Webb City, Mo, May 7, 1938

Dearest Orah,
You sure take the cake for keeping secrets. I got a surprise and shock yesterday when I got the announcement of Harry and Gertrude's marriage. I got your letter, read it & I thought that the announcement was from some of Harry's folks in Alabama. The postmark wasn't plane and I couldn't read it but somehow when I looked careful saw it was from Oklahoma. Was I stunned for a while, then began to cry & I wanted to see Harry so much. No, Orah don't worry because you did not tell me for I supose Harry did not want it told. When did Harry tell you he and Gertrude was to be married. I hope and pray they will be happy. I would have loved to have helped you get his clothes mended. You know how I always felt toward Harry. I love him so much. Guess I ought to be mity thankful he told Gertrude he has a sister Jessie. I must see you and have a good talk and I know you are just bursting to talk to me. I know you are all run down and lonesome, that is the reson you had the shingles. Come down and rest while work is dull.

Well, I hope Gerald and wife will be happy. He is pretty young for him to take unto him a wife. Did Emma say if they knew he was to be married. Are you sending them anything. I wrote a letter but will not send a gift. Can't start it there is too many coming on.

Well Orah, don't be lonesome you wanted him to get married.

Love. Jessie and Harry.

Duke, Okla, Oct. 22, 1942

My Dear Sister
How are you, I was so glad to get your letter as I always am. But Orah dear, I don't want you to write to me when you need to be sleeping & taking your rest, when you need it so bad.

Well, Orah, Kenneth has got his call, he went to the city & was examined last Sunday and Monday. He is in the army now, but they sent them home to stay till next Saturday a week. He went to Thomas yesterday, he said he thought they would come down hear Saturday. He wants to stay hear next week he don't know whare he will be sent after thair a few day. I sure hate to think about him having to go but I am not the only mother that has to see their boys leave. Elbert has joined the coast guards, he is going home to be ther a week before he leaves. I was so glad you had heard from Harry. He may be their now.

I sure wish I could be thair & go with you all up to Allies, wonder if Guy & Creighton got thair yet. I was so in hopes they would come hear when they went. I wonder why Harry couldn't get Jessie a pass. I haven't heard from Jessie in a long while. When you go to Allie's I wish you would tell her I would like to have her Roll recipe. It is so wet they haven't pulled much cotton. We had a big rain and wind and it wasted lots of cotton last week. Orah that sure was a good piece you sent, and I think just like him. I would like to hear Bro. Thomas preach. Orah, do you know what Gene does in the Navy. Dose he cook. How does he get to go up to KC so often. Guess I better close, love Emma, George and all. Tell the folks all hello if you get to go to Allies.

Duke, Mar. 3, 1943

Dearest Orah & Harry.
How are you both, I guess you are looking for a letter from me. I have been wanting to get your letter written. I didn't think I would have time to write all I wanted to it takes me about to days to write. I have been feeling better than I have since I have been sick. I am thankful. George is feeling pretty good, he has his cotton ground listed. It is pretty dry out hear. Our cellar still has water in it. It warmed up some and then turned cold again, about as cold as it has been all winter. Snowed 10 inches deep at Elk City, just north of us.

Harry I was sure glad to get a letter from you, Had a letter from Vola and Stacy, guess Stacy is all right. Kenneth still is at Sheppard Field. He has been so lucky & I am so glad he has got to stay thair this long. He was in the hospital week before last with the German measels but he said he wasn't a bit sick. He wrote as usual & never told us anything about it till the day before he got out, but last week he took the sinus in his head and had to stay in bed for 4 or 5 day. It hurt him worse than the measels. He called us yesterday & I talked to him. He said he was feeling pretty good. He wants us to come down thair again. I don't know just when we can go. We have 32 little chickens we set a hen & we bought 25. The old hen didn't hatch very good. We are getting quite a lot of eggs. We sell $10 & over a week besides what we use, that is pretty good isn't it. George sold his & Charley's calves. George had 8 and Charley had 7. They made $15 profit on each calf since the last of Oct. They have to heifiers left & our little calf is a heifer. George was offered $30 for it.

