Honorable Discharge

(click to enlarge)

I an going to By a second-Hand Bike

I am enclosing 2 clippings about vacations

Lincoln, Nebr.

June 28, 1960

Dear Marie -

It is your turn to write isn't it? I haven't heard from my brother since I wrote to him.

Marie I was thinking since you mentioned about perhaps you could ride in a car with some-one. One way to come would be that way, share expenses. Now that summer is here I was thinking perhaps you had better come here instead of me going from here to some place.

How I wish you could come by Elin's place and then take Elin along with you. I have some very important matters to talk over with Elin and you also. But you know Elin hasn't been back here since she left Nebraska. It would be wonderful if you could come in your own car with Frank you 2 boys your-self and Elin. Please try to please me and grant my wishes.

I wish to let Mr. Attorney to help me also. And he may soon go on a vacation. So please let me know next Sunday when I call if you can come. I will not mind if it costs 50 dollars I will gladly pay you if you will agree to help me leave this place for good and the hospital. Thank you.

I am enclosing 2 clippings about vacations.

Excuse me for writing with my pencil.

And tell me Sunday when I call about plans in coming. I have been so patient waiting.

In haste,

With best wishes,

I am

Your Mother.

Tuberculosis Ward

Squirrel!

Jill Johnson

Becky and Her Little Family

Lincoln, Nebr.

May 13, 1965

Dear Marie -

Thank you for the telephone call last Sunday.

Your father and Dora were to visit me Tuesday. We spoke about you. And I said that Becky and her little family were coming for a visit to see us. Both said that will be fine.

I plan to call you next Sunday as far as I know now. I surely wish that you would let me know if you are coming or not to Nebraska. Also I wish to ask if you have received the other clippings I sent recently. And also if you receive this letter by Sunday.

Excuse writing.

In haste)

With love and best wishes

I remain,

As ever,

Mother.

Photo Friday: Mystery Women

The back of this photo has writing, but I can't read it...

Coloring Contest

Cousin Sharon - first cousin, once removed

A Daughter Should Take A Real Interest

Omaha, Nebr.

March 3, 1948.

Marie -

I received your letter dated Feb. 16th and I will now answer this morning. I have been expecting to receive the articles that you were going to send to me. So far I haven't received them Marie but I hope they are on the way. I sent you something I had made. It is for your birthday and please let me know when you receive it and how you like it although late. You didn't mention how you spent the day but write next time whether you spent the day in any special way (your birthday).

Have you received more than 1 letter from Mrs. Finegan? I have talked to her 2 times and I was hoping to talk to her before I write. I have payed part of the storage bill at the storage and van co., and I wish to pay the balance. Yes of-coarse I want to keep my possessions. I wish Mrs. Finegan would come and tell me the amount due and you may write her that because I don't know exactly. You know I have not been out-side the hospital grounds since I came here which will be 10 months the 13th of March. I can hardly realize it. I am so glad that you wrote that perhaps you can help me. So Marie I am pleased to have you write that, and it seems only natural that a daughter should take a real interest. I talked to the supervisor Monday and I said I had not answered your letter and would like to know before I write about being released. In this department a patient has to have some one call for them. That is why I had hoped your father would help me. I have written to but received no answer. So I hope Marie that you and Elin will be kind and help me. The nurse said that if I should be released and live by my-self I would need to go on relief and Dr. Y. would not permit that. You remember that when I first came here that I was dismissed after the 1st month. I have asked your father when he has been out if he would take me out. But he will have to help me. Haven't you written that my wishes should be considered that also another time about being independent?

So Marie I hope I can talk to the nurse again who is the supervisor for this department about being released. And now thanking you in advance. And when you receive this please write to Elin in your own words about me. And then when I know how you can help I will write and let you know.

This morning the sun is out and now the sky is a pale blue like a winter sky. There has been several inches of snow. As far as I can see from the window the ground is covered with snow.

I received a short letter from Martin recently and have already answered it. He wrote that he had a stamp collection. Lottie has received the nuresy chair.

I wrote a letter to you but I hope you received it after you sent your last letter to me. Thank you again for the candu Marie. Betty received the apron I sent her. But I haven't heard from Elin if she received the apron I sent and so when you write please mention that.

So now I must come to a close and say good-by. Please answer as soon as possible Marie.

Good-by,

I am, As ever,

Your,

Mother.

P.S. Read over my letter when you write to me.

Excuse pencil.

Great White Hope

Great White Hope = Jacque Johnson Burkhalter (Jack Johnson, boxer)

from Minne?

Too Much Sweets Heats The Blood

Oakland, Nebr.

May 4, 1941

Marie -

I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. Glad to know you are all well and hope this letter finds you all well and happy. Thank you so much for the money and to be sure it was appreciated.

