Okobojo So.Dak.

July, 21 ‘18

My Dear Will,

This is Sunday 1:20 P.M. I am waiting for the dinners to cook,  so will start a letter to you.  Your pa is listening to the phonograph which the children are playing and my pa is taking a clean up.  Hal and family with Kitty Dudly and Charles stopped a minute this morning on their way to Onida to give Charlie and Myrtle something to be thankful for.  They left Charles with us and Kitty will stay here tonight. 

Our company finds us much unprepared for we have neither meat nor potatoes.  When your pa came we were living on Hoover bread and as the next day was print day I could not stay home to bake.  I gave them corn cakes for dinner, and when I got home I had to bake corn bread for supper and was some what rattled for I forgot to put the soda in, oh my, I made up my mind I’d keep still for once and see who’d be the first to squeal, but they were all game.  Cathie remarked that the corn bread looked pale but that was all.  I don’t think Willis tasted it as he surely would have said something, but he was eating crackers.  I didn’t eat much supper and I made some good bread the next day.  

We played a rather mean trick on that hen that hid her eggs under the house, - we cooked her and are going to eat her for dinner, I also picked a good mess of string beans which we will have for dinner I am going to try to get any butter off on the stage to Minot and thus keep the wolf from the door a little longer.  We had this little showers last evening but they were not enough and our garden needs rain very much.  The tomatoes are getting along well, also the cucumbers and melons, but – they will have to have rain.

Alex’s wheat is turning yellow, Ross will begin harvesting tomorrow & also Hal, Bob Bagby says the wheat crop is fine all thru, I hope so, may be we will be apportioned a speck of flour.  The war news is great the past few days and it may end as I have predicted suddenly.  If only Quinton Roosevelt would be found alive and saved.  Koenneth and Glenn Davis are in France.

3:40 P.M.  Well we have had dinner, the children are doing the dishes and I will try to finish my letter.  Your pa and George are shelling corn for him to take home with him.  He wanted us to borrow a buggy and let Willis take him home I told him I would let both Cathie and Willis go and they would take our old surry, but they would not do that so he is waiting for a ride with Alex.     

I think a great deal about how nice it would be if you could get a position there that would make us a living and we could move. We could sell our cattle and hogs and poultry and get some one to take the place and the horses.  (Roy Mc would probably be glad to do it) and then when we get ready to come back, we could buy more cows.  Willis is agreeable so long as the horses are not sold.  He would as soon leave as sell the other stock.  As for the office I think we could fix that part all right.  I suppose you think this is all foolish talk but I know your health needs the change and I know I’ve tired of it here and of traveling the same old rut, and of having Cathie away for the next four years.

It is now one week since you left I think it was the busiest time of my life I couldn’t eat for a day or two after you left, but am doing better now I get up first in the morning and milk three cows then get breakfast and rouse the family and they finish the milking I have been able to keep up with my part so far and am thoughtful the weather is pretty hot but not to bad as last year as this time.  Talking it all around we are getting along all right and want you to get rid of that pain in your head and neck. 

I had quite a talk with Hal yesterday as he was passing by looking for horses.  He says he has the same trouble in his neck and thinks a change of climate is what we all need.  He is set on going to Canada.  Will Dodge came to Pierre and took May to the hills. But they are coming back and she will stay with Grandma while Grandpa goes to Portland.  Harry and his little boy are in Pierre now. 

I hope you get our letter today and that you went to church too.  Rev. Cook did come last Sunday but nobody came to hear him. 

The Bagby’s are going to help Hal harvest, but I don’t know who the others are getting.  Five dollars per day is the price set by the Co. Agt, I believe I am going to go and rest a while now, and will look for a letter from you tomorrow. 

                                                                        Much Love,

                                                                                    Madge.