I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: A Step-by-Step Guide for Saving Your Memories for Future Generations .
In the 26th letter in the Grandpa's Love Letter series, Grandpa prepares for another weekend home. During the visit, he is going to ask Grandma's parents for her hand in marriage.
In the letter, he mentions his brother Charles and his sister, Lena. They are pictured below in a cabinet card that I'm dating to be from around the 1920s. A cabinet card was a style of photograph which was widely used for portraiture after 1870. It consisted of a thin photograph mounted on a card typically measuring 4-1⁄4 by 6-1⁄2 inches. It looks like there's a cow or horse in the upper right-hand section of the photograph.
Lena, Charles, Emil
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5/6/40
Scranton Pa.
Dearest Ann:
I hope you had a good time at the "May Ride." You had a very nice day for it. You did not tire yourself out too much, did you?
Charles asked me Sunday if I was coming home this coming Saturday, when I told him yes he said if it was alright with us he would go out with us and Veronica on Saturday so as they could become acquainted before the wedding. Try to give me an answer soon so I can tell him if it alright.
If think we will have to take the train home this weekend because Otto's car has two broken sprints. I am writing home ["this weekend" is crossed out] and telling them that I will have to have the car from now on.
I spent a very quiet day yesterday. I got up at 10 o'clock went to the 12 o'clock mass and after eating dinner I packed some of my belonging away n the trunk we have at home. At about six oclock I went down to see the Lena and Mart and stayed for an hour then I went to see the Regent. I enjoyed both pictures ("Pinocchio" and "Too Many Husbands"). I didn't waste much time getting home and getting to bed as I got up at 4.45 this morning.
We can expect to be very busy this week-end, what with buying our luggage going out at night, etc. You may wonder what the etc. is. Well if I don't weaken I want to ask your parents for their consent to our marriage.
I can not think of anything else to write now except that I love you more than ever.
Best wishes and regards to all.
Your "Sweetheart"
Ray
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