Alma C. Wilson to Ola Holm 1948.2.20

Alma C. Wilson to Ola Holm 1948.2.20

BREV FRA ALMA WILSON DATERT 20. FEBRUAR – 1948, TIL OLA HOLM. INGEN KONVOLUTT. DET SER UT SOM HUN HAR BRUKT BLÅPAPIR FOR Å LAGE EN KOPI TIL SEG SELV.

LETTER FROM ALMA WILSON DATED FEBRUARY 20 – 1948, TO OLA HOLM. NO ENVELOPE. IT LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS USED CARBON PAPER TO MAKE A COPY OF THIS LETTER FOR HERSELF. HER NORWEGIAN IS REALLY GOOD, IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE SHE NEVER LIVED IN NORWAY. SHE USES THE OLD DANISH STYLE GRAMMAR AND SPELLING.

Alma C. Wilson

Siri Lawson, trans.

1948.02.20

Norwegian

Danish

English trans.

Dell Rapids S.D. 2-20-48

Kjere onkel

Da Jeg netop modtog dit brev skal Jeg skrive igjen  Jeg tenkte at dere derborte inorge var saa meget samen at det var alt ret at skrive til Axel at han lod dig vide om John død.  Da han ser efter Johns hilsninger til dere der.  Jeg ogsaa skrev Evelyn og bad hende at si dig om det, same adresse (Evelyn hadde samme adresse som Ola).  Det var trist til mig at skrive det saa mange gange  Det ser ud for at en maa skrive hver en elers er det nogen som blir sint og styg isind. 

Ja Ole om du hade staat her og set hvor John lide og pintes af store smerter i maven og hjertet  blodet rant om tarmen, mund og nese  han hosted og straagnet kasted om hele tiden di siste uger Tror Jeg knaft du hade skrevet til mig som du nu gjorde idete brev.  Jeg ber gud at du slipper at pines saadan naar din siste tid komer.  Jeg var her nat og dag Indtil han sa nei Alma dete kan du ikke staa ud med baade dag og nat og han maate ha hypo (sprøyte?) for at lindre pinen, og dem kunde Jeg ikke gi ham.  saa bad han Dokteren om det ikke var best han kom paa hospitalet, hvor han laa i 8 dage.  Jeg gik 2 gange om dagen  min søns kone en gang.  Det er en mil hver gang.  vi har ingen bil.  Grace var hjeme med bruket ben.  Jenten til Ralph hade meslingerne.  saa vi hade noget at gjøre her ogsaa.

Vi hade foto tat af kisten  Jeg kjøbte extra aviser  har nu sent dem til dere 6 søskend ligedan  Dem vil ta lenger end luft brev men dem komer frem  vi maate vente til foton her i America blir ferdig før Jeg kunde sende dem.  Ja du sir du kjente John.  Ja han fortalte mangt dise siste tider siden han blev daarlig.  Ja angret paa mangt sa han  Han angret at han ikke hade Doktor for sig før.  men det maate spares, og nu var det forsent at snyte naar nasen var av.  Ja stakkers John saa stor og sterk som han bestandig var og maate lide slig isit siste  Jeg haaber at hvad han og mor og Jeg har sent til norge vil bli til en velsignelse i has minde og ikke til onskab og uvenskab melen dere ale der.

Stakkers mor er ikke saa frisk  hun blir strax 82, og nu er det tusi og langsamt men Jeg skal gjøre alt Jeg kan for hende som John sa hvad Jeg skulde gjøre.  Jeg har gjort alt Jeg kunde for dem bege før og det skal Jeg gjøre nu.  Jeg har veret glad at dem var ner saa Jeg kunde hjelpe til hver dag, og John takket for det isin siste time.  Din pake til han kom om morgenen efter han gik kvelden før.  tak ale dine Jenter for breve dem sente han.  di viste ale der at han var i siste dagene  Jeg sente pake til Evelyn den 16 haaber hun synes om den  Det var trist at du ikke skrev mer ofte til John  nu er det forsent.

Det er godt du har en kjek family.  Laura priser dem ale bestandig.  det er sørgelig at hun er saa daarlig nu.  hun er ikke meget eldre end Jeg  her er det meget kolt og sne og vind ver.  20 below zero (under null, Fahrenheit?)  Haaber du nu har alt den besked du vil ha.  Jeg har svaret paa dit brev nu er det din tur.  Hils tante og Jenterne fra mor og mig.

Alma

P.S. Ja Jeg maa si tak for pakken til John.

Dell Rapids S.D. 2-20-48

Dear uncle

As I just received your letter I’ll write you back.  I thought that you over there in Norway were together so much that it was right to write to Axel and have him tell you about John’s death.  Since he sees to John’s greetings to you all there.  I also wrote to Evelyn and asked her to tell you about it, same address (Evelyn lived in the same house as her father Ola).  It was sad for me to write it so many times.  It looks like I have to write each one or there’s someone who gets angry and nasty minded.

Well Ole if you had stood here and seen how John was tormented and suffered from great pains in his stomach and heart  the blood was running around his intestine, mouth and nose  he coughed and choked  was throwing up all the time the last weeks I don’t think you would have written to me the way you now did in this letter.  I ask god that you will be spared from such torture when your last days come.  I was here night and day Until he said no Alma you can’t keep this up both day and night and he had to have hypo (injections?) to ease the pain, and those I could not give him.  then he asked the Doctor if it wouldn’t be best to put him in the hospital, where he was for 8 days.  I went twice a day  my son’s wife once.  It’s a mile every time.  we have no car.  Grace was at home with a broken leg.  Ralph’s girl had the measles.  so we had some things to do here too.

We had a photo taken of the coffin.  I bought extra newspapers  have now sent them to the 6 of you the same  They will take longer than an air letter but they’ll get there  we had to wait till the photos here in America were finished before I could send them.  Well you say you knew John.  Yes he told me many a thing those last days since he got sick.  Yes he said he regretted many a thing  He regretted that he didn’t get a Doctor for himself earlier.  but they had to save, and now it was too late to blow your nose when the nose was off.  Yes poor John  big and strong that he always was and then having to suffer like that at his end.  I hope that what he and mother and I have sent to Norway will be a blessing in his memory and not cause malice and bickering between all of you there.

Poor mother is not very well  she’ll be 82 soon, and now it’s difficult and lonely but I’ll do everything I can for her that John said I should do.  I’ve done verything I could for them both before and I’ll do so now.  I’ve been glad that they’ve been so close that I could help out every day, and John thanked me for that in his last hour.  Your package to him came on the morning after he passed the night before.  thank all your Girls for the letters they sent him.  they all knew over there that he was in his last days.  I sent a package to Evelyn on the 16^th  hope she likes it  It ‘s too bad that you didn’t write more often to John  now it’s too late.

It’s good that you have a nice family.  Laura praises them all all the time.  It’s too bad that she’s so unwell now.  she’s not much older than Me  it’s very cold here and snow and windy weather.  20 below zero  Hope you now know everything you wanted to know.  I’ve replied to your letter  now it’s your turn.  Say hello to auntie and the Girls from mother and me.

Alma   P.S.

I must say thank you for the package for John.