| In our post about our very McClure thanksgiving we mentioned that we spent quite a bit of time during the thanksgiving holiday reading the letters that Leslie’s grandparents wrote to each other when they were dating (well, secretly engaged – in 1944). We are so happy that these letters exist – it really is a treasure trove – and that our aunt Jane has taken such good care of them and organized them chronologically so we can enjoy them as they were written and meant to be read. | En nuestro post sobre el dia de accion de gracias con los McClure, mencionamos que pasamos una buena cantidad de tiempo leyendo cartas que los abuelos de Leslie se enviaron cuando estaban polleando (bueno, comprometidos en secreto – en 1944). Estamos muy contentos que estas cartas existen – es un tesoro – y que nuestra tia Jane la haya cuidado con tanto cariño y organizado cronológicamente para asi nosotros poder disfrutarlas ya que fueron escritas con el fin de ser leidas. |
| There are literally HUNDREDS of letters – I think Jane mentioned 14 binders full. They are all so beautifully written with great stories about family and friends at the time (it’s a little sad to think that handwritten letters are a rare vehicle for communication today). We will work hard to hopefully scan all of them and transcribe them into digital form someday. | Tenemos, literalmente, CIENTAS de cartas – creo que Jane menciono tener 14 archivadores llenos. Estan escritas tan hermosamente con grandes historias sobre la familia y los amigos en ese tiempo (es un poco triste pensar que las cartas escritas a mano son ahora un medio de comunicacion tan raro). Haremos el esfuerzo para ojala escanearlas todas y pasarlas a formato digital algun dia. |
| Leslie was able to transcribe a few of them before the end of the holiday. The letters are typed exactly as they were written with all punctuation and spacing maintained so it looks exactly like it was written, so we hope you enjoy them! | Leslie pudo transcribir algunas de ella antes del termino de la semana de vacaciones. Las cartas fueron transcribidas exactamente como fueron escritas con toda la puntuacion y los espacios para asi se vieran como fueron escritas, asi que esperamos las disfruten! (La carta traducida al español esta abajo de la version en ingles) |
| (Betty Roy was her younger sister, she was going to Morristown for typing lessons) | (Betty Roy era su hermana menor, ella iba a Morristown a clases de tipografia) |
Dearest Mac,
A year ago today I came home from Ohio and New Jersey after a very wonderful two months. We certainly managed to do a lot of things that week-end So much can be done in a little bit of time that we miss a lot by thinking there isn’t time to do the things we want to do. But when a short time means so much, it’s amazing what can be done with it.
I came back on the train this morning, rather than wait for the 1p.m. bus and found another bushel of peaches ready to be canned. This time I did the real thing, and mother and Jean peeled them while I worked in the kitchen. They look pretty, too. We also made peach ice-cream.
Betty Roy just wrote you two pages, but she didn’t even try to space correctly so I talked her out of mailing it. She says O.K., but to tell you she wrote it anyway.
We have so much to do – windows to wash, canning, serving and stuff – so I’m going to stop going to Morristown to type. A month ends Friday, then I’ll just practice what I know til Beany can teach me the rest. Practice is the main thing, anyway.
We got a Maryville Bulletin today. Sept. 5th is the day. The semester will end Dec. 19th. The chapel auditorium has been redecorated – new celotex ceiling and freshly painted walls. Doors removed by the army are being replaced in Carnegie, and classrooms used by them require new paints, refinished walls and floors. Rough crowd, sounds like! Statistics quoted make me think Dr. Lloyd is the author of the bulletin. For instance – June 30th the dining hall closed after serving meals on every one of the 541 days since Jan. 6 1943 (!!) Etc.
Wish I could look forward to seeing you soon, Mac – here where Mrs. Dyder isn’t even thought of, and there’s a motor boat, a car, a moon, me and you, and time.
Mrs. Medlin just came in and I’ll have to make an appearance. So good-night, Dearest, with all my love,
Margaret
Querido Mac,
Hoy se cumple un año desde que volví a casa desde Ohio y Nueva Jersey después de dos meses maravillosos. Sin duda nos las arreglamos para hacer muchas cosas ese fin de semana. Se puede hacer tanto en poco tiempo que nos perdemos de mucho pensando que no hay suficiente tiempo para hacer las cosas que queremos hacer. Pero cuando poco tiempo significa tanto, es maravilloso lo que se puede hacer con el.
