August 29, 1921 letter to Nancy Brown from Lela Mueller

August 29, 1921                               

To: Nancy Brown, Kalamazoo, MI

From: Lela Mueller, Chicago, IL

THIS POST WAS UPDATED 03-25-2023

Mr. Dee is getting married and has packed his trunks, given the kids lost of stuff and gave her and Lou a photo of himself in uniform. Aunt Kate had a hard substance removed from her face. Harry didn’t call her while she was at Lela’s and Lela doesn’t know where Kate and Jessie will go when they return from Lake Mills. Lou had another spell and had to come home. Mr. Bonnet told Claude that Lou couldn’t even talk when he left the office. Lou has slept all day and Lela doesn’t know what to do for him.

Scan of 1921-08-29 Lela Mueller to Nancy Brown

Monday 6 P.M.

Dear Ones All:[1]

Will start a letter now and finish it to-morrow. Dinner is all ready but “getting” done – have a baked chicken, fresh corn, cut off the cobs, cucumber. Next week we wont have to eat at all if we dont want to. It will seem good in one way and in another way I’m awfully sorry. We never can get another Mr Dee,[2] and I’m not going to give meals to any one even if I rent the room, at least I dont intend to.

Mr Dee packed his trunks yesterday, gave the kids[3] lots of stuff and gave us an elegant photo of himself, head and shoulders, in uniform. They are coming over to dinner soon after they are married. We are anxious to see the bride. The kids dont seem to care much about his going, but Martha[4] is some blue.

Received your card this A.M. thanks for the napkins, Edie[5] sent me 3 and is going to do my table cloth after decoration Day.

Aunt Kate[6] and Jessie[7] got here about 3 oclock Friday. Aunt Kate came from Oak Park that morning to Rose Hill, watered the grave,[8] then went down town and did several things, then to the Dr. (alone) and had her face taken care of. He took out a hard substance like stone, very small. Harry[9] didn’t call her up while she was here, and when they come back I dont know what they are going to do. They cant go there and Aunt Kate won’t go to Marions,[10] says she will never eat at Jacks table, and I cant have them here. I think they ought to have some one looking for them, but I suppose they’ll trust to luck. Jessie told me 2 or 3 times how much she thot of me. Aunt Kate said I ought to feel honored as there were very few people she cared for. I think they would have staid here till the first if I had asked them, as they cant have the cottage.

Tues. Eve.

We received your letter and the napkins to-day much obliged. I was washing so put them in – they look so nice.

Lou[11] came home about 10 oclock this morning, another spell.[12] Mr Bonnet[13] told Claude[14] he couldn’t talk when he left the office. We fixed a bed on the porch and another in the dining room, as I was washing and it would make so much running for me. He has slept all day and is still sleeping only when I rouse him. I dont think he suffers as much as before – but seems dazed. I wish I knew what to do. Claude was just here says he’s got to let go somewhere.

I wont attempt to answer your letter to-night or write much more. Dont think I’ll let Jean go to Davenport[15] even if Lou goes. I dont know as he would be able to take care of her. I know he wouldnt if he should have a spell. I hate to disappoint mother[16] but may have to. Claude said he thought he shouldn’t go.

Want Martha to mail this so will say good-night.

Lots of love to all

Lela

---

[1] Lela was writing to her mother who was helping her brother and sister, Ethan Keith and Hannah (Keith) Towne, who still lived in the old family farmhouse

[2] Mr. Dee was one of Lela and Lou’s boarders

[3] Her daughters, Helen and Jean Mueller

[4] Martha Lueder, who was living with them temporarily. The 1920 census shows Martha and her sister Helen as inmates in the Chicago Nursery & Half Orphan Asylum, 2801 Foster Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Single parents could leave their children there temporarily if they were unable to care for them

[5] Her sister-in-law, Edith (Neumaier) Brown

[6] Katherine (Atcheson) Crawford. Kate was the widow of Hiram Crawford Jr., who was the brother of Lela’s grandmother, Sarah (Comfort) Crawford

[7] Kate’s daughter, Jessie (Crawford) Eck

[8] Kate’s husband, Hiram, was buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago

