Letters from Grace Miles to Ellen Miles

Just a quick note about letters.  I try to type it out word for word, including bad spelling.  Sometimes I add punctuation to make it easier to read. 

Letter from Grace Miles to Ellen Miles, written June 17th, 1953.  I'm not sure who the "David" is that is mentioned in the letter.  Phillip is Harold Henry Miles' son.

Wednesday

Dear Ellen,

I was glad to get your letter.

Last week Mrs. Wilson wrote that she and Mrs. Turner was coming down Sabbath.  Then Friday Elton wrote that they were coming so I had a house full.

They seemed to enjoy it though.  Sandra is getting tall.  David and Philip asked the blessing once each.

We went to S.S. and came home by the way of Cecils so they could see all the geese and ducks.

It has rained so I cannot get my hay cut.

Meeks watters the chickens and geese also helps in the garden.  I hauled two loads of hay for uncle Dennis and he said I could have the rest of the manure.  I will get it when I get the hay cut.  I had the truck motor tuned up so it does not take quite so much gass.

Elton and Ruth bought the boys each a summer suit and two pare of shorts.  Also two dresses for me.  Elton said because they did not send anything for my birth day or mothers day.

Hamilton is getting a check from the welfare until he gets his pension.  

I hope I can go to campmeeting

but I don't know yet.  I am at Dr. Pen now with Mr. Meeks.

Charlie is working a long way from here this week he is staying in his car and will not be home until Sabbath.

I bought the boys some shorts made of overall cloth.  I was telling Myrtie I could make them if I could buy the goods by the yard.  Philip said, "make us grass pants." I could not think what he meant then he said.  The yard has grass in.

Philip had a notion he did not want to go to bed so I told Meeks not to go to bed until after they did.

I told Philip he could sit up until he got sleepy but not to go to sleep until he went to bed.  About 10 oçlock he lay on the floor and David in a chair.  I said if you go to sleep I am going to turn the lights out and let you sleep.  Philip said, "I am not going to sleep"  In about 10 minutes they were asleep.  So I left them.  about 2 o'clock Meeks heard Philip crying and David telling him, "I told you to come to bed." Well they have not bothered about wanting to stay up again.

Well I must close and write some more letters.

With love

Mother

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Letter from Grace to Ellen written May 23rd, 1953. Lots of farm life depicted in this letter.  Also the adoption of Reed is briefly mentioned.  For more on this read the letter posted from Myrtie to Ellen.  Printed on the paper on Page 2, on the right hand side is "Medical College of Virginia Hospital, Richmond, Virginia".  Also, Myrtie dies Jan 5, 1956 (2 1/2 years later after this letter) of some kind of heart condition at the age of 38 (just a few weeks shy of her 39th birthday).

May 23, 1953

Dear Ellen - 

We went to the zoo last Tuesday.  Myrtie had to go to the Dr. so we went too.  You should have heard the monkeys holler.  The boys had a good time seeing all the animals.  Philip knew the geraph when he saw it.  My garden is up good but it rained so I did not get all the potatoes howed.  Will try and finish them in the morning.

Charlie killed a mockson snake out in the road as you go up to McGehees this afternoon.

Myrties heart was beeting 130 a minute.  They put the electric machine on her up here at the Hospital and it made marks from one side of the paper to the other.

I think she should rest but she went and got a baby a woman had at the hospital she did not want.  Myrtie is paying the Hospital bill and the adopsion papers.  She is not working now. 

I got the boys shorts and I will get some more these old overall look so hot this weather. Mrs. Fry is their S.S. (sabbath school) teacher she was here yesterday and she wanted to know who taught them their lesson.  She said they knew it in S.S.

Say could you send 15 extra this week.  I want to put the roof on another room in the chicken house so I can get the hay cut and put in out of the rain.  You can take

out $5 for the next 3 times.  After this it has cost some for the garden and I have put on one roof for the hens.

I have paid some off on my bills.  I hope to have them all paid this fall.  But this chicken house roof is my bigest worry now.

Philip helped me set tomato plants.  Now I have 100 sweet potatoes to set out. he will help me with them too. 

The plants came and this morning that little bud was a little yellow bloom.  Thanks so much.

With love Mother