NAWSA GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Benton, Irene [*Beneton*] Matthew Schmidt, Calif State Prison San Quentin Ray Becker, Box 520-9413 Walla Walla Wash W. K. Billlngs Box 10699 Represa Calif. Tom Mooney Calif State Prison San Quentin Calif With gratefulness - Irene Benton Granada Dear Miss Blackwell, Thank you for the Christmas card. I have meant to have written you sooner. I did not buy any cards this year but I did not forget you. The reason your letter came back is that Ray Becher was released. Of course you know that Warren Billings and Jim Mooney are released also Matthew Schmidt who was in San Quentin. I believe the only labor prisoner left that I know is J.B. McNamara in San Quentin. I send you my greetings for the New Year. I hope that is will be a happier year with peace and good will for all. With love from Irene Benton Tom Mooney, Calif S.P. San Quentin Calif. Matthew Schmidt, " " " " " J B Mc Namara " " " " " Warren Billings Box 10699, Represa Calif RAY Becher, Box 620-9413 Wall Walla Wash Dear Mrs Blackwell, I am very sorry that I have been so slow but we have been extra busy the past week. Even if you are a little late the prisoners will appreciate the beautiful thoughts expressed on your cards Thank you for remembering me. One other side are the names, that I know. May the joy of the Risen Saviour come in and bless you, with love and a gladness [that] that I have known you. Irene Benton A RADICAL. For sometime I have been wanting to set down my thoughts on the word, "radical". First I go to an old Webster's dictionary that was my grandfather's. On the fly leaf was his name and March 185? the last number was gone but the dictionary was printed in 1857. Today the word "radical" is used in refering to many people of all shades of religious and political beliefs. This dictionary says that radical comes from the Latin word meaning root. This word also means "fundamental" and this is another word that is overworked also and it is defined as meaning foundation. This old dictionary says this, "A radical in modern politics is a person who advocates a radical reform or extreme measures in reformation, also radicalism is a doctrine of making radical reform by overthrowing or changing the present state of things. So we see this is no new word for over 80 years ago we find it in the dictionary. Then I go to my concordance to find what the Bible says about a radical and of course I do not find the word radical there, but I do find the word root. The first place that I find root in the Bible is Deut. 29-18 "lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood." As I read this verse I ask myself this question, Should I prune that root or should I be a radical and cut it off altogether? The study of roots in the Bible is interesting, so I looked up each verse that had "root" in it. In Daniel 4 they cut down the tree with the fruit, leaves and branches but they left the stump. One can easily imagine that new branches grew and the evil still lived on. It is better to do as Amos suggested in Amos 2 "destroy the fruit from above and the roots from beneath". or as is written in Malachi 4 "leave neither root nor branch". Now we come to the New Testament and find in John the Baptist's words this thought, "Now is the axe laid unto the roots of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire," Matt 3:10 Jesus said, "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up." Matt 15:15 Here is a verse for one who is considering roots, "For the love of money is the root of all evil" etc 1 Tim 6:10 Eph 3:17 tells of some good roots," that ye being rooted and grounded in love. And the last "root" of the Bible is in the last chapter "I am the root and the offspring of David the bright and morning Star. What kind of a world would it be if in the past we had had no "radicalism" What kind of a future will we have if no one does pioneering to make this a better world? Let us get down to the root of our troubles. Let us have our ears open for new things and not be too quick to label them "radical" and to throw them aside hastily. Roots are necessary and so it is well to study our lives and cultivate the good roots. Mar 29, 1941 Dear Miss Blackwell, Thank you so much for remembering me with an Easter card with your own handwriting on the back. This is my first card this year. I planned to get some Easter cards but I have been so busy that I did not get around to order them. Today is Palm Sunday. I was not able to go to church as I have been having a lame back. My mother and brother went. I suppose this war is a great sorrow to your heart as it is to all peace-loving people. It is so much worse than the other. Out here on the farm we do not hear so much about it. However it spoils all the radio programs. We had a nice winter and so far this spring. For a few days it has been colder with snow. I think