[9] Kate’s son, Harry Crawford

[10] Jessie’s daughter, Marian (Eck) Meiss

[11] Lela’s husband, Louis Mueller

[12] Lou had previously suffered a nervous breakdown

[13] Lou worked as an accountant at Bonnet-Brown; Arthur Bonnet and Claude Brown were partners

[14] Claude Brown was Lela’s brother

[15] Davenport, Iowa, where Lou’s mother lived

[16] Lou’s mother, Auguste (Ficke) Mueller

June 17, 1920 letter to Nancy Brown from Kate Crawford

(This post was updated on 01-12-2023)

June 17, 1920

To: Nancy Brown, Kalamazoo, MI

From: Kate Crawford, Chicago, IL

Kate writes that they are a good ways off from being settled. The bottom fell out of the money bag, so she and Hiram must wait. Tomorrow is Taylor’s & Helen’s 15^th birthday and next Thursday night they graduate. She expects to witness the ceremony and then the aunts and uncles and cousins will repair to the house and all talk at once and eat ice cream and cake. They are going to give Taylor a watch and Nell had given Harry a diamond stick pin before they were married and they have had it set in a ring for Helen. Hiram bought Taylor a real leather belt with monogramed sterling buckle. All these various things coming along is the reason they cannot get settled. Writes also about how nice it was where they lived in Lake Mills, Wisconsin, compared to how it is living in Chicago.

Scan of 1920-06-17 Kate Crawford to Nancy Brown

5412 Underwood Ave

6-17-20

Dear Nan

I am sitting in the gloaming and thought I would draft you a line or two to let you know we were here as yet. I hardly need tell you about the weather. I fancy there is not much difference between this place & yours. It was so in L.M.[1] What ever we were there, I knew it was about the same here. There was a radical change last night and today it has been uncomfortably cold. Papa[2] started for down town & he was so cold he came back and changed his underwear. Jessie[3] went to work yesterday and that leaves Papa and I alone and I find the work exceeds the cottage. I am so glad I had three quiet years. I wish I had enjoyed them even more. Jessie has to leave at half past six & I get up and help her and about the time she is gone, K[4] comes on the scene so I am up about an hour. Then I lie down but seldom sleep. I am almost as much of a stranger as if I had never lived here. I do not go out much. I have been down town twice, to a funeral in Rogers Park, a lady 70 years old I knew when she was a girl, and out to Mr Dewey’s in R.P. one evening. We are a good ways off from being settled. The bottom kind of fell out of the money bag, so we must wait. Tomorrow is Taylor & Helen’s 15^th birthday[5] and next Thursday night they graduate. We are expected to witness the ceremony and then the Aunts & Uncles & cousins will repair to the house and all talk at once and eat ice cream and cake. They are going to give Taylor a watch & Nell had given Harry a diamond stick pin before they were married and they have had it set in a ring for Helen. Papa bought Taylor a real leather belt with monogram sterling buckle. All these various things coming along is the reason we cannot get settled. We thought we would get H[elen] a camasole, so Papa said, Now Jessie, Saturday aft– you go and get the carousal for Helen. We had quite a laugh over it. We have not seen or heard from Lela.[6] We have no phone service as yet. The landlady is real good. Anyone who has her number calls there for us. She touches our bell and then they can use this phone, but no one can call us here. The man emptied the box this morning of the last tenant’s nickles and he said they were up against it every where.

The prospect for canning is very poor. We had to stop buying berries they were so poor & so high. Potatoes way out of sight. We used to say to people we invited to dine with us (they would say don’t do a lot of work for us) & we would reply – oh we will just drop two or three extra potatoes in the pot. But now, nothing doing. I hope Hannah[7] is feeling better now you are there. I tell you it is lovely for anyone who has a garden. Oh how I miss L.M. Plenty of everything. Milk & cream 12 cts instead of 15 & 16, ice box filled to overflowing, plenty of eggs. We got 12 doz four weeks ago from Leroy’s. Almost gone now. We could get lots of fruit & fresh vegetables. When you are enjoying all these luxuries, just think of us.

I had a nice letter from Laura[8] a few days ago. She is very lonely. Mays husband[9] sprained his ankle just after L.P.[10] passed away and was confined to the house about three weeks. Did you know Leo & his wife[11] were separated?

