August 25, 1914

(From Funk, Nebraska)
(To Richvale, California)

Dear friend,

I have many times thought about writing to you, but you'll have to excuse me for waiting so long.  I should of wrote some Sunday, but some Sundays we aint home, and some someone else is here so I never got a chance to write, but I'll try to write you one to night.  Maby you have heard from some other friend out here, the corn dried up again, altho I think most of the farmers will get enough for seed.  Carl Larson and Gust(?) Peterson have extra good corn for this year, I think sure it will make 25 bls(?) but the wheat turns out around here 20 to 17 bls(?), and around Sacrament(?) and south of Funk it goes some better than 30; they had more rain there this spring.  The thresher are at Herman's now, but they had an expert out to fix the seperator so it should thresh out better.  but he must of told them to not thresh for a while because they didn't thresh this P.M. after Herman is done they should go to Clauses, then here, but it is L.L.(?) convention in Holdredge so Bengton, Lewis, and Markwood shoud thresh some then.  We have had three small rains lately, so people are busy plowing and disking, some are done plowing.

Luzenia(?) is out in Iowa now visiting Uncle Lunds, she will come home next Saturday.  I suppose you have heard that this family has gotten one notch smaller, July 23, Anna died, and was burried July 25.  just one month ago.  It sure is hard to loose a sister, but we can't help it.  Martin was home one week, also Oscar, Next Monday Carl is going back to school at Wahoo again, and one week or so after that Oscar will come home and stay a few weeks, till his school starts again.  Two years more if everything goes right there will be another preacher in this family, I think.  How is everything out there now days.  Do you get enough water to flood the rice good.  I suppose it has quit raining out there now till winter, Carl is away every other night, practicing singing and such things for the Luther League Convention.  There will be dandy programs they say.  We intend to put in 240 acres of wheat this fall.  Was at a party to Wallins some time ago had a fairly good time, there was about 30 or 35 young folks there.  Mulligan(?) is going to farm the pla land Herman had.  I don't know where Herman will be next year, but he is goint to have 80 acres of wheat out on Hollands.  My news are coming to an end so I suppose I'll have to quit.  We are all well as usual.  Hope you will write sooner than I did and let me know about everything.

Your friend,
Emil G. [Gustafson]