1926 10 9 Beatrice Rose to Olive Rose

Spelling and grammar may change as I transcribe.  The Methodist Episcopal Hospital is in Brooklyn, New York.  Peekskill is in Westchester County, New York.

My grand aunt 'Bea', Beatrice May Rose Camp, wrote this letter to my grandmother, 'Olive' Letha Rose Schnack.  'Walt' was my grandfather, Jochim Walter Schnack.  'Grandma' was the girls' maternal grandmother, Alice Estelle Clayton More and 'Aunt Josephine' was Alice's sister, Josephine Clayton Lounsbury.  'Uncle Will' was the girls' paternal uncle, William B. Rose.

I sense an urgency to which I am not privy to.  Beatrice, having studied nursing at the Methodist Episcopal Hospital, was on a break from school and was visiting her grand aunt Josephine in Peekskill .

10/9/26

Dearest Olive,

On my way to Grand Central, I grabbed my mail and stuck them in my pocket.  When I got to the rest room, I had 40 minutes to wait.  I first read a postal that Walt had written me while he was in Penn. Sta.  Then I read your letter.  Well, if I could have cried as hard as I wanted to, or have told someone, I would not now be writing.  I am on my way to Peekskill; the train has not left the station yet.  I would like to keep your letter forever.  Well, I must cease ____.  Olive dear, you know I want you to be very happy.  I will do anything and everything for you.  Dearest, won't you consider entering training for one year?

You do not intend to go on to college, do you?  Oh, if I could only see you.  I feel a little bit hurt that you didn't tell just me.  You know I would never tell.  I am so anxious to hear your plans.  Walt is going to write to me.

Olive, I hope you are sure you are not going to need Walt badly before a year is over.  Tell me all, old Pal, I would help you. 

Have you a ring?
I feel a little better now.
I will write to you from Peekskill.
The train has started now.

Sunday a.m.
Oh, what a nice time I am having; peaches and grapes till I burst!  Aunt Josephine is much better.  She will soon be fat as usual.  I can do just as I please; get up when I want to, have anything to eat that I want to, and go to bed when I want to.

Tuesday night, I may go to a dance to Cold Spring with _____ Ed.

Monday a.m.
It is lovely this a.m. and I am going down street with Uncle Will.  I just finished my breakfast.  I get up at 9 o'clock every morning.

Must close.  Grandma sends her love.

Love,
Bea

1919 3 16 Beatrice Rose to Florence Rose

I will change some spelling and some grammar as I transcribe.  The locations are Kingston and Pine Hill, both in Ulster County, New York.

This letter was written by 'Beatrice' May Rose Camp when she was 12-years old, to her sister, 'Florence' Alice Rose Lawler.  'Olive' Letha Rose Schnack was their sister and 'Clifton' was their brother.  'Papa' was their father, Elbert Rose. 'Aunt Addie' was Elbert's sister Ada Rose Woolheater.  'Bessie' was her daughter who was married to James 'Jimmie' Winfield.  'Eva' was another of Ada's daughters.  'John Rose' and 'Ward Rose' were their cousins, sons of William Rose, a brother of Elbert's.  'Grandma' was their mother's mother, Alice Estelle Clayton More and 'Aunt Hattie' was Alice's daughter, Harriet More Burgett.

I don't have 'Aunt Lib', 'Aunt Melissa', 'Uncle Dewitt', or 'Uncle Billy' in my tree yet.  Please leave a comment if you can help me with identification.

72 Clinton Ave.
Kingston, N.Y.
Mar. 16, 1919

Dear Florence,

I have had a very hard time to get Papa to send you money but have succeeded.

I have a new dress.  It is plain blue with pique collar and cuffs and pocket.  It was $3.97.  I think that was very expensive but I couldn't get one any cheaper in the size that I had to have.  Mine is size 16.  Bessie got it for me. At first, she got one size 14 and the

length was just right but I couldn't wiggle in the waist.

Aunt Lib and Aunt Melissa and Uncle Dewitt were down here Friday and Aunt Lib said that she would come and see Aunt Addie when the girls went away.

I told you before that Papa was up to Pine Hill.  And when he was going up on the train, he met Aunt Melissa.  And, she was asking him where Bessie was and where Jimmie was and he

told her.  And, she said, "Bet they have parted" and then she went on to tell about Jimmie (all the mean things she could think of) and of course Papa let it go in one ear and out the other.  And, when she came to Kingston, she went into where Bessie is working and asked her what the matter was; why Jimmie and she were parted, and Bessie was astonished.  And then, Aunt Melissa told her that Papa had told her that

Bessie and Jimmie was parted.  And, Bessie told Eva and they were both mad at I and Olive and Papa.  And, when she came home, they told Aunt Addie and she said that she didn't believe it.  And, Bessie and Eva both said that they believed it.  And then, we told Papa and he told all about it and I don't think Bessie and Eva believed it.

