Emma Ottelia

Dear Will, Mattie & all.

mother is better. can not help her self much yet, can talk and use herself alright walks a few steps with help. eats well. Dr. thinks she will get along all right but may be 5 or 6 weeks before she can come down stairs. we feed her her meals and she stays in bed. has so far only sit up about an hour. is gradually getting each stronger.

Will let you know if she gets worse.

Emma      

Dear Will, Mattie & all.

Mother is getting better gradually. gets about pretty well now. Frank has sold his place, and they will go to Tampa, Florida. will have a sale next  uesday. he
had given up hope of selling this spring and had started his farming. they will stay here a few days after the sale. wish you could come up.

Emma

How are you all. Mother is about the same. did you get my card telling of Frank's selling out. The left for Florida last Thursday. had a rain & hail Wed. nice today. grass is very short.

Emma

wish we could spend Xmas together rec'd your letter will answer soon. Garfield & Sophia moved to their farm this week. she has been at Steins
much love

Tom &  Emma

Dear Irene & all.

How are you and every one? Why do we never hear from you any more  Have you heard of Garfield's & Sophia little girl. Born a week ago monday. weighed 7 1/2 lbs. all doing fine. We are having fine weather  most farmers busy sowing wheat. Wish you could all come up this fall. Hoping to hear from you soon.
love to all.
(Did you know George Stine married)    [The marriage, to Bertha Gieg, was on September 12, 1917]

Tom & Emma Oct 2nd

We are having a grand time here in Texas. Came on excursion are in the Rio Grande Valley. arrived Fri A.M. and intend to be back in K.C. Mon P.M. we would like to stop in Okla but, can not. This is a fine country. Had a light frost this A.M.  we had 2 hrs in Houston  Will stop in Galveston Sunday.
love to all

Tom & Emma.

Nov 17 - 1918

Rec'd Eileen's picture. think it mighty cute many thanks for it. Suppose you are rejoicing that the war is ended. every one here is Topeka had quite a celebration. Guess Herschel will be home soon. How are all of yous  Hope you did not have this flu. all pretty well here. Suppose Delma is back at school. When are you coming up. wish we were coming down.
give Walter's our thanks for Photo.
our address is 1274 Mulvanes St, Topeka

Tom & Emma

Topeka Kans.
Jan 5th 1919

Dear Irene, Delma and everyone

suppose you think I am never going to write and let you know that I rec'd your picture all O.K.  I was sure glad to get it and thank you ever & ever so much for it. But I don't really think they are very good of either of you. Irene I never saw you look so sober. Your large photo is fine but this one does not do either of you justice but neve the less I am thankful to have them anyway, and was not trying to find fault only think they are not as good as the originals. Tom and I intended having some of our photos for Xmas but we have never gotten farther than the intention. Tom got back from Texas the day after Xmas. It was a long week while he was gone. I spent Xmas day with Grace Stalons there was quite a number of there for dinner. Tom intends to make another trip to Texas in about a wish some of you were here to help me batch. We have been having some very cold weather with lots of snow. don't know how deep it is on the level but it is pretty deep.  some thermometers here in town registered 20 below.  There are still a few cases of  "Flu" but not many.  it was pretty fierce for awhile. We had a letter from Ab last week.  They were all well. said they had 14 in of snow on the level.  said the refinery he is interested in is running good & they were expecting some good wells to be brought in. Did not say if Ortie is home this winter or not. We have not been down to Carls for a long time. don't suppose the roads will allow going very soon. I would go down and stay a few days while Tom goes on his trip. But I am afraid my plants and fruit may freeze. I don't know any news. as I have been staying in pretty close this cold weather. How is everyone there including Walter, Fern & girlies  

Wish we could see you all. but guess we can't for a while unless you will kindly come up.  must close with our very best wishes to one and all for a Very Happy and prosperous New Year

lovingly
Tom & Emma

Topeka July 23 - 1919.

Dear Bro, Sister, Irene & every body.
We rec'd your letter of June 13" had begun to wonder if you were still living, but mighty glad to hear from you and that all were well. Every one well here I guess. We were at Carl's Sunday. they had just begun thrashing the field south of the road by the rail road made nearly 30 bu to the acre. Had just started on
the other piece north of the road that is the best yield we have heard of so far but not very much thrashing is done yet.

Tom's brother Steve's wheat made nearly 20 it is running from 18 to 30 in around that locality some localities not so good. corn on Kaw bottom land or       
any bottom land is fine. upland corn in most places poor. needing rain badly. We had so much rain for awhile guess it all came at once  glad you managed to buy the farm before the raise came. as I don't think you could buy it now at that figure If land jumped in price there like it did here. there has been lots of land and town property changed hands. The old  Galliger place (that joins the Snida Potter place) sold for $10,000 -- 112 acres, nearly all in wheat which went with the place.

