Ernest Birge - 1940 - Ernest Birge

Seymour Manufacturing Company
Incorporated
Scythe Snaths, Grain Cradles
Post Hole Diggers, Etc.
Established 1872
Seymour, Indiana

March 9, 1940.

Mrs. Sarah A. Johnson,
1506 Y. Ave.,

LaGrande, Oregon.

Dear Mrs. Johnson:

I thank you very much for the clipping you sent to me, of which I have made a copy, and I am returning the clipping to you. The information contained in your letter was quite valuable to me in connecting up your branch of the family with mine as you give the information that Elijah, your grandfather, was in the war of 1812. One branch of his family lived in the eat and from this branch was descended a Mr. Manning D. Birge, of Chicago, who had quite definitely connected up his line with William’s line, to which your letter and clipping referred.  Your mention of the fact that Elijah was in the war of 1812 corresponds with information with reference to his grandfather, Elijah, who was in the war of 1812. Therefore, this to my mind definitely connects our family. 

I am inclosing a list of you brothers and sisters as I now have them lined up. After the names I have showed their mother’s names as I understand them to be. Will you please check this information as you seem to be better informed with reference to the family than any other member who has given me information.

My understanding is that your brother, Fran, was put into an orphan asylum after his mother left. There seems to be some confusion as to whether Frank was a son of the fourth wife or the fifth wife of our father and I cannot check this information very well as I do not have the date of his birth or the date of Jessie Edwards’ birth. Do you know the name of the aylum or where it was?

Thanking you very much for the trouble you have taken to give me this information, I am

Sincerely yours,

Ernest N. Birge.

(hand writing information on the side of the letter):

It is rather interesting that William Birge mentioned in the clipping which you sent to me married later Mary Noble My grandfather William born Nov. 18. 1813 also married a Mary Noble. Did your father ever speak of Milly Sommers as his Mother.  I have a record that indicates he (Elijah) married Millie Sommers and possibly Eozubeth or Elizabeth Burnham.

Sept 13, 1923 - Archie Wineland

Sept 13 1923

Natoma Kansas

Thurs Morn.

Dearest Mable – Mighty glad to hear from you kid and also just tickled to death to hear that you didn’t get to go thrash. HaHa

Well kid I didn’t go to Hays as we threshed TES> Seen R. C. B. yesterday and he said that they won. I never got to see R. C. B. Sun eve and If I had of I would have told him what I thought of the “gang” so there. Will explain later. I am thinking strong of taking In a relay team to the Fair but I don’t think that I will play any Polo. You know I’m not good enough. $ any.

I received a card from my Aunt Mattie from Ft Collins Colo.

I was in town Mon after Coal but didn’t see you any place so guess you must have been working. I suppose jim and Babe Will drop in one of these mornings. Did they say whether  they. got our  letters or not. If grace comes up let me know and I’ll come over and intertain her some eve while Hank is not there and you are asleep. I am going down and get me a real mess of Fish this afternoon. I have been eating so much water mellons that I am getting so that I look like one. Oh say kid wasn’t the dance fine the ther nite my feet still ache from the affects from it and I suppose your feet feel the same way. Jack Vogeldesang asked me how I liked it and I said find and he said you looked like you enjoyed it all right. Well kid I don’t think of anything to say so there. I may be over St nite and If I don I will be over some time Sun. If that’s all right with you Missie. Be a good girl and I’ll bring you a stick of gum when I come.

As ever

Archie E.

Portland, OR 1928 - Irwin Wineland

Portland Ore
April 24, 1928

Dearest Bro and Wife:

I rec’d your most welcome letter today sure glad to hear from you – That’s mighty fine of you in getting McCaslin on the Job – Now when you tke your hunting trip next fall – tell me where and I might possibly get off for a couple of weeks, and meet you and grandfather – I haven’t been deer hunting for several years – although here in Oregon is some of the finest deer hunting in the U.S.A. and fishing – say every body goes fishing for Salmon & Trout

But you know Archie, that when one is working a Co and expects to advance with them he has to apply his self and they expect him to get results so I work many a week 7 days and I go out lots of times at night and make sales for my self or some of the new fellows  I have been Sales Mgr here for the Co since Jan 1^st and the Pacific Coast Div Mgr told me personally – that he was going to make me a Br Mgr – they are going to open Salt Lake and also Denver up and I might possibly get one of them I’d like to very much. Here’s a snap shot of the wife and my car and the old “Buzzard” himself – I possible look some what older than I did the last time you saw me.

That would be fine if you could arrange to work Uncle Geo’s place on a share Basis – nothing to loose only time a plenty to gain if everything runs smooth and I know that it will with you giving it justly dues. You now Archie – that one gets back just about what he puts into any thing and if you go in to win and keep the spirit up – he will.

Now Archie write and tell me all the news –

Tell Grandfather – Uncle Geo and all the rest helo and that I’d give anything if I could pay a visit to them but right now I’m pretty much tied down –

One of h boys he’s one of the crew Mgrs – he’s making a trip back to Colo and into Kansas about May 1^st and he’s going to look you up – when he comes if he gets that far – show him the old hospitality that we always show friends of the family – he’ll tell you all about me and the Co he –

As ever your loving bro & wife.     IGWineland

October 10, 1950 Mrs. Geo White

Luray Kans

October 1950

Mrs. Geo. L. White
Luray, Kans

Miss Shirley Wineland
Seattle WA

October 9, 1950

My Dear Niece.

I am going to answer your letter after all this time. Now realy I was awful glad to receive such a lovely letter and telling me all abut yortrip with the Rainbow Girls. Helen is Mother Adviser of the Rainbow Girls in Orange, Calif. And she loves the work so very much. I am so glad you belong tosuch a nice organization. I love the work of the Eastern Star and have gone through all the chairs. I went to Topeka to Grand Chapter the year I was Worty Matron. With all expenses paid. Their wer Worthy Grand Officers from every state and British Columbia. Lucille did not get to belong to the Rainbow only a few months. They had just organized one in Natoma. Then school was out in the spring she graduated from H.S. and went to business college and that was the end of her going. She belongs to Eastern Star now. Wilma is teaching 1^st & 2^nd grade here and stays with us. She is a sweet quiet girl.

We just got back last Tues. from a trip to Calif. Utah and Colorado, took Lucille along and dropped her off in Denver. Wilma stayed with our neighbor while we were gone.

I am cleaning house now began papering my hall up stairs today. Had to take up a lot of house plants that are out side because it is going to frost one of these nights.

I suppose your mother is busy at her work and you are busy with school activites. Your Daddy wrote Geo. He was not wrking but I bet he is busy keeping house.

I have a little suit here of Lucille’s have been wondering if you could wear it the skirt is to short for her and no way to let it down if you could wear it I will send it out to you.

The skirt is 27 inches long and the band one and a half inches.

Well I must begetting some thing for supper. Geo. Went to Natoma, and I will have to go up town and get a loaf of bread before the store closes. He might be late.

Then our Research Club meets this eve. Always some thing to keep you on the move. Give your Mother & Daddy my best regards and now I must say bye,

Lots of Love to All

Aunt Violet.

Letter from Rosa Worthy

Someone said it would be more fun if they saw the letters in their original handwriting. So, I am going to try and do that. I have a few letters that I copied and will post now. I will see how the original writings go and how much time it will take me to scan each one. It's worth a try.

I'm going to go ahead and post the others, and after that see how the scanning goes.

Letter to Chris Taylor from Archie Wineland

I found this letter with other family letters. I'm in the process of adding more letters to this site. Trust me, there are boxes of letters.

I found this to be really cool of my grandfather to draw for my brother. This letter is going back to my brother, but just wanted to have a record of it.