Did I tell you all that Orah Lee was having her teeth all pulled. She has them all out but 4. Her teeth was in awful shape. I know she will surely feel lots better when she gets them all out. I got a letter from Frankie yesterday. They was getting along fine, said they got a letter from Reda every week. She was liking it better all the time. Yes, I got two letters from Allie. Was so glad to get it & also the ??? I haven't given the rolls a good trial but I made light bread out of it, it was real good. George planted his potatoes the other day. He needed you to help him. That is all he has planted because it is so cold. We will plant a lot of garden as we can't buy as much canned goods. When are you coming to see us. Lots of love to both of you. bye

Emma and George.

Duke, Ok. April 23, 1943

Dearest Harry & Orah,
How are you both. I was so glad to get both your cards, you are so good to write & Harry I am getting hungry to get a letter from you. You are getting behind with you letters to me. Who ever sent those Seymore papers, I sure do thank you. I sure do like to read them altho their isn't very many names in them that I know but I have seen a few. Some were marked. I wish you both could have been hear you all could of told us who lots of them were. Well, my Dears, it is a shame I haven't written sooner, I did start this letter several days ago but I didn't get it finished. I hope you all will forgive me.

Tuesday morning, Charley, Nell, Glenda & Papa and I went to see Kenneth Saturday, Jodean came to Altus, we met her thair and took her to see Kenneth. He is just fine was glad to see us. Nell left Janice with her mother. She stay so much better than Glenda, she can't leave Glenda at all. We had a nice time, Clyde & Edna came over & stayed hear and tended to the things. It is still dry hear I am afaid the wheat wont make much if it don't rain pretty soon. The Oats is stil looking nice but it will need rain right away, our garden that is up looks pretty nice, some of our English peas is in bloom, our beets is sure nice & potatoes, lettuce, onions & beans are needing rain. Gilbert & Jack was hear yesterday, plowing, they have our land about ready to plant. George said he thought he would have some planted next week. Gilbert said Hurbie came down hear Sunday, I am sorry we couldn't see them. I hate for them to come so far & not get to see them. Orah's folks came Sunday night awhile & Lela's folks come a while last night. They was all fine. Ward said he wanted to get some harness to put on Neva when he takes her any place. She is so hard to keep up with. Lela has about 200 turkey eggs set. She has about 160 young chickens. We have about 150 & some more to hatch. Orah Lees has about 200 young chickens so you can & must come to see us and help us eat them.

Dorothy says she is uneasy about her boys. Gereld was getting ready to ship and Elbert is in New Hampshire. Orah I know you are run nearly to death. I don't see how you can get it all done. Did Reda ever get thair & Harry you said you are going to school, what kind of school, how do you like it. Must close. I want to write to Kenneth. I think there was a lot more I wanted to write but I can't think of any more now. Is Alie at Gentry now, I want to write her. Love, Emma & George.

Duke, Okla, June 7, 1943

Dearest Orah & Harry,
Well, I guess you think I am not going to write, meby I will if you all wait long enough. How are you both, we are all pretty well now. Orah, it was Lola, Cortis' wife, not Lela. It was apendicitis but she got along so well. She was in the hospital six days, they took her to Clyde & Edna's. Her mother was in California visiting their boy, he was in the hospital. Lola stayed at Edna's till after Cortis' school was out, they came over hear in a few days. She is at Edna's now but she is up & around, she would help me with the dishes.

Well it sure dose rain out hear. Papa had his cotton planted again & it came a big rain on it, but maby it will come up. It is warmer now, we hope so. I wish you both would come to see us. We have lots of green beans, fresh beets and lots of new potatoes. We have lots of roosters to fry and our garden looks nice. I canned 8 pints of peas. George helped me. The wheat will soon be ripe. We have been uneasy about the hail this wet spell but meby it wont hail.

