📄 Letter, Electa Hubbard to Sumner LaRue Tone, Jun 13 1915
Return address on the envelope is "E. E. Hubbard, 723 Fourth Street, Des Moines, Iowa"
June 13, 1915
My Dear La Rue & Blanche
While I was in the hospital I received so many kind notes and letters form friends, that since I have been trying to get whole again it has been one of my great pleasures to answer them, though even yet it is something of a strain to write a letter at one sitting. I had three big letters, one from you, one from son Rob, and one from our old Polk City pastor, whose friendship we still cherish. These three letters seem to be the last to acknowledge for some reason, but not that they gave me the least pleasure, for they added very much to my happiness and relief while passing through the hard days. We have talked much about you & Blanche & children. As you spoke of going to San Francisco we here expect a long visit from you either going or coming. Our visit to the girls has been hanging on my condition. Georgia has been sick with disappointment and waiting-- well we are all in the same condition.
I gained very rapidly for a time, beyond all my friends expectations, then over cold rainy weather so long developed rheumatism and there's where I still am. I wished to be able to use my feet [?] before going, but have since decided to go on my crutches, hoping much from the climat there. We shall start the 29 of June. Santa Fe. All through trains go to Grand Canyon, but by changing at K.C. from one unreadable car to another we save that day and several dollars, and we have been to the canyon. I think I can do that without any discomfort. We will make a six weeks visit this time. If you should go in the mean time, of course you will take in both fairs and will go to Pasadena and then we will all be together at Georgia's. Florence & girls are there in a little apartment for their vacation. I shall not do any fairs but of course the rest will. All I ask is to sit and look at them all.
How I wish mother unreadable would go with you. I have suggested it to her. It is so pleasant to think of you all as I saw you in your homes. How glad I am to have had their visit and that life when I did. I feel overwhelmed with merciful blessings and am not equal to being thankful enough for them.
I suppose the children are in their vacation time. Do you go to the farm? I will send you the addresses of the girls. I hope by some management we shall meet this summer, Charly and Carrie are in Grinnell today, also for Tuesday & Wed. Very much love to every one of you.
Aunt Electa
Notes:
- The sender is Electa Tone (1834-1926), later Electa Hubbard, not her mother whose maiden name was Electa Hubbard (1800-1872).
- Carrie Lillian Hubbard (1868-1947), Florence May Hubbard (1871-1964), and Georgia Francis Hubbard (1875-1962), mentioned here, are Electa's daughters.
- As mentioned in Electa's obituary, her daughter Georgia lived in Pasadena.
- "Charly" is probably Electa's son-in-law Charles Rawson, who married her daughter Carrie.
- An obituary described Electa as an "early Polk County settler".
- Sumner Larue Tone (1864-1942) and Emma Blanche Torrence (1868-1925) apparently made the western trip mentioned in the letter, because I have a photo of them in Crystal Park, CO dated July 15, 1915 and one at the summit of My. McClellan, CO on July 12 1915.
- 1915 was the year of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, which relates to Sumner Tone's travel plans mentioned in the letter. Electa mentions "both fairs" but I don't know what the other one was.