Where to, next?: DePauw University

September 19, 1938

Sunday evening

Dear Carolyn,

Glad to get your letter with the pictures (on 16 last eve.)- they are “swell”! And so much more snow than when we were there. I could hardly believe it melted as far as folks said it did. They told us it would soon be gone – I’m glad there were still big patches of it when we were there. I can’t quite locate your position on Logan Pass. I wish I could have stayed there a little longer, I needed a time exposure to keep all details in mind.

We’ll be going into Cinti one of these days and I’ll see about yarn – you should have some idea of “shades of peach” they have on hands – or is it a different kind of yarn than sweaters are made of? The “weave it” frame for your birthday and yarn for Christmas and graduation? – or sumpin? Think you’re speeding on the sweater -! You could send a card to Indpls stores asking for samples and prices – or E. could.

Was so glad everything was O.K. with her. We have had our faith shaken so many times it makes us suspicious – but don’t let her know it – for goodness sake! Gee I’m glad!

I went up to see Mrs. Mahler Fri afternoon about 4. Beth stayed over to see Bright ball game – we won 6 to 3 I think. She (Mrs. M) wants to move down here so badly – kids do too – they don’t like to ride on the bus and eat cold lunch.

The weather cleared toward noon yesterday and it was fine all afternoon. The parade was interesting. Maude was moved over on Elm St. just a block from A.B.C. – so we went over there and sat on her porch. Our band looked very nice and sounded as good as the other H.S. bands. Last night B & Leona were determined to go to town to see “Gold Mine in the Sky” so we took ‘em and Dad & I went over to see the pageant. Such a crowd!! We got so tired being squeezed on those hard seats – we left before it was over. Most of it was scenes of the conferences & treaties with the Indians – each one seemed very much like preceding one, the happenings between were told by different ones. The Indians gave the same dances we saw in Glacier. They have done a lot of talking about the whole thing – its given employment to a bunch of college kids and stirred up things in places where they went – cost a lot of money and got it moving around but honestly – I don’t think you missed such a lot. Of course it was nicer than a Rory Street fair parade. I hope, pretty good for old Dearborn County. Dr. Stewart rode a horse with saddle bags and was dressed in high hat, long tailed coat and striped trousers. We had a slim crowd at S.S. It rained until toward noon – Landrums & Weinmans came down from E. Fork so that helped.

Aunt K. had a nice dinner – as usual. Uncle Harry, Anna, Clarence and Uncle George were there besides Clara & Margaret. Aunt Elizabeth is holding conference in Indianapolis – since Friday. Anna said they couldn’t have it without her. They don’t expect the Gillums back to R.S.

Ruth W. (Wohlung?) dropped in about 8 this AM. Wanted to know if I had anything to send out to you. They came in late last eve and were leaving here about 9. Perhaps you needed a fan last Monday – but you won’t tomorrow. Temp is 56⁰ now – and furnace won’t work – we’re livingby the kitchen stove. Brrr. . .

Mon. AM 45⁰!! Quite different from last Mon. Kays sweaters etc. will feel fine today. Very foggy. But sure is peeking thru and looks like a good wash day. Quite an article in Advocate about N.Y. Conference. B & I have looked high and low for films you want – haven’t found them yet – will look again and send ‘em later.

Love,

Mother

Addendum:

Dad just came rushing in with your letter –

“The East Fork Methodist Church” (sign read) will order Reg for you this week. We did not find box of bobby pins or the fat orange stick – will either once of sticks do – can’t tell them apart. R.S. wasn’t so bad – B rode Nelson’s pony part of time and slept part of it. Warren & Willard went to R.S. last Sun. to see Edwin but he wasn’t home – B had wondered where they had gone in car.

Hope your knees are better – “felt better after being oiled?” Knees or floor oiled. Hope your work won’t be so hard when it gets working. - Mother

After my great aunt Carolyn "Auntie" passed away in 2011, I inherited several old letters from her collection. She and her friends and family were prolific in their written correspondence, especially before long distance telephone calls were commonplace. I am pretty sure that Auntie never threw away any piece of mail that was addressed to her, so this is quite a large collection of letters. Included is the correspondence between her and her mother (my great-grandmother Nelle) during her years at DePauw University. She attended DePauw from 1935-1939, while my grandmother Beth attended Guilford (IN) High School during these same four years. I, coincidentally, attended DePauw from 1995-1999, so these DePauw letters are of special interest to me. Another item of interest is the budding relationship between my granddad and grandmother (Roger and Beth), which began around 1938. Their relationship is talked about frequently in the letters from my great-grandmother to my great aunt. A third item of interest is the everyday details of living in the small village of Guilford, Indiana, where my great-grandfather J.C. Elliott was a country doctor to all surrounding areas. He had an office in their house, but made many house calls to farms around the area to deliver babies and treat his patients.
Since acquiring these letters, I have read several and started to scan and transcribe them. Great-grandmother Nelle had beautiful handwriting, so it is easy to read through her letters. She always provides the weather of the day, happenings around Guilford and Dearborn County, and inquiries about Carolyn's time at college. Since I am working on transcribing these letters for my own family archive, I thought it would be fun to share them on my blog. Anyone who is interested in country life, Dearborn County/Indiana history, DePauw University, college life in the 30's or even pop-culture of the 1930's might find these letters interesting. Posting them to the blog may also give me incentive to work on this project regularly. Stay tuned for the first installment of letters between Nelle and Carolyn Elliott, dated September 1938!
The following are pictures of my family members and their village of Guilford, which might help give you an image of the times: