Wedding gifts trickle in for Dave and Ruth, and Jennie has shown improvement in her health.
July 20, 1936
Middleburg, N.Y.
Hello Honey,
You are doing swell in the letter writing business I would say. I’m afraid the mailman will demand a larger salary if this keeps up. No kidding though, darling, it is nice to hear from you so often. I didn’t intend to write until tomorrow night but I have one little piece of news I can’t keep to myself that long.
“What do you think, dear? You and I are the proud owners of a set of silverware.” -Dave Coffin, July 1936
What do you think, dear? You and I are the proud owners of a set of silverware. A fifty piece set, service for eight, Wm. A. Rogers, triple plate. I think Lydia said she sent you a clipping from the paper showing the advertisement. I thought a lot about it all morning and this afternoon I decided to get it. At first I thought there might be some catch to it since it was so cheap but I guess it is the genuine article. It is a new design, just out last Friday, and they are giving this sale for three days to introduce it. I’m crazy about it, dear, and I hope you will be. It is in a swell tarnish-proof chest and consists of 8 knives, hollow handle, stainless steel blades, 8 forks, 8 soup spoons, 8 salad forks, 2 serving spoons and 16 teaspoons. I’ll bring it up when I come and let you look at it.
I found a man who let me have the money on those checks and borrowed ten dollars from Mom. I only hope the checks don’t come back now so that I have to make good on them.
I’m glad you got some copies of the paper. I know Mom will want one. That was sort of mean to make you blush right over the telephone wasn’t it?
When June and Billy get your garden cleaned up you can send them down here.
I am going up on the hill tomorrow and start that job. If nothing else comes along by the time it is finished I am coming up for a couple of days, but don’t plan on it too much because everything is so uncertain. I don’t even know how long it will take me. Anyway I’ll find some way to come up and go on our second honeymoon at the beach as soon as possible.
All my love to my darling wife.
Yours forever,
Dave
July 21, 1936
Adams Center, N.Y.
My Darling Husband,
It seems to be sort of quiet here just now so before Billy gets back from getting the milk I’ll see what I can do to toward answering your letter.
So my poor boy had rather a hectic weekend. Somehow I can’t blame you for being a little blue, I was inclined to feel that way myself when I first read your letter. However, after thinking it over for a while I decided that being disappointed about that job really isn’t so bad, in fact, maybe it is for the best. There is a chance that you will land something more worthwhile. I wish I could have been with you while you were feeling so bad. I know how miserable you feel when you get one of those headaches and getting everything else along with it was just a little too much. Remember, Honey, no matter what happens or how many disappointments we get, we always have our love and each other. Our love is great enough to overcome a lot of obstacles no matter how difficult they are.
Gee, I hope you get your money on those checks. If you were here, I would probably get bopped for calling that old Jew names. The darned old Thus and So ought to be shot after you worked so hard and got burned to pieces for giving you checks that were no good. I never did care a deuce of a lot for Jews anyway.
We received a nice card from Dot Thomas today. She says she may come to see me some afternoon. She is anxious to see you evidently. I’ll have to give all of the girls a break and let them see my husband someday. I guess it would be safe enough now. What do you think?
Edna was over for a while yesterday afternoon. She had as good a line as ever.1
Janie came up last night and brought us our present from them. It is a whole set of Pyrex ware. There are six custard cups, a cake dish, a casserole dish with a pie plate cover, two other pie plates and a standard for them.2 They are very nice and I was pretty pleased with them. They are the first things of that type we have as yet. They are a lot more useful than a toaster would have been.
If we aren’t very lucky in some ways, we are in others. We haven’t done bad at all at receiving presents.
Glenn and Dot were here a few minutes this afternoon. Glenn had a few more cracks to get off. Unless I am mistaken, you can prepare for some more kidding when you meet him again.
I have been rather busy today. I did all of the cleaning downstairs and even washed the bedroom curtains and bureau scarves. I intended to iron but Mom wouldn’t let me so I have that to do tomorrow.
