Charlie letters

October 31, 1918

(From Richvale, California)
(To Camp Lewis, Washington,
Supply Co. 76 Inf.)

Dear Soldier Brother Charlie:--

I received your most welcome letter yesterday, and will now enjoy writing to you in reply to your letter, we got those three pictures of you sent safe, and they sure make me feel like I wanted to be right with you, I sure hope I will see you before you go across.

Albin, Esther, and Lucina just went up town to get Lucina's sister and her husband and two kids, they  come from Montana today on the four o'clock from the north, they intend to live here I think.  Harry Peterson hired the man to run his Rumley(?).

We are having one glorius time cutting rice about 50 acres left on the 160 and then about 2 days cutting at home will wind her up, even though it has been awfully tough  Albin and I have cut almost our share out west already, Oscar has had awfully bad luck, he has tried it all over the whole field.  We clear it all up as we are going we're driving five and tonight we decided that we must put on some more pep so I guess well have to drive six head of stock if they don't pull it we will just have to lay off till it gets dry enough, the west side is left, next to Landis and he just stopped pumping yesterday, so we still got some fun of coming. Today I took 7 pictures but have to take five more before the roll is full I have a double size roll this time 12 pose instead of six, I snapped one of Axel when I told him to look at that hair on the lense of the camera, and I got him pretty.  I was so close that I could not see more than his face.

Well there are many threshing machines going now the roads are hardly passable out west we get hung up on the some of the ruts most every time we go over that road.

Mostly all schools are now closed, a program fortnight, Halloween eve was all planned but they stopped it.

Axel is now reading your letter I rcv'd yesterday.

Bob Risley is not working for Oscar now, he started to work for him and then it rained one day and he went to Chico and when Oscar wanted him he found out he was working for the Chico Construction and getting $5.50 per day.  I think we will give Axel $4.00.

I heard Gilbert Magnuson is drafted and Forster(?) Norman and Anton Wilson, and lots of other fellows we use to know.

Say if you can possibly get some more pictures taken of yourself please do so as that is one sure thing that we will always remember you by, when you are in France, I will send you as many as I can get ready I don't get to be on many of the pictures because I have to operate the camera, but I guess you won't miss much by that.

Well I better stop this nuisance while I can.

Tell Walter Hello if you see him, I should have wrote to him long ago but I don't get time or get around to it tomorro Fri we have been cutting rice two weeks and have put in good long days every day.  Well if you cant read all of this, I believe you got me skinned.

Yours Sincerely,
Brother Richard

Ans Soon or sooner --

Unknown

November 23, 1915

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

Dear friend Charlie,

How are you by this time.  I've caught a cold good and proper.  I should write you a letter but I dont just remember if I wrote to you some time ago or how.  We are done threshing now, the wheat averaged 19 bls(?). Haven't got started to pick corn yet.  Elmer has helped to fix the bank(?) so people can cross.  May have some fine skating this winter.  Greet everyone

From Emil Gustafson

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]

Richvale, California, ca. 1913

August 26, 1915

(From Nimshew, California)
(To Richvale, California)

Hello.  Feeling jake.  Been on top of mountain to down the lowest valleys till I don't know where I'm at.  You just ought to be here.  Making hits(?) all the time Ha Ha!  I should worry.  Suppose I fish the next month or two.  Bye bye.  From M.P.

I think this photo is of my great-grandparents.
Charles and Lenna, date unknown.

April 26, 1914

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

Dear friend Charlie,

Now it is time for me to answer your letter.  Its fun to hear from you once in a while.  Thanks for your letter.  Does it still rain out there, it rains here today.  When we got out of church today it had rained and was still raining a little.  But it didnt rain much when we were on the way home, had a few small showers this afternoon, and the wind is from east and cloudy almost all around so we may get some rain tonight.  The wheat looks fine, we still pasture it, but if it rains so the ground gets soft, we wont pasture it any more.  Intend to chase the calves out in the hills some time this week.  Some pastures are just covered with white and blue daisys.  I suppose you are done plowing out there now.  We plowed around 15 acres, got about 55 left.  but we are done disking.  Expect to have one colt around the 3oth.  Herman has 2 colts now the kaiser and one other one, both pretty.  The boys from Lincoln came home yesterday.  Tomorrow Lawrence, V(?), George Swanson, Arnid(?) Hedstrom, and Phillip Anderson will go to Lincoln and practice up for War with the Mexicans.  They belonged to Military drill in Holdredge so the had to go, but it will take a long time before they get to Mexico, maby never, but they have to be prepared.  They order 128 men out of this County, had 75 yesterday so they may not get all.

Joe has one week left of school, then pretty quick I suppose he will start out for Wahoo, on his motor.  On four weeks more I suppose Carl will be home.  He will graduate from vocal(?) this spring.  He has been promised to play the pipe organ, this summer when Rev. Berg's will go to Mass., and visit.  Oscar is going to Swedeburg Nebr. this summer.  You ought to been out here the last weeks and seen it blow.  A person had about all he could do to hang on to the world.  I wish I could go to the World's Fair next year but I'm afraid I couldn't get enough money so,  I'd have to bum my way out and back, too.   My news are all gone now so I'll have to quit for this time. 

From your Friend,
Emil Gustafson
Funk Nebr.

P.S. Duzerig(?) told me to greet you.

January 19, 1918

May 25, 1911