Dear Love,
I just arrived home a few minutes ago, and have written to the Clerk of Court to get my mileage, so I am going to send you a chapter right away. The roads to Medicine Lake were enough to break the heart of anyone who loves his Ford. They were really the worst streak I ever bumped over; and how Lizzie can hang together and continue percolating is beyond me; but she did. From the Lake and home it went O.K. real fine road. If there isn’t a change for the better on my next trip I’d be tempted to take the train. Even if the car plugs thru it is a costly trip.
I only used 3 gal gas from Westby and to Froid, so that don’t mean much; but oh these bumps. Enough of this.
I got your fancy work box on a safe place, and am now trying to warm up the house. Tomorrow I have to help Willie haul hay. We are going thru McCabe so I’d try to see Holger Hofman, and get his verdict.
One of the boys who were to Y.P.M. last night waved by-by to me over at Spoklie’s mail box when I went home, but don’t know who he was.
Please tell Mrs J.P. that you don’t want more than 1 pound of pepper. She might see that I get a jar of horseradish and a bottle of olives, as these are the only two things I don’t like. I tasted the former a short time ago and added to the impossible olives. You see I am feeling all right by all this gas.
I suppose Esther is camping in Bainville tonight. We are going early in the morning so I might say how de do in McCabe at train time.
This is only a lot of scratches. Of course, you know I haven’t got a thing to tell so soon outside of the old old story of love. Shall drop another line later in the week, so cheer up; but surely you can’t get blue where you are now.
I hardly think I’ll come before Mar 21 next time. If I go after my mother in about a week, then she will stay about a week and I expect Dad and Lillie will come after her on the 14th, but we’ll see about that.
I think you would rather have a three week skip this time, and then there is only 2 weeks till Easter Sunday. I know I would. Then the house may be pretty near done, and I can tell you all about it.
I may get the coal bin filled up this week. Can do that job on 2 days as I can haul 3 loads in a day. Then I should also get your machine this week, and be all set for a busy time next week.
Will say goodnight, and a lot of love for the one who is precious to me.
From your
Immanuel
Mar 3—1926
My own dearie.
Well, here I am again.
Today I have hauled 4 tons of coal home for you.
Tomorrow I am going to Culbertson with a load of wheat and bring out your sewing machine.
I have ordered the shades and curtain rods, so things are picking up.
Will it be early enough to see Rev Beck on Mar 21, do you think? Or maybe I better write sometime soon.
I saw Holger Hofman yesterday and he said it was O.K. so be sure to include him in your invites.
Am going to Sidney on Sunday after my mother. Am going early enough for church. Expect to visit all the young ladies down there. I’ll tell them you are well and expect to be an old maid—about a month more. Or was it a young maid? I guess so.
How can I possibly have any news to write. I like to smear up a lot of paper even if I don’t say anything.
Chris Fryhling has a mule colt running around the country, which I have been teasing him about. Today he threatened to make me a wedding present of it. Guess I had better be good, and avoid having that thing on my hands.
Frank Nelsen works in the coal mine. He grins at me every time he comes out with a car. When I got my last load he asked if that was enough to keep you warm all summer.
I’ll mail you another letter or Tuesday, and tell you how far we are getting with the job. I’ll be a busy boy for a week or two. The gophers are out down here and it might look like spring is here. That’s all right if we get plenty rain later on.
I guess we will be about cleaned out when the wedding is over, and new machinery bought as well as all the other farm expenses, but we are young and will pull together and make a living anyway. We have about everything we need indoors and out, so it is only money in another form.
It is nice to have a pretty home, and I know we won’t be sorry that we spent something to get it now.
The rest of the jurors came home last night. Several cases were carried over till the next term of court.
Judge Paul got a message calling him home, as his wife was very sick with pneumonia.
There seems to be quite a lot of flu around, but it is a mild form. Sidney is having a good deal of it.
Now dearie, you be careful and don’t go and get sick.
March is the dangerous month for everybody, in the cold and flu line.
Walter & Nina are papering their home now.
I have no more to write this time. I’m happy in thinking of the future. It is good to have someone to love and work for. Home will be a real place when you come down here. Now it is a kind of filling station between hops. Will be looking for a letter from my love soon.
Your Immanuel
Mar 10—1926
Dear Rosebud.
Well tonight there is only a month till we are husband and wife. Our work is progressing very well. We finished the two bedrooms yesterday allright. Today we made the north room and ceiling on the kitchen, and a few strips of sidewall, so there is only about 3 hours work left. I’ll tell you, we are going to have a nice house. The kitchen is going to be simply wonderful. I am going to Culbertson after paint tomorrow and get started brushing right away. We were up at Willie’s for supper tonight. Of course I had to take a bunch of stuff, but I guess I’m too old to blush very much. I got your letter yesterday and was very glad to hear a little. Will look to hear a little. Will look again about Saturday.
Mother put your stuff away in a bureau drawer where it would be away from the dust.
If the weather stays as nice as it has been I’ll have everything spick and span in about a week. Am going to look for the new shades tomorrow. I’ll try to keep the sun out of the south rooms when they are done.
Do you know I have almost run out of anything to say. I know you look to hear how everything is going. Wish you were a little closer so you could come and boss a little once in a while. Now I will be saving everything for a surprise in another month, and you will just to be satisfied. I’ll be there on the 21st or bust.
