George Writes His Mother Before Heading Back to College

1915-0815 – George Steven & Susan Rosina Sherwood to Ella Jane Sherwood

Kendall, Wisconsin,

Aug 15, 1915

Dear Mother;

            At last your naughty son has once more set him down to write to his mother.  I was commencing to wonder if you had entirely forgotten your son and was going to spend the rest of your days taking care of your granddaughter. 

            However you have at last broken away and I am hoping to see you soon now.  Don’t forget that there is a time limit on that ticket and that the railroad lives up to its end of the bargain and expects you to live up to yours.  So don’t expect extra time on it.  Besides, we would like to see you here once more as I guess I mentioned.  Say hello to all the folks along the way for me.

            The oats are down flat and will take us the better part of next week to cut if the weather is good.

            The wheat was down bad too, but not so flat and was a fair crop.  It is in shocks now.  Have about 14 brush sets left to sell, but as my line is as full as I care to carry won’t use your suggestion, tho I thank you just the same.

            I didn’t go to church to-day, but read, ate and slept.  It has been very hot and my head aches to beat the band.

            Well, guess I’d rather tell any more news after you get home.

            Lots of love from       

                        Your Son

                                    George

1915-0718 George Welcomes his New Niece

1915-0718 – George Sherwood to his mother Ella and the Lindsey Family

Kendall, Wisc.

July 18, 1915

Dear Mother: alias Grandma Sherwood

            Rec.d your letters all rite.  A couple had to be forwarded from Appleton as you see I got away a little early.  Haven’t heard from either German exam yet and don’t know as I want to very bad. Am glad you are enjoying your self so much, but don’t over do the mountain climbing. 

            Sold nearly 4 doz. Brush sets and averaged real well for the time put in.  Have 14 sets left and think I can sell them in 3 days with fair luck, sometime when haying is poor.  Lodge seems to run fairly well considering the setback and present conditions but wish you were here and Mrs. Campfield would come up too.

            I suppose you are so proud of your 1^st grandchild (yee, that sounded odd) that the 19 year old baby home isn’t in it.  Oh!  well, such is life.

            Went to town with Herman last nite and Susan drove to Lodge. Later I went down the track to Glendale and " [somewhat illegible]" her (nach haus).

            We have been eating peas from the garden (nigh on to a week).  Don’t forget to tell Billie* she’s got an “Uncle George” back east in Wisconsin.

            We have somewhere around 18 loads of hay in now, I think a few more.

            Herman and I walked to church today and Susan and Daddy rode.

            I am somewhat soft and short-winded but get along all rite only when it is extra sultry and hot. 

            As I am a poor correspondent I guess I better ring off as I must send a little special line to Ma and Pa Lindsey and Family and I want something to say next time.

            Write to me again soon as I like to receive letters anyway.

I only set down to rite,

A meager little letter

You think if you have read this far

The shorter ‘tis the better.”

            With lots of love to you all

                                    “Uncle George”

 

 

 ____________

Kendall, Wis

_____July  18

Dear Mother and Father Lindsey and Family,

            I must write you just a line to let you know how pleased we are, and to wish you all continual good health and long life, and the very best of all that life may afford (I suppose Mother and Father Lindsey have that now).  May you all be well and happy when this reaches you.  Am also very glad that Mother or Grandma Sherwood, as she now is, could be with you, both for her sake and yours.

            It must have been especially nice to have both grandmas there.  But Miss Billie*, don’t you let them spoil “your sweet little disposition” this early in life.  I warn you as they will no doubt be sure to try it by petting you too much, to the detriment and at the expense of your Uncle George who has always been the baby of the family till now. 

            But I guess I can trust you to leave my share of the babying to me, or at least all that is good for me.  Anyway, I guess I can get along without getting jealous for awhile anyway.

            Well, I went to sleep last night so didn’t get any farther.

            Must close now as I must go to town. 

