Frances Hurd Mason Letters

A letter from Frances to her son Horace

A letter from Frances to her granddaughter Florence Mason (Roberts):

Glen Lake, Michigan
July 13, 1941

Dear Florence,

We have just returned from a delightful drive.

Took Malcolm over to Crystal Lake to meet the man who drives him to Chicago every Sunday nite. They both work at the Tribune office and drive up here early Saturday A.M.

The children are playing badminton. They are never still a minute. Jane has a school friend here, a very sweet girl. They usually swim twice a day when it is warm enough.

Have rented a boat for the season and often row it, but they use the motor if they are going far.

It has been cold most of the time since we came, but have had lots of sunshine and two or three nice warm days.

I shall be leaving soon, don't know just when.

I shall be seeing you soon. Tell your Mother not to go to any bother for me. I'll be one of the family and won't take up much room.

I shall not expect to be entertained.

Love to everybody

Grandma

A letter from Dave Mason to Horace Mason in Colorado, informing him that their mother will be arriving soon:

7 - 15 - '41

Dear Horace,

Mom got home last night from Michigan. She will leave here a week from today on the "City of Portland" arriving at Laramie Wed. 10am, July 23. Hope you can meet her at the train. Probably the stage leaves before that.

My Pontiac didn't last long. I made a crash landing on a mountain in Virginia and sold it for salvage. Now looking for another good second-hand car.

Yours,

Dave

A letter from Mabel Mason in Burdette, Dakota to Frances in Castile, NY

Hand County and its towns and villages in 1892

Mabel (sometimes spelled Maybelle) was adopted by Frances Hurd Mason's parents, James and Elmira Mason, after her mother, Rachel Mason Scott, passed away.

Burdette Aug 3, 1893

My Dear Sister,

Well at last we are in Dakota and have been for a week.

We are very much pleased with it much more so than we had expected Uncle George's. Have a real nice cosy little house, and have Oh such a lovely tree claim.

Uncle George has cleaned one part of the weeds, etc and has made a regular park, has planted grass seed and it is just lovely. We have hammocks among the trees and also benches

so that gives it quite the appearance of a park. It is not desolate here as Babe and I had expected, but is quite thickly populated. There are seven or eight houses which we can see from Uncle George's and Aunt Nellie says there are more.

Babe and I ride horse back every morning, which certainly is delightful.

Uncle George has just begun to harvest today and oh I tell you it is a picnic to cook dinner and wash dishes for 7 or 8 men this warm weather.

The day that we came away from home three of the Shepperd(?) children had the scarlet fever the three youngest.

How are little Norman and Ralph getting along and how do they like the country? I suppose they are delighted. I am just dying to see them and maybe Papa and mamma are not.

Rob thought there weren't any trees here. My goodness where Aunt Nellie lives you could not count them.

We had such a lovely trip and I tell you traveled in No. 1 style. We took a palace sleeper. There was no one in the car, but Babe and I and a lady and gentleman who were going to Sioux

City. They did everything they could to make it pleasant and they were very jolly and hence we had a very nice trip.

We took our meals except one on the dining car as did they, and I tell you we ordered a swell dinner.

Well I guess this is all this time. I will have more to tell next time as Ida is not home. She is up to Lake Carnpascy(?). She was expected home today, but did not come and therefore we have not been very many places here yet.

Please write as soon as you get time and tell us all the New York news.

Your Sister,

Mabel Mason

Burdette, Hand County Dakota