Letters from Detta

Do you know all your grandparents?  If so, you are lucky!  I only got to grow up with my mother's mother.  My dad's mother died when he was only 16.  As a redhead, I'm always wondering where my sister and I got our ginger hair.  I asked my dad, "What color of hair did your mom have?"

"Grey," he replied.

His memory of her was fuzzy.  I knew that she had been a teacher and was very suited to raising their 12 children.  She would line up the kids on the kitchen chairs in two rows.  She would ask the  two in the first row to spell a word.  When one missed, they went to the back of their line and everyone would move up a chair. And still my dad couldn't spell!

That's it! That's all I knew about her!

Then my dad's sister Madalyn died and left some old letters.  That is how I got to know my grandmother, Martha Bernadetta Muller Raygor, or simply Detta.  Here are the two letters, transcribed as is:

From: 211-1 St., Coon Rapids, Ia., May 4, 1942

To: Mrs. H.R. Smith, General Delivery, Pryor, Okla.

Coon Town, the second day of May, 1942

My dear children –

Hi there, what you all doing these fine days? I say fine, because it is raining. It was so very dry, that our garden seed wouldn’t germinate and come up, but things are sure blooming now.

It rained Thu., and then again to-day.

Bess & Les & Grandma, Grandpa & Orlo were over yesterday after-noon. Les brought me a bale of straw for my hens’ nests. I asked for a sack full but he brought a whole bale. Bess took one of my big yellow setting hens Flossy home to set on duck eggs. She said if the eggs hatched good, she would give me two of the little ducklings to raise. She has 6 setting hens from different people, setting on duck eggs. And she has 4 little ducks now. [Bess was Detta's first born.]

Now, Madalyn, don’t take me all wrong, I didn’t mean to insinuate that you’re more lazy at home, but you know they always say the way to a man’s heart is thru his stomach, so there-fore have a nice supper ready for him when he gets home from work.

The nice picture of Willie you sent up here, I sent on to him, and said “Madalyn’s version of you.” What do you think he will think of that? I bet you will hear from him about it, but it’s all in fun.

Omar, John, Josie & Harry all went up to confession this evening. Toots wouldn’t go, he said it was too rainy. I went Fri. morning. [Toots is Larry, my dad, all the others are brothers and sister.]

You know, Toots is in the boys glee club and mixed chorus. Well they went to the state music contest at Council Bluffs last night, and the boys glee club took second. The girls first and mixed chorus second.  I don’t know if Toots gets to go anyplace else now or not.  It was 1:30 AM when he got home, so he didn’t get up till 11:30 this noon. I guess he has gone to bed now.

Well the wind has gone to the north-west and is it ever getting chilly out. If it clears off by morning, it might freeze, but I hope not. The warm kitchen stove feels good never-the-less, on the second day of May.

Speaking of May, here is where the birthdays come in. Nine are all in May: Leona 4; Dad & Harry 10; Aunt Estella 15; Eddie 16; Toots 17; Jake, Omar & Harry B. 25. [Estella and Leona were Detta's older sisters]

My ten little chicks are growing like everything. I have another big yellow hen, Sussy, wants to set, so I guess I will set her on some hens eggs.  Lester is going to try and get me a runty pig to feed for next winter’s meat.

Well I haven’t heard from Clara since Wed. She be O.K. tho, or they would let us know. It has stopped raining now. [Clara was Detta's second born.]

Dad has a new job now. He and Andy Lindle are the bosses of a school victory garden. Coon, Viola & Gray schools have 5 acres into vegetable garden. 2 acres in potatoes, 2 acres into carrots, beets, onions, turnips, parsnips, peas, beans and sweet corn. The school kids are to take care of it and the men show them how. Then there will be 5 W.P.A. women to can what is to can.

Mrs. Esdohr gave me 1 bushel of fire-plant and Daisy C washed the jars. She and I washed and cut the fire-plant.  I canned it and Dad sealed the jars for me. We canned 16 quarts of sauce.

We have to register for sugar rationing next Tues. We got a 100 lb sack in the winter yet, so will have 25 lbs. to report on.

The fire has gone out and I am getting cold, so I guess I will have to go to bed to get warm, so good night until to-morrow some time.

Mon. after-noon.  I am grandma again. Clara & Harry have a big girl, came Sun. morn. Weighs 8 lb. 11 oz. Dark hair & big blue eyes. Harry says she has big feet too. They may name her Murl Ann. Clara wants it that, but Harry doesn’t like Murl.

I must write Clara a big letter this P.M.

Say! Tell Harold that from his picture, he looks to be a very handsome young man.  We would all like to meet him soon.

We got your special delivery letter, also one letter from the Post Master and your picture back.

I washed this morning, so there-fore I am rather tired.

Pepper Young’s family is just coming on the radio, so I must listen to that. It is sure good now.  With that finished, I will proceed with my letter.  It is now 2:45 and it looks as tho it might rain again. Eggs aren’t quite so high here. I get 27c a dozen for extras and 25c for firsts. Of course, if I were to buy them, I might have to pay 29c or 30c a dozen. I sold 1 dozen last Sat. and got 37c for them, but now I only have 3 hens to lay for me.

Can’t think of any more news, so will say adieu for now. Write very soon. I am as always, your loving Mom.

This letter doesn't reflect the severe pain she was in with stomach cancer.  In fact, she died just 21 days after she wrote this last letter.

From: Mrs. Ed Raygor, 211-1 St., Coon Rapids, Ia., Sept 1, 1942

To: Mrs. H.R. Smith, Heflin Camp, Edinburg, Ind.

Dear Madalyn –

I suppose Harold has gone by now, have you heard from him yet? If so, how is he, how does he like army life and what is his address? If I can think of any more questions, I will shoot them at you.

How is your self? And what are you doing? Is it very warm down there? It has been really hot the last 5 days in the after-noon.  It is about 7:30 P.M. Tuesday and it is still hot, so I brought this letter down cellar to write it. I was sleeping so I laid down on my box bed, and even to sleep for ½ hour feel pretty decent. Now am still canning tomatoes and making apple butter, have 101 qt. of tomatoes canned, will make a batch of catsup to morrow.  I got 9 qt. of pears from that box. Got ½ bushel of grapes from Aunt Annie and made some jelly, 6 pints of butter and bottled 12 bottles of grape juice, including the grapes Clara gave me.

II. Now Madalyn, prepare yourself for some bad news; the Husier (Hoosier?) twins have both gone beyond. Orange Blossom died Sun. eve & Dagwood died this morning. They had sort of a bowel trouble, couldn’t do a thing for them.  They were so tiny and weak.  Our Tommy Tinker and Eudora Rusty cat has it too, but they are older & stronger. They may pull through. Tom ate a little milk tonight, but just a little. It has been so hot and sultry.

School started for good this morn; all like it very much, especially Harry, up at the Catholic school. There were about 25 kids in three grades, now there are 32, in his grade 7 alone and he has only 4 subjects to study. 

Haven’t seen the girls lately, but got a service flag from Bess this morn with two stars in it, one star for Jake & one for Harold. Dad went to N. Coon with the Longfellows, Noble & his nephew Freddie on Sat., and he got 7 nice catfish and 2 large carp. He is down fishing in M. [Middle] Coon now.

Write soon Madalyn and send Harold’s address. 

Mom

How is Harold’s mother? Tell her to write a line or two.  Wed – It turned much cooler this morn & rained hard – much nicer.