I was so glad to hear about Reda, I haven't heard from Frankie in a long time, is Reda going home when she gets out of the hopsital. Herbies was down yesterday and stayed the longest they have in a long time. He took Papa & I down to their new place to see his cattel & over to his other place. There is a lake of water in his cotton field, he sure has some pretty cattel. He had the house painted & is having a barn and grainery built.

Yes, I really did like my birthday cards & my goodness I have been wearing one of my new gowns. Bill Roberts is up and around but I don't supose he will be able to work for quite a while. Orah sure has a nice garden & lots of chickens. Gerald was home on furlow a couple of weeks ago. He got married again, I hope it will last better. Dorothy said Elbert thought meby he would get to go home about the 22 of the month if he wasn't put on a ship. He is New Hampshire now, said he had outgrown his first uniforme. Harry will you be out ot school. I know you will be glad. I sure hate you have to go to school now. Orah, I want to ask you if it will hurt to take those emperms tablets. Some days my head hurts but I don't like to take aspirins so I got some of them empirms. They help me sometimes. I take one a day and some times I like to take then at night. Is that to many. Orah don't make yurself write when you don't feel like it. I know how it is. Lots of love. To y0u both. Write soon. Lovingly, Emma, George and all.

Duke, Okla. Aug 4, 1943

Dearest Orah & Harry,
How are you all. I tell you must be careful this hot weather. We are sure having it hot down hear. It has been 100 & over for about 20 days. I was so glad to get your good letter yesterday. I think I am feeling better than before I was sick. We have some real news for you. Kenneth is out of the army, they let him out to work on the farm. He came home a week ago tonight. We couldn't hardly beleve it when he toled us. They had posted a notice that if you could farm and there was a need you could get discharged to go home and farm. He sent some papers down to us to get some of the neighbors to fill out about George being unable to farm. We filled out the papers but didn't have much hopes for him getting out. But he did. Kenneth said he thought it was because Papa was unable to do the farming. Papa was so old. We really do need him but I didn't see how we was going to make it. I didn't have much hopes of him getting to come home. But they gave him an honorable discharge. Him and Jodean was realy tickled. George had been trying to buy a tractor. The crop is really needing rain, it showered a little last night but not enough to do much good.

I have felt better the last month than I have felt since I was sick. More like myself. I don't feel like I did when I was young but I am so thankful I feel good as I do. I have been taking that medican you sent. I think it makes me sleep better. I got another bottle of that and started taking that you sent.

Jodean is hear now and she sure is good to help & she is cleaning the house up. It has needed it done for so long. I sure will glad & I know Harry will be glad when he gets through that school. I know he is getting tired of studying.

Cortis and Lola came home to see us week before last. They come up on Friday afternoon & stayed till Monday evening. They looked fine. Lola was looking & feeling better than when they moved. Cortis realy did look good in his uniform. He has to wear Officer's clothes, they look nice but he has to buy them, half of them that is. Charley & Nell & girls was down Monday evening after school. He had to go to Altus to get his glasses fixed. He had broken them. Clyde and Edna come over pretty often, once a week and sometimes more. Clyde is stilll with his job. We see Hurbie most every week, he was hear today, they are thrashing his Oats today. I don't expect they will get over till next week. They threshed for Gilbert this morning. Keneth & Hadly helped Gilbert scupe the Oats. Harry I sure wish you could get off that job so you could come down to see us. Gilbert has been feeling pretty good. Juanita is with her husband in Bonam, Texas, he is flying now. Ora Lee was over Sunday evening. Her teeth are getting along fine, she sure looks good and feels much better if she don't work to hard. She has canned all summer. Papa and Kenneth are fixing the wind mill this morning so the stock has water. They got through hoeing yesterday, if it dont rain the cotton want make much.

Orah, I do think that boys picture on that paper you sent out hear with that medicine dose look so much like Clay. I thought it was such a good picture when I first saw it.