Mrs. J. C. Bitterman Madison, Wisconsin Jan. 11, 1925 Dear Circle: Cal has just taken Henry, Ella, and Amelia over to Henry's. Amelia came up yesterday for a visit and will spend the next two weeks in Madison. Henry is not using his car now but Cal can't think of putting ours up until we have too much snow to navigate. We were sorry to hear of the serious outbreak of smallpox in Mason City, and hope you will all escape that disease. We have all been vaccinated but some of them have not worked yet. Am enclosing the article Cal wrote for the New Year 96 page Journal. He really is several shades lighter than that picture shows him. We were glad to have that good snap shot of Arthur and Theo at Christmas time. Cal. had an eight day trip to Wash D.C. and New York City the middle of Dec. which he enjoyed very much. He was sent to a Traffic convention called by Herbert Hoover in Wash. and went to N.Y. City to study traffic rules there and was driven about the city by a policeman all Fri & Thurs PM so saw a great deal in a short time. We are well here and hope this will find you all the same. We were out late last night so must close and go to bed now. Best wishes for this New Year to you all from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mrs. J. C. Bitterman Madison, Wisconsin Feb. 13, 1925 Dear Circle: May I be your valentine? Valentine day does not bring any increase in the mail at this house. Tho' I have had one already from Jean this year. As Henry says, with radio, clubs, social work & ordinary work, we are kept busy. Cal is only just getting the radio fever. Just enough so he went to look at one that was for sale but has not decided to take it. It is an Atwater-Kent. I am strong for a Brunswick & radio combined. As long as its just wishing, one might just as well wish for a fine one. I was very glad to read the letter from John Spencer and see the pictures of Aunt Elizabeth Spencer. She looks well preserved for her years. I hope we can have some pictures from some of the films taken at Cumberland. So far we have not had a chance to get any, tho' Henry said he had some of them over there. Had Lyle been vaccinated and still got the small pox, Arthur? Fortunate he had it so lightly. Henry has a birthday soon and is as pert as ever. Here's wishing him many happy returns. Cal has been attending the road school part of each day this week. It is an annual affair. Cal has used the car all winter so far as there has been no snow to speak of. Had to get a new wheel and fender when a man knocked him into a curb one icy night. We are all well here and hope the rest of you are by this time. Much love from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. March 30, 1925 Dear Circle: I've been cleaning house and I'm tired but must get the letter on its way. I intended to write before Sunday & take it down to Amelia when we drove down there on Sunday but did not get it done. Henry and Ella asked me to go with them when they took Jessie down to Fennimore. We left at 8 AM & got there at 10:45. It was a perfect day and we had a delightful ride. Found Edith's family all well, Had a fine dinner, visited till four PM & got home at 6:45. Cal went to church, to Grace's for dinner, then a man aked him to go with him to Baraboo to see a bad place on the highway near there, so he got back at 5:45. We had supper and went over to Grace's to listen in on Dr. Fosdick's address at the gym but found they were not broadcasting it so came home and got the car and went up to the gym to hear him. Standing room only. Was glad to have heard him and thought him a sincere conservative Christian man. I should be glad to listen to him often. Since I last wrote, Cal's radio fever grew worse and he brought one out one evening to try out and we liked it well enough to keep it. Noel & Grace were over to listen to it and WE made the arrangement to buy it together. It is an 8 tube superheterodyne set with indoor loop & loud speakers. So it can be moved to where ever it is needed. So we use it a week and then Grace & Noel use it a week, and that way we get some sleep on alternate weeks. It is a set assembled by a man here who sells radio parts, and we like it. It uses all dry batteries and I can run it. Jessie was to take the train home on Mon. from Fennimore. We enjoyed her visit with us very much. She was with us on our 35th anniversary on March 19. and was also a guest at our wedding. We are expecting important developments in our family circle in the very near future. We are all in our usual health and hope this will find you all well. Goodnight and love from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mrs. J. C. Bitterman Madison, Wisconsin May 10, 1925 Dear Circle: I see I wrote my last letter March 30th so the Robin is a little slow this time. This has been a real mother's day here today. Grace and Ruth were both here with their little ones and we certainly enjoy them. They do not look any more alike than tho' they were strangers. Little