1935 - Hogan's (friends of the family)

Natoma Kansas

Dec 19, 1935

Thursday

My Dear Mabel – Will you are still on the road but I wanted you to have your usual Christmas greeting so I guess I better be sending it. No doubt you are at Bob & Matties this evening if  your plans worked out as you thought they would. Hope you are getting along O.K. I am sure little Shirley will be glad to get to the end of the journey not to mention the rest of you.

We cleaned our kitchen up today. It really needed it – as you know.

Hope you get along O.K. – and that you wont eat to much Christmas.

Will write more some other time –

Lovingly, Jo

The girl dressed in red on this Xmas card is you – you like red so well.

NOTE: This letter is from Mr & Mrs. W. P. Hogan, Natoma Ks R.R.1

Hogan’s were very close friends to my grandparents. 

Dec 13, 1961 - Irvin Wineland

524 Wooerest Lane

Fallbrook, Calif

December 13, 1961

Dear Mabel and Archie,

Must get a letter started to you or Irvin never will getaround to it. He is busy picking avocados today and getting wood.

He did finally get into our own house but not until Thanksgiving day so we are still getting straightened out.

We like it here fine, its quiet and we are on a sort of a private street surrounded by avocado trees. Its been a little cold the last week and we have been burning our fireplace most of the day. Lots of old orchards and wood in these parts just for the getting. We do like our palce very much and everything is new. Had to get some secondhand furniture but we are very comfortable.

Hope Archie and you Mable are not working too hard as we are all getting old and can’t go it quite so hard. I’ll let Irvin go on with this. It seems as tho Shirley has been overseas a long time and should be coming home soon. I don’t think I have an address for them but will search my books. We can walk to town very quickly from here tho it seems like the country too. I will have to get out my knitting again as Irvin likes wool socks this weather. Its been so long since I have knitted don’t know if I still know how.

Aloho – well we finally got moved in our new home its rather small, but is about the best built house Ive ever seen – we have a foundation 18” deep 1 ft wide of steel & concrete and 34 cement pillars under the floor joists they are 4 by 8 – all 2 x 6 raftus, the code in Calif on new homes is certainly strick all copper pipes through out the house, 4 electrical circuts with 1000 aurps, its all add on the cost but I guess in the long run is worth it. I picked 6 boxes of avacados yesterday they are 11 c a lb very low – but in Jan will be up again I’ll pick some more then – then in April & May we have 4 Hass trees that will be ripe they should bring around 40 c a bl, we only have 25 all together on our place. I planted some beans and artichoke plants the other day, will be planting lettuce & carrots and peas between now and first of year.

Well have a nice Xmas and arrange to come down here next summer – best wishes for a happy holiday – Marion & Irv-

June 2, 1959 - Irvin Wineland

I realize I've been behind on these letters and I apologize - life does get busy - and even back then it did too.

Box 65 Hauula
Oshu, T. H.

June 2, 1959

Dear Mabel and Archie:

I'm jut start this letter as Irvin has been telling me to remind him to write to you folks for several days now. I reminded him when he was too busy I guess.

So glad Shirley had such a nice baby girl. Irvin sent a package in the mail for her about a week ago so Shirley should be getting it soon or maybe has it now as sometimes a boat leaves right away and packages get there quickly.

We are getting more and more in the egg business like you Mabel. Have over 100 chickens but some of them pullets yet. Everybody wants eggs so will have plenty of customers.

It is warmer here now and I sure enjoy my daily swim in the ocean. By this time you should be getting some warm days and hope your garden is doing well.

I do quite a bit of sewing. Made my two sisters in Seattle a housecoat for their birthdays and make most of my own dreses, and some of Irvin's shirts. Took a course in Ukelale playing at the rural school in Hauula but it is over ow. I enjoy playing for my own pleasure if noone alea's. Anyway it is something that is not irritating to the nerves of other people, not like a horn.

We have 6 cats including two kittens which we will be selling soon. I'll let Irvin tell you about his orchids, etc. I hope Shirley and baby are doing fine and I bet Chris is a proud brother. I like -----(note)---- for a name.

Hi all!

Well it is in the afternoon now and I'm poopled. I mowed our lawn this morn and just came back from an old lady about a block away. I trim some trees and burn a lot of rubbish for her. She's been in the hospital and I do some odd jobs for her to help her out. Our plants including Orchids are sure blooming nicely now as well as our roses, anthuriums we always have about a doz orchid plants in bloom through out the year. I guess I have a few over 60: plants now of all most popular species. I want to inter some in a show in aug and then have a larger show in Oct, which I am pointing for.