I see by your letter you are very busy. But please don't do any more work than your health permits.

Did you read my last letter over as you wrote your letter to me? I haven't had any answer to my last letter from Betty. I wish she would write as I like to hear from her also.

Yes I wish you would send me a picture of your-self. That was nice of you to send Elin a picture also. We have not heard from her since we sent her some things for her birthday. I had her wrist watch fixed and it cost $1.00. Did you send Elin any-thing else besides your picture?

Was Garfield down for a visit not very long ago? He wrote that he was down to Omaha to pay part of the taxes.

My mother's apple tree has been blooming now and surely looks pretty. The cherry trees it seems are dead or badly crippled. I have transplanted some lillies and violets. When you come up some times I'll show you them and explain more about the details.

May 5th

As I didn't finish this letter last night I'll finish to-day. I am a little tired but I hope we will have some sunshine soon.

Some-times one hears or reads about this being a man's world but when I told my mother this she answered that this was God's world. For what would we do with-out the sunshine or with-out light in the world.

You know of-coarse that next Sunday is Mother's day. Just in case you intended to send me something do you mind what I wish you would send me most of all? Well it is money. Perhaps your father would decide to give something would you please ask him to give you the money and you sent it to me? Because I need a pair of shoes very much. I have had the same pair for years that you bought for me one Christmas. They are really a half size too small also.

Do you intend to have a little party for Martin on his birthday? If you do don't serve very much sweets for too much sweets heats the blood.

I am enclosing a clipping of about a man whom I know when a child. He attented school when I did and was in the same room as I was. This clipping is from the Omaha paper and I am gong to save the article about him in the Oakland paper. He had traveled abroad and yet he did not care for girls or never married. He has 2 sisters and 1 brother and an aged father to mourn his passing. And what's more he left an estate of $50,000. So you see there is money in an education.

I hope you will welcome these little violets and the apple blossoms are from the tree in this yard. I pressed them in my dictionary. I picked the violets too in the yard.

Have you heard from Lottie recently? It is her turn to write to me.

My mother is quite well and tries to do what work she is able to do. David is getting along all right, in the hospital.

Write soon and answer questions. I have asked when you write. Please excuse pensil and poor writing. I am glad you write so well on the type-writer and don't hurry so that you make mistakes. Haste makes waste my teacher used to say when I went to school.

So good-by for this time. As ever, I am,

Your Mother.

The Way Out of the Dark

Certificate of Award

Markie Johnson

Trinity Lutheran Church

Congratulations You on Your

Perfect Attendance Record

in the

Vacation Bible School

during the year 1954

(Revelation 2:10)

The Lord is my Shepherd

Psalm 23.1

Markie, we are happy for your faithful attendance.

Keep up your happy personality. It's a gift from God!

Mrs. Hannah Nylander

1964

Mrs. Hannah Nylander of Sioux City, Iowa died Friday morning, August 14th in Sioux City. She was a former Oaklander. Callers in Oakland Tuesday enroute from the funeral in Sioux City were Bernard Nylander of Maywood, California, Mrs. La Vern Warn of Phoenix, Arizona and Mrs. and Mrs. Milton Nylangder and children of Omaha, Nebraska.

Northern Pacific - R.N. Johnson

I have been waiting to hear from you

Lincoln, Nebr.

June 18, 1956

Dear Marie -

I answered your letter that I recieved from you. I have been waiting to hear from you. I wish you could take time to write and let me know that you have received my letter.

To-day I sent you a package and I had a return card made out. If you have moved I hope the package will be forward to you. You didn't write what your new address will be. Please let me know as soon as possible.

Now the coat I sent is the one Mrs. Durand gave me. I had it cleaned. You could make it over for one of your girls. Or make a jacket for your-self. I think it would be a good idea to turn it on the wrong side.

The dress is one Lottie sent me for Mother's day. It was not my size. I wrote to Lottie about sending the dress to you. Hope you can make it over and don't have it buttoned down the front please. I don't like a dress made with buttons down the front at all.

I used some of that cello-phane and had some left over. It is use-full in fixing articles like framing pictures. The coat, dress part of box and cellophane are what I sent you. The paper was just to take up room Marie. I haven't talked to any social worker yet. In your letter which you wrote to me and was post-marked May 5th, you wrote - "Keep me posted on things. Let me know if you get a visit from the social worker. I'll write some more if this doesn't bring results." Un-quote.

Not I think I would like to first talk to the social worker who looks after those who come from Douglas County. She is also out at the hospital where Mrs. Leopold is. Because Mrs. L. just don't seem to care to do something for me. Now I would like your consent to talk to the social worker from Douglas County. And please co-operate. And I was thinking to some time I will call you up next Monday afternoon June 25th and hope you will be at home.

