you up today but then remembered you had probably left for Canada. I hope you did get to go on the trip. I will want to hear all about it.
It is raining out tonight so should wash most of the snow away. All the yards look just terrible after being covered up for so long and there is so much trash lying around all over that dogs had dragged around the last minute and then it got covered up with snow.
I have spoiled Davy pretty much so that he isn’t too anxious to go to bed at night without a lot of fuss so tonight I realized that I have been treating him like a sick child and I shouldn’t do that so I got him ready for bed and put him in his crib and gave him a couple of pats and walked out. He cried for about two minutes and then was sound asleep and I’ve had a much longer evening to myself. Christian Science is a strange thing. You have to know exactly how to apply it before you can heal. You can think you are doing everything but be on the wrong track so then your work doesn’t do any good. I guess it all adds up to the fact that you first have to banish all doubt and fear. If you could do that then the healing would be instantaneous.
Well enough for now folks. I’ll let you know about this new practitioner. Her name is Mrs. Agnes Bruff. She lives in a hotel down around 10th and something. I have to look up the address. She has a nice voice over the telephone. Mrs. Scott said she is the type I can lean on and she won’t make me feel like I have to do half of it, although of course I will, but at least I can feel like she will get Davy over this. I hope you are all fine and I’ll write more soon.
With Love, Helen

678 4/2/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.013-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, April 02, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
The kids have used all my typing paper so I will have to use Mary’s tonight. The weather is warmer but still snowing. Saturday night we went over to Fernstrom’s and it snowed hard all night. The thaw has started, though, so maybe by May the snow will be gone.
Davy is over the chickenpox by now and is feeling good again. He was really covered and even had them in his eyes and mouth but they didn’t seem to bother him too much. He feels just wonderful and now he likes to sit in the jumping chair. He almost has a tooth and is getting so cute. He still has a yellow tinge but I think he looks more tannish now. With his red hair maybe he never will be real white.
I sure hope we will hear something soon about that job in Seattle. Everyone is ready to leave Minneapolis after the terrible winter we had and are still having.
Mary had a letter today from Jeannie Dahlstrom. She said she had the mumps. I hope everyone is fine there now.
Mrs. Dahlstrom called me the other day. I asked her if they were planning on going out there this summer and she said they do plan to go if Andrew can get some extra time. They will drive out and will stay with Ralph part of the time and with Gladys part of the time.
Last Friday night the Cubs had their pack meeting up at school. It’s their big meeting which meets once a month and it’s just like old home week up at school on that night as so many I knew at school and at General Mills live out in the Park now. Both Jimmy and Dickie Bonander got awards this last Friday so Bonanders and us took the kids to the drugstore afterwards and bought them some ice cream. Then Bonanders took Dickie home and came back over here and we played bridge.
I will stop for now Folks as I want to write letters to the girls. I hope you are all fine.
Love, Helen

677 3/25/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.011-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Sunday, March 25, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I hope you had a happy Easter. It snowed hard here most of the day but did warm up this afternoon. Jimmy and Mary went to the matinee for something to do. I didn’t fix a big dinner and we didn’t have our company as planned because yesterday Davy came down with the chickenpox. The poor little thing is really covered with them and is so uncomfortable that I didn’t get a bit of sleep last night. I hope one of these days I can write you a more cheerful letter. If I can just hold out until spring, things won’t seem so bad but all this snow and gloomy weather is enough to drive a person crazy.
Yesterday I went up to Lake Street to buy some Easter eggs and then I stopped in the supermarket up there to get a couple of things and I saw something just terrible. It was a woman without a face. What was supposedly her face was just a mass of flesh in huge bulges and a little knot hung out for her chin. She had absolutely no mouth and no indentation even where the mouth should have been. Her eyes were just two marks in this flesh and besides all that the face was purple with splotches of white here and there. She was a large woman. Her neck started from way up in the back of her head. She was a hideous monster and the women who saw her including me just gasped out loud when they saw her. I wanted to look the second time but just couldn’t. She was standing two lines over from me going up to the checking counter. The woman standing in front of me said she had seen her around Lake and Hennepin before. She must have some intelligence if she can go to the store alone, but aside from the horrible face she walked like an ape. It was the most terrible thing I’ve ever seen.
8:30
Davy has been sleeping since 6:30 and this is the best sleep he has had since he got the chickenpox. Things have brightened up already just since I started my letter to you as Elmer has been spending this time writing letters to firms in Seattle. He also wrote to that firm who asked him for more information. He also saw in the Sunday paper today that there is a representative here from Boeing interviewing engineers so he is going to see him tomorrow. Of course I already have us out there but Elmer told me not to get my hopes up too much because they may not want to pay him anything but he will make a change to Seattle for the same salary he is getting here. He also wrote one letter to Boston, Massachusetts.
Eden just called me and told me the big news that she is expecting in August. She said now Stella is next. More later Folks.
Love, Helen

676 3/23/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.009-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, March 23, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
A nice letter came from you this afternoon. I have been bad about writing again but I’ve been doing a lot of reading for Davy. Those Highlights you sent me are just wonderful. I had Mrs. Reed stop working for Davy last week as I thought he was o.k. but he is definitely still yellow. Now that I am doing some serious reading I’m beginning to really understand Christian Science for the first time, although before I relied on it but that is all. Now what I read seems so clear to me and I feel that this demonstration is for me as well as Davy. I talk to him all the time he is awake and that keeps my mind active in the belief that he is all right. I can look at him and actually see him change from yellow to pure white but then I let myself go back and see him as yellow. It’s all in my mind I know. Elmer doesn’t notice it during the week because by the time he gets home from work the lights are on and then it doesn’t show up so much. Mrs. Reed called me today to see how everything was going and I said just fine. I will have her work for him again as soon as I think I should call her back but I’m confident that I can work this out myself because thinking back over the years I’ve done some pretty effective work myself and now I feel as though I am even more capable.
It has snowed again all day today. I had Gene come over this morning and stay with Davy while I went shopping. The kids are home this week for Easter vacation. Sunday I am having Bob and Delores over for a ham dinner. That might seem like a funny thing but I’m holding no grudges any more.
Jimmy and Davy didn’t get the chicken pox and according to the belief, yesterday was the day they were to come down with it.
Tomorrow morning I have to go out and buy some more chocolate Easter eggs. I bought them too early this year and have eaten them all by now.
By the way, did you ever get that other picture of Jimmy and Mary? I don’t remember that you mentioned it. I finally got Gladys’s suit and corset sent back to her. Saturdays have been the only days I have gotten out this winter and there were many Saturdays I couldn’t get out even then on account of the weather so I blame that on being so slow in getting things mailed. I got so behind in my ironing that last week I sent six shirts out to the laundry. They came back just beautifully done and for the first time in ages my ironing basket is absolutely empty. It cost a dollar and a half for six shirts but it certainly was a wonderful feeling to hand those dirty shirts to somebody else to do.
Last Monday night I went to the sewing club. It was at Joyce Praull’s house. Mayme was there and she had gone on a diet and had lost over 30 pounds and she looks just wonderful. I just couldn’t get over the change in her. She also had bought a new dress that fit her nice and she really looked good. She lost the weight just in the right places, around her hips and waist and her face didn’t get haggard and too thin. They were all peeved at Gerry Woodfull because she didn’t show up at club and didn’t call and five of the girls were planning on getting a ride home with her as they usually do so I took everyone home. It was a terrible night too and the brakes had frozen but they unfroze after I had driven about two blocks.
On the way over there I picked Frances Woodfull up and she told me she was pregnant again for the fifth time and she sure feels sick about it. She said she doesn’t see how she can possibly do all the work. She hasn’t told anyone else yet. Her three boys were less than two years apart and then she didn’t get pregnant for six years now these last two will be less than two years apart. She hopes it will be a girl. I’m going to give her my maternity dresses. The baby is due on Davy’s first birthday. Their aunt Alice was over there at Joyce’s that night too. We laughed about Hazel Monday night as Mayme told how when Hazel was here she told somebody or other that when they sent her a Christmas card they had to be sure and write a nice long letter with it and they were not to send her just a card with their names on it and she made such an issue over it that at Christmas time she got their card with a nice long letter enclosed and here she had forgotten to even send them a card.
Well Folks I will do better about writing from now on and I had better stop for now. I’m going to get the kids into bed and then do some more reading when it is quiet.
With Love, Helen
P.S. I told you Warnie brought me back a present from Japan. It is a large beautiful white silk scarf with hand painted designs on it. It is large enough to tie the opposite corners and wear as a blouse under my suit jacket. Jan is sending her two girls to a different Sunday school because it is closer to her house. I don’t see how she can do it because she talks Science to the little girls at home all the time and her mother sends her good articles from the Monitor and things like that and Jan really believes in it but I guess Warnie acted so terrible about their not going to Sunday school often enough that she decided to send them with the neighbor kids to a different one.

675 3/16/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.007-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, March 16, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I just hung up from talking to you, Mother, so I will write right now. Davy is definitely getting better but he is still yellowish. I could see the difference today when Parry came over with her little boy and he is so very white that it really showed Davy up but Davy is so much lighter than he was. Now his legs and hands and arms are about as white as they should be and also his forehead but he still has the yellow tinge on the rest of him and his eyes are still a little greenish, but they also are much, much clearer. I did have Mrs. Reed stop working for him this week but will call her again if I think it is necessary. I could see Davy improve when she was working for him and she certainly did a lot for my peace of mind also.
Mary has written all of you letters again because she was home all week with the chicken pox. She felt good though but got pretty bored from staying in the house. Next week is Easter vacation so she will be fine by then. She was really covered.
Mrs. Dahlstrom called me the other day and wanted me to send her a slack pattern that she remembered I had bought two years ago. She was making the Dahlstrom girls slacks. She called back the next day and said she had gotten one from someone else so I didn’t need to send it. She told me how Ralph had some land in California that he was going to sell and then he was going to build a house and they could come out there and live if they wanted to. I really don’t think they would ever leave Minneapolis but they would have a place to stay when they wanted to go out and visit. I wonder what Gladys had to tell Stella. Stella said she had called her today but she wasn’t home.
I hope your cold is better Mother. I have had one this week too but it is much better tonight. I went to the bank after supper tonight as it is open on Friday nights and I wanted to deposit Elmer’s check. I was so glad the chains were on the car because the streets are a sheet of ice and terribly slippery.
Saturday night we are going over to Corl’s. Ferstroms and Martins will be there too. I’m looking forward to it because we have been out so seldom this winter and we had worried so much about Davy that it will just seem good to get out. Warnie just got back last week from the Orient and he brought me back a present and will give it to me tomorrow night. Before coming back he took his clothes to a laundry over there and it cost nine cents in American money for the whole bundle. He said he wouldn’t like to live over there as it is too different.
Are you going to have the store opened Easter? One nice thing about this terrible winter is nobody will need any new Easter clothes. It looks like it will be a long time before we put the winter coats away.
Well Folks I will stop for this time but I believe the telephone calls from you do me more good than anything. I’ll call the next time which will be soon. In the meantime Davy can use plenty of help and I’m so glad to have the Highlights you sent me. I’m sure that the fact I’m not worried about him anymore and I feel sure he is alright right now has been the biggest obstacle to overcome. What’s even better than that is that Elmer doesn’t think anything is wrong with him either. Goodnight for now folks and thanks for calling and I’ll write soon.
Love, Helen
P.S. I’ll enclose Mary’s letter. She has written everyone letters this week.

674 3/12/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.005-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, March 12, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I got lots of letters today. One from you, Gladys and Stella and Mary got her nice letter from you also. I just got everyone to bed so will write to you right now. It certainly was swell talking to you Thursday night and I felt much, much better about Davy after hearing that there have been other yellow babies. I just knew you would call me. I would have written over the weekend but Mary came down with the chicken pox Friday and boy has she ever been fussy. She itches and is awfully uncomfortable but they are starting to fade a little already. She certainly was covered with them.
The snow is still coming down. It has snowed for days I believe. Usually in Minneapolis the sun shines a lot all winter even though it is way below zero but this winter it has snowed so much that we have hardly seen the sun. This is the fifth full month of snow and everybody hates it so much and can think of nothing but spring. Mary says she has forgotten what summer is like.
I’m sorry to hear Rose’s mother passed away. That has been another reason I have wanted to get to church to see her. This last Sunday I was up early and definitely planned to go to church and by the time the snowplow had been through the snow was as high as the car and it would have taken such a long time to dig it up that I decided I would just have to wait until decent weather comes before I can go.
Yes, I did ask Mrs. Reed if she wanted me to call her every day and she said yes she thought we should keep in very close contact so I usually call her about 10 o’clock every morning and she calls me back before she leaves for the afternoon and talks and reads different especially good sections to me over the phone. I think she is just wonderful. Davy is coming along just fine. Under the artificial light nothing shows up at all, it is just during the daytime now that I can see any tinge of yellow and today he looked just wonderful. I believe I will tell Mrs. Reed tomorrow that I will carry on from here alone. I thought maybe I am relying on her too much and if I try especially hard myself he’ll benefit from it as well as I will. Her, Mrs. Reed’s, work has always been very quick and the change in Davy just this week that he has been home has been miraculous. The first day she worked for Davy, when Elmer came home that night, he looked at Davy and said, “he’s well”. It was thoughts that retarded him I think because I kept looking for the color.
Thursday: Here it is the end of the week almost so I must get this letter off. Mary has been so bored all week that I have tried to entertain her a little during the day and haven’t gotten much done. Davy looks better every single day and he certainly feels wonderful. I had Mrs. Reed stop working for him because I feel as though Davy is well and I’m not one bit worried about him. Thanks for sending me the highlights in the Science and Health to read. I still want to do a lot of work for Davy since it isn’t entirely cleared up yet.
Today the sun is shining and it is warming up a little but it will certainly be a wet spring with all this snow to melt. Yesterday I thought it looked quite nice out so I went out with the snow shovel and decided to dig the car out. Elmer’s dad saw me, I guess, because he came right down and took the shovel and started in. I didn’t want him to because the snow is awfully wet now and he has enough to shovel at his own place but he seemed to want to so I came in the house and made some coffee and made him quit shoveling. He came in and stayed a little while and then Elmer finished getting the car out when he came home.
Tuesday night I played bridge, and to get out to the road I actually had to plow through snow up to my waist.
I talked to Frances today and everything is fine at her place. We are going to have a shower for Betty Praull next Monday night. This will be Betty’s second child in 15 months. Leila Woodfill is also expecting again in May. She lost the one she had two years ago.
Right now Davy is sitting up in the corner of the davenport playing with the little squeaky doll you sent him and some rattles. He doesn’t squeak the doll yet but he tried to bite it. I think he is getting a tooth. I think that it was a wonderful thing that Elmer thought Davy should be taken out of the hospital. Wasn’t I lucky that that happened. Elmer said he never did feel right about Davy being in the hospital but we’ll have to count it up as just a big mistake.
Pop, your letter to Mary came Tuesday. She loves to get letters and also to write letters. She has been awfully bored being home from school all week but Jimmy brought her reader home so that gives her something to do. It seems amazing that by the time kids finish the second grade they can read everything. In the third grade they only have reading a couple times a week.
Did I tell you Mary has a little Jewish friend in the neighborhood. They are awfully nice people. Carol is just Mary’s age and her brother Gary is Jimmy’s age so the four of them play together most of the time. Last Sunday Carol had a birthday party and Mary was the only little girl in the neighborhood who showed up. I thought that was just terrible.
Mabel Bray just called and said they had buried her mother last Monday. She had exactly what your mother had, Pop, and has been sick for a long time.
Well Folks I better stop for now. Thanks so very much for calling me. It did me worlds of good.
With Love, Helen

794 3/9/1951 Sadie Erwin to Mary Carlson

2008-12-04T16:50:00.003-08:00

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington
Friday, March 09, 1951

Mary Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota

Dear Mary,
Thanks for your nice letter and Valentine. While I was in Seattle I was kept so busy did not find time to write you a letter.
You should see all our snow. The sun is out now. The weather is not at all cold. We know it will not last long, meaning the snow.
Our trees are just full of robins. They have eaten all the red berries from my bushes. Our school is closing at 1 P.M. today so the school buses can get the country children home before dark. I called Aunt Gladys this morning. The Bellevue schools are closed today too.
I know you have lots of snow there, also cold weather. Little Gary loves the snow. He has his mother out making snowmen for him. The snow is wet, it is easy to do.
I must get ready to go down to the bank.
Good-bye now.
Love to you all, Grandma.