of you with love for all you have done for humanity. I hope you are comfortable where you are. Lovingly your friend Irene Benton Granada, Minn. Dear Miss Blackwell, Thank you so much for remembering me again at this season of the year when we honor the birth of Christ. Historians tell us this is not the correct days and there are various theories offered why Dec 25th was chosen but I haven't time to go into this. I know it is a blessed season when we hear from friends, when we sing beautiful carols, when we try to bring cheer to the unfortunate. Just a little story that I heard over the radio. In Germany a group of American soldiers were captured. The captors demanded that the Jewish boys step forward to be shot. At that every American stepped forward. Then the Nazis said all would be shot but the Americans still stood by their Jewish buddies but before the Americans could stop the Jewish boys they stepped from the ranks rather than all die. Anti Semitism is one evil that is abroad today in a land where we sing "Peace on Earth", forgetting that Christ was of Jewish parentage. With love to you who have worked so many years for justice and peace. I am yours for a better world. Your friendship is dear to me. Irene Benton Granada, Minn., Dec 3, 1945 Dear friends, The Christmas season x is upon us. I am beginning to send out some cards. It is some work to remember around a hundred. A few cards have come already. This letter will go to seven of my friends. One letter will go to my friend, Mrs Carrie Rice, 623 Lake Str., Waupaca, Wisc Thank you, Mrs Rice, for that nice picture of you sitting out on the porch in your rocking chair. I am sorry you have so much pain. So you dread Christmas. I guess we all do. Yet there are surprises and pleasant things about it. We who have so little pain should be thankful and do what we can for the sick. How nice it would be if I could help you out, Mrs Rice, when it is so hard for you to get around. A friend told me that my first duty was to make sunshine work that I can. You ask how far we are from Brainard. We are a long ways from that city but we call our church Brainard because a man by that name started the first S.S. around here. Mrs Rice makes nice crochet work and uses 20 or 30 thread any color. Mrs Rice asked about mother. She is just fine now and I hope she will keep that way all winter. She was quite sick again early this fall and could not lie down for 3 weeks. I have had a head cold but am about well of it now. Mother gets up early and starts breakfast and does the dishes most of the time. She cannot see to read but she writes letters. One of my shutins, Ed Barnes of 921 north Park street, Fairmont Minn., gave me 60 christmas cards for my shutins. I am not buying any cards this year. Mrs Anna Richie of Grey Eagle, Minn is another great sufferer. She and I have been friends since I heard of her over the Rev Edythe Stirleh's program, but now we are sisters in Aunt Sally's work. I must set my alarm so I can get WOW tomorrow morning. She has been sick and the sunshine sisters in Omaha are carrying on the work. Mrs Richie put these references at the top of her letter Ps. 56:3 and 85:6. Ogden Iowa I see by Mrs Gertrude Charlet's letter that she has a birthday. I did not put it right down in my book and here I have let it pass by unnoticed. Her oldest boy had a broken arm when the tractor kicked back. There have been a lot of accidents around here from the corn pickers. A young returned soldier had his hand taken off. A friend of mine fell and broke her leg and two ribs. She will be in the hospital for some time and her address, Mrs Alice Humphrey, Granada, Minn. Another friend was shot by his four year old. Our corn crop never matured nor dried out. Some have it cribbed but it may spoil there. Our nearest neighbor has his spread out. Ours is the best of any around here and the renter may leave it in the field until spring. We had good corn doing that way once. We had too cool a summer and rather late planting. Our aid meets this week Wed two miles from us. We are packing a box for the Indian children in Okla. Also we are making a quilt for our young minister's wife. We are to have dinner at noon and my division does not serve. I went to church Sunday and presented the mission lesson. The northern Baptists start their two year drive for $14,000,000 for missions and relief. As Wisemen brought their gifts of gold, and frankincense and myrrh, And worshipped at the Manger bare where Christ and Mary were; May Christmas bring you precious gifts of peace and blessings, too, The lasting kind that brings you joy a Happy New Year through. The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17. GRANADA MAY 19 4 30 PM 1939 MINN. THIS SIDE OF CARD IS FOR ADDRESS. Miss Alice Stone Blackwell, 1010 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge Mass. Immortal love forever full