We had an arithmetic test. Olive got 55% and I got 70%.  I think that isn't very good.  Bessie had stopped taking short-

hand and is working at McBrides drug store in town.  Her hours are from 9 to 12, from 2 to 6, and from 6 to ten; quite long hours.

John Rose was here this afternoon and he said that he was going to get married in a couple of months to Eva Barton.  She is a real nice girl.  She has John to Sunday School almost every Sunday.  We haven't missed a day since we started to go.

Did you know that I have a locket?

It is real nice.   It is real good.  I am going to make a picture of it so you can see how big it is.  It didn't draw very good.  One side is higher than the other.  Then, there is a long chain with it, too.

When Papa went to Pine Hill, he found your report card.  It had been there a long time so I will try and send it back to you.

I got a very nice folder from

Aunt Hattie and I haven't written to her.  I suppose she thinks I am awful.  Well, I don't blame her.  How is Grandma?

I think that we will go to Pine Hill Easter.  Papa wants to go for a week but, what I am thinking about is, where will we stay.  I don't like the idea of sponging around on the neighbors for a week.  Would you like to?

Well, how many times have your worn your new blue serge skirt?

Papa is talking of getting another job.  He doesn't like it very good where he is.  He isn't getting very good wages, in his mind.

But, I don't like the idea of him roaming around so much.  Do you wish he would hurry up and get settled?

And, Aunt Addie is talking of moving just as quick as she can find another house.  We are going to move.

When was the last time you heard from Clifton?  We haven't heard from him since

we sent him the money; only what Papa said about him.  They are having some more dancing up there.  We saw Uncle Billy down here one day.  Well, it was last Saturday, a week ago from yesterday.

You know that we have a new theatre down here with some style to it, too.  The name of the place is _____.  They have men all dressed up in a fancy costume to help the ladies out of the cars; those that come in a taxicab.

It was a week ago yesterday

that I was to the opera house and yesterday, for 10¢, a kids matinee.  Every Saturday there is one.

Ward Rose was here the other night from Schenectady with a Ford taxicab.  Eva and Jimmie and Aunt Addie were all ready to go to the movies; so he took them for a ride to the movies.  Wasn't he good?

Well, it is after nine o'clock so will have to close for tonight.

Write Soon.
Good Night
Your Sister
Beatrice Rose

  This clipping was not included in the letter.  It was published 2 May 1919 in the Kingston Daily Freeman newspaper.  I include it here simply because of the mention that John Rose intended to marry Eva Barton.

1919 3 7 Olive Rose to Florence Rose

I will change some spelling and some grammar as I transcribe.  The location is not posted on this letter.

My grandmother, 'Olive' Letha Rose Schnack, wrote this letter when she was 10-years old to her sister 'Florence' Alice Rose Lawler.  Their sister, 'Beatrice' May Rose Camp, wrote the second part of this letter.  'Papa' was their father, Elbert Rose.  His sisters were 'Aunt Addie', Ada Rose Woolheater, and 'Aunt Minnie', Minnie Rose Springer, and 'Aunt Lin', Malinda Rose Townsend.  His brother was 'Uncle Will', William Rose.   'Francis' Springer was Minnie's daughter.

More about the Palmer Method can be found by clicking on the link.
 

Mar. 7, 1919

Dear Florence,

We have a written review in Geography today and a written review in Spelling.

I am enclosing a writing paper.  I practice at home because I am not used to writing Palmer Method.  I wrote the latter in school but I am writing now at 12:15.  Florence, I will send the money now.  Will close but will write a postscript.

Your Sister
Olive Letha

Dear Florence,

I suppose you are wondering why you don't get a letter, but Sunday night he came here.  And, Aunt Addie and Aunt Minnie were down to Uncle Will's and so he had to go down, too.  And, we set up til nine o'clock waitng for him but he didn't come so we had to go to bed.  It is Tuesday night now and he got a letter from Aunt Lin.  So, we had a good excuse to have him

come over.  It was half past night before he got here and we had given up all hope.  If we ran to the top of the stairs once, we have a hundred times, watching for him.

I think that I told you before that Aunt Minnie was coming.  She brought Francis with her and if she isn't fat.  I can't lift her.  You know that we have three goldfish (I mean that we did have) and Francis kept playing with them til she killed one.  Papa told us that Uncle Will was over to Carter's yesterday and last night (of course he sleeps with Papa) Papa thought he was going to die; he could hardly breathe.  Aunt Lin doesn't think that she will be home before April.

Olive was speaking about the geography test.  I got 99%.  I think that was pretty good.

And, we had a writing lesson that was sent into the writing teacher.  And, always before, I had got unsatisfactory and today I got just one word.  And, that was slant and I was tickled to death.  Will write next time.

Beatrice

Say Florence, I am going to send you three cents to write to me with.  And, Papa wants to write when he sends the money.