I should have looked ahead – Margarette wrote this letter to Edward and mentions that she is enclosing the letter from Louise Campbell which I wrote about in the last post.
Margarette is divorced from Schuyler and is living in Lincoln. She is evidently close with her son Winford, her daughter-in-law Bertha (who is Ida’s niece), and her granddaughter Fern. The photo at left shows Margarette and her baby granddaughter in 1912. At the time of this 1928 letter, Fern would be just a week away from her 16th birthday.
Margarette makes reference to Nellie’s injury and recovery process. Nellie is the oldest daughter of Edward and Ida. Nellie was injured on the job – an electrical shock – and suffered from the effects of it for the remainder of her life.
Margarette mentions two people – Nannie Turney and Siga Lawson. I don’t believe either of these are relatives. The “Lawson” surname I recognize as friends of the Frasier family back in Wisconsin. I previously wrote about 1870’s letters received from George and P.G. Lawson.
Lincoln Nebr R3
Jan 31, 1928Dear Brother and Sister & Nellie,
I had hoped to get to make you a visit long ago but don’t seem to be able to
get away long enough between letters and visitors from near and far. I have had
a busy winter together with the work.I hope you are keeping well, and Nellie I sure hope she is growing better all
the time, it is hard for a little busy body like her to have to keep still.
Fern went horseback riding Sunday with a lot of girls and fells pretty stiff
today.Bertha burned and rubbed the skin off a finger last week, by Sunday infection
developed and a long red streak run up her arm. She went to a Dr. and had it
treated, and it seems to be all right again.Nannie Turney has been very sick in a hospital in Seattle, she was operated on
for gall stones (had 38). She has a very bad case of ingrowing goiter and will
have to have that out next, it is choking her. They lost all they had in hotel
there and are left utterly broke financially.Well I must go. I am sending you a card from Sija Lawson and a letter from Will
& Louise Campbell.Good bye with love,
Margarette
By the way, I found the postcard from Sija and will write about it in my next post.
This is the last letter I have from Margarette. She lived another 18 years after this letter was written. She died 1946 at the age of 87.