673 3/6/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:50:00.001-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Tuesday, March 06, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I wasn’t able to get over to see Mrs. Reed yesterday as it was too cold out but I called her the first thing in the morning and she is working for Davy. I’m sure his skin is getting lighter every day and his eyes look better. Elmer thinks so too. We were feeling pretty good about it and then when Elmer came home from work tonight he said the doctor had called him at the office and told him how serious it was again. He had talked to all kinds of specialists and University doctors and everyone and they want to open Davy up and see what is causing the obstruction. Now that has scared us all over again and Elmer doesn’t want Davy cut open any more than I want that to be so Elmer said I better get him well in a hurry. Elmer is up against more of a brick wall than I am because he doesn’t want Davy cut but still he can’t put his faith in C.S. I’ll talk to Mrs. Reed again tomorrow and tell her to keep on with the work. She has some very good ideas I think. She said not to tell my neighbors, at least she said she didn’t think it necessary that I say anything about having Science help for Davy because they would be quick to criticize. She said too not to give Elmer the impression we were trying to make a Christian Scientist out of him because that will take care of itself and right now all we’re to do is get Davy out of this. You should have seen him today. He is feeling at home again and he laughed every time I looked at him and he is so good and tonight Elmer noticed his cheeks had a little color in them. This ailment of his is supposed to kill the red corpuscles so he has no color except the yellow color, but his cheeks were definitely rosy tonight.
Tomorrow I am invited over to Jan’s for lunch but the temperature is supposed to go down to 10 below tonight and if it does I think it will be too cold to take Davy out and besides the car won’t start if it gets that cold. Everyone is ready to leave this state after putting in such a cold long winter.
I had a cute letter from Sandy yesterday. I’m goad she is getting along so nicely now. The weather must be nice out there because she said her Dad and Bernice were out in the back yard practicing golf. It will be a long time before there is any golfing done here.
I talked to Mrs. Dahlstrom today. She didn’t have much to say. I told her Ralph was moving out of the office but she hadn’t heard about it so maybe I wasn’t supposed to mention it. He surely will tell her though.
Well Folks, this isn’t much of a letter but I wanted to tell you that Mrs. Reed is working for Davy and I know time shouldn’t enter into it but it does in this case because the doctor told Elmer we shouldn’t wait any longer than a month or six weeks at the most to have him opened up. I just can’t believe that the bile is draining into his blood stream because that is a waste and surely even medically that would give him a high temperature and make him spit up and feel lousy but they said his temperature was normal and he certainly isn’t at all fussy and he feels just wonderful.
More later Folks.
Love, Helen
By saying Davy is so good I don’t mean he is placid. He lies in his crib or bassinette and his arms are waving back and forth and he kicks his legs.
Mrs. Ree is a little hard to talk with over the phone because I have never met her. I know she is awfully busy because she is only at home in the mornings. I think she is at the Reading Room in the afternoon. She started working for Davy Monday. She called me back once to ask me some more questions. I don’t know if I’m supposed to call her every day or to tell her to just keep working for Davy until she hears from me. I tried to get Rose Winter on the phone, but she is practically impossible to get a hold of.
Love, Helen

672 3/4/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:49:00.003-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Sunday, March 04, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
This last Thursday and Saturday, or rather it was Wednesday and Friday, we had a terrific blizzard and lots and lots of snow. The city was snowed under and it was really the worst blizzard they have had here in ages. We just got dug out from the Wednesday blizzard and it came again Friday. Now the snow is piled so awfully high I don’t see how it will ever melt. Last night the temperature went down below zero but climbed to 19 above today. I was downtown Friday afternoon when the blizzard started and I had an awful time driving home. Cars were stalled all over. Wednesday I was over at Muriel Corl’s for lunch and the afternoon and finally got home after getting stuck about three times. If I had been about half an hour later I wouldn’t have made it home because by then the roads were so blocked up that none of the cars were getting through. Saturday Elmer put the chains on the car so I was able to go grocery shopping.
Well the time has come to tell you the bad news about Davy and I’ve been so worried I’ve hardly been able to think of anything else. In the first place, when he was born, we noticed that his skin and eyes weren’t white and they didn’t notice anything at the hospital but we noticed it and as Davy got bigger he got more yellow and other people began commenting on it. Finally Elmer talked me into taking him to the doctor the 22nd of February. I remember because it was Washington’s Birthday. The doctor said he had yellow jaundice and last Tuesday night he went to the hospital. After he had had tests made on him for two days the doctor called me and said the yellow jaundice was caused from an obstruction in the liver and unless they could find the cause of it, it meant certain death before Davy reaches his 1st birthday. When Elmer came home from work that night, the night of the second blizzard, he called the doctor and told him to instruct the nurses down at the hospital that we would be down to get Davy in the morning. The doctor argued, of course, but that was it so Saturday morning Pierce got his car dug out from the snow first so he drove us down to the hospital. I went in the children’s ward and said I had come for Davy and the nurse asked if he could have his lunch first as they were all ready to give it to him so I said yes, since the roads were so bad I didn’t know how long it would take us to get home. Now his life is going to be in the hands of Mrs. Reed, the practitioner. I’m going to bring Davy over to her apartment Monday and talk to her and tell her the story. The few times I have called her, her work has been very effective and quick. I think Davy looks better just since I have brought him home and Elmer does too. The first thing I did when I got him home was take him off from the awful yellow formula he was getting. I had just decided before he went to the hospital to put him on plain milk but I didn’t have long to keep that up. Now these two days he has been home he has been drinking the regular cow’s milk and likes it fine. He is as good as can be and fat and nice and also alert and certainly doesn’t seem like a sick baby. When we brought him home we could tell he had forgotten the little things he did around us like talk to us and laugh all the time, because I suppose in the hospital they are left by themselves much of the time without any attention. Anyway, this evening he started to act more like his normal self and has been smiling and talking a little. One reason I know he is going to be alright is because I’m not a bit worried. Now I can go ahead with the C.S. help and know that everything will turn out alright.
Mrs. Ellsworth is back in Minneapolis but is staying at the Curtis hotel with a friend of hers who had a couple housekeeping rooms there. Mrs. E. said Leila asked her to come back to the house but she plans to stay at the Curtis as long as this friend will have her. She wanted me to be sure and tell you.
Morning
I will end this now so Elmer can mail this. He’ll be leaving for work right away. Davy is still sleeping. He sleeps good all night long. I’ll write tonight and tell you about talking to Mrs. Reed.
Love, Helen

671 2/23/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-04T16:49:00.001-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, February 23, 1951

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
Your nice letter just came so I’m dropping everything to write to you right now before the kids come from school. I hope you received my letter before this one. It should have arrived about Tuesday or Wednesday and had a ten dollar check in it. I did fall down on the letter writing, in fact in everything, for awhile and I spent all day today catching up on my ironing. All this month I have been menstruating all the time and so hard that it was just like a hemorrhage all the time. I felt so tired all the time that I just didn’t do much of anything, not even write letters. Today, though, it seems to have stopped and I feel fine and have a lot of ambition so I did get my ironing done. I think this terrible long cold winter makes everyone feel lousy by now. The snow is still piled high and it is still cold out although the last two days the temperature got up in the 30’s and it felt like spring but today a cold wind is blowing and the forecast says colder.
I agree with Stella absolutely about Harold and the job with Dalhstroms and I hope he doesn’t accept the offer. I think Harold is a wonderful salesman and I think he is just exactly the man for the job because everyone would like him and he has such a nice appearance but it just doesn’t work out. I hope the Dahlstroms can get rid of Ralph. By now I don’t see how Gladys can stand the sight of him. I can’t even put oil on Jimmy’s hair anymore and comb it back nicely because he reminds me of Ralph when I do.
Sunday Night
I’ll finish this letter now so Elmer can mail it for me in the morning. The kids are in bed, but Davy isn’t asleep yet. The temperature warmed up this weekend after all and it even rained a little Saturday afternoon so it took a lot of the snow away. We found more lost things out in the yard after the snow started to melt away. The kid’s sled, which had been missing for ages, and a broken snow shovel plus other things. The snow has really been piled high all winter long and this is the first we have seen of the bare ground, which so far is only in patches, since November.
The valentines came for the kids and thank you very, very much. Mary fixed some to you folks and she saw tonight that I hadn’t gotten them mailed and she felt so bad so I will send them along now in the letter. They really like getting valentines in the mail. They received one from Bernice too.
We have read about the terrible floods out there. I hope it is letting up a little now. The trains will probably be going through Enumclaw for quite some time yet. Pop always liked the sound of the whistling at night, didn’t you, Pop. I’ve gotten so used to the trains in back of us that I don’t even hear them any more. I suppose I will, though, this summer when the doors and windows are open.
I know you will like your steam iron, Mother. I think they are just swell and they do make ironing easier. I sprinkled nine shirts today so that is what I’m going to work on tomorrow.
I was going to call you when I received your letter telling about Sandy but then figured she must be getting better since I hadn’t heard any more. I hope she feels real good now.
This is your last week to serve on the jury, Mother. You probably will be glad by now when you are all through with it. I read in the paper about the trial in Seattle where the author of, “The Egg and I” was being sued. Were you on that case?
Warnie Martin left for the Orient last night. He will be gone for about three weeks. Jan is so glad to have him gone. Now he won’t let the boys stay in the living room and watch the television. Jan says he doesn’t say anything to them but just sits and stares at them so pretty soon they get up and walk out. I hope some day the boys can get even with him. Johnny, the oldest boy, is a straight A student in high school and is going to get a scholarship.
Elmer thought Harold would be a swell man for the Dahlstroms too, only he said he should think Harold would hate to leave Enumclaw where he has his nice house and all their friends. Have they decided anything more about it. I’ll be anxious to know what they do.
Well folks, I guess I will stop for now and go to bed pretty soon. I feel just fine now. I suppose Sandy will be out of school for quite awhile now. I’ll write more soon.
With Love, Helen

670 2/16/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:54:00.013-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, February 16, 1951

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I almost decided to call you up this morning because it has been so long since I have written, but then decided since we really don’t have time to say much over the phone I would write instead. Davy really keeps me on the go and now I do try to catch a nap after lunch so that wastes a lot of time. Evenings, Davy is up until ten so I can’t get much done then. He is a good baby, though, and sleeps through the night until about 8 or so in the morning so that seems wonderful.
We have had a long and terribly cold winter and everyone is so tired of it and longs for spring. Just think we’ve had four solid months of this and most of the time it has been below zero. The kids have gone to school when it has been 30 below this year. I have gotten out of the house so seldom so that is why I am so slow about getting the valentines from Mary sent and everything.
The kids had their pictures taken at school last week and they are so much better than the one I sent you. They look so natural on the school picture. They sent home a whole bunch of the pictures, different sizes but the same pose. We could buy any or none but the whole package full, with folders, is only two dollars so I’m sending you one. Mary’s hair really was fixed nice when she left home but when the picture was taken it was pretty messed and they didn’t retouch the pictures at all but her face looks cute. Jimmy looks perfectly natural on his picture.
The Minneapolis schools have just re-opened. They were on strike for three weeks.
When we had company a couple of Saturday nights ago Davy slept real good, although there wasn’t any noise to speak of because we played cards. The noise around the house doesn’t bother him now as much as it used to. He will be 4 months old Monday. I sure hope you can come in the spring to see all of us.
You must be through with your jury work now, mother. That was quite an interesting experience. I hope I’ll get to do that sometime.
No, Elmer didn’t follow through on that job in Seattle and I sure was mad at him but he said save money and when we get a decent amount saved he won’t be afraid to move. What gave us such a slow start is when we started furnishing our house and buying everything but we were just talking last night how we now own sewing machine, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, stove and I just made the last payment on the carpeting so now those things are all cleared up and soon we won’t be paying 30 a month for oil bills so we hope to toss a lot in the bank. Then too Davy cost us over 300 dollars so it just seems like it has been impossible to save money.
I haven’t been to Church for so long, nor the kids and the superintendent calls me all the time but I can’t go until it warms up. Surely this weather can’t last much longer.
My bridge club met this last Tuesday night and I really enjoy getting out of the house now. Every afternoon I have regular open house here, however, because so many come over. I’m finally getting smart, though, and hide the box of crackers so little kids can’t put crumbs all over the house. Aside from that I look forward to talking to my neighbors in the afternoon.
Last week three of us planned to go downtown for lunch. I even had a babysitter coming but I called it all off as it was 21 below so I called a fourth for bridge and had them all over for lunch. Did I ever have to work fast around here, doing that on such short notice. Then I had to order groceries for lunch and they didn’t come until three o’clock so we played some bridge first and then had lunch when the groceries came. Nellie has never offered to take care of Davy so I never will ask her to but I just hope and pray she gets pregnant while I live next to her. Of course, she doesn’t need my services because she has her mother here and then her girls are older now too.
I’m sending this 10 dollar check. Davy is waking up so I must stop and fix his lunch. More real soon.
Love, Helen
I wonder if you have read about the new heart hospital almost completed in Minneapolis. It’s supposed to be the best in the U.S. Anyway, Elmer did every bit of the structural designing. He said if it falls down we will be sure then to leave Minneapolis in a hurry.

