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Shumaker

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Southern Methodist University

Dallas, Texas

Mrs Lawrence Roudebush

Clarinda, Iowa

Letter:

Friday Afternoon

Dearest Alice,

I was as glad for your letter as you for mine, I guess, for it certainly did seem good to be hearing from you. You see the trouble with me-is-I just have so much on my mind I never remember who I owe a letter or who owes me one. Half of the time I go around in a daze but nevertheless I have learnede how to turn out the work and believe me I have been doing plenty of it lately.

Now that you have a new and nice apartment, house - keeping will take aon a brighter aspect for you I’m sure. Every thing about it sounded very interesting and it all must be very lovely. I’m so glad you have something you like and to have a radio will undoubtedly help you much. We can’t get the station Violette comes in on - to our sorrow. For some reason the stationsin your part ofthe country reach Dallas and “South” but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Just that once we happened to hear Violette and it was quite a surprise then. Certainly fine she has been able to stay with that work.

I have only written Martie once since she went to the hospital. I’ve heard a reply (from Dad) so sure they too feel aefully sorrow for you Dad because without a doubt he is have a hard time. Marties sickness making things that much worse. a letter again, as I do every-body else is creation.

How its always Skeezie who takes up a great deal of my time but I can’t blame him for the dress-making I’ve taken to, along with the same mass of Christmas gifts I’ve begun. A week ago tomorrow I cut out a black wool crepe dress with a combination top of satin. Everyday, except Sunday, since then I’ve sewed but the the dress lacks a lot of being finished as I really “took-on” a difficult pattern, for me. But I’m going to love it so perhaps I won’t mind all the work its been for me. The skirt has pleats, in front and the waist is short making a high waist line. Over the waist is a yolk of the satin. It is all in one piece extending down over the shoulder forming short puffed sleeves so: (there is a picture here) In back the yolk is merely an extended strip between the puff sleeves and a gap is left between it and the wool. The satin trim is the pretty part of the dress, of course. I will trim the back with satin covered buttons and wear a woven red-yellow-black satin ribbon sash (which we use to have kicking around the at home) the neck is weighted under as I intend the sketch to picture, but see it doesn’t. We tried to buy a dress ready-made but I wanted a real nice one and they couldn’t be had for even ten dollars. Then I have a new sweater to go with a made over skirt (out of a black last winter’s dress). The sweater has large sleeves, is dark blue with sleeves a lighter and different sort of material. I haven’t been cold a day since I got this outfit and I’ve been living in it. I’m like you - out of clothes all at once but I hope to remedy that soon. Mrs Hooper gave me material for a blouse. I’m crazy to make it for I have the cutest idea in mind. The material is a plain red crepe and a figured red piece.

Alice do you supposed you could learn to crochet? I’m sure you could. By doing the most simple (singel crochet) stitch you can make round pot holders and lacey doilies out of carpet warp - which costs almost nothing. For 18¢ I have a ball that is never going to use up. Carpet warp is no more than ordinary string. Practive up on some string. Probably you will have to buy a steel crochet needle but they don’t cost much. I work with a size 2 ½. Iv’e put a little sample of my work in this letter. Everyone here has or will have the bug to do doilies out of this stuff. I have started to use them around on everything so much. (top of the page) (I buy my carpet warp at Sears Roebuck if you can’t get it there I’ll send you some) that some of sending you eplicit directions but wont until I hear if you’d like to do some crocheting. (end top of page) Want next to do a “tidy” for the back of my big chair. I have one on my stand table under the lamp and on my what-not, etc. Under any vase they are attractive.

Now another idea, entirely my own, which the more mistakes you make on this, that much the better too of course its originality that counts with the unbleached muslin (yd. wide) tear squares for a luncheon cloth, and napkins. gather the square up in the center and start wrapping with string tied tightly and wrapped over & over in a few place. Dip the material in any color putmans dye bath and boil a few minutes then proceed to untie and rinse well, partly dry, iron, and fringe the edges. It is called tie and dyed work but I don’t think I go about it in quite the correct manner. Better wash your material & get it soft before you begin & be sure its wet before you dip it in the dye - wet it after you have tied it. It will look something like this. (there is a picture here) You can tie it any number of times you wish & the beauty of it is that it doesn’t have to be done any certain way. This is really the easiest thing you could make. Don’t be afraid to try it.

Clara writes such long interesting letters about all she has been doing in school and out of school. I look for her and Harvey to marry this spring. She is always buying something to start housekeeping with. Got a chair the other day.

