Rose Bicknell Estes Letters

BICKNELL, ESTES, OVERTON

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 8/27/2019 at 07:57:46

Rose Bicknell Estes Letters
Pleasanton, Iowa

I have a stack of letters from my great grandmother Rose Bicknell Estes to her daughter, my grandmother, Olive Estes Overton. Some of them contain references to events of the time that might be of interest and some include references about the people in town. Grandma Estes lived in Pleasanton, IA all but the very last of her life. She died in December 1955 at the age of 97. She wrote phonetically so it takes a while to understand some of it. She also didn't use punctuation.

Janice Overton Tilman

Here's one letter dated Feb. 21, 1933 written in Ames, IA:

My Dear Daughter Olive I will just write a few lines as this is your birthday Would like to send you something but cant The banks both closed last week and Vee [Vee Estes Aiken Farquahar Dowling, her oldest daughter] had all of here money in the bank so we haven't got eney to live on but Loreta [Loreta Estes Mitchell, the youngest daughter] give Vee one dollar then she brought in 7 quarts of fruit and a quart of night milk (?) We have one dollar of milk tickets but tha are not paid for Every body is just wild abot thair money Mr. Davis the suptender of the school said tha only had 2 dollars and was out of grosers Tha say the teachers wont get eney pay One man had a sail and went and put it all in the bank and went out and was tolt the bank was close Then he rushed back and asked for his money but tha told him he could not have The bank was closed And one man when he hear it he bgain to hollow and scream Said you could hear him a for a long time He had just broght it from another plase and put it in here Well Loretta and Ancil and Samy was here for sunday supper and Mr. Dowling he brought 50 c worth fresh sasage Well Vee dident get home untill Eleven Oclock I dident know she was going to stay She tryed to phone but could no get to Wall Ancil and Loretta come at 8 and then said to wait a while so tha was just going when she come She missed the buss so the prinsipell of the school broght her home.

With love and Gods Blessings on you all
Mama

Dec. 12
Pleasanton, Iowa

Dear Children Why dont you write Your Father [James Nelson Estes] is sure woring a bout you all Now Olive [Olive Estes Overton, her daughter] you said you would write as soon as you got thair Cora son Otes died Monday she nerely went w/. Dal Painter come runing for me to come Mrs Grame and July Leeper stayed the first night Dont know hoo stayed last night Well I have got to go and get some of that wood you put in the shop I haven't got eney wood or cole Got one sack at Grames Think I will go over and see if I can get a nother sack Papa is a sleep It snowed here last night It is a foot deep Write as soon as you get this Got to go over to Grames to see if I can get some cole to night

With love to all and Gods Blessings on you all
Mama

Here is a stamp

[All of my grandmother's letters, and there are many, begin with an entreaty to write her. She also sent stamps, money, and stationery.

This letter does not contain a year so if someone knows when these events occurred it would help me date it. I don't know who Cora is except she must have been a friend since she's mentioned in several letters. Dal Painter, I am assuming, is Dale Painter. I've seen his name before. So is Leeper. Is Grames a store?]

Submitted by Janice Tilman

Oct 30
Pleasanton, Iowa

Dear Olive [daughter] and children I will try to write you a few lines It takes me most of the time leding your Father He cant get up out of a chair by him self or walk a crost the room by him self Vee [oldest daughter] wants us to get a room in Demoin Do you think we could Loreta [youngest daughter] wanted us to go home with her If you had room we could stay with you Ana mooved in Haty Conzad house Tha bought it for 3 hundred dollars Grahem mooved back thair today Tha are the ones that live thair befor One did Do you know if the folks are living in Vee house yet Why dont some of you write to us When did you here from Bob [Olive's son, my father] Let us know every thing went Sunday night it froze and it is sure cold today Olive when are you coming down I will pay your way when you come Got a letter from Olive Foxwether Said her Aunt Mandy Emmen passed away Got to stop and get some one to take this to the office Girls [Arlene and Irene Overton, granddaughters] did I ever thank you for the nice cups and sausers You granpa thinkes tha are fine and so do I Wall meney thanks for them All of you write and come down with love and Gods Blessings on you all

Mama

[This letter must have been written after my Dad enlisted in the Army around 1941. James Nelson Estes, her husband, died in March of 1942.

I don't know who Ana (Anna?) is or if One is Anna or someone else. Graham is mentioned again. (Was that Graham's store in Pleasanton?). The Foxworthys and Emmons are related to us distantly through the Pittmans. I just dated this letter myself. I realized I have Amanda Willis Emmons death date as Oct. 24, 1941.]

Submitted by Janice Tilman
Kansas City, MO

Dear Daughter Olive

How are you getting a long and why dont you write Vee [oldest daughter] was here from saturday night till sunday eving She said she had not seen you for 3 or 4 days Did you know Loreta [youngest daughter] has been sick in bed You know the sick spell she has I sure think it is auffel It worries me so Now Olive write often as you can with love and Gods Blessings on you

Mama

[On back]

Did you hear about Art Martindale He wuz with Frank Maynards wife and another womem The car tipped over and killed Art and injured one pretty bad She is in the hospital and the other got a slight cut.

Submitted by Janice Tilman
Kansas City, MO

Mar
Pleasanton Iowa

Dear Olive [daughter] and children

Will try to write you a few lines Papa is sure getting hard to take care of He cant walk much He look for you folks saterday He a a fraid you dident get your lisens He has ben cough hard I give him some oil last night and I than he would choke to death It sure is not safe us to be a lone Wall Maxsen just come in Said tha was taking Lelen over to be oprated on We have som nabors a croos the road It is Woldens the that has teb [I think this is TB] but she is working all the time Her mother helps them to moove. Frankle Reese mooved them im his pickup. Will close with love and Gods Blessing on you all Com down when you can

Mama

Submitted by Janice Tilman
Kansas City, MO