Now this is what I plan to ask you

1. Are you coming to Lincoln this summer?

2. Let me have permission to talk to the social worker for Douglas County.

3. Then ask your consent to let me talk to my guardian. To ask him to come to Lincoln and see me. I intend to pay him for any services.

4. Then if you can't come to Lincoln this summer than have my guardian see about Martin coming here for me.

5. Now this is what I wish to have you co-operate and help me with. The lady said that is, the one I work for, that she is going to see about my money. I can't explain all in detail. I work on the average of 10 hours a day. And she wants 1st class work done. So please write the answers to 1 to 4 and when I call please answer as it is quite expensive to telephone. Your father has not been here and please ask him to come to Lincoln to visit me and write as soon as possible.

Please excuse this pen and my writing.

And again may I remind you to write and give me your new address. Let them know at the telephone office your address.

I must close now.

Best wishes.

As ever

Your Mother.

P.S. Have answers prepared in this letter 1 to 4, please. Thank you.

Clippings

Ruth liked her newspaper clippings. These were saved in this wrinkled paper bag:

Anniversary Announcements...

And the backside often proves interesting as well...

Warnings of Juvenile Delinquency...

With more interesting thoughts on the reverse...

And finally, shoes!

Johnsons' Journal * Volume IV * December 1966

Our families are like birds

Omaha, Nebr.

May 28, 56

Dear Mrs. Jensen:

I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting so long for a letter of thanks to you for that lovely handky and the box of stationary that came later. It was very nice of you to send them and I did appreciate it very much. I do hope the dresses fit and looked well on you, if not maybe you would know of someone that could use them. I have been so busy with the spring cleaning and am still working at it. It takes me a long time to do this big house alone. I am sorry not to have any suit cases, the ones Auntie Lou had were much the worse for wear and were not much good for anything. How nice that you had the chance to talk direct to Marie. I'm sure that she would like to come but we both know what it means financially and otherwise when you have a family of little ones to consider. You know our families are like birds, once they leave the home nest their responsibilities begin, and problems are always with them just as they were with us when we were young. We love them all very dearly, and would like to have them near, but they know best what they can do. I know how anxious you are and hope that everything will be in your favor. I'm sorry that I cannot promise to come to Lincoln. We are expecting company from Ohio soon and I must bring this house-cleaning to an ending and get rested a bit before they come. Summer is well on the way and I want to get through before it gets too hot. Do hope that this finds you well. Thanks again for the nice gifts, will let you know if I hear anything from the children. Bye for now.

Very Sincerely,

Mrs. Durand

1972 Light Bill

I think Grandma Lottie took the "Keep This Part For Your Record" a bit too literally.

Please write to Martin and remind him to write to his mother

Lincoln, Nebraska

April 19, 1949

Sunday

Marie dear -

I received your most welcome letter and the book of 3 cent stamps. Also later received the box of candy and thank you also for the card enclosed with the candy. The flowers pictured on the card are lovely and I like the words. Also wish to thank you for the money you sent the Storage Co., for me. When you hear from them please let me know what they say. Thank you.

Marie I had a short letter written for your father and enclosed was the short letter that Martin had written. I was very pleased to receive it. I can hardly believe Martin is in those far away places can you Marie? I don't know how much post-age it take to send a letter that far. Will you find out and let me know when you write next time? And now that you have Martin's address please write to Martin and remind him to write to his mother.

I received the Easter card from you, handkerchief, receipt for money and short letter. I thank you very much Marie for all. Also thank you for sending card to my cousin in Chicago.

Marie in your letter you did not write what I most wished to know about if you are coming out here. I hope you can take a vacation with your family like last summer. I would like for you to come when the weather warms up and please arrange to come. I would be so glad to see you all for I am so lonesome and hope that you will come. Are you intending to go to any convention before long? I hope you are.

I suppose you buy big enough shoes for your little girls. Well in the Ladies Home Journal for October 1948 there is a good article about - Fit Your Child's Foot by H.L. Whitman. If you can send the article to Lottie.

Well Frank will surely get used to driving a car like Garfield.

If you attend some convention then you can come this way and please write very soon. Now this is what I wish for you to answer so please don't fail. And thank you again for what you have sent me so recently.

As ever,

I am,

Your, Mother.

Friday Photos: Randy & June Visit Tacoma

1981 visit to Tacoma, Washington (home of Lottie Jensen Johnson)

Mike Pritchett, Randy Pritchett, Lisa Pritchett Chiles, June Pritchett

Randy Pritchett

June Pritchett

Lisa Pritchett Chiles

Mike Pritchett, Nathan Johnson

Randy, Lisa, June

Lottie is so wonderfully wise...