Mrs. J. C. Bitterman Mason City, Ia. Jan 19, 1943 Dear Circle: I'm glad I have nothing to do that takes me out of doors this cold day. It was 22o [below] on our thermometer this morning & some say 30o below. Dale came in, when he took Janet to school this morn. The girl she has been riding with couldn't get thro' the drifts & the plow had not gone over the road near their house. So Janet will stay with us until the road is clear again. We are well and do as much or as little as we feel like doing each day, interspersing a bit of playing games thro' it all & enjoying each day. We are thankful for each day we have together. So many of our friends of our age are passing away this winter. Ella, I was glad you wrote about the friends we knew in Madison. We had not heard from some of them for years. Our Golden Wedding Club met last week. A cold day but 52 came out & we had a good time at the Hanford Hotel in Mason City. Some came as far as 30 miles; from Forest City & Marble Rock and the roads were icy. On New Years day, we went to see the cunning twin girl babies next door to us, and the daddy wanted to take a snap shot of us with them. We think they are fine girls & will send the picture around for you to see. They are 8 mo's old. Two other couples (childless) in our neighborhood have taken a child recently and these twins are adopted, also. Our children & grand children are well, so far as we know. Noel J. passed his exam. and is now "Radio Telephone Commercial First Class," so he is pleased. Best wishes for the New Year to all. Cal & Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mason City, Iowa. Feb. 25, 1943 Dear Circle: There are half a dozen letters and this "Robin" waiting for answers, so I'll begin with this one. It is almost a real blizzard out tonight, after several days warm enough to melt some of the snow, some of the ice has gone, too, for which we are glad. We were fortunate in not getting hurt tho' I fell in the middle of the street up town one day but was only bruised some. But I have not driven the car since before Thanksgiving day, until this week when the streets are getting dry. So far we have not minded the gas rationing as we do not go far from home these days. Cal goes out insuring when necessary but that is mostly only in Mason Twp. & Mason City. Last evening we went to Dale's and Cal & Dale went to Nora S. to a Father-Son banquet, and it WAS A BANQUET from the reports. "Swiss steak- vegetables- rolls- pickles- cabbage salad- choice of pies & 3 CUPS OF COFFEE!" The "wimmen folks" had supper at Dale's. Two years ago Cal took Dale to a Father-Son banquet in the Cong'l church here in Mason C. and Cal got a prize for being the OLDEST father there, & Dale got one for being the OLDEST SON THERE WITH HIS FATHER! Today, Cal has started on a job new to him. Dale raised navy beans last year & when threshed there was a burlap bag full. Of course, there were some dark ones among them, so Cal offered to look them over for what WE could use of them & got the job. He is making fair headway at it, in the basement today. We are having almost a whole-sale graduating among our grandchildren this year. Jean at Ames, Janet at Mason City High, Alice at Pullman, Wash. High, and Noel J. at Madison High. We have just received splendid pictures of Alice and Noel J. and the others will be along later. We feel proud of our group of grandchildren, who seem determined to make something worth while of themselves. Noel J. will be 18 on Apr. 3rd so will be in the draft. Ella, can't you take a snap shot of your twins for our "Robin?" None of us out here have seen them, you know. Grace has been having sore throat and Ellen has had the Dutch measles & Janet thought she was coming down with them last night but Ruth & family are well. We have kept well as usual so far this winter and will be glad to welcome spring in three weeks more. Ella, I've started to hook another rug, but I don't keep at it as steadily as you do. I went to the funeral services for a friend, Mrs. Parker, who I was sorry to lose, today. So many here & in Nora S. have passed away this winter. We hope all who had birthdays this month had happy ones. Good night and love from Cal & Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mason City, Iowa. April 15, 1943 Dear Circle: April half gone and the ground frozen and the tulips stiff this morning. I wonder if we will have any blossoms after several cold nights in succession. As Ella says in her letter, it seems as if we will ENJOY real HOT weather after this long, cold winter. But we can be thankful we do not live near the Missouri River to be driven out of our homes by floods. It seems like the time Uncle Will and Aunt Rebecca were flooded out there & came to Father's on the farm. I don't recall the year but I think I was only about 12 years old. I feel as Amelia does that the funeral services for Arthur were so appropriate and as he would have wished. I think you all have had copies of