You can hardly imagine how different it is here from L.M. Last Saturday I listened to pianos of all grades, victrolas, Auto horns, babies crying and sundry other sounds. Not agreable to any ears, but who am I in this motley crowd. If you get the Chicago news, you must be startled with the killings going on and 9 out of 10, a woman at the bottom of it. The last time I heard from M[12] she was getting along. She had to have two or three stitches. Baby was a fine healthy fellow.[13] She had plenty of milk, which is a great blessing. When she was in the hospital, she wrote to her mother[14] & it did not reach her, but was returned. She wrote on the envelope, see what Jack[15] did, directed it wrong. He wrote under it, could not help it, so excited at being a father, Jack.

I am sorry you are going to be gone all summer. I am very lame at times. It is with difficulty I can get around and to add to my joy, the middle finger of my right hand has been crippled with rheumatism, but is so now I can use my hand. Now I have told you all my ills. And it seems by the way my eyes feel it is bed time so I will close by sending love to all from all and hoping to hear from you soon.

Aunt Kate

Got muddled with the paper

——-

[1] Lake Mills, Wisconsin, where Kate and Hiram had had a summer cottage

[2] Her husband, Hiram Crawford Jr.

[3] Jessie (Crawford) Eck, Kate’s daughter

[4] Katherine Louesa Eck, Kate’s granddaughter

[5] The twin children of Harry and Nellie (Sullivan) Crawford, and Kate’s grandchildren

[6] Lela (Brown) Mueller, Nancy’s daughter

[7] Hannah (Keith) Towne, Nancy’s sister

[8] Laura (Hands) Blake Crawford, the second wife of Lucius Prosper Crawford, Hiram’s brother

[9] Believe she is referring to James MacDermott, the husband of Laura’s daughter, Laura May (Blake) MacDermott

[10] Lucius Prosper “Pros” Crawford, who died in Berkeley, California on March 4, 1920

[11] Pros’ son, Leo Crawford, and Ella (Drew) Crawford

[12] Kate’s granddaughter, Marian (Eck) Meiss

[13] Jack Meiss, Marian’s son, who was born May 9, 1920

[14] Jessie (Crawford) Eck

[15] Charles “Jack” Meiss, Marian’s husband

June 6, 1902 letter to Sarah Keith from Hiram Crawford Jr.

June 6, 1902

To: Sarah Keith

From: Hiram Crawford Jr., Chicago, IL

Hiram is writing Sarah to tell her that the letter sent mistakenly to Colorado had been forwarded to him by Amanda. Hiram has just moved to a new home at 1521 West Adams Street, which has a large back porch and good-sized yard. He has heard nothing from Prosper, but Robert expects to visit next month.

Scan of 1902-06-06 Hiram Crawford to Sarah Keith

Anthracite=Bituminous Coal Co.
Miners and Dealers in Coal.
Office and Yard, 1619 1634 North Washtenaw California Avenue,
On C. & N.-W. RY.

Telephone … West 575.                                                    Chicago, June 6^th, 1902

My Dear Sister

Your letter which went to Golden reached me all right. When I opened the envelope and found Amanda’s[1] letter in it, I knew what had happened. And immediately forwarded her letter and requested her to mail mine to me, but she returned it to you. Which is the woman of it.

I am glad to know that at least things are not any worse with you than usual. And would be much more so if I could know that they were better. We sent a box of chop to you this week. Dont send any money for it. We can furnish you all the chop you need without any trouble.

Charley[2] has given up the Docters and is couping(?) himself to taking “Germcide” and is gradually growing better. The maker of it says that he is perfectly confident that if he sticks to it, that it will cure him. It is the only medicine that he has ever taken that would agree with his stomach over ten days, which certainly is a good sign. He is commencing to do a little work, but not much. Has to go very slow.

We have got settled in our new abode, 1521 W. Adams Street. It is a two story flat. 1^st floor, large back porch and good sized yard. We all enjoy it, particularly Marion[3], who is out much of the time. It is the first time the poor child has had a chance to be out of the house, except in the streets and she enjoys it very much. The Baby[4] is thriving and is getting to be quite interesting, although Miss Marion dont allow me to have much to do with her. I had a nice visit with Nancy[5] and Lelia[6] a couple of Sundays ago. Bess[7]and her German friend[8] was out. I think that if it wasnt for that man, Nancy would feel quite contented, but he makes life miserable for her.

