Friday, March 14, 2014

The Way Things Were...

Bessie Sanner 2008

This letter was written in 1996 by Bessie Callen Sanner (1912-2011) to a niece.

Dear A-,

Received your letter. Will try to answer your questions.

No 1. - The most important event that happened in our country that I can remember, happened in my pre-teen years. It was the end of the first world war and the soldiers comeing [sic] home. Then trough [sic] the 1920's [sic] it was "depression times" and the strugle [sic] to live. Then the election of president Franklin Roosevelt and his New Deal that got things going again.

No 2 -  How did we spend our leisure time--
We didn't have as much leisure time as you have now. Our family lived in the country then - as you do now - We didn't have TV and computer games as you have now. We didn't even have electricity.
Otherwise our recreation was not a lot different from yours now. We played in the snow. skiing and coasting in winter and in summer we went swimming, played baseball and had 4H clubs.
Evenings we read books and magazines and played games and sometimes there were neighborhood dances.

No 3 - Advice-
I am old enough to know that any "advice" I might give you will seem weird, however I will tell you that when you make a mistake - and you will make some - try to remember it, learn from it, and don't do it again.

Love,
Aunt Bess.