669 1/28/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:54:00.011-08:00

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.

668 1/20/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:54:00.009-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Saturday, January 20, 1951

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
A nice letter came from you today. All week I had hoped to get a letter written but I have a good chance to write tonight because Elmer is doing all the work. The reason is because this afternoon I went to the grocery store and when the boy carried my groceries out to the car I also was putting my groceries on the front seat and he accidentally slammed the car door on my finger. It hurt so bad I could hardly drive home. It chopped the nail off and I was sure the whole end of my finger would come off when I took my glove off. Elmer wrapped it up good but it still aches like the dickens.
Last night we were invited over to Delores and Bob’s. It was the first time we had been over there. They bought a house over on 53rd and Stevens. It is just like Ruth and Jim’s house. It also sets back on the lot. Jimmy didn’t go with us as he had cub meeting and then he stayed all night with Peter. His first night to spend away from home. He was so glad he had the cute television pajamas Gladys sent him.
Bob Carlson was over here when I came home from the store. I still think it is too bad he is married to Delores.
Viola called the other day and said she hadn’t heard from Gladys yet since Christmas and Mrs. Dahlstrom has called about three times saying she hadn’t heard from Gladys.
Before I go any farther I want to tell you the package came with the very beautiful shawl and earrings. I didn’t know there was nylon yarn. I can see where the shawl will last indefinitely. I think it is absolutely beautiful and it is so warm too. The earrings are darling. Thank you very, very much. Stella told me about Hank Madison having a stroke. That is really terrible. Is he able to work in the store? Let me know how he gets along.
To get back to Viola, I asked her about Mrs. Overton and I was mistaken. She had been with a Mrs. Overseth. However, she did tell me that Lois Overton had gotten real fat and took that Dubarry real___ing course and she had her picture in a magazine showing two poses. The before and after pictures of her.
Davy is getting to be real good now. For awhile he wouldn’t go to sleep at night and he stayed up later and later after being awake all afternoon. He would be good while we held him and not just held him, we had to keep talking to him too. When it started in to be midnight and he was still awake after being awake all afternoon I decided he didn’t get enough to eat so now I fill him up on the solid foods, all he can get down him, and he is a happy baby. He even wakes up talking and he has discovered his hands and lies for the longest time watching them. His circumcision didn’t bother him at all. In Jimmy’s time they used to sew it back so it looked terrible with all the stitches but now they just glue it back.
Sunday Night
Warnie Martin was out in Seattle when the Northwest plane crashed. Jan was over at my house. Warnie was due to come back here about that time and Bill Corl just happed to call his office and was told about the crash and that Warnie wasn’t on the plane so he called over here to tell Jan. I sure wouldn’t fly unless I just had to. Warnie hates it too and gets the jitters every time he has to get on a plane.
I sure hope Jim won’t have to go into the army. Probably if it comes to that, though, we will really be in a 3rd world war. The 17 year old boy left for camp today. He had just joined the National Guard last summer. It surely seems terrible to see the boys going back into uniform. These trains in back of us go by loaded down with tanks and Red Cross trucks and artillery. It just makes me sick to think about another war.
Last Thursday and Friday were real nice. 30 and 35 above and then this morning it was 10 below when we got up so I don’t know how much colder it was before then.
I had to quit writing last night because my finger started bleeding. Today it hasn’t pained but I would hate like the dickens to bump it. I wonder how I’ll ever get the bandage off. It is so stuck on and so bloody I keep tying more bandage over it to make it look better.
The baby is sleeping and I’m going to stop now and play Rook with the kids before they go to bed. Thanks again for the beautiful shawl and earrings.
Love, Helen

667 1/10/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:54:00.007-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, January 10, 1951

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
Your nice letter came this afternoon and I’m going to try and answer it right now before I have to start supper. I just gave Davy an extra bottle so he would be good until it is time for him to eat. He always gets hungry ahead of time.
Mrs. Dahlstrom called yesterday and said she didn’t get a Christmas card from either you or Stella and wanted to know if I knew the reason why. I wondered for a second if I should tell her why but then decided I better find out from you first what you wanted me to say in a case like this so I told her maybe the cards had been missent or something and then I hurried and changed the subject. She said Edna had a card from Stella.
Yes, a few days before Christmas a card came for Elmer for the subscription. I didn’t give it to him until we opened our presents. Then a few days later a big certificate came saying he was a member of the National Geographic Club. Then, right after the first, the first magazine came. They certainly are wonderful magazines with all the pictures and news. They are magazines that a person will always want to keep.
It is warm out today, 25 above, so I took advantage of it and went out and cleaned out the car and scraped the snow and ice off from it. Tomorrow I am taking Davy down to be circumcised. I sure hate to do it. Nellie offered to go with me and hold Davy while I drive.
I think it is just wonderful that you bought those nice things for yourselves for Christmas. Have you tried your mangle yet. Let me know how you like it. It is bound to make your ironing go faster after you get used to it. Where do you keep it? Your roaster really must be a big help, and I think I am the happiest over the ironing board. I believe every time I put mine up I have thought of the one you have and wished you had a different one. That alone will make your ironing go faster. The next thing you should get is a steam iron. I have one and think it is just swell as I only have to sprinkle the starched things. Hankies and everything else go unsprinkled. That nylon shawl you are sending Davy must be just lovely. I will save it for spring as I am doing all the nice things he gets.
You are right about thinking I shouldn’t get too friendly with Delores. I will never trust her again and I have no desire to see her at all but will once in awhile just to keep peace around but that probably won’t work either. She calls me all the time and says she will take care of Davy any night or any time and we can even leave him all night at her place. Then a couple of days ago she called and said she and Bob wanted to go to the office party that is this coming Saturday night and they didn’t know what they were going to do with their two kids but I didn’t offer to have them bring them over here at all and I don’t intend to start that. She said she guessed she would have to ask Nellie if she would take care of them.
The violet leaves you sent me are wonderful to see this time of the year. It seems impossible that we can live in such different climates. It seems funny that Stella can be out playing golf in January. The snow is really piled high here and winter is just getting a good start. Last Saturday I bought a new plain green gabardine coat and then I ripped up my fur coat and lined my new coat with the fur. I am just about finished now and hope to finish it all up tonight. It really looks good. They charge 80 dollars in the stores to line a new coat with an old fur coat. I cut out the worn spots on the coat and put in good pieces so the whole thing looks like new and it is certainly a good warm coat now for only twenty-eight dollars.
By the way, Delores got her report from the x-ray and she doesn’t have T.B.
Elmer did get a reply from that company in Seattle but he hasn’t written back to them yet with more information which they want and the salary. I am so mad at him but if he doesn’t do it this weekend I think I will write the letter myself.
Davy is crying so I’ll have to stop for now and fix him up and start fixing supper. I hope Gary is feeling better now. He had a cold when you wrote to me. I’m going to write to Ruth tonight.
Love, Helen

666 1/1/1951 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:54:00.005-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, January 01, 1951

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I want to get a few lines written tonight as Elmer can mail this in the morning. I guess I will type instead of writing. I’ll start back to Christmas Eve. I had everyone over here for supper and there were 20 of us in all, but everything went along quite smoothly although Davy wasn’t used to the noise and couldn’t sleep so he was up the whole time and they all left about 10:30 but by then he had cried so much and had been up so long that he still couldn’t sleep and it was after midnight before we got him into bed. Anyway, for supper I had baked beans and ham and salad. Delores brought the pies and Nellie brought a lot of different things so we had lots of food. There were lots of presents under the tree as all the kids exchanged. Elmer’s dad gave all of us girls a pair of Nylon hose and all the fellows a carton of cigarettes. He gave Jimmy a watch and Mary a game. After eating, which I served buffet style, we did the dishes and then a little later had coffee and the pie and fruit cake. Then Sunday we went over to Recroft’s for a nice turkey dinner. We couldn’t drive our car as the day before a man had backed into me when I was parked at the grocery store and broke our headlight. Elmer was going to put a piece of white cloth over it so we could drive home from Recroft’s after dark but his dad offered us his car and we were glad we had it because it snowed hard all day long Christmas and his car is better. By the time we came home from Recroft’s it had stopped snowing and the temperature was below zero. Here we had gone off without our door key as we weren’t driving our own car so Elmer had to break a basement window to get into the house. During the night the temperature went down to twenty below. Here I am getting ahead of myself. Christmas morning we opened our presents, the ones from you and the ones we gave the kids. Everything you sent was just wonderful. Elmer will love getting the National Geographic magazine and the handkerchief for him was swell to see because I didn’t even have one ironed for him to take out to Recroft’s. Whenever Davy gets fussy we squeak that little rubber doll and he stops crying. Elmer said I should be sure and mention that to you because he really notices it. I love the earrings and pin. They are just beautiful and I’m crazy about jewelry. Mary has been saving the storybook dolls for about two years and was delighted to see the bridge doll. She takes awfully good care of them too. The knife you sent Jimmy is the first knife he has had so he is really pleased with it and his sweater is just the kind he likes, in fact the only kind he will wear. I don’t think he has worn anything else since getting that one. Mary loves her little red purse and you did way too much as usual. I finally got the kid’s pictures and will try to get yours off this week although I do want to buy a frame for it first. It isn’t good and I’m glad I didn’t plan on getting anymore than two of them. Tuesday and Wednesday were uneventful. Thursday I invited Carlson’s over for dinner that night because as things are and it is really my fault, Mary and Jimmy hardly even talk to them and I don’t think that is right. In fact, they have talked so little to them that they still can’t understand Grandpa Carlson very well. I hardly ever have them over and thought if ever we move out there Elmer might think about how I never had his folks over. Anyway when the others heard they were coming over here for dinner they wanted to come over later and bring the cake. Delores had the idea and it was alright with me so she brought a big angel food cake with nice frosting and Florence brought ice cream and also an aunt and uncle along. Nellie and Pierce were out of town so they weren’t here. First, though, that morning Mrs. Dahlstrom called and wanted to know if she could come over and have a little lunch with me and I told her to come and I just hung up and Selma called and Al was going to be out this way for a few minutes and wanted to know if it would be alright if she had him drop her off here and I was glad to have her come because she very seldom gets over here. Anyway, I had some soup to open up and made some egg salad sandwiches so we made out alright. Selma and Mrs. Dahlstrom hadn’t met before. Mrs. Dahlstrom and I didn’t mention anything at all about any trouble. They both left about 2:30 and then a neighbor called and asked me down for coffee so I bundled Davy up and went. I was so glad I had cleaned my house the day before and the first thing Thursday morning I stuffed the chicken and got the potatoes peeled and the formula made and the diapers washed before Mrs. Dahlstrom and Selma got here. That night, when the bunch was here again, some of them played cards and Davy couldn’t sleep again so Elmer just held him the whole evening. They didn’t stay late though. Friday night Grandpa Carlson invited Mary to go to his club with him as there was going to be a special celebration for children with Santa Claus and everything. She didn’t want to go but I talked her into it and she had a wonderful time. They left home about four in the afternoon and she didn’t get home until 10:30 that night. It was one of those affairs like they used to have out at Osceola where the kids run all over the dance floor and slide and run up on the stage and everything. When she got in the house the first thing she did was take her shoes off. You see right away as soon as I started being a little nice to him he was nice to the kids. Then Saturday and Sunday we had a hectic two days and absolutely no sleep as I made Davy’s formula too strong thinking he needed it that way and it just turned his stomach inside out. Nothing made him stop crying and finally he got diarrhea and that got rid of all the strong milk I had given him and he is just fine now.
New Year’s Eve we were invited to a party over at Bonander’s. We didn’t think we could go because we didn’t know who to leave Davy with and so Elmer asked his mother if she would come over and she said she would. She was a swell baby sitter. She put Davy to bed and took awfully good care of him. We came home at 2:30 thinking she would be sleeping but she was still sitting up. She said she wouldn’t think of sleeping when she was taking care of a baby. I’m so glad we came home then because I guess the others stayed until six o’clock this morning. Davy slept late this morning and has been just perfect all day long. I sure hope he will be like this tomorrow.
Delores had been raving around that she was sure she had T.B. She said she had all the symptoms including the cough so I told her the only thing to do if she was worried was to go and have her chest x-rayed because they have these units all over and it is free so she had Grandpa Carlson take her over to one Friday and she had the x-ray and now it will be about 10 days to two weeks until she gets the card saying she has or hasn’t got it. I think she will be almost disappointed if she doesn’t have it, then she will have to think up some other way of getting attention.
Parry Bonander’s sister-in-law has a gift shop and she was over at Parry’s New Year’s Eve. She knows Viola and she said the other day Viola came in the shop with a Mrs. Overton. I’m sure it must be the one we know. She said Mrs. Overton worked for the Board of Education now.
When you called Thursday night I could hear you real good but I could tell that you couldn’t hear me very good at that end of the line. Stella couldn’t understand me at all and by the things you answered I knew you hadn’t understood me too good. It was just wonderful hearing all your voices though and I wanted to call you back the next day but was afraid the connection might be the same way. That call cost plenty because we were on the line for quite a while. I’m going to call some night soon too.
Well Folks, we’re all going to bed early tonight since Davy has gone to sleep at a decent hour so I will stop for now but thanks again for everything and we certainly are pleased with all the gifts you all sent. I hope you had a nice Christmas and I will be anxious to hear from you. By the way, the kids sure liked the Christmas cards you sent them. They love getting mail. Thanks again.
With Love, Helen
I wonder if Stella still wants sheets. They certainly are being advertised now for the January white sales. They are all reduced and I noticed in the paper tonight they cost around 2.50 a sheet.
By the way, Elmer got an answer from that company in Seattle asking him for more information. Now I have to keep at him until he writes that information for them. The name of the company is John Graham and Company. Goodnight now.
Love, Helen