Forever flowing free Forever shared, forever whole, A never ebbing sea! We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down; In vain we search the lowest deeps, For him no depths can drown. But warm, sweet, tender, even yet A present help is he; And faith has still its Olivet, And love its Galilee. The healing of his seamless dress Is by our beds of pain; We touch him in life's throng and press, And we are whole again. Amen. -John G. Whittier. Granada Minnesota May 18 1939 Dear Miss Blackwell, I have never thanked you for your Easter card I did not send any this year. I hope you are feeling better now that spring is here. Sincerely your friend, Irene Benton, Granada, Minn Granada Minn Dec 13, 1930 Dear Miss Blackwell, Thank you for the Christmas card that you sent me. I was interested in the folder that you sent me about the look that you have written. I have seen other announcements of this book but I haven't been able to get a copy to read. Mother and I have always been interested in feminism and the suffrage movement. I used to read your paper in the days when I was in the suffrage movement. We have read much about "Lucy Stone" and admired her. She was your grandmother, wasn't she? Enclosed is the list. I am returning it as you suggested with corrections. I have not had this year's list sent me. If I do I will send you an other copy. Mother and father are feeling fine at present and so am I thank you. We found the kittens some good homes where they are admired and loved. The White Wyandotte babies are are grown and sold. The prices were very low this year for poultry. I am surely highly honored to have your friendship and I appreciate your great service for humanity, Lovingly Irene Burton Some one lent me Blend Spots. Its fine. being a pen friend to a Japanese woman in an wacue camp in Idaho. I sent her a box of things I thought they could use in the camp and she sent me a beautiful white floral corsage made of shells and a breast pin. I will try to find time to copy her letter. With so much racial hatred I want to have a little part in overcoming this. I hope the winter was good to you. We did not have the the sickness we did the winter before. Mother, who is 86, feels fine With love Irene Benton. Granada Minn. Granada, Minn, May 1, 1944. Dear Miss Blackwell, Thank you so much for the Easter greeting with the good thoughts. I did so appreciate the letter you wrote me in February. This May Day my mind goes back to different labor and political groups who would parade and show to the world their strength. I never lived where I could see or take part in any of these festivities. Enclosed is a multiple letter that I have used to answer my letters. Dear Miss Blackwell I love you. I am glad we met in our common cause of social justice. My latest adventure is Grenada, Minn, April 6, 1944 Dear Friends, Last fall I bought some filler for my hektograph but never did get it lined up until Sat. Today I am going to see how it works. My letters are piling up and my housework keeps me busy and tired but I do like to get letters and I will not unless I answer them. I like to write letters, too. There are a good many calls on my time so I am compelled to neglect my correspondence. I think about my shut-ins and wish I could do more. We have had a nice winter but March has been cold with several days of zero weather. The Sentinel said it averaged 25 above for the month. Yesterday was a nice day and we are promised warmer weather for today with the wind in the south. We had 15 inches of snow last month. None of our neighbors have been in the field. Yesterday I went to our Aid society. We had a nice supper and a good time. We rolled bandages for our foreign missionaries. There was a little program and I had to set as President for both the President and vice were absent. I am working on a quilt that will go to our Indian mission in Okla. The ladies sent a box there not long ago. We have no missionary society at present but we few try to do a little along that line and they give the lunch money every three months also bring their gift boxes. Today some of the church folks are up there painting, varnishing and waxing wordwork and pews. We bought some nice, comfortable pews to take the Place of our old opera chairs that were 48 years old. We sold our old chairs for $40. There is to be a new pulpit given by friends of an aged member who died last winter. I think that new covering for platform is going to be purchased. In addition to these improvements we are putting in a furnace in the Nashville Parsonage for our pastor, The Nashville church has been asking extensive improvements on their parsonage which surely are needed. Mother was taken sick the first day of March with stomach flu which left her weak but now she is getting better. Ralph does not feel extra but I have been feeling fine most all winter. There have been lots