Thursday, March 14, 2013

Every Once in a While It All Comes Together

So let me tell you what I've been struggling with:

It all started with a letter, this letter.  Again, I transcribed it exactly as it is written, which is with no punctuation and bad spelling

Brooklyn Mich
Jan 3 1932

Dear Illdah
I am going to write you a few lines and tell you about Grandma as I carried your letter and box to her tonight.  I knew from the sound of your letter you do not no the conditions Grandma has been failing all summer she was taken with a bad cold about a month ago which finely ended in bronchitis and she was taken down in bed about two weeks before Xmas and was very sick she is better of that but is in a very weakened condition and her mind is is weakening planely saying I don't think she will ever get over this unless there is a change for the better soon I don't think she will last over 2 or 3 weeks.  I maybe mistaken she has a strong constitution but she is an old lady and I could see she had failed since I was over there a few days ago.  Uncle Claude goes to work at 12 and works until 11 at night before he getts home.  Aunt Kate works in Jackson all the time but Grandma has a wonderful nurse and has the best of care night and day this lived with me 11 mo and helped me care for my sick folks and I no she is wonderful.  Grandma tried to taste of your fruit but it was hard work I don't mean to frighten you I am only telling you my opinion of her and that is I don't think she will ever get well and she is determined that she isn't going to and that don't help matters any I was glad you wrote her for she was anxious to hear from you well I guess this is all for this time
Yours Truly
Jennie A M???s

So while I'm trying to extract data, this is my reasoning:  first Illda is spelled wrong.  I'm thinking that by 1932 most of the kids in America have gotten a little education, but even with a limited amount of learning, one usually gets the spelling of family names correct.  Right?  Then she says, "...tell you about Grandma..."  not YOUR grandma.  But grandma, like that is how she thinks of Elizabeth Moore.  Then she refers to Elizabeth Moore's son as Uncle Kate.  Since Elizabeth Moore and Leman Austin had three children, that would make Jennie a daughter of Dennis and Minnie (which she's not as they only had Illda) or Wilbur and ????

Jennie who wrote this letter had handwriting that looks mature to me, perhaps late 20's or early '30s.

Claud and Kate had 2 daughters: Neva and June.  But they wouldn't refer to Claud as uncle.

So this is a new mystery for me to obsess about.  

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