So everyone felt sorry for you because you were alone Sunday. Maybe after we have lived together a while, they will feel sorry for you because you aren’t alone. I am sorry I couldn’t be with you Sunday. Maybe I can be with you the next time they get together. Did you ever tell Lula that I was sorry I didn’t see her when I was down?
Did you find your pen in your coat pocket? If you didn’t, ask Lydia if she has seen it in the bedroom or maybe it got lost in the car when I took your clothes down home.
My back has been a lot better today and I carried water for the washing yesterday, too.
The radio is very good tonight. I wish you were here to listen to it with us.
I haven’t been to the Dr. yet this week. I’ll probably go Friday or Saturday. Mom seems to be a lot better. She walks outdoors quite a little. Yesterday she went as far as the barn. She insists on wiping all of the dishes. I try to get her not to but she will do it. If she keeps on improving, she may be doing her own work yet.
I sure am anxious to see you, darling. Seems like ages since I have seen my sweetheart.
Lula (Coffin) Sherman with Anita Washburn, c 1930. The boys in the background are probably her brothers, Stuart and Russell
I guess you can’t laugh at the Adams Journal anymore when people take it way down where your sister is.
So Walt did a little kidding. I thought we were getting by pretty easy and I knew it couldn’t last.
Did Nita go home with them?3
Write and tell me all the news and any troubles you may have. After all, they belong to me, too. I only wish when they come I could be there to make you feel all better. Gee, Hon, it is tough to have a nurse all your very own and then when you need her to make you feel better, she is 165 miles away.
I’m afraid if I don’t see that husband of mine before long, I will start hitch hiking to find him.
Maybe some morning I will wake up with a premonition that you are going to get work like you used to about me.
Well, sweet, I must close with all my love and kisses to my very own husband.
Yours forever,
Ruth
P.S. Keep your chin up and don’t let the big, bad blues get the best of you. Don’t get too lonesome. Just as if it does any good to tell you that. Remember I am always thinking of you, dearest!
I hope this letter makes you feel just a little better, but it will no doubt make your head feel worse by the time you dope it out.
Just “Me”
July 22, 1936
Middleburg, N.Y.
My Darling Wife,
I guess it is time to write my honey a letter and tell her I love her. I’ m getting pretty gosh darn lonesome for you, dear, and as far as I can see, I won’t be able to come up this weekend. It will take at least until Saturday night to finish the job I am on now and unless something changes it, I will have to work in my father’s place part of next week while he cuts some hay. As bad as I want the work, I hope nothing comes along after that until I have had at least a couple of days with you. Probably by the time I get up there the hot weather will be over and we won’t want to go swimming, either that or I’ll wait just long enough for you to be sick again.
Gee, honey, you got quite a record for yourself. Today is the first day I haven’t heard from you since last Wednesday. It is swell of you to write so much, darling.
Lydia and Fran stopped here a few minutes tonight on their way to M. Lydia says we have 13 pints and 6 quarts of berries. She broke one quart can and threw the berries out on account of the glass. I think we will give her those the first time she and Fran have dinner with us.
Say, what have you been doing to make your back ache? I’ll have to spank you if you don’t take care of yourself you know.
I’m surprised the rabbit is sticking around so long. Maybe you are right and Pat is waiting for it to grow up.
Thanks for the clippings, hon. Mom thought they were good.
You don’t say much in your letters about Mother so I take it she is improving all the while. I hope I am right.
There isn’t a thing new to write about, dear, and all I can think of is when am I going to see you, so I’ll sign off and seek a solution to it in sleep.
I wish I could hold you in my arms tonight. I know I would sleep better.
Always your loving husband,
Dave
Post Card
July 23, 1936
Thursday 8:10 a.m.
Dear Dave,
I didn’t get a letter yesterday so of course I am wondering what sort of work you are doing this week. I hope you aren’t working too hard.