of sickness, mumps, measles and flu. None of us have had mumps. We have 11 lambies bouncing around stiff legged. We had 80 sheep but Ralph failed to latch the corncrib door which blew open and three sheep died from over-eating. It was the reason for the loss of the lambs. One ewe laid on a pair of twins. We gave away 2 lambs that the mothers would not own. A set of triplets all died. We are selling all our hogs today and start in again. For some reason they did not do well. They just did not grow fast like our hogs usually do and there are no baby pigs. It seems to be something wrong in their feed. The hail took a lot of our corn and oats so we had to buy a lot of feed. There are ups and downs in farming. I have been able to get up early enough to hear Aunt Sally at W.O.W. Casha at 6:15 in the morning Mon through Fri. She is asking for money for a girl in Miss. Her workers have helped this girl before so she could stay in a TB sanitarium, Now she is in a hospital. She is only one of several that have been helped to hospital treatment. So much has been done for shut-ins in the 9 years she has been on the air. The Betty Jean program that used to be on W.N.X.X Sat morning is off the air leaving a lot of shut-ins stranded. She sent out 600 names at Christmas. The Rev, Edythe Stirlen does not broadcast the needs of the shut-ins anymore. It would be nice if there could be some one on every station to aid shut-ins. I will close with just a verse for Easter, "The Lord is risen indeed," It is this hope of the resurrection that makes the Christian life blessed I use sheets like this to save paper YOU DO NOT LIKE QUESTIONNAIRES! NEITHER DO WE!! BUT Minnesota Baptists do not want to work in the dark. We desire to serve in the light of facts which will illuminate the way to genuine accomplishment. Rev. Reuben Nelson, our State Secretary, has outlined a Five Year plan which can have momentous results if we study our present situation, discover our points of failure and success, and set definite goals for spiritual achievement. This questionnaire will not find its way to a pigeon hole but will become the basis for constructive plans that will help your church to fulfill its God-given task. That task includes for all of us the proper development of the local church and the proclamation of the Gospel of Christ to the multitudes in this great state who do not know His saving power. Please dedicate a part of your busy days to the work of completing this questionnaire. Send to: Chairman, Christian Education Committee, Miss Evelyn A. Camp, 1020 Harmon Place, Minneapolis, Minnesota By (date) March 1, 1940 THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Dear Friends, A few days ago someone sent me a little paper, "Along the Way", This gave me the inspiration for a poem so here goes. "Along the Way." we all must go- How long it is we do not know- But this we know that friends are there, With words of cheer and many a prayer. "Along the Way" in Galilee Our Saviour walked with sympathy; He healed the sick and comfort brought, And weary hearts His Presence sought. "Along the Way" since Jesus came The Christians try in His dear Name To help the weak, the lame, the blind, That saddened hearts may comfort find. "Along the Way" I meet new friends, Which to my heart new courage lends. And such a one I'm glad to find In Mrs Kimball, good and kind. She gives her tenth, she gives her all; She answers to her Saviour's call. "Along the Way" I know she'll be A source of joy and charity; And may the Lord her efforts bless And may she have true happiness. "Along the Way" is mother dear, I love her most, I never fear; But that she'll always love me, too No matter what I say or do. "Along the Way" in radio I found a friend you all should know; "Aunt Sally is her program name, She does not care for weath or fame. She helps the shutins and the sad, She gives them hope and makes them glad. There's many a one who is given aid, In hospitals their way is paid, And other things so many they I have not time to tell today. "Along the Way" a joy was mine, "The Stars" in sweet communion shine. This little club was dear to me We worked in wondrous harmony. These friends have gone their various ways, Except Miss Pendleton who stays And joined my sunshine ship, "The Smiles" Across the intervening miles. Altho' her face I may not see Her letters bring her close to me. This morning I did not go to church. I have the lumbago. I went to our osteopath yesterday and I guess I will have to go again. I stayed in bed after breakfast with a hot water bottle but the pain still grinds. Now this afternoon I will tend to my correspondence. I found some thin carbon paper and am writing 6 at a time. It was too much exertion to use my hektograph. I wrote out a list of 31 letters I want to write and then I took numbers cut from a calendar and drew 6 of them This has been a rainy