Indiana, Pa.
April 17, 1952

Dear Mrs. Altman,
We were all so glad to hear from you, it seemed like hearing from an old friend to hear from home. I am all alone so I thought I'd try to give you some more information since we can't talk face to face, and the next best thing is to write.

One of my sisters said when she read your letter, "How nice to know you can go back again." She and I stopped in after Mr. Andes bought it and the Uppermans had gone. W hadn't seen it in two years, and we said we couldn't see how things could change so much in that time. I always painted the porches and doors and put new screen wire in where needed. The garden hadn't been worked and had weeds about 10 ft. high.

The roses are nice at the back of the garden, and I had asparagus in the corner where the pear tree is. I couldn't keep it up the way it used to be kept, or the way I wanted to, but did my best. I kept quite a few hens, and raised the pullets every year and kept my nicest hens over. I also raised broilers in the summer quite often and made out pretty good on them.

I sold over 300 Christmas trees in 1948, and if you want to market trees, Mr. Dain Dible, Sheloca, R.D. bought mine. I think he is strictly honest and pays after marketing. I often thought it would make the kitchen nicer to have the back stairs taken out but I was always used to them and would have missed them so. It was so handy to run up to the bathroom that way.

The main house was built in 1860, the bath put in in 1936 and the electric in 1937.The barn was built in 1914 and painted in 1935.

I never cleaned the reservoir out so it must have a good deal of mud in it. I always kept a grating over the opening in the spring to keep things out of it. The septic tank is across the fence from the peonies. I saw that the Uppermans had tried to grow cabbage there.

I kept the outdoor toilet because it was handy if one's feet were dirty, but I saw they tore it down, or maybe it fell down. I used to laugh about my specimen bed at the right of the driveway, but I think the Uppermans dug it out. He kept the lawn nice to the barn, but let the yard go.

I didn't understand that you just came to South Bend when you were married. I had never seen you to know you, but knew you lived there. I also heard that you had two children, but you only mention the little girl so I was mistaken.

I didn't understand the space heaters, but I loved that gas, too, had it since 1923. I used the grate in the room and enjoyed it.

You will enjoy the shade at the front in the summer, too bad one tree broke off. I used to have those windows full of flowers in the sun porch. Our window sills here are so shallow they don't hold a pot well, but I still have flowers.

Sincerely,
Bess B. Wherry