This letter from 1912 was out of order in my notebook, so let’s rewind eight years. By 1912, P.W. and Clara have been farming for seven years. J.W. Johnson, Clara’s uncle, is a successful businessman in Laramie. His oldest daughter Tillie (by his first wife) is married and probably living elsewhere. His three children by […]

Here is a letter from J.W. Johnson to P.W. “Will” Pearson and Clara. It is typed on the letterhead of the Albany County National Bank, where J.W. is listed as the Vice-President. Just to refresh everyone’s memory, J.W. Johnson was Clara’s uncle. He came to America in 1869 , had many “wild west” adventures, and […]

This letter and the one that will follow are pretty much my favorite letters in this collection. In January of 1905, P.W. and Clara Pearson are living in Laramie, Wyoming with their sons Elmer and Herman (my grandfather). P.W. is working as an engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. Back in Saunders County, Christian and […]

I have a lovely letter penned by Pastor Torrell to Clara (Brodd) Pearson, but it is entirely in Swedish. I can reliably recognize “genealogy” words like birth, death, married, etc. but deciphering three pages of Swedish handwriting is beyond my ability. I have had good luck with putting Swedish text into Google Translate and getting a […]

Have you ever seen or touched a real Western Union telegram? I’m guessing that anyone of my generation or younger is only familiar with telegrams from movies and television. This congratulatory telegram was sent by Rev. J. Torrell of Swedeburg, Nebraska to Mr. and Mrs. P.W. Pearson of Laramie, Wyoming. This is yet another of […]