We had lots of fruit here this year but it was very high. Strawberries $5 to $6 a crate. cherries $3.00 to $4.50 per bu. black berries & raspberries $7 to $8 per crate. apples are now 5 to 10 cts per lb. Texas peaches 3.25 to 3.50 per bu. I got a nice lot of cherries & goosebrris but only 7 qts of blackberries  eggs are 40 cts per dozen. Oh, yes we have an airplane here taking passangers up at the rate of $1.00 a minute.  no trip less than 10 min and they are doing a land office business now for nearly 3 weeks. fly mornings & evenings when the wind is not blowing too much. another plane came in yesterday so I guess they will have competition. come up and we will fly with them.  Irene I don't see why you can't come while Fern is there. You & Herschel drive up. All of you come that can. don't see why you can't get away while you are all there.  would love to see Fern & Walter's girls.

Mary and Helen have been at Sophias for 2 or 3 weeks. like it there real well I guess and Sophia's health is fine again. guess I will have to stop no more room (love to all   Tom & Emma

P.S. We still have our car. Tom took the engine down this spring and cleaned the grease and carbon all out and it is running like new. We have never had to do the cranking act yet. Sorry you had to, and got hurt. Roll Shirley is married but Theo is not. I sometimes doubt if he will marry the lady but I guess time will tell. I understand she keeps him pretty close beneath her wing but come up and I can tell you better than I can write it. Tom says he is too lazy to write. but for you to come up and he will help you paint the town red. much love to everybody.  E

Topeka Kans.
May 18th 1930

Dearest folks one and all. How are you all any way? seems ages since last we heard from any of you. do wish we could drop in on you or you could drop in on us for awhile.  we are all well and all peggin along the same old way. How do you like this weather? we are having plenty of rain. days are nearly all cool & cloudy if it clears off to night we may have frost any way it seems cold enough. we have fire in the furnace for several days. wheat looks pretty good around here. potatoes look pretty good. some corn up and some not planted -- as we have not been out in the country lately. that is all I can say of it. we have a good garden except no strawberries this year. new patch. our potatoes ready to bloom. peas large enough to eat. (but too muddy to pick them today.)  beans nearly ready to bloom. tomatoes plants small. How are crops with you?  and how are your chickens. Eggs are as low as 15 cts now here. Cherries are turning.  trees not very full.

How are your mother and father? Steins are all well. Uncle William is just as well as always and gets around spry as ever. Georges' and Garfields are as allways. Emma Steinke came up in January. is here with us now. she will be here this summer, is well, and says to send her regards to all. We had a letter from Carl a week ago. Emma's sister, Mary, died April 22, so they intends to drive back this summer. I guess Emma is not so very well, from caring for Mary so long. Dick Rivers died a week ago Fri. guess he had been at work through the day and Ella found him sitting in a chair dead. guess Ella intends to stay on the farm. Dick was 77. Belle had just came in for a visit a week or so before and is still here. She lives in Colorado. runs a rooming house. doesint seem to know where her husband is.  well Irene you won't be interested in this but show it to will & Mattie. they may be. Mr & Mrs. J. L.  Raines both died. J. L. died last winter and Mrs Raines a few weeks ago. both quite suddenly.  say I knew a lot of things to write when I started this, then Company came in and now my news must of left with them. How are walters & girls?

we have not heard from Franks lately. They wrote no that they were expecting you folks up to see them. have any of you been up yet? guess spring time and little chicken time is hard too get away from home. there will be no peaches in Kans this year. will you have any? write us when you have time. and come up if you can. sure hope you can.lots of love to every one from us.

Topeka Kans
Sunday. Jan 26" -- 1936

Dear Sister & Brother.

Your letter rec'd and we were glad to hear from you and that you were well. All are well here now as far as I know. We are having some cold weather this month plenty of snow and zero weather. has been below zero a number of times was 8 or 10 below last night  we did not get out today on account of it. although Mary wanted us to come over for dinner today, and tomorow is Tom's birthday. but the car starts hard in zero weather and he did not want to try it. (so we missed a nice now who wouldent want warmer weather). Chris Cavanagh was up to Marys last week and said Emma Steinke wrote them that she was coming up to stay with them (Esthers). don't know if she did. She never wrote Mary or I any thing about it. don't know why she would want to go in the country in cold weather, especially from a warm state. and Esther had about all she can handle now. how ever she may change her mind and come here first. It does not seem possible that you two have been married 50 yrs. Neither of you look as if that many had passed over your life. Tom & I will soon be married 34 yrs.

The papers say that Okla. has nice warm weather, while we have it cold here. where do you keep your chickens now. on the farm or in town? We paid 24 cts for eggs yesterday from George's - that is 2 cts per doz more than they get at the store. We took 13 doz and the neighbors get them from us at the same price we pay.  How are the jerseys doing?  they were sure nice.  hope you hogs are doing well.  Tell Irene we received her letter and will answer some time later, if I answer now would have to write the same things over. So you see I don't know much. about all I hear is politics, and the more I hear of that the less I know. everything is so mixed up and unsettled. I sure would like to see things get back to safe & sound conditions for the good of all. I have been pretty busy up till the past week. Part of the time was making white uniforms for Mary Cavanagh Woods and some of the other girls that work at the State Hospital.  would love to be with you for a while again and wish you could come up.  can't you when the cold winter is over.

lots of love, as ever
    Tom & Emma