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Letter from Ole Rølvaag to Jennie Rølvaag, 1923 September 5
- Title
- Letter from Ole Rølvaag to Jennie Rølvaag, 1923 September 5
- Identifier
- p0584_11483
- p0584_11484
- p0584_11485
- p0584_11486
- Date
- 1923 September 5
- Description
- Ole Rolvaag's letter to Jennie Rolvaag.
Transcription:(Wednesday evening) Sept. 5, ‘23
Dear wife!
Doubt if there are any trips to Marcell tomorrow, but I get to write some words anyway on the ?.
Thank you for both the letter and apples! I shared the apples with Mrs. Halvor Oakland, and she was clearly touched about it. If you all have more than you can make use of, it would be exceedingly kind of you if you sent those to Mrs. Oakland’s a book together. But you all don’t very well have more than you can make use of.
It was terribly boring the two days after you all left; but now I am used to it, and now it’s beginning to feel quite alright. And I am eating well. Don’t have much time to cook much. Haven’t cooked potatoes more than once since you all left.
I am writing and painting. I have now painted on the porch, and you wouldn’t believe how beautiful it was after white paint came on all the “losings”. It looks exactly like a castle. I have spoiled two entire afternoons by painting here at home, and on at S.F., and it will take me one whole afternoon here at home; but then it turns out beautiful, you can believe.
I am going to send you a letter from Boe, and one from Miss Forserte. You must finally write to Miss Forserte and Miss Solum; then I will avoid doing so.
Do it at last- I was extremely happy about that letter from Boe. It seems like he misses me. Sat up last night and wrote 8 long pages to him in which I told him how a college should be led. I am sure that he will do as I say. Have also written a ? letter to Elviken. That is the ugliest letter I have written to anybody. Now I almost decided it. Am of course not so sure that he will not be around so much that he resigns. Good luck on the trip!
I got a letter from Professor Erickson about a man he thought would buy our house. Do you still give me free hands to do as I will? If B. pays us rent by the 1st of September, it will be 8700 for the house.
Have just written to B. that he will send you the money from now on.
But now you have to get the following pieces of information from grandpa, and I should have these as well-answered possible. It is about the settlement itself.
- Where was the land office for the entire district between Sioux Falls and Brookings around 1873?
- In 1873, had the government set down markers for each quarter? Or just for each section?
- When a man was out and “filed” in the fall, what kind of marker did he set down on the quarter he had chosen? (I assume that he moved on the land when it was spring. Let him describe such a marker for you.)
Had a long letter from porter Skogen about Miss Helgeman’s appearance in Superior. It was such a heartfelt ? over both me and her and St. Olaf College that I sent the letter to Boe. When I get it again, I will send it to you. Also had a letter from him the day you left, and there he just talks about the congregation of ?, “but oh, boy, that’s rich!” If Svare does not come, you will get it also; but I think I had to hide it in case he came.
Have not heard a hint from Svare since you left.
Here it is so peaceful and beautiful on Big Island now that you couldn’t believe it. And of course no flies!
Is it very well warm down there for you all now? Here it is exactly passable. Ate breakfast on the porch this morning, and sat there and wrote until I traveled with Oakland to the auction. I don’t know if you heard about the auction after the Baptist pastor who is going to travel from here. In the letter to Fritjof next time I am going to tell him what I drove.
Hammer and I saw totally fresh bear tracks in the middle of the road to S.F. last Friday,
Yesterday afternoon the smoke was so thick over Big Ole that we could scarcely see over the lake. Oakland called up, the heat was some 30-40 [degrees] northwest from here. Today we have not seen smoke or heard anything about the heat; it is surely put out.
Yes, now I don’t remember anything else this time. Oh yes, it was true: I have certainly played 20 games since you all left (never play during the day, just in the evenings before I go to bed), but have not gotten one to go yet. The cards are terribly difficult. Wonder what that means?
No, now I can’t do any more tonight.
Good night from your own boy!
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.