665 12/20/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:54:00.003-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, December 20, 1950

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
This will be just a hurried note to tell you that your two packages just came. The beautiful, beautiful wreath is already hanging on our door. I just love it. It came through just perfectly. The earrings for Parry are absolutely lovely. She will be crazy about them but I hate to give them to her now. I forgot to enclose this check with your last letter so will be sure to put it in this one. Elmer just called to tell me they had given him a check for a hundred dollars as a Christmas present at work. We are very happy about that.
I will be looking for your call Christmas Eve. We will be up late so don’t worry about the time it goes through.
Mrs. Dahlstrom called me just a few minutes ago. She asked me if I had heard from any of you lately and I said I had and you were all fine. I didn’t say anything to her about how mad we were all at her. She didn’t mention anything either and said after Christmas she wanted to get over to see the baby and I told her to come when she could.
I shouldn’t have, but I did open my birthday present. Can I ever use that plastic table cloth. I used to have one and used it every single night but it finally wore out and since then I haven’t had one and I certainly have to wash and iron table cloths all the time so now this will put an end to that.
I’m plenty tired today as my bridge club had the Christmas party last night at Dorothy Habata’s house. She lives in Hopkins. I didn’t get home until two and was up at four with the baby and up again to stay up at six o’clock. He wouldn’t go to sleep all morning either so I didn’t get to sleep. I thought I would sleep a little later on but I think everyone I know has called me today. I don’t feel too bad now but hope to get a little more sleep tonight. I haven’t had four straight hours sleep since I have been home from the hospital but I still feel real good except for being on the sleepy side most of the time.
Parry has invited us over to her house for New Year’s Eve. I think probably we will just stay home, though, as we haven’t looked or found a baby sitter yet and Gene is too young to stay with the baby since he isn’t on a dependable schedule yet. She might be all right though since we would be just a few houses away.
All of your packages have arrived. I sure hope mine get there in time. It is so much fun getting packages in the mail that I’m sorry I didn’t send yours right to you instead of putting it in with Jim and Ruth’s things. I hope to send you and Pop something more right after Christmas as my things are so inadequate compared to what you send us. The picture should get there soon although I don’t have them yet. I just got the proofs yesterday and they aren’t so very good but at least you will be able to see the baby.
I must stop for now but thanks for the beautiful wreath. Elmer sure will be surprised when he comes home tonight and sees it hanging on the door. I’m anxious to give the earrings to Parry. I know she will love them and I hope you sent me a pair but if you didn’t I’m going to send for some if they aren’t all gone by now. I think you said they were 1.50 at the store but I made this check out for 2.50 and I don’t want you to send me back the change. Thanks for everything and I’ll be talking to you Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas.
Love, Helen

664 12/13/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:54:00.001-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, December 13, 1950

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
A nice letter came from you a couple of days ago and I’m going to answer it right now. I finally have my packages all ready to mail so when Elmer gets home from work tonight he can dash up to the post office and send them off. It sure has taken me a long time to get my shopping and wrapping done this year. I had really forgotten how much work a new baby is, but this one keeps me on the run and all day long I am racing the clock. Before, with the first two, I didn’t have to make formula but now I do and that takes time every morning and then I wash every day too. This is the first time I have had a washing machine when I’ve had a baby and now I wonder how I ever did all that baby wash by hand and still have time for anything else. The only day I get out of the house is on Saturday and I have been doing my shopping then for Christmas. I order my groceries from the store and what I run out of during the week, like bread and little things, Elmer brings home from town with him. The box I packed Jim and Ruth’s gifts in was just large enough to take care of the presents for you folks so I am sending yours along with their box. Your present from the children is not in the box as I don’t have it yet and I’m afraid it will be late, but maybe it won’t. I’m going to tell you what it is. It’s a picture of all three kids. I had a photographer come to the house and take it. Davy is sound asleep in the picture but I think he will look cute anyway and we just couldn’t wake him up no matter what we did but I was so anxious for you to see him that I had the picture taken anyway. I’m just getting two pictures, one for us and one for you. I would like to have sent a picture to the others but they cost too darn much.
We have so much snow and I was surprised to hear over the radio this morning that it was zero out. It has only gone up to two above now by afternoon. More snow and warmer weather is the forecast, however.
I am glad that Gladys and Gail are feeling good by now. Viola had a letter from Glad this week telling about their new piano and about getting a television set. The girls will enjoy the television. Rogers have one and Jimmy and Mary wanted one so badly but I think their enthusiasm is beginning to wear off now. I sure am glad because half the time when they ran over to see something on Roger’s television they weren’t let in so they would come back home feeling disappointed as the dickens. Now they haven’t even gone over there for quite some time and I also did all I could to discourage them from looking at it.
Davy smiles for me once in awhile now. At first I thought it was just gas on his stomach but now I’m sure he really means it.
I finally called Clara to see how much she wanted for the crib. She said she wasn’t sure if she wanted to sell it after all because it would be nice to have in case she had company who had babies but then she said as long as she had told me she would sell it she would for 18 dollars. Of course I told her I thought she should keep it if she hated to part with it and that she didn’t have to sell it just because she had thought she would. I don’t know if 18 dollars is too much or not as I haven’t priced new ones yet but anyway Elmer said to call her and tell her we will get another crib as long as she isn’t sure about hers. She said something about the mattress could always be refilled so if that is shot the thing isn’t worth 18 dollars because the mattress is the most important part about it.
Elmer was typing letters the other night and during the night when I got up with the baby I saw he had written a letter to a company in Seattle and he hadn’t even mentioned it to me. He still hasn’t and I haven’t said anything to him about it either. The letter was under the other letters he had written, and it was already sealed. It at least makes me feel good that he considers jobs out there when he is writing about different ones. I’m not very optimistic about the results but the idea helps anyway.
I suppose Ralph will be spending Christmas with the Dahlstroms. I thought of putting something in the box for him and then decided I wouldn’t as long as he had said such awful things to Ruthie and Jeannie. Louise Schnable thought the Dahlstrom girls were so nice and she just raved about how darling little Gail is.
I guess by now you have received my other letter telling you I thought those shell earrings sound wonderful. I know Parry will like them.
Last Saturday I hurried downtown but drove up to 36th and Hennepin to catch the bus. That is the end of the line there so is the easiest place to get the bus without waiting. Anyway, when I drove along the curb to park to leave the car I got stuck in the snow but had the shovel in the car so was able to dig it out. Then I found a better place to park the car before getting on the bus. Then when I came home from town I wanted to stop on Lake and Hennepin but I couldn’t park anyplace as the snow plow had piled the snow so high against the curb it was impossible to park. Anyway, I came home and we asked Elmer’s mother if she would come over and sit with Davy for about an hour and she seemed to be very happy to. Elmer then took me back to Lake and Hennepin. We hurried like the dickens, though, because we kind of worried about how Davy and Grandma C. were getting along but Davy slept the whole time. Then, since Elmer’s Dad wasn’t home, we had his mother stay and have supper with us and afterwards she and the kids and I played rummy. She loves to play cards so she enjoyed herself.
Well Folks, I have about an hour before the kids come from school so want to try and get some doll clothes cut out as long as Davy is sleeping now. I don’t see how I can get very many made before Christmas, but Mother I can remember how you used to sit up at night just before Christmas making doll clothes for us.
Pop, I bet your new topcoat and jacket are nice.
I am sending you the money now in check for the gift you bought Parry and I also want you to know that I hope to start sending you more real soon on the money I owe you. It is just terrible that you haven’t been paid back yet.
Love, Helen

663 12/7/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.059-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Thursday, December 07, 1950

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I have a little free time this morning and I can thank our big snowstorm for that, so I will finally get a letter off to you. A woman from the gas company was supposed to come out this afternoon and bake a cake for me on my gas stove in order to check the oven. Therefore, I worked extra hard yesterday cleaning the stove and the kitchen and everything but she just called and asked me what the roads were like out here and I told her we were practically snowed in so we cancelled her date until some other day. The only bad thing about it is I had told Jim and Mary how there would be a nice big cake waiting here for them when they came from school and told them they could each have a friend in for cake and milk. Now I’ll just have to get busy and bake one myself and I sure wish I had a package of cake mix in the house but I haven’t so will have to make the whole thing.
This is the third day it has been snowing so it is really piled high but very pretty. The drifts are high and the kids really have to plow through it from the house to the bus stop. Our car is really snowed under and won’t get dug out until Saturday because I never get out during the day now and Saturday will be the first chance Elmer will have to work on it. I called the neighbor next door to come over for coffee and she will be due in about half an hour. I have been working steadily every day all day long and don’t even think about getting a nap but I feel absolutely wonderful and I have so much ambition and I can’t relax even to hardly sit down and rest because there is so much to do. Last night after all the kids were in bed Elmer and I played gin rummy and just sitting down in the peace and quiet did me as much good as sleeping. I sure don’t get much sleep as the baby wakes up every two or three hours during the night to eat and sometimes he won’t go right back to sleep. He is just darling now though. He is so fat and his eyes are big and his hair is so red. I dress him up now in the afternoons in little rompers and he looks so cute. Last week I started giving him strained meat and bananas and he loved it but he cried steadily for two days afterward and we didn’t know what was the matter. Then I decided maybe the new food didn’t agree with him so haven’t given him any more and he has gone back to being real good again.
What kind of a letter did Edna write back to Gladys. Did she seem to understand the situation or did she still think Glad and Cully were mean to Ralph. I hope he won’t be left with the girls anymore. Your Thanksgiving dinner sounded wonderful and I know you all had lots of fun. Ever since we were over at Carlson’s, Delores has called me just about every night. She tells me to bring the baby over to her house anytime I want to go out and she will take care of him all day long and everything like that. I certainly will never take her up on anything but at least I will be nice to her now for the sake of everyone. We have never celebrated the holidays with Elmer’s family, but it has seemed funny to spend Christmas alone and so I have invited everyone over here for Christmas Eve. Jimmy and Mary will enjoy it, and I will too for that matter, because there should be people around it seems. There will be twenty of us counting all the kids. We will have supper or more of a snack first and then open presents. We will keep our presents until morning but open just what they bring over. They will all bring something along for the supper too.
I think those earrings you told me about sound just wonderful. I know she would like them. Last weekend I told Parry if she wanted to go Christmas shopping I would take care of Mark for her so she brought Mark over at nine in the morning, which was just fine, but she didn’t get back until seven o’clock that night. I didn’t think that was quite right though because that made an awful long day to have him. That was Monday morning I took care of him so next time I offer to keep him I’m going to tell her she can’t stay so long.
Last Sunday night Elmer had to go to Chicago to look at a job there. He came back Monday night. There is a neighbor of ours that we don’t really know but every morning Elmer sees him at the bus stop and they just say good morning and when he got off the train in Chicago this same neighbor got off too and it was about the same usual time in the morning and they just spoke to each other and started to go on and then they realized how funny it really was to have the same thing happen even though they were in Chicago so they stopped and talked to each other for a few minutes.
Elmer and I and even Jim and Mary will just love that Geographic Magazine you are sending to Elmer. That will be a wonderful thing but I know that must be an expensive magazine and I hoped you wouldn’t spend too much on us this year. My package isn’t ready to send yet but I hope this weekend to get everything pretty well organized and get the packages to all of you off the first of the week.
Eden and Wally stopped over Sunday evening for a few minutes. They are fine.
I haven’t gotten the baby bed from Clara yet and I want to hold off until after Christmas before buying it. I’ll have to call her soon and ask her how much she wants for it. Maybe she has sold it to someone else by now.
I had my six week’s examination last Saturday. I had a small tumor on my womb when he examined me when I first got pregnant and he said he would remove it after I had the baby. That is very common in women who have had children. Anyway, I dreaded this checkup so much because they burn out the tumors with an electric needle. When I went in the nurse gets everything ready first and then the doctor came in and examined me and the tumor had gone away. He said I was in perfect condition and all my parts had gone back to place nicely where he said it usually takes about three months before a woman is back to normal. Next week Davy is going to be circumcised in the hospital but it is so much easier taking care of them if it has been done.
Well Folks, I better get the coffee pot washed out as Wilma will be coming over any minute. I hope to get a little cleaning done upstairs today and that will be a job because it is a perfect mess up there. I pile stuff on the stairs until all the steps are full and then every so often carry everything upstairs but it is such a mess up there I hardly know where to start picking up. Elmer fixed the electric train up good again. It is in the basement. I just heard all the boys down there when they all come in and Saturday I’m going to have Elmer bring the folding bed down there so they can sit there and read comics.
Well Folks, I had better stop for now. I had a cute letter from Sandy yesterday. She prints so nicely and I really enjoyed hearing from her.
More later.
Love, Helen

662 12/2/1950 Sandra Benson to Helen Carlson

2008-12-03T15:53:00.057-08:00

Sandra Benson
1446 Laframbroise, Enumclaw, Washington
Saturday, December 02, 1950

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota

Dear Aunt Helen,
This is your turn to come to Enumclaw and when you do come to Enumclaw I want you and Jimmy, Mary and the baby to see my kitty named Misty. And last Sunday my father bought a dog for me. He is a hunting dog. His name is Spot. Bernice fell off of a cliff and got hurt on her head and on her hands and she lost one boot and scratched her foot. Well I hope you will write to me sometime.
Love, Sandra B.