Mom continues to feel better except that she has an iodine poison from the potassium iodine she has been taking. She has a skin irritation that causes a lot of discomfort at night. However, there is no rash yet. The Dr. tells me to discontinue the drugs for a week.4
Janie’s mother cat got killed the other day so don’t count on a kitten from there this fall.
We had another shower last night but it didn’t last long enough to do much good.
Lots of love,
Ruth
July 23, 1936
Middleburg, N.Y.
Hello Honey,
Nothing to write as usual but I’ve got to thank you for the lovely letter I received today. It is wonderful to have a wife so sweet and true even though she is miles away.
I just got back from the berry route again and am I getting sick of it. They seem to be hanging on longer this year than usual but we don’t have so many at once. From now on they are only going to pick every other day. I wish it were every other week. I’ll be broke buying gas and oil.
That was a swell present Percy and Janie gave us wasn’t it? We do seem to be doing pretty well in that line. I thought my beloved sisters would be coming across with something but I haven’t heard of anything yet except from Emma. She told me Sunday she was going to get us something but thought she would wait until we started keeping house. I suppose that is alright but the suspense is a little annoying.
You better tell Glenn to lay off the kidding. I had enough last weekend to last quite a while. I might get mad and slap his wrist or sompin.
I found the pen but I didn’t think to look in the pocket until you told me to.
I’m glad Mother is feeling so much better. Don’t let her overdo it now. I suppose telling her to take it easy though is just the same as telling it to you. I know just how much attention you pay to anything like that.
It is awfully hot here again tonight. We had quite a bit of thunder and lightening but no rain.
I wish you were here now, honey, I would take you to work with me. I am all alone up there. I don’t see a soul from 6:45 in the morning until 6:00 at night and is it lonesome. I guess I’ll take Tex up tomorrow.
Let me know when you start hitch hiking and I’ll start out and meet you. I’m getting just about desperate enough to leave work and come up.
Well, my sweet, I’ll say goodnight now and rest my weary bones. Thanks a million for the wonderful letter.
Love and kisses to my wife,
Dave
P.S. Is it necessary to keep on using Mother’s name on these letters. Seems like they ought to know you up there now, but I’m afraid to chance it.
July 23, 1936
Adams Center, N.Y.
My Darling Boy,
I thought I would have a letter to answer tonight but since I haven’t I’ll write anyway. I have been pretty worried all day because I didn’t hear from you. I expected a letter yesterday but I didn’t think so much about not getting any until the mail came today and I still didn’t get one. I have imagined everything. Maybe the letter went astray or is still in the post office. Gee, honey, I have worried thinking something had happened to you or you were sick. Seems as though, if you were sick, someone else could let me know because, after all, I am your wife.
This, I believe, is the fourth letter and one card you have received this week and so far I have received one letter. Knowing that you have had headaches, coughing spells, difficult breathing, etc., I feel that I have cause to feel a little concerned. I know that if it is because you haven’t written, that you have a good excuse because it never happened before. I live in hopes of receiving a letter in the morning.
I just finished our bedspread up a few minutes ago and I’m glad it is completed. I put it on the bed to show Mom and she says it is the prettiest one she ever saw. Probably if I had known there was so much work to be done on it, I would never have bought it. Now that it is all finished, I’m not sorry. I have spent a lot of hours on it but they have all been happy ones. I guess you can figure that one out. I have to do something to the edges yet.
Kent and Ethel have been here all day. The baby is getting to be very cute.
We are having a nice rain tonight and it sure seems good. It will be good to have something besides hard water to use. I wish you were here so I could wake you up when it rains.
Janie said someone was along selling cherries today. I told her if I got a chance I would like to buy some. She told me if I got them to bring them down there and she and her kids would help me can them. Sort of nice of her, don’t you think?
Everyone else has gone to bed and left me so I think I’ll paddle along and see what I can do about getting some “shut eye”.
Good night, Sweet.
Lots of love,
Ruth
July 24, 1936
Adams Center, N.Y.
