1932: a letter from my great-grandfather to his middle daughter Alvina

Bobby Vanderpool, his mother Alvina with baby Kay, Papa  Barry
John Barry Vanderpool, Mable and her daugher, Ann Clare. 

Alvina and "Van" Vanderpool

Dear Alvina and all,

I received the two shirts today; they are fine.  Just in time and I thank you.  Also received the Valentine from John Barry (John Barry Vanderpool, his grandson, Alvina's son)  The picture is so sweet Ijust want to take him up and hug him and kiss him every time I look at it.  Thank him and you for sending it.

….received your letter a few days ago saying you had moved into an apartment $20.00 a month.  Does that include water, lights, & gas? If not I don't see how you can  pay it and live.  Wish I could help you just a little bit, but just can't.  Things are too tight here.

..It is still raining has been now Sunday, Monday and today (Tuesday) I took Mable (his youngest daughter, Alvina's sister)to Annona yesterday morning and she rode out of there on a horse in the rain.  Roads off the highway are impassable.

…am anxious to go to fixing my garden but too wet.  and no one to help me.

Jap (his brother Jasper, partner in the wholesale grocery firm earlier) and Maude gave us another rooster for Sunday dinner.  We asked them to help us eat it.  A large fine one, had enough left for our dinner Monday and today.  Eats are not costing us much only about $6 up to today this month  Milk and butter runs about $5 a month but Public Utilities eating us up.

Love to all,

Dad

a letter from Grandmother Ruth Ricketts written 1980

This is a letter from my grandmother, Ruth Barry Ricketts, to her younger sister written in 1980.

She writes about where they lived growing up, and about the time after her mother, Annie Barthel Barry, passed away.  It fell to grandmother to try and take her mother's place in the household, and it was such a strain that she had a stroke 2 weeks after Annie's passing. 

She also says, "Brother (Erwin Barry) didn't talk till he was four hears old.  The first thing he said was 'Look at the mule.' "  Below is a picture of Mother and her parents, Donald and Ruth Ricketts, in front of their ouse in Hooks, Texas in the 1960's.