Everything is in the wildest disorder around here now, but it will probably look so stiff and prim when you come that you will scatter it around to make it a fit place to live in. Say this kitchen ceiling shines like bewitched. I’ll have to be careful and not smoke it up too much. Guess I’ll live in the cellar out of tin cans for fear of spotting things up; and sleep in the chicken coop.
Will close for tonight.
God bless you, dear.
From your
Immanuel
Mar 15, 1926
Dear Rosebud.
Do you know it is a solid week tomorrow since I had a letter from you.
I suppose you are too busy to write so often, or else the mail got slowed up, but I am not a bit peeved. Am looking for a letter tomorrow.
Well, we got done papering Thurs afternoon, and I am well along with the painting. Can finish up on about 2 days more.
Dad and Lillie came about evening Saturday and they all drove home yesterday afternoon. Today I have been down helping Chris Fryhling with his well. We had a big job and just got done at 7 P.M. about an hour ago.
Tomorrow I am going to have oats ground if it isn’t too windy, but that is about the daily rule now. I expect to get the house pretty near done this week, even if I have a lot of other things to do. The new shades came and I have them up in the front bedroom which is all done.
Next Sunday you may look for me sometime between 9 and 10. I am going to make a real early start if we don’t have a new snowstorm. In that case, I’ll come when I can, but I just got to get through. I spose you have been longing for your big boy sometimes. I certainly have wished to see you, but as I have been very busy, time has gone fast.
I don’t think there are very many special news, but when I see you, there is always a lot to gas about. Just think: only about 3 weeks more till the big day, and we will both be as happy as can be.
I suppose you plan on being home at Easter and stay home the last week of your girlhood. I am certainly getting it in the neck from all quarters these days. It isn’t any secret around here that I am “taking unto myself a wife.” Fred Fryhling has promised me tin cans with stones in them. Well, I guess his bark is worse than his bite. Just here Fred rang me up and told me to come around and look at a milk cow. I was asking him about it today. Maybe we can make a deal. I guess we don’t want to get along with the red and white tin cows that one milks with a can opener. I have to run to town soon to get a little more paint and see if my wedding “gown” has arrived yet. Ain’t we got fun.
On Thursday evening the choir is going to give a big song program, and we are to have lunch in the basement. The kitchen has just been all fixed up, and we are going to see if the coffee tastes any better now.
Do you know you are going to have a pretty nice kitchen too. It surely looks light with that new paper.
Walter & Nina got that Montgomery tile in their kitchen, which we were looking at, but I must praise your judgment in wanting that from Sears. We got a lot the nicest; I think.
If everything goes per plans I am going around Plentywood next Monday, and see if I can get a permit to marry a Sheridan County girl. That will save me quite a few miles later on when I am liable to be busy. We may in the field around Easter, so I will want to go home that evening in order to get as much done as possible.
Dad gave us $30 to help on the house overhauling. That helps pretty well. Have bought for $45 now. I wanted to divide even, but Dad is allright and went over the limit. They are going to drive up here Friday evening and be ready for the last lap in the morning.
Now you see I have inked up a lot of paper and not said much. I guess I won’t write any more this week, but you just look for me Sunday. If I don’t make it then it won’t be my fault.
From your happy
Immanuel
March 24—1926
Dear Edith.
Well I just wrote a letter to Sidney so you better get yours while I am warmed up. I have been busy in the house all day. Finished painting and got the rug down in the dining room; also got the table set up. It certainly is a dandy. Do you know that room is a pippin now. The only thing I don’t like is that the floor is too rough. I put paper under, but guess it will have to have some more to fill the low spots here and there. I got some dust inside yesterday, that made things look grimy for a while, but I chased out all I could find, and not with a dry broom either; no I scrubbed the floors. I just had enough floor paint left to wet a cat’s nose, but I made it anyhow. Think I’ll let you paint the kitchen woodwork if you think it needs another coat. Our farming got stopped, so I just pushed this job over today. Otherwise I would have done it evenings. Also got your sewing machine set up. I guess it is all right. Nice plain cabinet with no crevices to catch dirt. Well, you will soon see it all, but I like to tell you about it, and it is all I have to write anyway.
I’m just as happy as can be about everything. God is good. He gave us one another, and a nice place to live. Let our whole life be spent serving Him as our Lord, then we will be truly happy. I just won’t think of any chance of unhappiness. Life is as we make it. With true love we can never make a mistake.
Tonight there are only 17 days more of single blessedness? For me and when you read this, there will be still less and I suppose you will only have 2 or 3 more letters from your bachelor. Tell Mrs. Johnson that I am going to keep you for good and she can’t get you any more, when she has need of a girl.
It is turning colder tonight so I am not looking for any more snow. This is our regular spring equinox storm period, and will soon blow over, at least before our wedding day. If it is fit to go cross country on Easter Sunday then we will take a spin over and talk with Rev. Beck. I spose there are a lot of things you want to talk about.
Well in a few days the whole United States will be discussing the approaching wedding. Fifty invites and what if they should all come? That would be more fun yet.
Guess I better ring off on this stuff and send 25 cents for a Farm paper. They sent me about a ½ doz cards for a present and real pretty postals at that, so I better pay up for another year.
Good night my dear, and grow nice and fat.
From your loving
Immanuel
Be sure to tell Lillie how early in the day you want to see her on the 10th. She was anxious about it, but you have probably told her all about it now, as I told her to write you about it. Ain’t this grammar? I’ll say!
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Their wedding was April 10, 1926.