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Letter from Ole Rølvaag to Jennie Rølvaag, 1931 March 14
- Title
- Letter from Ole Rølvaag to Jennie Rølvaag, 1931 March 14
- Identifier
- p0584_11779
- p0584_11780
- Date
- 1931 March 14
- Description
- Ole Rolvaag's letter to Jennie Rolvaag.
- Translation:
Dear mother!
The enclosed letter I got this morning. Arnesen seems to be against holding a meeting in New York this spring. I have just written and said that he must decide, and that we in no way can have a meeting there if he does not believe it will be worthwhile. Next week I will know for sure how it’ll be.
This does not need to influence your decisions. Even if the meeting is not held, I should travel anyway just to consult with Harpers. Important things are in play, and I have the ticket bought with the exception of the distance from Washington to New York.
I would dress lightly, if I were like you. It gets warm down here at this time. I took Rock Island to Chicago, and left Chicago shortly after 12 o’clock midday. There is another way you can travel, where you get to see more. That is by departing from Chicago in the evening, and that you should insist on when you buy the ticket. In New York it is not cold this time of year. On the train it is warm. Bring with you one of my “winter undersuits”. Money I will send you in April. A sleeper you buy just one way. We can very well use the same bunk still. We can stop in St. Augustine one day on the way to Washington. But then we must subdue Louis first. We will not stop at his place, unless you would greatly appreciate getting him to take us around. Could you get ahold of Jens Otterness’s address and write to him? Too bad that we are coming there the one time of the year Congress has a break. Write to Jens, and ask him to give you the name of a good but cheap hotel in Washington. You must try to get everything you need in the suitcase you have at home. I don’t know what else to say about this. If you don’t think it’s possible for the children, let it be. They should be able to manage themselves now!
I will write to Fritjof this evening. That letter, when it comes, you should not ask him to read. I am fully as apprehensive for him as you are. But there’s nothing to do about it. If a good talk and confidential conversation do not help, there’s nothing else that’s useful. You understand that yourself.
I have been terribly full since Wednesday. Thursday I sat down here on the veranda and just went to sleep. I was as near fainting as I ever have been. Today I have felt well again. Both today and yesterday it has been remarkable weather.
Now I don’t know what else to write about. This week I certainly must have written every day.
In the afternoon I sent two books. The one belongs in the library. Would you ask Tulla to take it up and give it to Mrs. Gaardsmoe herself.
It was heavy to hear about Janette. Poor people! That poor mother, and yes, the father too!
Your friend- Ole
- Funding to digitize the O.E. Rølvaag Papers was provided to the Norwegian-American Historical Association through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, a component of the Minnesota Clean Water, Land and Legacy constitutional amendment, ratified by Minnesota voters in 2008.
- Jennie Marie Berdahl was born on June 1, 1879 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota to Andrew James and Karen Oline (Otterness) Berdahl. Jennie was born in a sod hut before South Dakota received statehood. She attended Augustana Academy in Canton, S.D. and was a county school teacher. Jennie Berdahl married Ole Rølvaag in 1908 and lived in Northfield, MN. Together they had four children: Olaf Arnljot (1909-1915) Ella Valborg Tweet (1910-2003) Karl Fritjof (1913-1990) Paul Gunnar (1915-1920).
- Type
- Text
- Format
- Letters (correspondence)
- Contributor
- Rølvaag, Jennie Marie Berdahl
- Rights
- No Copyright - the United States
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
- The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information.
- Bibliographic Citation
- [Indicate the cited item here]. O.E. Rølvaag Papers. Norwegian American Historical Association, Northfield, Minnesota.