the Globe Gazette with the account of the services but later this notice was printed which I will enclose. When I think of the many young folks whose lives were influenced for good, upright living by him in his many years as a teacher, I am so thankful. Jennie Bitterman Champman says she was his pupil for nine terms. [Annies brother, Arthur Pickford, b.July 9, 1855 in Shepley England, m. Theo H Sears 1885, d. March 19,1943] Our Golden Wedding Club met at the Hotel Hanford here in Mason City on Apr. 8th with 58 present. There are many more couples who are not both able to come. I began cutting out the pictures of any Golden Wedding couples in the Globe G. after we had our Golden Wedding and now have 96 in the past 3 years, and I did not take any that didn't have a picture. The Globe G. territory covers northern central Iowa. I planted radishes, lettuce, carrots, and peas a week ago, and Cal has put a woven poultry wire fence arund our garden this week, for the rabbits ate lettuce & string beans last year. So they will have to look elsewhere for their vitamins in 1943. We will have a small part of the vacant lot north of us for sweet corn & potatoes, also. Four other neighbors are using part of it, too. Ellen, Grace & Noel F. have been having sore throats, but are better again. Noel J. has had to register for the draft. He was 18 on April 3. He hopes he may be sent to school at the Univ. for awhile but has not yet got his notice. This terrible war! Ruth and family are well when we last heard from them. Cal has just come in from adjusting a fire loss and I must get our lunch now. Love to you all. from Cal & Annie. PICKFORD AS TEACHER Among those attending the funeral for Arthur Pickford Monday afternoon were some 25 of his former students, men and women who had attended the country schools taught by him at Portland and elsewhere. After the funeral they gathered outside the funeral home and discussed Pickford's teaching methods. Never once did he lay hands on a pupil, they all agreed. He never had to. He always maintained discipline through self respect. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fri. July 30, '43 Dear Circle: It is is too warm this PM to do anything heavier than writing letters, and now that the "Robin" is on the wing again, I must send it on its way. This spell of very hot weather has literally taken the "pep" out of us at this house. Only necessary work was done, which means picking and canning beans & getting & eating three meals a day. Of course, when evening comes, there is more or less activity on the shuffleboard court, but even that has had to make way for Victory Garden work more or less. One day this week Willard & Janette Roebuck Main called on us. He was anxious to learn where the Roebuck's lived on a farm near Monroe, Wis. in early days. He thinks it was the farm that Jesse Gist later owned. But he could find no one who knew when he went there to inquire and, of course, I know only that I'd heard people speak of Jesse Gist. Maybe Ella could remember some thing about it. Which way from Monroe is this Jesse Gist farm? They both seem well but Janette hesitates in speaking as if she may have had a slight stroke at some time. They are both well over 80 and have been to Europe twice and visited the family home in Shepley. [This is a second hint that Sears-Roebuck store may be run by relatives] We had our first letter yesterday from our soldier boy. Noel James is stationed for 13 to 16 weeks at North Camp Hood, Texas. (18 miles south of Waco, Tex.) with 120,000 other soldiers. The temp is from 110o to 130o. He had a day and a quarter pass to go home before leaving Camp Grant, Ill. for Texas. Dale was just here. He said they would have been thro' threshing if it had not rained several times the past week but the corn is making use of this heat and moisture. We have just ONE ripe tomato so far and will have corn to use before long. We are glad the coffee & sugar are to be more available. I haven't canned anything but vegetables so far. Jean is to teach Home Ec. at Monona, Iowa this year. Maybe Theo Marie will go back to school if she can't be near Warren. Alta Spotts Masterson did her last years work at Ames while her husband was in Calif. It is a big problem for our young people. I surely wouldn't want to decide for them "to be or not to be" married. I think it will be nice if Imo will keep us in touch with Arthur's family, now that both in that couple are gone. We are in our usual good health, and hope all of you are, too. Love from Cal & Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mason City, Iowa. Sept 12, 1942 [This is a 1943 letter- dated incorrectly.] Dear Circle: This is a foggy, raw evening and we are glad to be snug & warm at home. Cal is 77 years young today, and he just said it was one of the happiest birthdays of his life. The celebration of it began yesterday at 5 PM when all the families in this block but two met in Mr Cassidays yard for a