day. There was a lot of rain that fell last night, too. I think all the threshing is done. It is cold enough so we have a fire in our range and it feels good. None of the corn in our county is ready for a frost. I hear about good corn south and west of us but much corn around her was drowned out. Our creek has been high all summer. one night Ralph was away threshing so I went after cows. Always before they have been on this side of our creek which really should be called a river. In early days it was called Chanyaska River. I did not tell mother I planned to wade the creek f if the cows were on the other side, but I carried an old pair of shoes to wear home. I expected the water would feel icy but it did not and across I went with the water over my knees. When I got home mother was worried because I was gone so long and I have orders from Ralph and her not to do that again. It would have been over his boots and probably a mile or more around by the bridge and through our neighbor's yard. It made him sick once he waded. I fear I may not get all this poem unless I put one verse below "Along the Way" "Good neighbors meet These penfriends that I've chanced to meet And Gertrude sends her lists for cheer And on these lists the names appear. She sends us poems, patterns, news, And other helps that we can use. Her bulletin is well worthwhile I always greet it with a smile. I have not made myself clear but it is Mrs Vivian Kimball, Walworth, Wis that edits the interesting little paper called, "Along the Way" with its letters, editorials, poems, and various articles. Now I must say "Good bye" to the six who get these and write on the other side. I plan to write some more "Along the Way" verses for I have met many beautiful friends in my 61 years, and the WAY grows "sweeter as the days go by". Dear Miss Blackwell, A while back I ran across a poem of yours. I wondered if you wouldn't like to see it. It was from a children's missionary program. I haven't written you lately but I think of you often with much love and I honor you for the many enterprises for human justice and betterment that you have championed. On thing I did not mention [of] the other side in my letter was Mother. She was 87 years old in July. She has her sick spells, early this month she had neuralgia. Just now she is able to do little things, but her eyesight has failed so she cannot read but she writes letters. I want to write an "Along the Way" verse about you but that will not be hard. However I must get caught up with my correspondence that has suffered while I did some canning. I hope this finds you well and happy. With much love Irene Benton, Granada Minn. 36-6-D Hunt, Idaho, March 16, 1944 My dear Miss Benton, It has been sometime since I have had the pleasure of receiving your nice and friendly letter. I have meant to write you much sooner for it is indeed an honor and a privilege to have someone so far away for a friend. You don't know how much we appreciate a friend who understands us and our problems. No doubt it was my brother, Rev. Fukuyama, who gave you my name. He is my only brother-there are just the two of us. I am married and have two boys, ages sis and eight. We are Baptists but of course denominations are not very important as we all worship our beloved God. Our evacuation and mode of life in a relocation center is a long story, and it would fill many pages. I will attempt to explain a little of the highlights of our story. We left Seattle, Wash. May 1, 1942, a day which we will never erase from our memory. For three months we remained in an assembly center, Puyallup, Wash., pending the completion of a permanent camp. The center was crude and we were herded together by thousands in a small area. We couldn't even visit our friends in an adjacent camp, a few hundred feet away without a permit. Everything was very strict but we got used to the change. On Sept 5th we arrived we arrived in Hunt, Idaho, a hot dusty barren camp. However, everything developed along very nicely and the former sagelands have been conformed into a miniature city. Here there is no barbed wire fence nor guards stationed around as in the assembly center. The policy of the WRA is relocation, to disperse the people throuout our huge country so as to prevent Japanese colonies being located in certain places as was on the Pacific coast. We are a minority group but our problems are big ones. More and more we realize how much the church means to us. It helps us see through the darkness. It is kind friends like you and a host of others who are the light. Hunt is much like an ordinary city. There is a federal post-office, police and a fire department, a community council, which is a form of government and other minor operations. We buy our essentials at the co-op and order from mail catalogs. We are allowed trips to nearly Twin Falls for shopping sprees and such. It is