Monday, February 18, 2008

difficult decisions

I've been going through old letters my mom saved... some of them seventy years old... trying to decide what to do with them.

There was a letter Grandma Stevens wrote to Mother in which she mentioned how loving my cousin Betty was (Betty would have been three years old at the time).  I decided perhaps my cousin Betty would enjoy this letter, so I've written a note and sent it along to her.

There's a letter from my daddy's brother's wife telling how cute the new niece, Alice, is.  She has lots of dark hair, wrote Aunt Helen.

I've written a note and sent that one on to Alice, along with a picture I found of her daddy with his first grandbaby.

I hope these folks get a lift from these letters from the past.

Lord knows I have.

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Now playing: Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Soldier's Last Letter
via FoxyTunes   

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that is wonderful!  My only girl cousin sent me an email the other day to tell me she was talking to our Grandma in CA (my Dad's Mom) and told me how Grandma remembered my birthday was this week and how wonderful I was. lol  My cousin didn't have to email me and tell me Grandma mentioned me in their conversation but she did and it made my day.

Anonymous said...

What a great idea!  I was also going to suggest you make a scrap book with the letters you want to keep. :-)

Anonymous said...

I am sure they will appreciative of those old letters, I know I would be. Helen

Anonymous said...

Isn't that wonderful of you to do that!  I'm sure they will treasure those letters always...  Linda

Anonymous said...

Donna, after my mother passed, my sister and I spent many hours going through old pictures and notes.  I may have mentioned this to you before.  We found the different ones for each family, relative or friend, packaged them and sent them off with a note.  The recipient children of the many years gone adults were thrilled to receive them.

Another avenue you might consider is researching a museum in the area your mother was born and grew up in or even where she raised her family.  The smaller museums are often interested in old personal papers.  Just a thought.

Anonymous said...

OH my gosh I would be thrilled to get those letters if I were them!  That is the perfect thing to do I think.  Another thing is to put them in a plastic sleeve the one with the three holes in the edge so you can put them in a binder so when you have family over they can page through them and read them.  That's what I'm going to do with all my letter I have received over the years from family and friends.  I'm going to put them in order (if they have a date on them) and just keep them forever....my kids can decide what to do with them when I'm gone.  

Anonymous said...

Surely they will!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

I think it's great that you are sending them along to them. I had received some things similar to those and I loved it!
Pam

Anonymous said...

Oh Mo...I am really sure the folks getting these letter and pictures are just thrilled to get them...and the memories...they can pass to their children....as you know...I am a genealogy buff...having finished our families...and I always get a chill when I read how you are handling all the goodies you are finding...and yes a little jealous because no one has sent me anything like that.....sighing heavily....LOL...hugs to ya...Ora

Anonymous said...

That's a great idea for keeping the old letters in the family, but not overburdening yourself with them.  After my Dad died, among his papers, we found a receipt from the doctor who delivered one of his older brothers.  It was $3.75!!!  I think my Mom gave it to that brother's widow.
Lori