661 11/23/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.055-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Thursday, November 23, 1950

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I thought of you all today as all of you were to be at Dahlstrom’s for dinner. I’ll bet you had a good time as well as a good dinner. We were invited down to Carlson’s and at first we thought we wouldn’t go because Dolores and Bob were going to be there. It has been two and a half years since we have spoken to them. Then Elmer’s dad came over the other night and asked us again to come so we decided to go. Dolores had mailed a present to the baby and I had just put off acknowledging it and I knew I had to either call her or write a thank you note so yesterday I finally went to the phone and called her. She talked along as though we had never had a fight so I did too and that broke the ice so that there was no strained feeling when we saw them over at Carlson’s today. She really put herself out to act especially friendly and she made a lot over the baby and I did the same with her two boys so we got along fine. Grandma Carlson had a nice turkey dinner. Florence and Art were there too.
It was three degrees below zero this morning and the baby’s first outing but we really bundled him up and I was so glad to have the baby bunting that Gladys sent along with the other baby clothes. We walked down to Carlson’s, of course, since the car would never start in this weather anyway. I carried the baby and Elmer carried the bassinette. I also brought a pie and rolls and Jimmy and Mary took that stuff and the sled down. A terrible strong wind was blowing and the snow was piling up in drifts so it really seemed a lot colder than only three below.
It snowed real hard yesterday and was quite warm out so the kids had lots of fun building snowmen yesterday but today they soon found out that it was way too cold to play outside. Jimmy didn’t stay down at Carlson’s long after we ate as there was nothing for him to do so he came back to the house and a friend of his came over and they played Monopoly. We all had supper at Carlson’s and came home about eight o’clock. I got along fine with Dolores today but I still would never see much of her because I would never know when she would decide to get mad at something again. Before we knew we were going over there for dinner I had ordered a capon for our Thanksgiving dinner. I had never seen one before but it looks like a small turkey and there isn’t nearly as much waste to it as there would be to a turkey. We will have that now this weekend. It looks like we are in for a long cold winter so it is a good time to be tied down at home anyway with a new baby. The baby is getting so fat and he eats so much pablum and drinks so much milk that I am anxious to start feeding him the other baby foods because then I think he will sleep at longer intervals through the night. So far he gets just starved about every three hours and during the day it doesn’t make any difference but it is hard getting up at night. Last night Elmer slept on the davenport and kept the baby out in the living room in the buggy and he got up with him every time so I had a wonderful night’s sleep. Elmer has been just swell about helping. He still makes the formula most of the time, although I do try to get it made during the day some of the time so he won’t have to start in on it after supper every night. He is out in the kitchen making it now. He wasn’t much help with my first two babies so I might just as well let him do some of the work now.
I suppose the reason the baby doesn’t smile yet is because he hasn’t caught up to a full-time baby, but I will be so glad when he does start smiling because he looks so sad all the time. So far, every time he cries it is because he is either hungry or has to burp or is wet and when we check on all three reasons and fix up whatever is bothering him, he will just lie so good even if he isn’t asleep. Today, over at Carlson’s, he slept the whole time, just waking up once to eat. His hair is red. I wonder if it will stay that way.
I had another letter from Mrs. Ellsworth and she certainly is enjoying herself. She said it is just wonderful to sit out on the porch in the sun and not have someone picking on her all the time. I wish she wouldn’t have to go back to Leila’s.
Yesterday I called Parry Bonander and asked her if she wouldn’t like to spend the day downtown Christmas shopping or something and I would take care of Mark for her and she was very happy to do that so I had a chance to do a little something for her after all she does for me. Mark, her little boy, is awfully good and after I gave him his lunch I undressed him and put him on the bed and he put his thumb in his mouth and closed his eyes and went right to sleep and slept for two hours and since the baby was also sleeping I got in a good nap too.
I saw Edna Dahlstrom at school last Friday night and talked a couple minutes to her. She was very friendly as usual so I don’t think she is mad at anyone. I’m glad that Gladys wrote to her telling her side of the story. Mrs. Dahlstrom hasn’t called me for sometime now and I don’t think she will. Ralph is certainly a nut to tell Ruthie and Jeannie their mother doesn’t like them and things like that. That’s probably the way Mrs. Dahlstrom talks.
Well Folks, I guess I had better stop for now. Elmer has finished with the formula and if I go to bed right now I should get in a pretty good sleep before the baby wakes up. Since Elmer has to work tomorrow I’ll get up during the night but Elmer takes over on weekends. I’ll be anxious to hear about your day together today and I hope you are all fine.
With Love, Helen
Pop, I’m always up now at five o’clock in the morning and I’m up for the day. At first I thought it was just terrible but then decided if you could do it I could too. You probably don’t get any more sleep than I do.

660 11/9/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.053-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Thursday, November 09, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I have a few minutes before I have to start supper so will get a few lines off to you. Your nice letter came today and many, many thanks for the five dollar check. I know just what I am going to do with it and that is use that to pay on the crib that I am going to buy from Clara. I don’t know how much she is going to charge for it yet but it shouldn’t be too awfully much as she raised three kids in it. I sure have been very lucky in getting all the main things given to me. Of course the box of clothes Gladys sent took care of all the essentials and then Parry gave me her bassinette and bathinette and Muriel Corl loaned me her buggy and now I’ll buy the crib from Clara so will be very well fixed up.
The baby is just like a tiny little doll. He is so good and I have to wake him up during the day to feed him or he would absolutely sleep all day long. I let him go six hours before I wake him and he has gained up to six pounds now. I wish he would sleep that long period during the night but so far he does wake up twice during the night but it isn’t so bad getting up. Elmer says he should take turns with me but as long as I can get a nap in during the day I would rather do it myself, however, I do think on weekends I’ll let him take over the job. He still does the washing at night and makes the formula. I could do it alright but I suppose I might just as well take it a little easy when I have the chance. Davy is three weeks old today. Mary was just three weeks old when we arrived in Oak Ridge, and Elmer saw her for the first time.
Last Saturday night Parry and her husband came over for bridge. Then this last Tuesday night our neighborhood club had a fashion show so I went to that and it was fun getting out. I have gone right back to my normal weight and don’t even have a big stomach so feel very fortunate. My two neighbors had their baby girls just five days after I had Davy and both of them still look pregnant.
We are invited over to Recroft’s tomorrow night for dinner with all the kids but I’m afraid I will have to call Ruth tonight and cancel it as it has turned terribly cold out well, not terribly, but it has gone way down to I haven’t heard what yet and the wind is strong and cold and it has been snowing off and on all day so I hate to take the baby out in this. Isn’t that just terrible about that Northwest airplane crashing in Montana. Just think if some of you had come here at this time maybe you would have been on your way back on that plane. Warnie is worried that the company will have to fold up because they have had so many crashes this year. He is actually afraid to fly and gets the jitters every time he gets in a plane. I don’t blame him either.
Mrs. Ellsworth’s address is 3351 Hollydale Dr., Los Angeles 39, Calif. Yes, Leila is terrible. I sure would like to call Charles and tell him how she acted when I called. Charity’s daughter Mary is getting married to that Lieutenant in a couple of weeks. They are all sick about it. She will first have to have a Japanese wedding in Tokyo and then an American wedding. At least that is the way they are doing it.
Did I tell you that when I was in the hospital waiting for labor to start the doctor told me he didn’t know why it was but it seemed that the third pregnancies were the ones that caused the complications and most miscarriages were with the third baby. Gladys lost her third and wasn’t it your third one that was your miscarriage. Davy sure came close to being one. So many of the women in the neighborhood have been losing their babies so I feel especially lucky that I had my baby o.k. I am glad that I didn’t cut any more than six diapers in half, and the oldest ones at that, because he has filled out and I have found a pretty easy way of making the whole diaper fit him. It sure is hard to get the pins through though.
A very nice present of washcloths and towels came from Ruth and Jim and I must get a letter written to them tonight. That was one thing I hadn’t thought of buying and was so glad to get that present. I, or the baby, was very well remembered by all my friends and neighbors. Parry also gave me a very lovely necklace and earrings to match when they came over Saturday night. Mother, she is always giving me something so I was wondering if you or Glad or Stella when in Seattle shopping, or anyplace, if you see some little item that is something a little different, would you get it for me so I can give it to Parry for Christmas. I don’t as a rule exchange presents with friends but I would like to give her something. She goes in for unusual things so I thought of a knickknack or anything made of shells or something and the fact that it came from out there would make it something special anyway.
I have to stop for now and start supper but thanks a million for the five dollars and I’ll write more soon and tell Ruth and Stella I’m going to write to them this weekend for sure. Pop I wish the baby had come a couple of days earlier so it would have been on your birthday.
With Love, Helen

659 11/3/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.051-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, November 03, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
It has turned cold and this morning it even tried to snow. The kids were delighted and disappointed when it didn't turn out to be much of anything but I don't think they will have to wait long for a good snowstorm. It sounds awful to me.
Mrs. Ellsworth is in Los Angeles now. She left about the 16th of October I think. I had a letter from her and she had a nice trip out there. I am so glad she was able to get away from Leila at least for the winter. I called Mrs. Ellsworth when I got home from the hospital, not knowing that she had left. This is my conversation with Leila. I asked if Mrs. Ellsworth was there and Leila said no. I said, "do you expect her in soon", and she said no. I said did Mrs. Ellsworth leave town and Leila said yes. That is all she would say. She wouldn't even put her yeses and no's in a sentence. I wanted to hang up on her but instead just thanked her.
Mrs. Dahlstrom called a couple of days ago. I think she wanted to try and find out if I had heard anything about her letter or anything. She asked me if I had heard from you folks or Gladys recently. I said, oh, yes I had had letters from both of you and you were all as busy as ever. She had had a letter from Ralph asking for his old sheet music as the kids were thinking of buying a piano but she said she didn't know what she had done with the music. We didn't talk long but she'll be calling me again soon if she doesn't get a letter from Gladys but I think it would be best if I let her think I don't know a thing about anything, don't you.
That baby of ours is the best little thing I have ever seen. He just sleeps all the time and wakes up about every four hours to eat and then goes right back to sleep again. The last two nights he has slepts for six hours before waking up to eat, so I feel just wonderful because I can get plenty of sleep and if he is sleeping when Elmer has to get up well Elmer gets his own breakfast and makes his lunch. I do like to get up then though because I have to get up soon afterwards to get Mary and Jimmy off to school. Elmer still makes the formula at night and does the washing but I think I might just as well start doing that myself, although I suppose I would be smarter if I let him go on doing it as long as he will because it probably won't last too long and I might just as well keep my good help as long as I can.
I guess I didn't tell you the middle name we gave the baby, rather I gave it to him. We had decided on David but didn't think of a middle name, so when the nurse came in for his name to be put on the birth certificate I told her to put Elmer down as his middle name. Of course I don't like the name but they never use their middle name anyway and I thought Elmer would kind of like that and there is nothing wrong with a boy having his father's name at least in the middle so that is it.
It cost a little over 300 dollars to have the baby. The hospital bill was 155 dollars and the doctor bill 160, oh yes, then another 10 dollar bill for the doctor I had to have to come to the hospital to check and look at the baby after he was born. He still has to be circumcised but not until he gains a little weight. He already is up to 5 lbs 7 oz. He was 5,3 when I brought him home. My neighbor has baby scales so I can use them whenever I want to.
Well Folks I am going to wash the bottles so that much will be done for Elmer. Ruth Recroft came over again Wednesday and did a lot of work for me. She certainly is a good friend.
More later folks. I took a picture of the baby the other day and if his face shows at all I'll send you a copy.
Love, Helen

269 10/26/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.049-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Thursday, October 26, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
This is my second day at home and I feel just wonderful. The baby came home with me and eats real good and then spends the rest of the time sleeping. I had hoped to nurse him but after being used to the bottle while he was in the incubator he will have nothing to do with breast milk so I will dry my milk up and let him go on with the formula. Elmer is just wonderful and after the way he has and is carrying on around here I will never say anything mean about him even if I do get mad at him. He has worked so hard and had the house looking so nice when I came home. Then when we found the baby wouldn't nurse yesterday Elmer had to run back and forth to and from the store buying all the bottle business, since we had none of that stuff. Thank goodness Gladys had sent me two nursing bottles as we fixed those up with my milk which I pumped out for the baby and which he needed as soon as I got him home. Elmer has been making the formula and does everything just precisely, scalding and boiling everything just like the book says to do.
Elmer's mother came over Tuesday morning and ironed all day long and finished the ironing and we certainly appreciated that. Today Ruth Recroft came over in the morning and is spending the day here helping Elmer out. They washed clothes and there really was a big washing because Elmer hadn't gotten that done while I was gone and since I went so unexpectedly I wasn't up to date on my work. Ruth Recroft is the girl from Atlanta and she really has dug in today. The house looks so nice and she has been busy every minute. At first I thought it would be hard having her over here all day but she insisted and it sure is a big help and now I'm glad she came. I thought the house should be all straightened up before she got here but she just took over and soon had it looking that way. She and Elmer haven't let me do a single thing except take care of the baby. I had a nice nap even since the baby slept four hours. His little knees have big sores on them because in the incubator they left him on his stomach all the time and the rubbing on the sheet made him so sore. I'm glad I have him home so I can take better care of him. They didn't take him out of the incubator until the morning of the day I left the hospital. I didn't know until the last minute whether I would be bringing him home with me or not.
Your nice letter was here when I came home Tuesday. I'm glad Gladys had a good talk with Ralph and I'm sure everything will work out all right. I know he really likes his job there and he is crazy about the girls, especially Gail. He missed her too. I think Mrs. D. was at the bottom of all the trouble.
My C. S. neighbor, who lives two houses from us, called and is going to stop over to see me. She keeps me supplied with reading material. Before I went to the hospital she brought me over the book, "I Knew Mary Baker Eddy." It is by different ones who actually knew her.
The first night home from the hospital, the Mother's Club that I belong to sent over our complete dinner. It was very good and such a big help to have it. Then later on in the evening, a huge basket came fixed all up pretty with cellophane and in it was fruit and olives and just all kinds of things. That was also from the Mother's Club.
Friday Morning:
I didn't get to finish this yesterday as Mrs. Scott came over and she just left and somebody else came over and I was busy from then on. I was just about ready to sell the baby this morning as he woke up about every two and a half hours during the night. Elmer wants to get up with him but I think I should for a while because the baby, being so tiny, is awfully hard to change his diapers. I took a dozen of the older diapers and cut them in half and that works out so much better. The whole size diaper keeps his legs stuck out straight, no matter how I fold them and then they are so thick it is almost impossible to pin them so the half size is swell and I can always sew them back together again when he gets bigger.
Pop, I hope you had a Happy Birthday. I thought about you and felt bad that I didn't get at least a card off to you. I shouldn't have started that typing for General Mills because that kept me from doing other things. The day Elmer took me to the hospital we also had to bring the typing along with us and Elmer dropped me off first and then went over to General Mills with my work. They want me to continue it but I don't think I will.
Well Folks, Elmer is going to the store now so I will send this with him. I also have one to mail to Gladys and will get a letter written to Stella and Ruth today or tomorrow. Elmer's mother is coming over again tomorrow to iron. Next week I'll be doing more around here. More later Folks.
With Love, Helen

276 10/20/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.047-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, October 20, 1950

Sadie Erwin
1120 Cole St., Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
The baby is one day old today and I think we will name him David. I haven't even seen him yet as he is in the premature room but I don't think he is in an incubator. An incubator baby is under 5 lbs and this baby weighed 5 lbs and 5 oz but I guess they are keeping him in that room in case he loses a little. He came almost a month early but I sure am glad to have it over with ahead of time.
The water broke at home about 5:30 Wednesday morning. I called the doctor later on in the morning and he insisted I go right to the hospital even though labor hadn't started.
I didn't want to go but Elmer also insisted. I got there at noon and then spent the rest of the time hoping labor would start so I could get it over with. When Elmer left he called the practitioner for me and at midnight I got the first pain and the baby came five hours later. The labor wasn't bad at all and I feel just wonderful and did even right after the delivery. For the first time I didn't have to have stitches. Even yesterday afternoon I was allowed to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. Now today, the second day, I can get up all I want to.
Saturday Morning
Since starting this letter I have learned that the baby is in the incubator but is coming along just fine and eats good so I'm hoping I'll be able to take him home with me when I go. Elmer and I got to see him for a couple minutes yesterday and he is a cute little thing. His face looks fat and nice. The doctor said he is a perfect baby with no defect.
The weather has been lovely and I'm anxious to get home. I have a very nice roommate but she will be leaving today or tomorrow.
I'm sorry I missed talking to you Thursday morning. I thought my chances of getting all three of you were best at the store. Jim sounded so natural and he couldn't figure out who was calling at first.
Well Folks I will stop for now. I don't have any envelopes so will have to wait until Elmer comes and give this to him. More later.
Love, Helen.

