1889-10-28: Mary E Ganoung – Helen A Wood

ADDRESSED TO: Mrs. A.J. Stage, Mt. Sterling, Madison co., Ohio
FROM: Mother Mary E. Wood (2 letters sent together)

Mansfield Oct the 13 1889

Dear Childern
I will wrighte you a fiew lines to lett you no that I am well and hope you ar the same I am woorking to Chet Baileys now I am going to stay this week yet and then I am going to Kates and from thair to see Mate I havent hurd from Mate since I wrote to you Edy came up fair time and stayed a week I havent hurd from Herbs folkes since I was thair Mrs Man is quite sick I saw her last Sunday She has got an awful dead leg I hainte agoing to wright much now Just enougt to lett you no I am hear yet
Helen why donte you wright oftener Donte you have time I saw Mrs Mudg fair time She said tell you she would like to see you and the baby Oris and Lottie live to Whitlocks now I havent hurd enything from my pension yet Not since I was to the borough I should think it was time I donte no what to do aboute going away on the acounte of it If I gett it or not I think I shal come out thair this fall or winter for I have got to see that baby She will be a year old the 14 of this month wonte she Tell Birt Clarence Choles inquired about him an how you was getting along out thair

Mansfield Oct the 28 1889

Dear Childern
I will try and wright you a fiew lines to lett you no that I am well and hope you ar the same I commenced to wright to you to weeks ago yesterday and for the wante of more paper I layed it by and then I thought maby I would gett one from you and so I did get one that week Thursday and was glad to hear from you and to hear that Birts mother is better I intended to wright the next Sunday after I got yours but I stayed to Chets untill Saturday night and have got to go back Wensday I came home to tie a comfiter for Kate Smith I tied to the week after the fair Mrs Thetgay was hear a little while today The girls ar working in the factory Thair has ben some layed off Vine is (at) the Bakery yet I hear that Uncle Arad is sick I havent ben to see him

As we spend hours going through these letters, investigating different people, figuring out the context of their lives, where they live, who lives nearby, who is moving, etc., things sometimes hit home. She writes about Uncle Arad being sick and not having been to see him yet. He dies 5 days later. This is a man who had taken in some of her children during the surely trying times after her husband passed; did she get to see him?

It rained all day yesterday and all night The river raised about to feet thay say It was a long lonesom day for me hear all alone You said that i must have got your other letter I did gett it I havent heard from Mate in a long time I am going to wright her tonight If I go out thair and she comes home with me then I cant count out thair but if she donte I think I shal come I gett to dolars a week to Chets I will send you a sample of lace that Mrs Bailey makes. She is going to make me enough to put on a skirt for tenn sents a yard She made me enough to put on my drawers I have made me a shimby and put that edg on that you made for me It is real nice I am glad that you like it thair and that thay like you I would like to see little Tess and would like to have her picture now she is a year old Kiss her for granma forty times I donte no as I can wright eny more now I cante think of enything to wright You no what a dread it is for me to wright You must excuse me if I donte wright often I will knit Tessy some stockings as soon as I can and send her What dose Birt do for stockings now I will knit him some when I come out thair I will put the letter in that (I wrote) to weeks ago so good by for this time my love to you all Wright soon From your mother

Mary E. Wood

I hear nothing from my pension yet and I gess it will be allways nothing I have got six dolars in my pocket and will have to more when Orson payes me for the quilts My rent is payed up till yesterday I bought me a new silk umbrel one seventy five I dont ow nothing to enyone now.