EnvelopeLetter1Letter2Letter3Letter4
Envelope:

West Mahoning St. Punxsutawney, Pa.

Mr Leroy E McGregor

Fort Snelling. St Paul minn

Co. F 28 Inf

Letter:

West Mahoning St. Punxsutawney, Pa.

Dear Leroy E

I received your letter card today and many thanks for it I took likeing to the girl - It was on the postal card. ha ha

Hello kid and how are you by this time there was a fair in old Punxsutawney the 10-14 of this mo you mist it all I have a fine time this last two weeks I was a washington visitnng my Aunt and had a fine time

I expect to go soon to stay.

Leroy your father went back to new york state have you heard from him. I would like to now his address he wanted me to go a long but mother wount leave me.

Leroy I will explain all why I didnt write to you for so long Leroy I wont tell you who told me all of this but their a couple person told me it.

Leroy this party told me you was goying with a cook in the hotel and you said you didnt give a dam where I was and that you was goying to bring her hom and they told me you was goying to get married to her and so if that is the case what is the youse of writing to me if a ???????? would ????? at a give why what is the youse writing to him I believe it becuase every time I see this party they ask me if you are still writing to me Leroy if you are married I want you to tell me Leroy I love you just the same as always did but your Father is out there and maybe I will never see you again so if you dont come back to Punxsutawney when your time is over what is the youse of winning

Leroy I want you to sure to tell me what you was goying to tell me mind Leroy If you arnt comming back to Punxy to see me why dont write I will never live in this place now Leroy dont let this make you mad I am goying to send you the picture of a fella in Cleveland Ohio or to Pittsburg who wants to marry me and mother said I could do what I want to he is a ????? fellow so if you dont like my look all right I have never saw this fellow only wrote to him now if you think more of that girl that you do of me why get her and go Leroy be sure and tell me what you were goying to mind I am not mad only telling you I didnt write to that fellow you till I I have what you said about me you didnt give a dam just think that mind I am a sweet girlie and can get lots of fellow I would just love to go to go away from here to live there is a fellow writing to me from Pittsburg I would wrote to these fellow if ou had ????? that about me good ????

heve lots more to tell you

Leroy this is poor writing and I cant help it it I am cross and cant write if you can read it very all right

Viola Paintere

Notes:

  • This is a kind of Dear John letter. Except that she is giving the guy an out. She is telling Leroy that if he is willing to come back to her she won’t run off with a guy in Pittsburg who she has been writing to. I wish I had the continuation of this conversation, I would love to know what happened between these two, and to find out who they ended up marrying.
  • Also, notice that when she writes the words going and use, she uses the words “goying” and “youse”. Is this teh education system? Is this just her phonetically trying to spell the words? Or is it just that she is very ‘cross and cant write if you can
    read it very all right”
  • Are the smudges on the letter her tears hitting the ink, or is it just that she rubbed her hand in the ink before it was dry?
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