small town and the inhabitants complain the evacues have bought out the town. Do not get the idea that we are rich for we are not. Evacues wages are $16 a month, the professionals get $19. The WRA provides room and board. A family is given a room, size according to its number. We wash and bath in a community wash room and and eat in a community dining hall which seats around 200. We have our problems, especially if we have children. Bad habits are easily learned and hard to break. The population fluctuates around 7,000 to 8,000 There is a continuous stream of relocation and now the young men will soon be drafted and that leaves the children, women, older men. I have a primary group of S.S. children and I am church treasurer. I am enclosing a copy of the Herald by which I hope you will gain some idea of our Federated church. Let us hope the day of peace will soon come. After she signed her name she said, "My name is terribly Jangthy and it causes me much embarrassment and difficulty. DID YOU CALL HIM BROTHER. Did you call him brother, though another race; Did you show him kindness, love upon your face? Did you call him brother, though another creed; Did you show him charity, in each word and deed? Did you call him brother, though he was your foe; Did you show forgiveness, or give him blow for blow? Did you call him brother, when the way was long; Did you cheer his pathway, with a word or song? Did you call him brother, he for whom Christ died; Did you walk beside him, when his heart was tried? Did you call him brother, this is asked of you; What is then your answer, if you answered true? In the book, "Frank Higgins there was the story of him and a Negro porter who offered his services. As Frank H, talked he addressed the porter as "Brother". The Negro refused any pay saying, "You called me brother." That is how I got the subject for this poem. Thank you, Mrs Hayden for what you wrote about how I felt toward all races. I do like them all someone may say that he doesn't like such and such people because of what they have done I think about what war and hate did to boys from our little church, farm boys brought up kind, honest, and loving. One boy in particular, one of the finest boys I ever knew. I have not time to go into the details for you all know. If these boys will do these things we read in the papers, how about the boys that have no religious or moral training? When I think about the Germans I think about our nice Irenes of that nationality and of my so dear Clara who died this summer, and of Elizabeth, generous, truehearted, and kind. Of the Japanese there are our Baptist brothers and sisters, of a penfriend of mine in an evacue camp, Mary Imayanazita, of the Japanese soldier, a story I read in our daily who gave water to an American saying, "I. Christian." [*"whatsoever col 3:17*] Granada, Minn., Aug 8, 1946 Dear friends of mine, This letter is going to be dedicated to Mrs Gertrude Hayzlett of the " "Good Neighbor" club,685 Thayer Ave., Los Angeles 24, Calif. Her bulletin is just like a personal letter and very interesting. She years ago had a program for the shutins on K.F.N.F. and later worked on the Kitchen Klatter paper there in Shenandoah, Iowa. Now she has moved to California. In the GUIDE there is a page for ads of things that shutins have to sell. Among the names I see names of my penfriends, Miss Myrtle Lain, Barnumton, Mo who has views of the Ozarks for 25 cents a dozen. Hannah Grefsrud, Hawley, Minn has fancy holders to sell as also does Vela Patterson, Golden Miss. Various clubs are raising money to send Vela to the famous clinic at Rochestere Minn. Also in the Guide is a long birthday list of shutins and the workers in the club. Then there are invalid helps, poetry, news of the members, embroidery patterns, and suggestions for raising of flowers. Those who will receive this letter may wonder why I have been so slow. I even owe five letters and cards written in April. The middle of Feb. mother was taken real sick and she is just getting back to her usual health. Some of the time she has been real sick. At night I would be too tired to write. The threshing machine is at work on our place but our renter feeds them. This has been a grand year for threshing scarcely any rain but the oats are thin. The fields of soy beans look so pretty. Corn is a wonderful crop. Our neighbor across the road is cutting his alfalfa today. Most of the threshing runs have finished. I remember 6 years ago we went to West Salem, Wis over Labor Day and the threshing was not done on account of so much rain. Yesterday the aid was at the church. I was hostess and furnished the coffee and sandwiches. There was a very small attendance for it is a busy time. Our president gave a report of the "House Party" for Baptist women at Carleton College. Now each member is to bring just one thing for the supper. We are canning string beans