Here’s a little ditty in honor of Billie

She came the 13^th of July

This stranger clad so scanty

And best of all, she was my niece

My sister was her aunty.

Dedicated to Billie by

            her

                        Uncle George

*  "Billie" was a generic name that they used for all babies in the family before they were born, gender ascertained, and named.  This "Billie" is Margaret Lindsey, born July 13, 1915 in Tucker, Utah.

1915-0530 – George Stevens Sherwood to Will & Ella Jane Sherwood and Susan

1915-0530 – George Stevens Sherwood to Will & Ella Jane Sherwood and Susan 

 

Appleton, Wisc., May 30, 1915

Dear Ones All:

            How are you all today  From the tones of your letters the past few days things don’t look exactly rosy around there now, but I hope the last few days there have been as nice as those here have been for then you must needs be joyful once more.  I hope the corn turns out all rite.  I will be home in a little more than two weeks now if everything goes O.K.  Must positively study all day to-morrow and don’t like the looks of it a bit as I have been having a beastly head-ache yesterday and to-day. 

            And the thot of the spring exams makes me shudder. Will probably send for an assignment of brushes and start work soon after I get home.  Of course the amount of success I have will determine the time I stay at it.  I hope the frost didn’t kill the strawberries and that they will be preparing to get ripe when I get back H O M E.  But half the joy of that magic sentence is now gone, for mother won’t be there.  Well, don’t spoil your trip thinking of me anyway, Mother.  Have a good time and 

Where’re you be,    On land or sea,    Just waft one    Happy thot to me.

From the blueness which seems bound to attack me today I guess I will need a good many such thoughts.  O well, an aching head is not conducive to pleasant dreams, either in bed or out.  I don’t know as there is much news.  Am racing with time to get through my lab work. 

Played four sets of tennis with Rassy yesterday, and I won 3.  Then I skinned off about a third of one finger nail and some skin but the fingernail has straightened out again so it protects the finger pretty well.  After I got the finger properly patched up, a Herman Smith (now a member of the Conservatory Faculty but erstwhile student) played against Rassy and Burdan and again won three of four sets.  Went to “Pinafore” but didn’t fuss.  It was good and they played to a good house. 

Think we will not recite to-morrow in classes as that is legally “Memorial Day.”  It will be a day of memorable study for me if I get all of my back work up I guess.

            Went to church to-nite.  Heard the high school baccalaureate sermon. It was just fairly good.

            It is needless to say that I did not get the fudge which was packed in the grip as it was opened.  All the rest of the clothes and eats have arrived O.K. I believe.

            When do you expect Aunt Clara and when does mother hit the Overland Trail to the Land of the Western Stars.  She must rite to me often or there will be an awful row.

            Well, as usual I have run out of news before I did paper, but it would be a waste of paper to write more so I can only close with lots and lots of love.  I just had company in the shape of Schlitz, Rogers, Irish and Bennet, who gave a passable rendering of “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder,” “Good night Ladies.,” and “When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Red, Red Rose.”

            I will now close again with love to you all again and may God bless you wherever each one may be.

                                                Your Son and Brother

                                                            Geo. Sherwood.

This is a letter George wrote from college.  He was attending Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin. That link in the previous sentence is to Wikipedia article on Lawrence College and shows the photo as public domain.  Lawrence College was founded in 1847 and was the second college to be founded as co-educational.  His "complaint" about his mother is in reference to the fact that his mother would be shortly leaving home in Wisconsin to travel to Utah for the birth of her and her husband Will's first grandchild -- so she would not be home when he arrived. Further, he had been the  "baby" in the family for a long tine and now he was being bumped out of that position. Margaret Irene Lindsey, daughter of Guy and Dora (Sherwood) Lindsey was born on July 13, 1915 way off in Tucker, Utah.  The family penchant for poetry jingles was illustrated in this missive. George's mother, Ella Jane, was known for a multitude of jingles.  At this time Europe was almost a year into WWI but the US was still far away and not yet involved.