263 10/14/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.045-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Saturday, October 14, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I'm typing at home again for General Mills as they are so busy with Christmas orders. I have the time now that Jimmy and Mary are both in school all day and it will be fun to be earning a little money again. Just this week I made almost 20 dollars and it didn't take me more than three hours any day to do the typing. One day I finished in an hour and a half because I had all easy orders. I could make five dollars a day but that is so much work that I am giving my neighbor half of the work as she is anxious to earn some extra money. I think she will quit pretty soon though because it takes her much longer to type than it does me. It is fine with me if she quits because then I just won't take so much typing. I can easily do 300 a day which is 3 dollars. Now I have been typing 250 a day and Betty has been typing the other 250 per day.
We are having beautiful fall days but it is spoiled by the sight of everyone getting on the storms. Elmer took our screens off today and washed the windows and tomorrow plans to put on the storms.
I enjoyed the afternoon with Mr. Ellsworth the other day but it is kind of hard to converse with her the whole afternoon. She hopes to go to California with Fred the latter part of October but now he is undecided so she doesn't know yet for sure if she will get there or not. It would be nice if she did get to go so she could get away from Leila for a few months.
You get after Stella to mail that letter she wrote to me because I still haven't gotten it.
I can imagine how mad Gladys is at the Dahlstroms. She doesn't know the half of it and I'm really afraid to say a word, really, because it wouldn't do any good and just cause a lot of trouble. One thing about Ralph, he is young and that is probably why he didn't have sense enough to keep from talking so much when he got back. He did as much talking as the rest of them while he was here so I can't imagine why he blames it on the others. Don't tell Gladys any of this because it will just make her furious and if she writes and mentions any of it to Mrs. Dahlstrom, well Mrs. Dahlstrom will just call me up and bawl me out and rave on about everything. Anyway, Mrs. D. said she was so mad at Gladys for making Ralph hurry back and she said she was going to tell Gladys what she thought about her when she saw her. That was when the kids were still planning to come so I was glad when they changed their plans. She also said that Ralph was getting paid so little that he practically had no money at all, in fact he was almost broke when he was here and she even had to pay his insurance bill. She said she told Ralph that if the kids were mean to him when he got back there he should just quit. But a lot of that is Ralph's fault because to hear him talk, he is just worked to death and has to do everything and doesn't get any sleep or relaxation and can't enjoy the fireplace in the office or get any knitting done. Mrs. D. seems to blame everything on Gladys so whenever I can get a word in edgewise I tell her to remember that Cully must have something to do with it all too. I'm sure they all had a great time talking it all over with Edna and Ockie and feeling sorry for Ralph, although Ralph put on the big shot act when he was over here but I didn't mind because he doesn't mean anything to me anyway.
This Monday night I'm having the sewing club and will be glad when that is over with. I'm due to have the baby in about four weeks but hope it doesn't come any sooner as I'm anxious to get a lot of typing done. The kids are at the matinee and Elmer is listening to the ball game so I'm going to have a short nap now and I'll write more soon.
With Love, Helen

273 9/30/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.043-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Saturday, September 30, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
Your nice long letter came today and I will start one to you but have to leave pretty soon and pick Mary and Jimmy up as they are at the matinee. The Minnesota-Washington football game starts at four o'clock our time so I will get back just in time to listen to that. They just said over the radio that it is 20 degrees colder out there than it is here. It is really warm here today.
Jan had a pretty good demonstration I thought. She called Mrs. Reid, the practitioner, and she agreed to work for Ned during the operation. Just before the doctors operated they x-rayed Ned's head once again and found that he didn't have a brain tumor after all, although he did have a blood clot, which was remove very easily and Ned is just fine and will soon be back home.
I am disappointed that Glad and Cully aren't coming but maybe they will get here later on. I did think that Gladys was at home most of the time, now that they have so much help at the office. It probably doesn't hurt her girls any but she is the one who is missing out on so much by not being around them. They grow up so fast and before she knows it she won't have any children at home. I'll have to go on sticking up for her, however, because Mrs. D. would love it too much to have it the other way. She called me a few minutes ago but I was under the shower so will either call her back or wait until she calls again.
Mrs. Ellsworth called yesterday and I had a nice visit with her. I invited her over for lunch next Wednesday. Charity is in Japan now and Edward is right in the midst of the fighting so Charity is worried about him but otherwise loves it over there and has a lovely home to live in with Japanese servants and everything is made very easy for her. Her daughter, Mary, who was just 19 fell in love with a Lieutenant, who is 23 years old, on the boat on the way across. They are just sick about it as Mary plans to get married as soon as possible and her father is really mad. Mrs. Ellsworth is leaving for California the latter part of October with Fred. She will spend the winter there. She is feeling pretty good but had to change doctors as the one she had was killed in the plane that crashed in Lake Michigan.
I'm so glad Gary got his tricycle. Gosh I surely didn't realize his birthday was at this time. It was so much fun reading about how happy he was with his new tricycle that now I hope I have a boy.
Wednesday morning - your letter got mixed in with my bills to be mailed and I thought I had mailed your unfinished letter. Mrs. Ellsworth is coming over today for lunch. The ground is covered with frost this morning.
I'll hurry and stop now so Elmer can take this with him and get it mailed this morning.
Love, Helen

272 9/28/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.041-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Thursday, September 28, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
Frank Woodfill called me tonight and told me about the wonderful time he had out there and about seeing all of you. You certainly went all out for him and he even sounded excited talking about it. It was swell of you to do so much because you are so awfully busy all the time and when he told me you stayed up until three one night and two the next night I just didn't see how it was possible. I know it really meant a lot to him to see you all. I talked to him a long time and certainly liked hearing about everything.
Jan Martin (Warnie's wife) called tonight to ask for a practitioner so I gave her the number of the one I have had to call on occasion. She sure needs one in a bad way and I certainly hope everything turns out all right. Her youngest boy Ned who is just twelve has been home from school the last two weeks with a terrible headache that didn't let up at all. She took him to a doctor yesterday and they put him through all kinds of tests and put this electric machine on his head and found he has a terrible brain tumor. He is going to be operated on tomorrow and she wanted to know if a practitioner would work for him and for her peace of mind too and I told her I was sure one would. I'm anxious to hear if she will or not. Anyway, Warnie hasn't been one bit concerned about Ned since he isn't Warnie's boy and Warnie is so distant to the boys anyway that Jan had no one to lean on at all. However, she wired the father and he and his mother are flying in tonight from Detroit and the ex mother-in-law said to spare no expense, that she would pay for everything.
I went to the sewing club Monday night and they did have a shower for me. Each one gave me some little thing for the baby, nice things like rubber pants and powder and things like that and then the main present from all of them was a teeter-babe. Hazel left that morning so I didn't get to see her but she also left a present which was a darling pair of hand-knit booties. It was awfully nice of them to give the shower and I have invited them all over here for the next meeting but I do wish I knew how to get out of going to the meetings because, as much as I like them all, they meet too often and I'm the only one in the bunch who isn't a relative. Now their Aunt Alice is going to join. Do you know who she is? I don't.
Mary has been out of school the last two days and I'm going to keep her home tomorrow also since it is Friday but she was running around the house ten times the other morning before school to work up an appetite for breakfast. She was on about the sixth round when she fell down and skinned her knee so badly that she can't straighten it out. Then yesterday I put a Band-Aid over the sore and the Band-Aid has stuck to the sore and no matter how long she soaks it it won't come off and today the sore started to heal over the little piece of Band-Aid that is still on. I cut off as much of the Band-Aid that would come loose so there is just a little piece stuck on the sore but I don't know how to get it off. Elmer says when the scab falls off that piece of Band-Aid will fall off too.
I am so anxious to see Glad. I hope the weather will be nice. The last few days have been beautiful fall days but rain is predicted for tomorrow and also much colder. I'm feeling good and went to the doctor yesterday and he said the baby should be here in six weeks. Everyone says I'm going to have a boy after I finally decided it should be a sister for Mary.
Ralph stopped over last night with his mother to say goodbye to us. He was to leave this afternoon so should be arriving there about now. He had a wonderful time while he was here, I wish Glad and Cully would have more time to spend here. Well Folks, I had better stop and I hope you have caught up on your sleep a little by now.
With Love, Helen

212 9/22/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.039-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, September 22, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
Elmer had to go to Montevideo, Minnesota this morning and won't be back until about midnight tonight. He took the train so I'll wait up for him in case he misses the bus out here or something. I can go down and pick him up. Tonight the Cubs had their pack meeting at the grade school so I had to go as the groups get extra points for all the parents who attend. Mary went too but thank goodness it only lasted an hour. They just have the pack meetings once a month but each individual group meets every week only the parents don't have to go to the weekly meetings. I saw Cully's sister and her husband but didn't get to talk to them.
Frances Woodfill called me yesterday and said she was having the club at her house Monday night and asked me to come so I said I would as long as she was having it but I haven't attended any of those meetings for ages and kind of hate to start it again. Then tonight Hazel called me. She was over at Frances's house and they wanted me to come over and see Hazel but I couldn't on account of having to go to this Cub meeting. Hazel went on to say she thought they would be leaving Monday morning but she would like to stay over another day so she could see me Monday night at my shower. Then I heard Frances holler at her so evidently they are having a shower for me. I wish they weren't although I donated to three showers for the different girls in the club but since I haven't gone for so long it will look now like I'm just going because I expect them to give me something.
Frank is due back Monday night. Frances said you folks took him up to the mountains. I hope the day was nice.
Yesterday I had a dentist appointment at one o'clock and when I got there Vernie was just leaving for lunch. He had gotten all bawled up on his appointments so I told him to go on and I would make it another time as I really was glad to get out of it anyway. Since I had gotten cleaned up I didn't want to come back to the house so I called Selma and she was making donuts and told me to come out and have donuts and coffee so I did. I enjoyed getting out because I have been doing nothing but stay home. I don't know what's the matter with me but all I feel like doing is sleeping and I do what work I have to around the house and then sleep the rest of the time until the kids come from school. Some days I sleep almost all day long and still if I don't sleep a lot I'm so tired at night I can hardly move. I really have gone into just a terrible shell and don't call anyone and half the time I don't even answer my telephone when it rings. That's why I haven't called Mrs. Ellsworth because I'll want to invite her over when I do and I don't have the pep to clean my house most of the time. I think I'll have to make myself be more active and maybe I'll get over feeling like this.
Mrs. Dahlstrom and Ralph came over the other night and I was glad to hear about everyone. I wouldn't tell Gladys but I just have to stick up for her every time I talk to Mrs. Dahlstrom because they all criticize Glad for working and leaving her kids. Every time Mrs. Dahlstrom says something about it, which is all the time, I tell her it is Cully who depends upon her so much and keeps calling her to come down to the office and can't get along without her working with him. I did tell Gladys how Mrs. Dahlstrom called me to ask me what all Gladys sent me in the box she sent back with Ralph. I sat there and named off all the baby things she had sent and when I finished Mrs. Dahlstrom told me to be sure and wash them out before using them because she noticed they were pretty stiff, probably from being dried in the basement. Elmer sure got a kick out of that. Speaking of Elmer I told him how I had written to you that I beat him in cribbage all the time so her wants me to be sure and tell you how things stand now. He started winning and is sixteen games ahead of me and I just can't win any more so I've quit playing the game. Now we have started playing pinochle. That is fun too, I think, and so far we are about even in that.
We have our heat turned on now and a lot of days it feels like winter is just around the corner and nobody is ready for it yet because we really had no summer at all and it seems like we have hardly gotten over last winter yet.
Muriel Corl has the bandages off from her eyes now but can't see a thing out of the injured eye, and it has been uncovered for two weeks now. She is just terribly worried about it but the doctor told her it may take months but he expects her to regain her sight in that eye.
Elmer said that wasn't odd that they didn't list the Christian Science services in with the Protestants. You know I told you about the church classes they were going to have at school. He said it meant all the other churches would be in one group, and the C.S. in one group and the Catholics in another group so I guess I just took it the wrong way.
Well Folks I guess I had better stop for now but I hope you are all fine and not working too awfully hard. Wish I could give you some of the sleep I get.
With Love, Helen

211 9/11/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.037-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, September 11, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
The kids are in bed so I will get a few lines off to you. I talked to Frances Woodfill today and she said her father left for Seattle this last Saturday. Have you seen him yet. Hazel and Henry came to Minneapolis but went on to Michigan. I guess Hazel seems to be pretty good now.
Jimmy and Mary are glad to be back in school. Mary gets a little homesick being gone all day but she'll get over that.
We will have to turn on our heat soon as the weather is getting cold. It rained all day today.
Tuesday Night
It rained all day again today. I hope the sun is out tomorrow so I can wash. With no heat on it takes all week for the clothes to dry in the basement.
Tonight we went over to the school to vote. It took an hour and a half as they had the voting machines and they were new to everyone and evidently some of the people didn't pay any attention to the sample machine as some of them took ages.
I just saw something maddening in the paper. It said Religious classes will start next week in the Minneapolis schools for those who wish to attend. In addition to Protestant classes there will also be Roman Catholic and Christian Science classes. I wish I knew who to write to or call so I could inform them that Christian Scientists are also Protestants.
I have your birthday present ready to mail, mother, and hope to get it sent tomorrow. It isn't much but too bad it had to be late. I had better stop for now so I'll be sure and mail this in the morning.
Love, Helen