today, Ralph picked them this morning before the grain was ready to thresh. Mother cut off the ends, and I did the rest. We 6 quarts left over from last year and 29 pints so far this year. This is one vegetable that both of my fussy people like. Our Austra Whites that we bought May 25th are doing fine, the only one I lost was one a box fell on it. I weighed a couple and they weight 5 and a half lbs It is a lot of work to feed them so Ralph does that in the morning. He has been separator man since threshing began. In harvesting he rode the binder. It keeps me busy washing and mending unionalls. Now I will go to my letter box to see who will get one these seven letters besides dear Gertrude. Miss Mandie Richard, Beaver City, Nebr She was one of the shutins I wrote to when I was in Rev Edythe Stirlen's SOS club. Mandie has had amputations on both legs but is always such a cheerful, dear girl. Another will go to Mrs Iona Stegall, Marchaltown, Iowa who was one of my "Star" wheel sisters in the SOS. She has a birthday Aug 11 and is such a dear sweet penfriend. We do not have rime for many letters but she is there and I am here with amny miles that sever, For in our hearts there is a love, That will abide forever." This is true of so many dear friends like Winnifred in Saginaw, Mich my dearest friend of my youthful days. Also true of Miss Alice Stone Blackwell who became a penfriend 19 years ago or more when we were both interested in the suffrage movement and in justice for the political prisoners and especially in Sacco and Vanzetti who were executed Aug 23, 1927. A letter goes to one of my newest friends, Mrs Frances Wood, 80 Bedford Ave, East Hartford S, Conn. Until next time...... Dear Friends, I am finishing up one series of multiple letters and beginning another. Then I will have my machine lined up so I can jot things down as they come up from time to time. I made a resolve that I would put Christ in my letters, so when I found I was at the bottom of my page I put a verse at the very top. First I believe I will finish wht I started on the other page. These letters as I said will go to the following, Mrs Hayzlett, Winnifred, Mrs Stegall, Miss Blackwell, Mrs Wood, and Maudie, Myrtle Lain, Barnumton, Mo will get the 7th one. She is in a little Round Robin that I started with five shutins. I mentioned her on the other page, she writes a very interesting letter Thurs Aug 15th, We had company come Sat morning while Ralph and I were in Fairmont. When Ralph and I got home near dinner time mother was trying to get them something to eat. He stayed until this morning when he left in his car for Minneapolis. I just dropped all writing for it took all my time to do the regular work. Sunday afternoon we went to the "Residence" in Winnebago. Since mother has been sick I had not been able to make any calls there except very brief ones. One of my friends had had a stroke and I found her in a wheel chair out on the porch and had a little visit with her. Since writing the above we have had a bad storm about 6 in the evening. The wind blew limbs off the trees all over our yard, the toilet tipped over, and a chicken was killed. I am anxious to hear about the storm in other places. We had a little hail and a lot of thunder and lightning. It was very dark. Sunday afternoon, I will write a little and the I will get these off. The Thurs evening storm proved to be a bad one in the township north of us, barns were blown down, corn flattened, and trees blown over but nobody was hurt. Friday evening there was another storm that was scary but I have not heard of any damage. Then last evening a wind struck in the edge of Mankato and completely demolished a cabin camp. I heard 25 were killed but have not heard just for sure. Another struck the center of Wells Minn but have not heard of any being killed. Another storm is predicted for tonight. This morning I did not got to church, mother was not feeling well enough to be left alone. She has had her dinner and fells better. She had company yesterday and it was so warm. There is a new minister at our church, a blind man. We are to have them all ourselves and for the present he and his wife have rented apartments in Granada. I was opposed to the idea of separating from the Nashville church. They need us and it is going to be an expensive arrangement. Nashville has a candidate coming today. Dear Miss Blackwell, Your Easter card with good thoughts arrived in April. I wanted to answer sooner but many things have hindered. I thank you for putting upon this card in your own handwriting, "With affectionate remembrance." That is a sweet thought for me. That I have your affection is to me something dear. Please remember that I always think of you with affection and love. I hope this finds you in good heath. Yours in our dear friendship. Irene Benton Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.