April 7, 1918 - Dora Returns to Utah & News of Family Loss

Castle Gate, Apr. 7^th

Dear Mother: -- Got home all right and have been very busy sweeping out a month’s dirt so I could step around.  I did not have time to go up town in Omaha and it rained in Pueblo so I did not get anything for sister’s dress.  Had a grand visit at Canon City – of course they wanted me to do all the talking and begin by telling all about the Sherwoods.  Zida and family will go to Kansas for the girls health.  Dorothy is very nervous and Clara has not strong lungs.  Zida herself is not well poised, you remember her old way of flying at one in play and it has grown on her.  It would help both girls is [if] she could be more serene and tranquil.  But they are all loveable just the same.  David has an excellent position as sec. and manager of the Co-op fruit association. They seem to be doing well tho Clara is not at all strong.  It has cost them thousands to keep her up.  Margaret stood the trip well and was very happy indeed to see her papa and Queenie.  She has asked more than I thought she would for grandma and grandpa and when I taker her to see “Bowles.”  One night at Bangor she was going to insist on having Grandpa put her to bed but I told her long stories of how grandpa was feeding the cows and horses and putting them to bed.  Tonight she got a horseman’s catalogue land where there was a picture of blanketed horses at the Fair I told her all about how Grandpa combed the horses and braided their tails and put their nighties on and she went to sleep.  Well dears, I too must get to bed as there is a huge wash tomorrow and no one to “chuck ice”.  We had a royal feast on fudge when the trunk was opened.  Have everything unpacked and put away.  Rather bent the Sabbath, I think. 
            Love to all from all.
                                    Dora

[Now Ella Jane, mother of Dora, Susan and George, adds a note to Dora’s  letter and  forwards it to George]

April 13

Dear Precious Boy.  I’ll write a bit on Dora’s letter and send it along.  By now you will have a letter telling you of Grandma Atwater’s death. [Follow link for her last letters to family and worries about WWI.] We laid her away to rest beside Father Atwater at 2:30 yesterday, then Brother Len ate his dinner and went to La Crosse to a meeting of the La Crosse Co. Liberty Loan committee of which he is a member because he said, “I’ve done all I can for Mother now.  I must not shirk my duty to the Soldier’s and our Country.”  He got back in time to take me to the station for the train that gets here at midnight.  When I started to get off Daddy pushed me back and got on and I went to Elroy with him.  Sending my love to you dear in his heart and hands. How I hope he finds you there.  Grandma Atwater finished a set of five table doilies for Susan the night before she died, sprinkled them and rolled them in a damp cloth saying, “I’ll press these and send them to Susan tomorrow” but died by the bursting of a blood vessel next to the heart, just as she slipped out of bed in the morning. 

                                    Love and love,

                                                Mother