My Darling Husband,
Gee, was I relieved this morning when I received a couple of letters from my honey. The letter you wrote Monday night was postmarked from Livingstonville Wednesday. It took nearly as long to come as it would if it had crossed the ocean. The other one came as quick as usual.
Even though I was a little disappointed when I found out you weren’t coming up this weekend, I guess I have enough other things to make me feel good.
I sure was pleased to hear about the silver and if you are crazy about it, I am sure I will be. Your description sounds good. I’m awfully anxious to see it.
I was also pleased to hear about the berries. Somehow I didn’t think there would be so many but the way I go for raspberries, there isn’t any too many. The cherries in the stores are 14 cents a quart. Mom says that is too much but she thinks there will be peddlers along who sell them cheaper. There always have been people along who bring them directly from Oswego. I hope I can get some as it seems like I heard my husband say he sort of liked them.
I went up to see the Dr. and he found the specimen even better than before, in fact, just about normal. He didn’t tell me I had to come again unless something else comes up. He will send the medicine by mail if we need it. He says he says he sees no reason why Mom shouldn’t be able to stay alone and do her own work in a little while at the rate she is improving. He asked me why I didn’t take her down there with me for a while. He says he doesn’t believe the ride would hurt her. So maybe you will see us down there spending a couple of weeks with Lydia toward the last of August. That sure sounded awfully good to me. However, I think it best to go slow and take it pretty easy for a while yet. I’m not going to be in any hurry about leaving her alone.
Grace says she may come up for a week in about three weeks and bring the girls. If she does, I will come down there and stay that week. Edna offered to come over and stay a week so I could go back with you and stay a week the next time you come up, but she talks so much I’m afraid she would make Mom nervous. However, I do appreciate the offer.
I got the three copies of the Journal this afternoon so you can give the clipping I sent you to Mother if she cares about it. I have one for us, one for Lydia and one for Mom which she will send to Bill.
Maybe we will go to H20 town in the morning. If we do, I’ll put ten dollars more in the bank, six dollars of which is dimes. I also have to get material to finish our spread and new ticking for our sofa pillows. I’m not getting any new clothes this time. I don’t go anywhere so I don’t need any more at present.
Did the silver break you? Do you want me to take that ten dollars out of the bank for you? Did you get the insurances paid or are they yet to come? I certainly hope those checks were o.k.
We think the new kitten must have died under the steps. He was awfully wild and had lice. We haven’t seen him since Sunday. The rabbit lives on and is getting quite cute. It is about time Pat got him. Billy has had two chickens killed in the road. We certainly have had bum luck with animals this year.
I should have made out about a dozen checks tonight but I guess I’ll wait until morning.
Gee, I hope I can see you next weekend. If I don’t, I fear something terrible will happen. Seems like this will be the last weekend I can stand without seeing you, sweetheart.
I think I’ll go to bed and see if I can’t dream a little dream of you.
All my love to my Honey.
Your Very own Wife,
Ruth
Footnotes
- Edna (1904-1992) was the oldest child of Eber Overton Spencer and Isabelle Adams, and sister to Lydia, Howard, Kent, and Eva. She married Richard Hockey in 1924. They had a son, John Eber Hockey (1925-1981).
- If it’s the same plate, at least one of these is still in use! It’s seen a lot of pies by now!
- This is likely a reference to Florence and Walt’s daughter, Anita Washburn (1921-2006). She would have been around 15 years old when this letter was written. Anita married Roger Austin Adams (1920-1992) in 1940. They had a son, Calvin in 1946. She is buried in Sherburne West Hill Cemetery, Chenango County, NY.
- Treatment with iodine in Jennie’s situation is curious. Potassium iodide may have been administered back then possibly to reduce blood pressure. However, it may also lead to hyperthyroidism and make her situation worse. Potassium iodide is now routinely used to make iodized table salt as a way of preventing goiter (hypothyroidism), especially in populations that do not have access to seafood.