210 9/4/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.035-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, September 04, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I don't have a scrap of paper in the house so will use the back of the birthday card. I'm going downtown tomorrow for my appointment so am going to get you a present, Mother.
The Dahlstroms stopped over Sunday for a few minutes with the box of baby clothes from Gladys. I sure am glad to have all the things. I saw Ralph, of course, and plan to have them all over before he goes back.
School starts tomorrow and the kids can hardly wait.
I'll buy some paper tomorrow so I can get more of a letter written. Goodbye for now and Happy Birthday, Mother.
Love, Helen

209 8/25/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.033-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, August 25, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I just got Mary and Jimmy to bed so will write to you now. All summer it has been nine or later before they go to bed so the evening seems pretty short. When school starts they will have to stop playing outside so late.
Yesterday Mrs. Dahlstrom called and wanted to know if it would be alright if she came over in the afternoon so I told her to come and I would meet her bus down at the corner. I hurried and baked some brownies to go with the coffee. We had a nice visit and I know she would have liked to stay for supper since Andrew works nights and she has nothing to go home for but I just didn't have a thing to fix except some left-over pot roast so I didn't ask her. She went over to Edna's instead. I took her over so saw and talked to Edna for a few minutes too. I guess Glad and Cully will be staying with Dahlstroms when they come in December because Mrs. Dahlstrom said she wouldn't have it otherwise. I wonder how long Wally will be staying out there. I guess Ralph plans to ride back with him for a little vacation. The weather is still cold but I like it this way much better. The weather hasn't been good for the ones who like to swim a lot and get tan, though.
I washed and waxed and cleaned the car up today so it looks much better than it did.
Last night the neighborhood mother's club met for their monthly meeting. We played cards last night and I went and enjoyed it but left before refreshments as it was eleven o'clock when we stopped playing cards and I'm just no good the next day if I've been up real late the night before.
So many people are moving out of our neighborhood as two or three Jewish families got in. Now it seems like there are almost as many Jews as Gentiles because they keep buying the houses that the people are moving out of.
The day Mrs. Dahlstrom came over she brought me two nice baby blankets.
Here I haven't gotten your letter mailed yet and a nice one came from you today so I will add on to this one and Elmer will mail it in the morning. It has rained all day today and I love rainy days. I washed clothes and hung them in the basement. Your trip to Paradise sounded wonderful. The kids loved hearing about the deer and how you fed them bread. I wish they could have been along. I hope you got over your cold o.k. Mother. I had a terrible one too and it went through all the different stages and today was the first day I felt really good in two weeks. I will try to call Mrs. Ellsworth tomorrow and talk to her and will tell you what she has to say. I had a letter from Doris Ducret today and she said they didn't get to Seattle after all as they had planned. George has been out on jobs most of the time and is working in Washington now.
I advertised my electric stove for three days and had some calls but no one ever did come out to look at it. This is a hard place to find, though, if you're not familiar with the park. I don't think I'll bother advertising it any more but we'll just keep it down in the basement where it is out of the way. I'll bet you are kind of glad Trail Days are over with. Wish I had been out there for it again this year. Well, Folks, I have a library book to read tonight so guess I will go to bed and read. School starts next Tuesday. It will seem funny to have both kids gone all day.
Love, Helen
Here's another stamp.

219 8/15/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.031-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Tuesday, August 15, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:

It is hot out tonight but I guess we can't kick much because up until now it has been a cool and practically chilly summer. The hot weather is bound to show up sometime in this country. Your nice letter came the other day. Your trip up to Sunrise sounded wonderful. The kids were anxious to hear all about it and were disappointed that you didn't see any bear or deer.

I'll bet your davenport and chair look like a brand new set. Your house sure must look nice with all the fixing up you have been doing. That certainly was a wonderful buy on the buffet. I'm sure I can get sheets and pillow cases here if you want me to get you some. I know they have been advertised in the paper right along but I haven't paid much attention to the ads because I bought some just before you came to see me.

Last week Elmer had to go to Wisconsin to see about a job so he borrowed his father's car and we all, that is the kids and I, rode along with him. We left at 7:30 in the morning and got home about 2:30. It wasn't very far, just on the other side of Somerset. There was a nice little park there by the St. Croix River so Elmer let us off there while he went to see this man. We walked around the town and had a coke in a drugstore and bought some magazines and went back to the park and waited for Elmer. We had lunch in Stillwater on the way back.

Elmer and I have been playing cribbage just about every night. Elmer made us a swell cribbage board. It looks just like a real one. He can't beat me, though, and I am four games ahead right now.

Do you watch Jim and Ruth's television very much? Everyone is getting them here but I still have no desire for one. Nellie and Pierce got one last week and there are a couple of programs that Jimmy and Mary go over to see but I haven't even seen it yet. Last Friday night we were invited over to Jan and Warnie's and I thought we would play cards but we had to sit and watch the baseball game. Maybe if I were more of a sports fan I would enjoy television more.

I got my gas stove last week and I like it a lot. It heats so much quicker than my old electric. I'm advertising my electric one for sale this week for 15 dollars but really don't think I'll get it because everything is gas here now. If I can't sell it I will give it to the Goodwill to get rid of it.

I've had an awful cold the last few days but am beginning to get over it now. I kept my appointment at the doctor's yesterday, though, as I was anxious to see how the baby was coming along and everything is fine and it has a very strong heart beat. Did I tell you it is due on Thanksgiving.

Did you get to Paradise. I hope the day was nice and I'll be anxious to hear about it.

Well Folks, I had better stop for now but will write again soon for sure.

With Love, Helen

Thanks for the stamps. Here is the first one.

218 7/31/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.029-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, July 31, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:

The nice letter from both of you just came. It was swell hearing from you too, Pop. I bet you will really enjoy your power mower. That will make your grass cutting much easier.

Warnie was out in Seattle for a couple of days this past week and he brought me back a Seattle P.I. It was fun reading it.

Mother, if you do come in November it will be wonderful. If you don't come Elmer will stay home then as he has some vacation time coming. If I could send you your fare I would surely talk that up but as it is you just see how things go with you. If you do come it would be much easier on you than when you came to Louisiana because now Mary and Jimmy will both be in school all day not even home for lunch. We'll get the brakes on the car fixed so you can drive the car where ever you want to go and I'll be in the hospital five days and won't be staying in bed when I get home. We also plan to have that diaper service for the winter months.

Tuesday - It is actually cold out today. My bridge club meets tonight and I'm going to wear the suit of Gladys's. You were right, Mother, when you said I would be able to wear it off and on during the summer.

Muriel Corl's little two year old girl stuck her finger in Muriel's eye and hurt the eyeball so badly that Muriel has been in the hospital for two weeks and they think her sight from that eye may be gone. I'm having Bill over for dinner tonight before he goes to the hospital to see her.

Tomorrow I'm going to get a permanent. Nellie gets them for 4 dollars at a place on Lake and Nicollet and they always turn out so good so that is where I'm going. I hope mine turns out good.

Later - I cancelled my appointment at the beauty shop and gave myself a Toni. It turned out good. More later.

Love, Helen

217 7/25/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.027-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Tuesday, July 25, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:

It's another nice rainy cool night. The temperature at night has been going down to the 50's.
I suppose there is a lot of war activity going on in Seattle. It sure is a worry but maybe it won't go too far. You folks should buy a cabin up in the mountains now in case they start fighting over here. Jan Martin's sister and brother-in-law live in Korea and Jan's mother went out about two or three months ago to visit and they are still there.
Eden and Wally and their girls stopped over Sunday night as they had been over at Eden's mother's. Mrs. Pope is looking for a little house which doesn't cost too much as she would like to sell her big house and have a little left over to put in the bank.
Friday night Ruth Recroft called and wanted to know if they could come over for a game of bridge. I told them to come along so they did and they brought along some coke and a carton of cokes. When we play cards with them Elmer and Ruth are partners and Ray and I are. Elmer just can't stand to be Ruth's partner because she makes so many dumb mistakes so I suggested this time that she and I take our own husbands as partners so we did and it turned out that Ruth and Ray sat and fought most of the evening. I guess I'll have to try being Ruth's partner next time.

Mother, remember this Parry Bonander, my neighbor, who had you and Ruth and I over for coffee? I like her a lot but she started to be a second Selma in asking me to take care of her little boy all the time and also asking me to drive her all over town. I did it for quite a while until it got to be too much of a good thing and one day Mary and I sat in the car for an hour and a half while she bought groceries. After that I quit helping her out one single bit. I think she caught on right away, though, because she hasn't asked a thing of me for quite some time and she has been bringing over all kinds of plants and flowers for the yard and she weeded our flower garden and has a bassinette and all kinds of baby things she said I could have. Maybe it's just a bribe, I don't know.

Well Folks I'll stop again for this time but will write more soon.

Love, Helen

256 7/21/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.025-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, July 21, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
Elmer just left for work and while I'm having a second cup of coffee I'll write to you. I was awfully glad to get your letter. I knew you would be terribly busy over the 4th. I suppose people have started hoarding sugar there too already. We can hardly get it here. I'm so glad I've been doing most of my trading at our little neighborhood store because they will probably do more for their regular customers than for the people who just come in to hoard.
Remember Wally Schatzlein, that friend of Stella's? I just heard that he has his own jewelry store downtown. Elmer broke his watch so I called Wally last night to see if he did watch repairing and he does and I had a nice talk with him. He has five children. He asked about all of you. He works alone in his shop and isn't always there but will meet Elmer there at noon today.
We certainly have had a cool summer so far. A good summer to be pregnant. All this week it has actually been chilly. I've been feeling fine although now my back gives out on me ever so often but I take it just as easy as I feel like it.
Did you see Agnes and Earl. How many years has it been since you last saw them. Maybe Doris and George didn't get to make their trip after all since Doris hasn't been feeling too good.
It's probably just as well because your weekends are so busy it's hard to take time off to visit.
It just started in to rain now. Yesterday was just beautiful and I told the kids if we lived in Enumclaw we would pack a lunch and drive up to Sunrise. Mary's hair has grown so long that it braids just swell now so it looks pretty nice most of the time.
Jimmy said Mrs. Ellsworth called me yesterday while I was at the store. I'll call her today. I'm sure Charity won't get to go to the Orient now to join her husband.
Thanks for the pictures. They turned out awfully good.
Next payday I'm planning to start paying you back again. I just got caught up somewhat this payday since back when we bought the carpeting. I even put a little in the bank.
Everyone says my hospital bill will be just terrible since we don't carry any of that hospitalization insurance.
Well folks the kids will be waking up pretty soon so I'll stop for now. I hope you are fine and I'll write again soon.
We went to the office party after all. We came home after the dinner but it was a wonderful dinner and worth going for. Nellie insisted I go and she had Mary and Jimmy over at her house until bedtime and then Jeannie came home with them. Elmer's mother is feeling fine now.
Love, Helen

255 7/10/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.023-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Monday, July 10, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
The kids are getting ready for bed so I will start a letter to you. It is a warm night but still not bad however the mosquitoes are thick outside and they really eat Mary up.
There are four of us women on Randall Avenue who are pregnant. Three of us are due practically the same day. The fourth one is a little behind us. She was three months and lost hers today. The same thing happened to her that did to me, only she got terrible pains and went to the hospital in an ambulance and lost the baby the next day.
Elmer's mother is feeling good once again. She certainly had a long siege of it this time.
Frances Woodfill called today and said she thought her baby was just getting over whooping cough. She is having Christian Science help. She said Hazel and her husband are planning to drive here in August. Hazel is feeling much better.
Elmer's office is having their annual office party this coming Friday night but I don't think we'll go. The last two years it has been a picnic affair out at some lake but this year it is a dinner and dance at the Reserve Officer's Club out at the fort so I suppose that means dressing up.
I had a letter from Gladys written on their trip with the Bensons. It sounded as though they were having a wonderful time.
The bed Ruth slept on upstairs when she was here was Nellie's and we just took it back the other day and I found this pair of little red sox of Gary's. I'll send them along with this letter. I'm feeling fine and am over five months along now. The time really goes fast.
Jimmy's nice bicycle is still just standing in the basement. He doesn't even want to learn to ride it and Elmer has been so busy working in the yard that we haven't even encouraged him very much to learn.
Well Folks I will stop for now but I hope you are fine and I can imagine how busy you are at the store. I wonder if Doris and George saw you over the weekend. More later.
Love, Helen

254 7/5/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.021-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, July 05, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I bet you had a long busy weekend. We were busy here but not with anything special. Sunday I had Kenny and Johnny Hinch over for supper and we played bridge afterwards. Friday night we played cards with Corls and Martins. Yesterday, the 4th, we were invited out to Eden and Wally's for a picnic supper. We went out to Anoka in the afternoon. Mrs. Pope was there and looked and acted very nice. Wally's folks were there and also Alvin Pope and his wife. We came back to town early enough to see the fireworks. We didn't go to Powderhorn this year as St. Louis Park was having a celebration. However, their fireworks display didn't turn out so good as they didn't set the works off far enough away from the crowd and it all came down on us and men with fire extinguishers were running all over. Most of the crowd, including us, got away from there in a hurry.
Saturday I stopped into Carlson's to see how Elmer's mother was and before I even got to the yard I could hear her screaming and making just terrible sounds. I was afraid to go in but I didn't know if she was alone or not so I did go in and Mr. Carlson was there. He said there was no way of stopping her but I patted her arm and told her she was alright and rubbed her forehead and she stopped. Her eyes were just rolling. I've never seen anything like it. Elmer said she has done that as long as he can remember and he said when he and his sisters and brother were little it scared the life out of them. They really have had a horrible life because she used to be like this all the time. I wonder if she is better today.
Our weather is cool most of the time so for yesterday we had to wear sweaters and it was cold at night. We've had just a few hot days. We'll be getting that 100° weather yet, though.
I had a letter from Doris and George Ducret, our friends in Portland, this weekend. Next weekend they are going to ride down to Seattle and they want to try and stop by your place to meet you. They wouldn't be staying at all but just probably stop in the store a minute. I hope they will find you because they are awfully good friends and it would be nice if they met you.
Will stop for now Folks and am sorry I have been so slow in writing.
Love, Helen