Volví en tren esta mañana, en vez de esperar el bus de las 1pm y encontré un canasto de duraznos listo para hacerlos conserva. Esta vez los hice como se debe, y mama y Jean los pelaron mientras yo trabajaba en la cocina. Se ven lindos también. Y también hicimos helado de durazno.
Betty Roy acaba de escribir dos paginas, pero ni siquiera intento ponerle los espacios correctos así que la convencí de no enviarla al correo. Ella dijo O.K., pero que te dijera que ella las escribió de todas maneras.
Tenemos mucho que hacer – ventanas que lavar, conservas, servir y otras cosas – asi que voy a dejar de ir a Morristown a escribir a maquina. Un mes se cumple el viernes, después practicare lo que se hasta que Beany me pueda enseñar lo demás. De todas maneras lo mas importante es la práctica.
Hoy nos llego un boletín de Maryville. La fecha es Septiembre 5. El semestre se acabara el 19 de Diciembre. El auditorio de la capilla ha sido redecorado – nuevo techo y pintura fresca en las murallas. Audiencia difícil, me suena! Las estadísticas mencionadas me hacen pensar que el Doctor Lloyd es el auto del boletín. Por ejemplo – El 30 de Junio el comedor cerrara luego de haber servido comidas en cada uno de los días de los 541 días desde el 6 de Enero de 1943 (!!) Etc.
Desearía esperar verte pronto, Mac – aqui donde nadie piensa en la Sra. Dyder, y hay un bote a motor, un auto, una luna, tu y yo, y tiempo.
La Sra. Medlin acaba de entrar y debo hacer una aparición. Buenas noches, querido, con todo mi amor,
Margaret
Los Rodriguez Life 
19 responses to “Letters from Grandmother v.1”
Lovely – hope we get the reply!
We are working on it. We need to make sure the reply still exists.
actually my granddaddy’s replies don’t pick up until September and I didn’t get a chance to transcribe any of those! so we’ll only be able to put up the first of my grandmother’s letters before the replies started arriving (she starts chastising him for not answering her after a few days!) haha
Love those letters!
Aw, so special!
I adore the very idea of letters. They are so special- especially handwritten ones. It’s so sad that they’re rare in these days of instant communication. It’s just about how you feel when you hold that sheet of paper in your hand. . 🙂
Absolutely love this, and can’t wait to read more! 🙂
It is sad! but it makes these letters that much more special I suppose! Glad you enjoyed it – we’ll have the next one up soon! 🙂
What a treasure! The impressive array of details keeps these lively. I get the feeling of watching a scene from an old movie. Now for some old photos to accompany the next episode?
great idea! I have to look back and see what I have of them from this era. So glad you enjoyed it!
[…] is the second letter in our collection. For those who missed the first, please take a second to read it here. For this letter you must keep in mind that at the time the voting age was 21 and she was only 20. […]
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You are so lucky to have this collection. My mother died last year. Before she died, she told me that she and her brother found letters from my grandparents – very similar; Grandpa was in WWII. My Mom and Uncle decided that they were to be destroyed because they were private letters to each other. I couldn’t believe it! All that history – gone. You have an amazing treasure! Hold on to them for dear life and THANK YOU for sharing!
Leslie aunts are all about keeping everything concerning family history. It is an amazing gift to be able to see how things were in the past and how relatives lived their lives. They have tons of letters, books, furniture, art, different items, etc. They could probably open a family museum. So sad to hear those letters were destroyed…so many stories have been lost like that, it is really sad.
That’s ok – I get to read your post and enjoy those and pretend that it’s my grandparents letters. They are really lovely letters. A real treasure. On the positive side – my Mom also found a shoe box filled with postcards and letters that I had written to my Grandmother, so I do have those. Just wish I could have read about my Grandpa. He was my idol! I loved him so much. Anyway – thank you so much for sharing – really!