Blanche[9] and family are well and happy. We dont hear anything from L.P.[10] Robert[11] writes me that he is coming to Milwaukee next month and will probaby see us a visit. Love to all.

Affectionately Your Brother

H Crawford

——-

[1] Amanda (Thornton) Crawford, D.C. Crawford’s widow and Hiram’s sister-in-law

[2] Both of Hiram’s daughters were married to men with Charles as the first name. Jessie was married to Charles Eck who is mentioned in previous letters as being in ill health

[3] Marian Eck, the oldest daughter of Charley and Jessie (Crawford) Eck and Hiram’s granddaughter

[4] Katherine Louise Eck

[5] Nancy (Keith) Brown, Sarah’s daughter and Hiram’s niece

[6] Nancy’s daughter, Lela Brown

[7] Bess Rae Brown, Nancy’s daughter

[8] Julius Recoschewitz, Bess’s future husband

[9] Blanche (Crawford) Hessey, Hiram’s daughter

[10] Lucius Prosper Crawford, Hiram’s younger brother

[11] Robert Crawford, Hiram’s older brother

February 6, 1902 letter to Sarah Keith from Hiram Crawford Jr.

February 6, 1902

To: Sarah Keith

From: Hiram Crawford Jr., Chicago, IL

Hiram is writing Sarah to tell her of the birth of his granddaughter, Katherine Louesa Eck. Jessie delivered earlier than expected and there was a certain amount of excitement while they desperately searched for a doctor.

Scan of 1902-02-06 Hiram Crawfod to Sarah Keith

Anthracite=Bituminous Coal Co.
Miners and Dealers in Coal.
Office and Yard, 1619 1634 North Washtenaw California Avenue,
On C. & N.-W. RY.

Telephone … West 575.                                                    Chicago, Feb 6 1902

My Dear Sister

Very much to my surprise when I went home last evening I found a strange young Lady there, in such a very young one being only about seven hours old and weighing between 8 and 9 pounds. She called herself or rather was called by the people around there, Miss Katharine Louesa Eck.[1] She is a plump little red headed thing and appearently has lots of vitality. She arrived about fifteen minutes to 1 Oclk and when I left in the morning they did not expect her until about the 20^th. Marian[2] claims her as her baby and dont understand why they wont let her hold the little one.

Kate[3] arrived home Sunday morning and is as full of business as a dog is of fleas. I dont know what we would have done if she hadnt come, for this came on so sudden that we couldnt have gotten a nurse. The Doctor did not get there until about 20 minutes before the delivery. It was just the time in the day when all the Doctors are away from their offices. Kate said it was the most exciting time she ever passed through. Charley[4] was on the hunt for his Doctor & nurse, and the Sullivans[5] kept the the telephone hot for about two hours trying to find any kind of a Doctor. However I guess it is all right, but a Physician might have saved her considerable misery.

When I left this morning, she was quite comfortable. Kate left Blanche[6] and Baby well, but said that it was hard to leave them. She had a pleasant trip and arrived feeling all right. I guess much better than she did this morning. I suppose Nan[7] is with you and of course will be interested in this news. Charly is going to drop a line to Bess.[8]

We are having lots of winter here and I presume you are having the same. I have been worried about Roy Brown. Did he get through all right? If I had known his fathers address would have written him. Love to all.

Your Brother

HC

——-

[1] His granddaughter, and the second daughter of Charles and Jessie Blanche (Crawford) Eck

[2] Marian Eck, the eldest child of Charles and Jessie Blanche (Crawford) Eck

[3] His wife, Katherine (Atcheson) Crawford

[4] His son-in-law, Charles Eck Jr.

[5] Presumably the parents of Hiram’s son Harry’s wife, Nellie Sullivan

[6] His daughter, Jessie Blanche (Crawford) Eck

[7] Sarah’s daughter, Nancy (Keith) Brown

[8] Bess Rae Brown, Nancy’s daughter

(This post was updated on 05-10-2021)