253 6/23/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.019-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, June 23, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I've been just terrible about writing and it worries me but I do think about you all the time. Pop, I finally got your present mailed so it should arrive soon.
I'm still feeling real good. I bought a couple of cotton dresses. Last night Dorothy Cochrane and her husband dropped over and she brought me three maternity dresses she had had. We have been having hot weather but I like it and have been taking the kids to the beach often. I usually have the car full of others but now that the beaches are so terribly crowded I'm not taking any other kids along unless I also take their mother because it is too hard keeping my eye on them. The kids have inner tubes and have fun with them in the water.
You are probably getting ready for a busy 4th of July weekend. Elmer will have that Monday off also but I don't think we will do much of anything. We will see the fireworks at night. Now all the parks are always sprayed so there are no bugs or mosquitoes around at all.
Elmer's mother hasn't been feeling good. For the last week she has been in a daze and not like herself at all. She is up and around most of the time but far away from everything.
Have you been over to Jim's to watch television yet? Do they like their nice new set?
Jimmy and another boy walked to the matinee Wednesday. It is across the tracks over by Woodfill's house. After they had been gone for several minutes I saw they had forgotten their money. I called the theatre and asked if they would let the boys in if they showed up to the window and they said that happened all the time and they never turned the kids away, so luckily Jimmy and Steve did go up to the window even though they had discovered beforehand they had no money.
I really think this is the very first year that I haven't thought of your wedding anniversary. I know now though that on that day the 22nd of June did strike a familiar note but that is as far as it went. I hope you had a wonderful day and I'm so glad you went out of town. Was the weather nice?
Northwest Airlines had another terrible crash. I'm sure I don't like flying and I don't think I'll ever be anxious to fly again. Warnie was just over last night for a few minutes and was to start his vacation this weekend - the first he's had in years and he said he just hoped nothing happened so he couldn't have it.
Tomorrow morning we are going to get up at 6 A.M. and go over to Lake Harriet and cook our breakfast. I think that will be fun. Will stop for now and tell me how your day turned out on your anniversary.
Love, Helen

252 6/17/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.017-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Saturday, June 17, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I just sent a wire to you, Pop, and am mailing a little present today but am late as usual.
It is quite chilly out today and the Cub Scouts are supposed to have their picnic. I don't know yet if I will go or not, but Elmer is going with the kids.
Last night Eden and Wally and their girls were over for dinner. We turned our house insurance over to Wally.
Sunday night
I will add on to this now so Elmer can mail it in the morning. It rained all day and was pretty chilly so Elmer had to turn the heat back on. We stayed home all day and this evening we went to a show. I wore the suit Gladys sent me and felt very dressed up. I have been feeling just fine.
Yesterday afternoon was the Cub Scout picnic so we went. The kids had lots of fun because there were races and lots of entertainment. We had brought our picnic supper but it wasn't a bit warm out so we came home and ate it.
I have gotten the mandolin fixed up and it is a lot of fun playing it. We bought a new Magic Chef gas stove for 130 dollars. The payments will go right on the gas bill. I am so anxious to get it but it might be one or two months before I do depending on when the gas line is put in. After I get the stove a demonstrator from the gas company will come out and show me all about it and she will bake a cake for me.
We got a lovely frying pan from Jim and Ruth last week. I'm just crazy about it and believe I have used it every day since getting it. It certainly is a wonderful one to have.
Is the shingling job done on your roof now? I know you will be glad to have that fixed up and over with.
I had better stop for now. I have to get letters written to the girls right away too. I hope you have a nice Father's Day, Pop. Keeping the store open until ten o'clock is really a long day.
Love, Helen
These are good pictures of you folks. Wish I had gotten more. Tell Ruth I have some to send her too.
Helen

251 6/16/1950 Jeannie Dahlstrom to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.015-08:00

Jeannie Dahlstrom
907 29th Avenue South, Minneapolis 6, Minnesota
Friday, June 16, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Grandma
We are having a very good time. Thank you very much for the candy bars. A few days ago we went to Minnehaha Falls. They were very pretty. Today we went to Como Park. It is a zoo. We went on a picnic and we swam. We had a very nice time.
It is very hot out here. I feel like swimming every day because it is so hot. We are at my grandma's. I miss you all.
With all my love, Jeannie

250 6/6/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.013-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Tuesday, June 06, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I feel real good today even though I have a cold. I cleaned the house real good this morning and then had about an hour's nap. Mary and Karen are playing down in the basement right now and I think when Jimmy comes from school at 3:30 we'll take a thermos of lemonade and go sit down at the beach for a while. We've finally had two days of summer weather. It is 90 out now but I think every one had needed some hot weather. The insects are just terrible outside in the evening. That is one thing that Elmer has against Minnesota. Last night after supper the kids were out in the backyard playing ball and they were kept so busy swatting mosquitoes and gnats that they had to quit and come in.
Jimmy's room had their school picnic yesterday at Como Park and Jim had a wonderful time. He had 50¢ to spend but doesn't care to ride on the things so he bought a bottle of pop and that fluffy stuff and gave the rest of his money away to different kids who had lost theirs or had run out of it. Mary has her picnic Thursday at Lake Harriet but the mothers have to go along if their child goes.
I have taken my films to the drugstore to be developed and will send you a copy when I get them. I'm anxious to get pictures of our front lawn as it looks just wonderful.
Friday afternoon
Here I've gone and let the week slide by without finishing your letter. Yesterday Mary went to Lake Harriet for her school picnic. I took five kindergarten girls in the neighborhood along with me.
The gas line is going through here now and in order to have it brought right up to the house we have to buy one appliance to connect to in order to have the service free of charge. Otherwise it costs about 200 dollars to have the gas brought in. We are going to get a new gas cooking stove. My old electric one runs my bill way up. Just before you came two burners burned out and had to be replaced and my oven isn't working now. A new gas stove is cheaper than an electric one in price and also to use.
I had a letter from Stella today. You all keep so busy all the time. We haven't been doing a thing. I feel just fine but can't bear to think of being up late at night or doing anything I don't have to. I'll get back in the swing of things later on.
I hope you're all fine and I'll write more soon.
Elmer is in Red Wing today to look over a building they are going to remodel. He took the train as the brakes on our car aren't good. More later folks.
Love, Helen

247 5/3/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.011-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Wednesday, May 03, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
Ruth and Gary left this morning about eleven o'clock for Virginia, Minnesota. I told her to call me when she arrived and she called at 4:15 so she made very good time. She said there was quite a lot of snow there. She is not coming back until Monday as I guess they had made plans for her. Jim's letter to Ruth came in the afternoon mail so I forwarded it to Ruth. She should get it by Friday. Our weather was warmer today but still cloudy and it also rained off and on.
Last night I had three tables of bridge. Mostly neighborhood women. I did have Viola too. She wants all of us over for dinner when you are here but I told her I wasn't making any plans for you until you got here.
Everyone likes Ruth. Elmer worked last night. Ruth couldn't get Gary to sleep and the guests started coming. It looked as though Ruth wouldn't get to play so I went upstairs with Gary and covered him up and gave him his gun. Then I told Gary that his mother was going to play cards and she couldn't come up and I told him he must go to sleep and not even call us. Then I told him how good he was and he kissed me goodnight and I turned around and came downstairs. Every step I took, though, I expected him to say, "where's mommy." Anyway, he went right to sleep and slept through all the noise that twelve women can make and he didn't wake up until morning.
You should get here about Tuesday if you leave Sunday night. We are so anxious to see you. If it is possible with your short time I'll have to have a bunch over one night or I'll never be forgiven. We'll see though how things line up when you get here.
We miss Jim. Wish he could have stayed longer. More later and we'll see you soon.
Love, Helen

246 4/30/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.009-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Sunday, April 30, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
I wrote a letter as planned Friday night but one of the kids spilled a coke on it so I'll write another and get it mailed in the morning. We certainly had a good connection the other night. It was swell talking to you. The wire arrived about seven o'clock Saturday morning.
Ruth and I went downtown for lunch Saturday and then went to the show. We had lots of fun. Elmer took care of the kids for us. When we came out of the show it was snowing hard and it snowed hard all night. It was such wet snow it didn't stay on the ground very long. We all went to bed early Saturday night and stayed home all day today as it still isn't nice out.
Ruth is going to Virginia Wednesday morning for a couple of days. We are getting along just fine and Gary is having lots of fun. Nellie just called to see if Ruth and I wanted to go to the show with them in a few minutes. Elmer said he would put Gary to bed so we are going. More later.
Love, Helen
Monday morning
I'll just add a couple of lines as Elmer will be leaving in a minute. Pierce treated us to the show last night and Elmer managed fine with the kids.
Love, Helen
It looks like the sun will shine today.

245 4/14/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.007-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Friday, April 14, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
Elmer just left for work and I'm having a second cup of coffee. At seven o'clock this morning Betty Anderson called from the depot. They will be in town for a few days. We are absolutely tied up for the whole weekend so I just don't know when we can even see them. Tonight is our neighborhood dance. Tomorrow night we are invited out to Addie and Don's for dinner and Sunday we are invited out for Sunday dinner. I don't feel as though I should break a single date for Betty. Betty and Andy hadn't had breakfast yet and I just know she expected me to invite them to come right out here but I just couldn't with no more notice than they gave me.
Saturday morning
Mary scribbled all over that other sheet of paper. Your letter came the first thing this morning. So Glad told you the news. Well I feel absolutely wonderful. The first month I felt so dragged out I just couldn't do a thing but that didn't last long. But now I'm not getting as thorough a house cleaning job done as I had planned to. Now I feel … working like that but decided instead to save all my ambitiousness for when you are here as I know you won't care if you notice dirty walls.
Monday morning
Elmer just left so I will finish this now. We certainly had a big weekend. Friday night we went to our neighborhood dance and stayed until midnight. Then we went over to the house where the party was for Betty and Andy. We saw them and they are fine. We left for home about two o'clock. Saturday night we went out to Addie and Don's and had a wonderful barbecued rib dinner. We had such a nice evening. There was another couple there too and the fellows started telling about their war experiences and the time just flew so we got home late again. Sunday we were invited out again for dinner. We took the kids this time, though, and ate about two o'clock so came home around five.
The weather has turned to almost summer weather within the last two days so it will be nice when the kids are here I'm sure.
I don't know a doctor in town so have no idea who to go to. Everyone raves about a specialist in the Medical Arts Building so I went to him a couple weeks ago and he gave me my examination and of course I'm in perfect condition, but I'm not going back to him because his price is awfully high and then he doesn't even look at the baby when it is born so another doctor is supposed to be called in to check the baby over and the fee for that is high. I think I'll just let things ride. I don't even feel pregnant. In fact I feel better than I do normally.
Will stop for now and will see you soon.
Love, Helen

244 4/11/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.005-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Tuesday, April 11, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks,
I'm so glad this week isn't the one when Jim and Ruth are here because the weather is just terrible. All Easter weekend it sleeted, hailed and blew real hard and was cold. We couldn't even go to church Sunday it was so awful out. This morning it is cold and terribly windy. After a week of this weather it should be nice when the kids are here.
Mrs. Dahlstrom called yesterday and told me the Dahlstroms had spent Easter week in Portland. I'm glad they had a chance to get away for a few days. It sounds like they have been awfully busy.
Tomorrow I am invited to a shower on a neighborhood. The woman who is giving it is having it at a place like the Crabapple. She has reserved a room for us and we will have lunch and then play bridge. I will leave Mary with Nellie.
I want to write a note to Jim and Ruth tonight and give them our telephone number. I wonder if they will be coming through St. Cloud and Anoka.
More later Folks. I have to stop for now.
Love, Helen

249 3/7/1950 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

2008-12-03T15:53:00.003-08:00

Helen Carlson
4008 Randall Avenue, St. Louis Park, Minneapolis 16, Minnesota
Tuesday, March 07, 1950

Sadie Erwin
Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks:
Your nice letter with the lecture enclosed came this afternoon. Thanks for the lecture. I am going to read it tonight.
We had about two days of spring weather, where the temperature got as high as 50 and most of the snow disappeared. It was raining this morning and then this afternoon it started snowing real hard and a terrible wind came up and an awful blizzard is really raging outside now. It took Elmer two hours to get home from work. I'm sure the schools will be closed tomorrow. I'm also quite sure I will have to cancel my bridge party which is tomorrow.
Doris Ducret, (you know Doris and George were transferred to Portland) well she was taken to the hospital there Saturday with a heart attack. I sure am anxious to hear how she is getting along. Mabel Bray still doesn't feel too good but she has something else to think about now because Mary Lee was taken to the hospital Sunday night with appendicitis. She had them taken out that night. More trouble. Frances Woodfill's family is perking up a little now. Her baby weighed over nine pounds. All her babies were large.
Mamie Praull called me yesterday and she certainly hopes to see you folks when you come. Frank Woodfill said be sure not to forget him. I'll wait and see what your time allows, but if you want to see them I could have the sewing club while you are here and Frank too then you could see all of them but I'll wait until you get here before I make plans for you. Hazel isn't feeling at all good. She fell awhile ago and broke her ankle. She has recovered from that but still doesn't feel good if she gets out of bed. Mamie says she still talks about coming back here for a visit this summer, though.
I will get to the library for the book, "The Cascades." When is it now your club meets?
Well Folks I will stop for now. I would like to write to Ruth and Gladys tonight. Also to Doris.
Good night for now Folks. By the way, it wasn't a bit of trouble to exchange the dress.
With Love, Helen
In our bridge club we have a traveling prize. Whoever takes a trick with the deuce of trump gets the prize and it travels from one person to another all evening. The one who ends up with it gets to keep it. For the traveling prize for my party tomorrow night I bought a real nice 10 inch Pyrex pie plate and baked a cherry pie in it. I was going to pass something else around instead of the pie just during the game as we couldn't pass the pie from one person to another. Well that pie has made my mouth water all evening so I just broke down and went out and ate a couple of big pieces. Was it ever good. Now what am I going to do for a prize for the party. Well I'll worry about that in the morning. I still think it was worth it as it just hit the spot. Besides I needed a pie plate myself.
Love, Helen