Alice Ruth [b. April 23, 1925] looks a lot like her father and Noel James [b. April 3, 1925] is a good deal like his mother. Dick has gone to St.B. but will be come back again in ten days for a week end. Meanwhile Ruth and Alice stay with us until the baby is strong enough to go up with them. It is so cool and dry that things do not come on as fast as they should. Even the lilacs do not open out entirely. We have not put in the garden except the very early things and they have not come up yet. Ed and Genie were here over night last week. They are stationed at Burnett, Wis. where Ed is superintending three road construction gangs for Oscar Balmat again this year. Cal has been busy , with Mr. Ulve who lives next door, in laying a cement drive to the garage & a new floor in the garage, evenings. They got a small mixer from a man they knew and did it themselves. We were glad to see the pictures of little Theo Marie. They show her to be a cunning little lady. Little Jean Bitterman is four years old today and is having to suffer with a broken leg. It is in a cast for three weeks. We are not having a fire today for about the first time this spring. Our coal bin is empty so we hope the weather is going to be warm. We are all well here and hope the rest of the circle are the same. With love to all Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. June 12, 1925 Dear Circle: We have just had a nice shower which will cool the atmosphere for a time. We have had extremes of temperatue every other day. But the sweet corn in the garden grows apace. There will be few strawberries and gooseberries but the rasp. & currants are quite full of fruit. Cal and I had a weekend at the farm on Memorial day and Sun & Monday. Jean is recovering from her broken leg but does not use it freely yet except on her kiddie-kar. That will come in time the Dr. says. The crops looked much better out in Iowa than around here. We were pleased to receive the announcement of Paul's graduation, and are sure he will make good where ever he is for he has shown all through his course that he is both able and willing to help himself by any honest work, which is the type of men that the world is most in need of. What branches will he teach next year, Charles? We were also glad to hear of Gerald's good standings at Ames. Would have been glad to have had Arlyn & Betty stop on their trip thro' Madison. [Arlyn is son of Rufus, Annie's younger brother.] Dick & Ruth leave the latter part of June for Geneva, N.Y. where Dick has accepted a position as plant pathologist at the State Experimental Station there. So part of our trips will be to the east from now on. The babies are both well and growing. Noel's father and mother from Yakima, Washington have been visiting them the past two weeks, but left for home yesterday. My girl roomers will soon be leaving but hope to get others. We received an invitation to Verlyn Sears wedding on June 24th at Mazomanie, Wis. Hope we can attend. [Verlyn Fred Sears b. 1899, son of Frederick Sears (youngest brother of Ella, Theo, et al) married Mary ELSIE Hodgson. They farmed near Mazomanie] All well here. Love to you all Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. July 20, 1925 Dear Circle: I will sit down and write a few minutes while my cold pack string beans finish cooking. I have now 13 pts canned besides two of peas. I used nitragin in the row when I planted them and maybe that has made them yield better than usual this year. Our fruit crop was very short this year. Our older rasp. are about gone from Anthracnose, Dick says. The canes had very few leaves on this year & the berries were small. He says will have to dig them out & get some disease free stock from somewhere and plant in a different place. We are expecting to go to Clear Lake on July 31 if nothing prevents. We had hoped to have a new car by that time but the county (Cerro Gordo) fathers have not yet sent the refund on the road, and we want the very latest, up-to-the-minute in cars so will wait till the new models come out Aug. 1st. May Wharam Stander and family called last week. They had driven up from their home in Tulsa, Okla. in their FRANKLIN. May said her father was very poorly and her mother was to go to the hospital soon. Cal. has been busy evenings enlarging the garage to hold two cars. He thinks he can't go without a car and I'm thinking I'll drive the new one, maybe. It looks very well now he's got it painted. Ruth and Dick like their new location very well. They say Geneva is beautiful, and their fellow workers are jolly and friendly. We are well as usual. Must close with love from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Nov. 11, 1925 Dear Circle: I wrote my last in July and missed the Aug. Robin as we were away, but when I saw Arthur last Sinday, he confessed he had had it (the Aug. number) in storage since the 1st part of Sept. but had just sent it on to after Henry's questionaire was sent out. Cal and I drove to Nora S. last