I wrote Aunt Bess a couple of weeks back in ans to her letter to us she is keeping house for Harold is well and she was going to Kansas for Memorial Day.  The sun is straight over hd the last day or so as noon then till about July 15 our shadow will be to our south around noon time.
We got a day or so pullets and when they began laying the neighbors wanted eggs so we got about 30 more and still more people wanted eggs - now we will have around 110 or 120 when they get to laying, we got 65 (cents sign) a doz as is - wouldn't grade them and that was the price we get in the year round - large AA grade retails at 80 to 85 (cent sign) in the stores. Mainland eggs retail as 60 to 65 here. We feed an all egg mash made here in the Islands. I believe is a little better feed than Albers - which they sell here also & we pay 5.30 to 5.45 for 85 lbs sack - we've had 75 to 90% production through ut the year, so thats not too bad. We had to go into Honolulu tomorrow. We do our shopping in Kaneshe here on the wind ward side as we can do better with food prices than in Honolulu.
Marion always shops some in Kresses or Woolworths and at thrifty or Long's ding stoes alike the thrifty drug store in Seattle only these are about twice it's size - Wig warm has a large dept store here and is doing OK. they sell everything from wash machines T.V.'s, clothing and about anything you can think of.
Sears is opening a large Swanky new store here in Aug - about twice the size of their present store. A new Steel mill, 2 new cement plants a standard oil refinery is going up also. Dupoint Chemical is going to build a large factory about 10 mins from us about half way to Kasche - which means in Hawaiian slim man.
Write when you can and send us all the news.
Tell Shirley to take good care of the babe,

Love to all,

Marion and Irvin


NOTE: the name of the child is my name. I keep my middle name to myself for safety reasons, even though I'm sure you can find it on the internet somewhere else.

Irvin was big into his orchid plants, and he has several registered in England that he named.

Jan 24, '50 - A B Wilhite

Hardtner, Kans

Jan 24, ‘50

Mr. Archie Wineland,

Yours of the 9 of Dic rec’d. Sorry I mislaid your letter, just found it last night. Got that outfit rote me for reference hope you made it ok. No I am not married as yet. Sure is cold, sleeping by myself though. Clara is just fine. Pages have a nice Liquor Store where they run the restaurant now. Doing a nice business. Just got a letter from Robert Tyson this A.M. he is in Detroit Michigan now but not located as yet it is snowing here this a.m. 15 above Zero. Not nutch wind. I am living up stairs I say living just staying. Archie after we left Holdrege, went straight to my wheat 50 to 75 per cent hail, got 4 bn per acre. Just paid little over expenses, but cut some more for my neighbors then came home Bob got sick went to Hospital at Mitchell S.D. have not saw him since. Yes I had your drivers Lisence will send it to you, am thinking of going cutting wheat again this year. Brought case home left other 2 up there aim to sell them

Well Arch not mutch new down this way. All I do is haul a little sand go to dances, try enjoy my self, Clara & myself go to most all dances. A card party billed for to night. Don’t think of any news just now is still snowing. Will hang up for this time.

As ever, A.B. Wilhite

Will tell all hello for you.

NOTE: I believe this is from A B White, but the Signature reads as ABWilhite. I'll see what I can find on this. 

Calif - 1961 - Irvin Wineland

524 Wooerest Lane

Fallbrook, Calif

December 13, 1961

Dear Mabel and Archie,

Must get a letter started to you or Irvin never will getaround to it. He is busy picking avocados today and getting wood.

He did finally get into our own house but not until Thanksgiving day so we are still getting straightened out.

We like it here fine, its quiet and we are on a sort of a private street surrounded by avocado trees. Its been a little cold the last week and we have been burning our fireplace most of the day. Lots of old orchards and wood in these parts just for the getting. We do like our palce very much and everything is new. Had to get some secondhand furniture but we are very comfortable.

Hope Archie and you Mable are not working too hard as we are all getting old and can’t go it quite so hard. I’ll let Irvin go on with this. It seems as tho Shirley has been overseas a long time and should be coming home soon. I don’t think I have an address for them but will search my books. We can walk to town very quickly from here tho it seems like the country too. I will have to get out my knitting again as Irvin likes wool socks this weather. Its been so long since I have knitted don’t know if I still know how.

Aloho – well we finally got moved in our new home its rather small, but is about the best built house Ive ever seen – we have a foundation 18” deep 1 ft wide of steel & concrete and 34 cement pillars under the floor joists they are 4 by 8 – all 2 x 6 raftus, the code in Calif on new homes is certainly strick all copper pipes through out the house, 4 electrical circuts with 1000 aurps, its all add on the cost but I guess in the long run is worth it. I picked 6 boxes of avacados yesterday they are 11 c a lb very low – but in Jan will be up again I’ll pick some more then – then in April & May we have 4 Hass trees that will be ripe they should bring around 40 c a bl, we only have 25 all together on our place. I planted some beans and artichoke plants the other day, will be planting lettuce & carrots and peas between now and first of year.

Well have a nice Xmas and arrange to come down here next summer – best wishes for a happy holiday – Marion & Irv-

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.