I am using the rug I made in the living room. I have it large enough to look well in the room already, but I intend to add some 7″ more. Everyone who sees it has a fit of one sort - or another! We love it and enjoy our room twice as much as we use it. The rug has made everything as cheerful and bright and terribly inviting. Im gradually getting things in my house to look less like bought stuff. When its summer again I hope for slip covers for my over-stuff. We haven’t had the “where-with-all” to fix over the old rocker. Upon investigating the matter we found it would cost $15 but the chair is worth all of that to me - and more. When finished over I know how beautiful it will be and I always did think it was the most comfortable thing on earth.

Well if Cliff wasn’t called on the jury! Altho school teachers may secure exemptions he isnt going to get one as he wants the experience. - as well as the money that it will pay him. So next week he really will hop about for he will have to make new arrangements for classes and work every night. The dean of this school wants him to go to court and gave him permission to take care of his school work just anyway he possibly could. So far some of the classes he is getting instructors he has held classes for to take them for him and the rest he will meet an hour early in the morning and at night.

Clifford works so hard. Just yesterday he remounted the engine on the car and improved “Liz” vibration periods greatly.

I went to the dentist yesterday & have to go back tomorrow to have my teeth cleaned. I had a small cavity in one of my crooked fron teeth filled yesterday. Just another $5 sunk in my mouth. We hae spent $175 \00 on our teeth since we’ve been married and most of that has been on me. And!! poor little Skeezie needs his teeth cleaned the vet said. Bless his heart he is the sweetest kitten. We’ve both become more attached to him everyday. If Momma thot as much of him as we do now no wonder she hated to leave him with us when she came to Texas. He is asleep in his chair now and having pleasant dreams I judge. Since the cold weather arrived he has had an unusual amount of pep. His newest stunt is to crawl up on our pillows in the middle of the night and smell over us. We can’t seem to break him. One night he licked Clifford’s ears. He is crazy over Clifford and Cliff no more thans sits until Skeezi is right there swishing his tail in Cliff’s face. But Skeezie knows I feed him quicker than Cliff does so I’m his favorite when it coems to a life & death matter. Alice, he plays just like he used to and is powerful kittenish for a five year old. By the way what day had you figured out for his birthday? I only remember is was in March.

Too bad the Stie baby didnt live. I guess everyone in Goff displayed considerable interest in Salem’s coming “offspring.”

Well I think you are a very lucky girl with someone to fix your hair - free. You outh to see mine. If it doesn’t look rotten. I can’t be a messing with ti everyday tho so it will never be fixed unless I do it for a special occasion. I dont go mcuh anymore - just don’t have time. Sunday evening we ate at Katherines. Went out late that afternoon and bought pecans. We got shelled ones for 30 ¢ a pound. You pay 32 ¢ at the stores for stale ones.

Another thing I am trying to do is color some nature drawings I did in school. I want four framed alike in hand carved frames so Cliff is supposed to do that. Then I intend to hang them in a group. I have a bitter-sweet one, a marigold and a cosnia and zinia one.

I have made this letter so long you won’t be able to read it at one sitting.

I’m so glad you have a piano - and a kitten. I know the pieces but not very well when it comes to words. I hear them over the radio all day if I let the radio run.

I have an ailment to tell so will let it end the letter. I cleaned my big toe too well Sunday a.m. and caused it to be very sore for three days. One day I didnt wear a shoe. If course Monday night we had to step out in formal clothes to the annial president’s (SMU) reception and I had quite a time making it from the car to the house then back again. After the necessary apearance was make and the usual hand shaking over we came right home by way of a friends house for some medicine which I give credit for owing my toe. After this I’ll leave my toe dirty!

With lots of love to you,

Mary

(bottom of the letter) Looking over your letter

The election didn’t suit me at all. We still plan on the trip home.

One more idea. Applique on 25 ¢ baby bed pads makes attractive bath mats. I made one.

I am assuming that by this time Alice and Lawrence Roudebush have moved to Clarinda, Iowa from Pawnee, Nebraska seeing as how the last letter that I posted was sent to a different place. I am also assuming that the last letter was sent before this one.

There are many interesting things in this letter that I found as I typed it up. Clifford Shumaker was a very important person to Southern Methodist University and to the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers). After a minor run through the SMU website, I found that Clifford was mentioned with the ASME, so I visited their website, and found a PDF file with his name in it. Turns out, he was vice president of either the southern part of the ASME or the entire ASME for a while. He was also called in at some point as a consultant to make some decisions for the ASME after he was vice-president.

I am going to contact the ASME and SMU to see if they have any extra information about Cliff and Mary Shumaker.

Mary is quite the seamstress and crochet master. She talks about all of the things that she does around the house, and that she has made. I am extremely impressed, no wonder she mentions not having any time!

I am very interested in her mention of tie-die and have begun some research into when tie-die was first used in America. Who knows, maybe we didnt start till the 30’s, how awesome would it be to find that out?

I am not sure who Clara is, but hopefully will find out more as I type up the remaining letters that I have.

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