Sat. morning. Left M. at 5:15 AM and were at Dale's by 2:45 PM. We thought we'd like to see the new grandchild before the roads became impassable for autos. [Janet Louise Bitterman b. Oct. 4, 1925] She is a bright, healthy little maid and has some good lungs. She is troubled a good deal with colic but we hope she will outgrow that. We came home Mon. morn, started at seven and called at Fennimore on the way home & got here at 4:30. Cal went to a meeting of the Technical Club that eve. and also later to the Mozart Club & I went to vocational school, and then we called it a day. We had a very nice trip in Sept to Ruth's, Niagra Falls, N.Y. City, Wash. D.C. and home. We drove to Mil. and took the boat at night across Lake Mich. to Grand Haven, drove across Mich. Aug 30, then across Ontario, Canada, Aug 31 to Niagra Falls where we spent 3/4 of a day, then to Ruth's at Geneva, N.Y., staid with her two days, then to N.Y. City via Albany & the Hudson river trail. Spent one day in N.Y. City, then on to Wash. D.C. for another day. Went to Mt Vernon and Arlington Cemetery while there. Came back to Geneva via the Susquehana trail for another day & then three days to drive home. It was just a birdseye view of the country but we enjoyed it and also our new Essex car whiich kept us comfortable in rain or shine. We staid at hotels nights. Was away 16 days, and I saw the ocean, a mountain, & was out of sight of land for the first time, also rode in a subway train which was pretty good for a young thing of 59. Much love Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Nov. 19, 1925 Dear Circle: The "Robin" is in a fair way to overtake the alibi of last week. I spent the past week entertaining my old enemy, the lumbago, but it has departed now and I'm trying to make up the time I lost for I just lie still and keep warm when it is in. I'm still wearing the last fall model of porous plaster but have discarded the vivid coloring of the hot water bottle. Henry & Ella & Cal & I are planning to go to Fennimore on Sunday if the weather permits to eat dinner with the Smiths and have a short visit. Those are good pictures of the children in Edith's family. They are a fine healthy group. I drove from Fennimore to Ridgeway when we came home from Iowa on the 9th, but have not driven since because of my back. We have a Thanksgiving Apron Sale on Tues. next at the church & also a Mozart Club concert in the evening. We heard the "Dutch Club" of Dayton, Ohio (15 business men of that town, they announced) last night by radio and they sang VERY WELL. They sang some of the same songs the Mozart Club uses. Cal. surely enjoys the radio. I do, too, but I don't run it every evening when I'm alone, but he does nothing else but if he's here. It is surely wonderful that one can single out a voice in N.Y. City, or Tex. or Canada as if it were in the room. Cal. says its a fine thing to keep husbands at home evenings. We and families are well so far as we know. Love to all from Annie. P.S. I found this program in among some papers in a scrapbook of Father's. Thought you'd enjoy seeing the artists' names & Arthur might want to keep it, after it goes around. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Dec. 12, 1925 Dear Circle: Maybe this "Robin" can make one more flight before '26. No year ever went so fast as 1925 seems to have done. We have a slight covering of snow on the ground to make it seem like Christmas time. We have begun to have Christmas carols on the radio already. They begin Christmas trees and songs etc. so early in Dec. the past few years that the novelty is worn off before the real day comes. The Univ. closes on the 18th and resumes on the 5th of Jan. One of my girls will go home to Mo. but the other will stay over with us. We are expecting Noel & Grace & baby down for Christmas. Will know definitely in a few days. We were glad to see the pictures of Charles & family. Wish we could have pictures in each time. Grace says Noel James pulls himself up to standing now but is afraid to start out alone. What do you all say to giving Arthur some writing paper for Christmas? It would be cheaper that all of us getting stronger glasses. I have a new vacuum cleaner for a birthday present, and when I emptied it the first time I used it, I certainly was surprised, for I had thought the rugs were fairly clean before. Then when I think back to those tacked down carpets with straw under, Woof !! But the children played on the floors then and grew up reasonably strong in spite of the bacteria. The Woman's Club had such an enjoyable costume party on Dec. l, an Elizabethan party. There was Queen Eliz, Sir Frances Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and Mary, Queen of Scots, besides a hundred of the common people of their time. The men's clothing of that period was surely picturesque, but not very practical. I was a scholar in cap & apron & Theo was so pretty as Robin Hood. Best wishes for a Joyful Christmas and a Happy New Year, and love from Annie