Kansas City, Mo - December 1915
Mr. Anton Widegren,
Morganville, Kans.
Dear Anton: -
Well, I sure was tickled yesterday when I came over to Minnie's & found some mail there, your letter among them, also one from my dear Peg. And talk about me writing letters - if thats the kind of a letter you always write, I'm sure glad you asked me to write to you. So don't ever tell me you can't write a good letter.
I've been at my place now, just one week and one day. My folks are just as nice as can be, and the work isn't very hard so you see I struck it right. They are only four in family and its not a big house. But of course I had to be a baby and have the blues the very worst way the first day I was here. It sure was a torture. Och tack ska du ha for trosteorden du gaf migi breffet. (1) I know I ought to have been ashamed of myself, I haven't a thing to complain of but I just couldn't help myself. It seems a whole lot harder to think of father being gone now than it did at the time, and oh if I oculd only see mother for just 30 min., just to look at her. I didn't know I tho't so much of her. Well here I am, writing the blues right in the letter, which is another thing I ought to be ashamed of. But I am not blue anymore. I just simply can't be, 'cause I've got Emma A, Hannah J, and Anna Ahlberg right around me. Gertie was over to see me Monday night & Emma was here Tues. eve. I was going to run down to Emmas this eve, but she & Anna met me on the way and we went to Annas house, so I just got in, so it isn't at all early but I tho't I'd better write, 'cause I wont have any better chance later on. I get off about 10 o'clock Thurs. mornings, my day out, so I went out to Minnies yesterday and stayed till 4:30. Gertie came out there too and a girl friend of Hildas, so we had a real nice time. And what do you know, I get a Xmas vacation. My folks leave next Thurs to spend Xmas & New Years in Wichita, so I shall go to stay with Minnie, and we'll go to julotta too. Don't you think I'm lucky? I have to come out here 2 or 3 times to water the flowers but that will only be a nice long car ride. I live at the end of the Country Club car line.
There will be at least 5 of the C.C. girls giong home next week & Edith Johnson's beau and Anna Nyberg's Mr. Wall are going out. Anna A. sure sticks to her Vic pretty close, I think there will be something doing there sometime in the future. She and I are going to Syskonringren (2) at Penn St. church Sun. eve. she to meet Vic & I shall meet Gertie. But there will be no one to "yodel" (tears) for me. Ha! Ha! I haven't seen Bertha yet. She doesn't work so very far from Minnies so I shall hunt her up Xmas week.
That sure was a joke about that pasteboard with the kodaks. Did anyone notice it? Peg said in her letter that she was afraid the other pictures would be no good, cause the sun was too low. I'll bet she is some tickled kid, now, that Ernest is home, she has been waiting for him so. Would like to see him, also Mary. Suppose she will stay over Xmas. Anna Ahlberg tells me Charley is married, Sa gar det. (3)
I sure would have loved to helped you initiate that Ford. I'd made you wear it out before the Rev's got it. I haven't had any more car rides. That "funny fellow" sent word with Alfred for me to name an eve. when I'd go but I am ashamed of him, ha! ha! cause he is so little (Aren't you glad you're bigger?) Did I tell you his feet didn't touch the floor when he sat in the street car. I sure never saw a man so funny before.
Well if you haven't got a cold, it surely can't be contagious. I think you ought to have had one for being so ___________ you know, as a punishment.
Well I never seem to know when to stop writing. Det gar lika bra tellattskrifva som att tala, tror jag (4), but I'm afraid its like you tho't yours was, - nothing to it.
If you'll write before New Years, address it again to Minnies, 3820 Olive, otherwise to 5812 Wyandotte -
As ever
Ole -
Best wishes for the merriest Xmas you ever had.
NOTES: When Olga mentions "my place" & "my folks", she's referring to her job. She worked in Kansas City as a ladies maid, I believe. Or maybe a housekeeper. Her "folks" are actually the family she works for. Most of the people she mentions are friends that I don't know anything about but a lot of them are mentioned in future letters. Her referral to the "funny fellow" came from the 1st letter if you haven't already read that one. And Olga actually drew a line after the word "so" towards the end of the letter. She always seemed concerned that people (and the postman) were going to read her letters so she tended to censor herself.
Swedish translations from the Lexin Swedish-English Dictionary:
(1) It basically translated out to be "Thanks you will have for the comforting words you gave me in the letter."
(2) This I could only find at one translation site and when I failed to write it down, it wouldn't let me back in to do it again. It had something to do with "brother and sister small water" so I'm wondering if since Olga and her friend were going to this at a church if it was a kind of baptismal event?
(3) Roughly, she seemed to be saying, "So goes that." I wonder what they thought of ol' Charley getting hitched!
(4) This last one is a bit jumbled in the translation but it's something to the effect of "This was fine but I believe I'd rather speak than write to you." That seems to be the gist.
Morganville, Kans.
Dear Anton: -
Well, I sure was tickled yesterday when I came over to Minnie's & found some mail there, your letter among them, also one from my dear Peg. And talk about me writing letters - if thats the kind of a letter you always write, I'm sure glad you asked me to write to you. So don't ever tell me you can't write a good letter.
I've been at my place now, just one week and one day. My folks are just as nice as can be, and the work isn't very hard so you see I struck it right. They are only four in family and its not a big house. But of course I had to be a baby and have the blues the very worst way the first day I was here. It sure was a torture. Och tack ska du ha for trosteorden du gaf migi breffet. (1) I know I ought to have been ashamed of myself, I haven't a thing to complain of but I just couldn't help myself. It seems a whole lot harder to think of father being gone now than it did at the time, and oh if I oculd only see mother for just 30 min., just to look at her. I didn't know I tho't so much of her. Well here I am, writing the blues right in the letter, which is another thing I ought to be ashamed of. But I am not blue anymore. I just simply can't be, 'cause I've got Emma A, Hannah J, and Anna Ahlberg right around me. Gertie was over to see me Monday night & Emma was here Tues. eve. I was going to run down to Emmas this eve, but she & Anna met me on the way and we went to Annas house, so I just got in, so it isn't at all early but I tho't I'd better write, 'cause I wont have any better chance later on. I get off about 10 o'clock Thurs. mornings, my day out, so I went out to Minnies yesterday and stayed till 4:30. Gertie came out there too and a girl friend of Hildas, so we had a real nice time. And what do you know, I get a Xmas vacation. My folks leave next Thurs to spend Xmas & New Years in Wichita, so I shall go to stay with Minnie, and we'll go to julotta too. Don't you think I'm lucky? I have to come out here 2 or 3 times to water the flowers but that will only be a nice long car ride. I live at the end of the Country Club car line.
There will be at least 5 of the C.C. girls giong home next week & Edith Johnson's beau and Anna Nyberg's Mr. Wall are going out. Anna A. sure sticks to her Vic pretty close, I think there will be something doing there sometime in the future. She and I are going to Syskonringren (2) at Penn St. church Sun. eve. she to meet Vic & I shall meet Gertie. But there will be no one to "yodel" (tears) for me. Ha! Ha! I haven't seen Bertha yet. She doesn't work so very far from Minnies so I shall hunt her up Xmas week.
That sure was a joke about that pasteboard with the kodaks. Did anyone notice it? Peg said in her letter that she was afraid the other pictures would be no good, cause the sun was too low. I'll bet she is some tickled kid, now, that Ernest is home, she has been waiting for him so. Would like to see him, also Mary. Suppose she will stay over Xmas. Anna Ahlberg tells me Charley is married, Sa gar det. (3)
I sure would have loved to helped you initiate that Ford. I'd made you wear it out before the Rev's got it. I haven't had any more car rides. That "funny fellow" sent word with Alfred for me to name an eve. when I'd go but I am ashamed of him, ha! ha! cause he is so little (Aren't you glad you're bigger?) Did I tell you his feet didn't touch the floor when he sat in the street car. I sure never saw a man so funny before.
Well if you haven't got a cold, it surely can't be contagious. I think you ought to have had one for being so ___________ you know, as a punishment.
Well I never seem to know when to stop writing. Det gar lika bra tellattskrifva som att tala, tror jag (4), but I'm afraid its like you tho't yours was, - nothing to it.
If you'll write before New Years, address it again to Minnies, 3820 Olive, otherwise to 5812 Wyandotte -
As ever
Ole -
Best wishes for the merriest Xmas you ever had.
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NOTES: When Olga mentions "my place" & "my folks", she's referring to her job. She worked in Kansas City as a ladies maid, I believe. Or maybe a housekeeper. Her "folks" are actually the family she works for. Most of the people she mentions are friends that I don't know anything about but a lot of them are mentioned in future letters. Her referral to the "funny fellow" came from the 1st letter if you haven't already read that one. And Olga actually drew a line after the word "so" towards the end of the letter. She always seemed concerned that people (and the postman) were going to read her letters so she tended to censor herself.
Swedish translations from the Lexin Swedish-English Dictionary:
(1) It basically translated out to be "Thanks you will have for the comforting words you gave me in the letter."
(2) This I could only find at one translation site and when I failed to write it down, it wouldn't let me back in to do it again. It had something to do with "brother and sister small water" so I'm wondering if since Olga and her friend were going to this at a church if it was a kind of baptismal event?
(3) Roughly, she seemed to be saying, "So goes that." I wonder what they thought of ol' Charley getting hitched!
(4) This last one is a bit jumbled in the translation but it's something to the effect of "This was fine but I believe I'd rather speak than write to you." That seems to be the gist.
posted by Heather | 4:55 PM
2 Comments:
Heather these are wonderful! I love them hurry up with more!
Syskonringen would be roughly translated as "a brothers order". Something like a Masons lodge, but in this case a probably a Swedish "hall" for social gatherings. They probably sang songs as one activity based on Olga's "yodel" comment. I wonder if that was a reference to Anton's singing ability?
I've come across your Anton in the FCs looking for my own great great uncle Anton Widegren and now found your site searching the web.
Interesting site!
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