Grandma's Christmas Letters: 1955

My paternal grandmother wrote a Christmas letter annually which she then copied and sent to friends and family.  She also kept a copy for herself. Re-reading them as a family historian gives me a new insight into her daily life. Below is a transcription of one of her letters; I've tried to keep her actual words, punctuation and grammar intact. (This particular letter was long with no breaks so I added line breaks for readability.)

Christmas 1955

Dear Friends,

Christmas 1955

Much history has been made since I wrote my last Christmas letter. I will have to pick out what I think is the most important… As the snowdrifts are piled high, it is a good time to write.…

At Thanksgiving time I had all my fam at home… Bob & his family & Glenn all came, & we had a houseful. The children played with Glenn's and Bob's old toys, and thot they were fine. Bob has had a busy year, still in the Construction Business. Glenn has a position with Minneapolis Honeywell. He hopes to get home for Christmas…

I attended the Nurse's Convention in Deadwood in October, & had a fun time. Part of my vacation was spent with Althia and Paul at their Lake cottage. We ran into difficulties when Paul became ill and had to return to Sioux City... shortly afterward he underwent surgery. He is back at work with the Journal now, but he says, he never wants another ulcer.

In August we had some excitement too. Darlene (Glenn's fiancé) & I had to make a trip to the University Hospital to be with Glenn when he had an emergency appendectomy. He was pretty sick, but he had more doctors; interns and nurses than either of us dreamed possible. So he recovered rapidly & four days later I took him to Maple Lake, where he recovered enough to ride back to Miller with me. Fine food at Maple Lake & rest at home & he was back on the job in about 2 weeks.

Stories about the Polio slowed up our plans for clinics, so we had no unpleasant effects when we held our clinics in June and July. The league convention at Rapid; the College activities at Brookings, Glenn's graduation and his many exciting trips kept me interested (to tell the truth I was in a little hot water) I was glad when he decided on Honeywell.

During the last half year of college, Glenn & the other boys in his class had such interesting tours thruh the various Plants. DuPont's in Atlanta, Ga., Westinghouse at Pittsburgh, and he also visited in Washington DC.

Ardis & Bob's family has had some interesting things happen to them too. Joel has started to kindergarten, and Julie Marie (3) was selected Miss Junior, Junior Brookings at their Water Carnival. She won the title & a big doll.

Some of you will be interested to hear that Paul and Althia's two boys are both married now. Paul Alan has his degree & has a position in Des Moines. Mr. Moore's mother passed away last week, she was 92. Althia & Paul spent some time with me when they came up to the funeral.

I also had some special visitors from Calif., Beatrice Vernon, her husband and daughter toured in this area, and stopped briefly to visit here. Not long ago, I visited in Aberdeen with friends… I hope that sometime you will find time to pay me a visit…

In the meantime, I suppose that I will grow fat and lazy like everyone else, as my boys put up a TV set for me when they were home at Thanksgiving time…

With this letter go My Very Best Wishes, and I hope that you will write me your family secrets……

.....Myrle

Christmas Letters

Photos are in the author's personal collection.