picnic supper and Cal was all unaware that it was a birthday party in his honor, till they brought in the big cake with candles lit and in in letters around the side it said "Happy Birthday, Grandpa Bitterman" and in the center hole was a roll which he found was a fine picture of him as he takes the twins out in their carriage afternoons. It was a complete surprise on him and he enjoyed it immensly. That is the 3rd "block" picnic we've had on different lawns this summer. Then today we had a fine birthday dinner at Dale's and got home before dark. Cal has done a lot of fixing things for all the neighbors since we've lived here and they appreciate what he does. Then Sat. eve, the men of the party played shuffleboard till it began to rain. That game has made the whole neighborhood acquainted & friendly. Cal put on 6 storm windows last week for the weather got so cold. Ruth wrote they left most of their storm windows on all summer this year to make the house cooler, as many others there did. No frost damage yet but tomatoes ripen very slowly and am afraid some will be frosted, for we plan to drive to Madison on Sept 20th using our 7's gas coupons for going in and the 8's for coming home. I have been canning all the garden food so far to save it, mostly vegetables, but I have made 6 qts. of apple butter from apples Jennie brought us. That is real Penn. Dutch food, you know, like Grandmother [Bitterman] Spotts used to make by the boiler full. Noel James writes from N. Camp Hood, Texas, on Sept. 4. that the heat is over for a time and it has rained daily, and as the camp is new there is no grass but MUD , but he thinks the mud is better than the great heat they've had to 130o. He has had six weeks of his basic training. He writes wherever he can find time, on his mess kit while waiting in line for food, or lying on the ground between classes, etc. He writes home twice a week. Dick has produced a freak plant in his research that has potatoes below ground & tomatoes above. He was trying to conquer a virus disease in potatoes. Cal thinks we will raise that kind next year as our garden is small. Jean is at Monona, Ia. teaching Home Ec. this year. Janet is still at home as she cannot start nurses training until she is 18 years old, which will be Oct. 4. We are in our usual health but both of us are losing weight for some reason. Cal is 20 lbs lighter than usual. I will enclose a snap shot of Cal & his twins that was in the Globe G. yesterday. Bedtime now. Love to all. Cal & Annie. Mason City, Iowa. Dec 2, 1943 Dear Circle: Rufus and Myrta brought me the letter a couple of days ago, and as I am still "out of circulation" I will while away some time by writing my sheet. I am able to write while flat on my back because a friend brought me a bed table that is both a desk and a table. It helps so much to hold my book, too, when reading. I feel like a slacker lying here so comfortably without any pain and Cal (poor husband) doing every thing., but he insists that he can do it and what can I do about it! Of course, we have some grand neighbors who keep bringing in toothsome dishes that help his bill of fare, greatly. I had not been IN BED ar first. After that spell I had on Oct. 25, which made my left arm & left leg useless for a time, the Dr. said I must keep LYING DOWN except to go to the bathroom, but could lie on the couch. After three weeks of that he said I might be up a little just move slowly. That was on Tues. before Thanksgiving, so I was up some each day till Sat. eve. When we were eating supper that same feeling came over me again. We called the Dr and he ordered me TO BED this time to stay awhile, and let my old heart rest, as it deserved, after serving me faithfully for almost 77 years. Dr. Starr says it would be a fine thing if every one could have two weeks of absolute rest (which means flat in bed) each year, to rest the heart. Jean was home over the week end & Thanksgiving. So Dale & Rena & Jean brought the Thanksgiving dinner up here & we had a nice day. Jean is teaching Home Ec. at monona, Ia. & is having to serve hot lunches to 150 each day at school from now till spring. Her Home Ec. girls will help her. Janet is now enrolled in the U.S. Cadet Nurses Corps in Iowa City, and so far she likes it. Every thing is furnished but they pledge to stay for the duration. Noel James is now stationed at the A & M State College of New Mexico for 12 weeks. They are 46 miles N.W. of El Paso. Ruth and family were well when we last heard from them. Alice is a freshman in college this year. Ella, you write large so it takes space but this letter probably has more words in it than yours has. Cal says he thinks the reasons for Rufus' & my letters being missing is, either that they are such models of correspondence that they are being preserved for posterity, OR they aren't deemed worth the postage!! Any way we'll see what happens on this trip. A Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year. Cal & Annie.