Mail Call: 5 Dec 1935 (George)

George, Cow and Dogs in 1930s print
thanks to Doc Pugh.

From George Potter in Cabool, MO to his daughter Mary Potter in Washington, DC

Includes a story of David Potter's troubles driving his sisters to school:  the third flat of the day leaves him fixing the tire by the light and heat of a "small bonfire" near Sargent, MO.

Mary is advised to have the boarding house serve her liver twice a week to offset anemia (which also affected George's mother, Mary Hasbrouck Potter; a blood test would "be a good plan").

An extended version of the demise of "Betty Cow" suggests that George had a very close call; the cow nearly collapsed on him. "and nothing but the devil looking out for his own saved me."

A good dinner was had on Thanksgiving in spite of it all; "chicken, pie etc."

Dog lovers should avoid the tale of Pat the Dog's puppies on the last page.  Plenty of ill luck for the cow and dogs.

"Art" (Stewartson) is Mary's current boyfriend,
"Gregory" must have been the previous model, not much favored by George, Elaine or Dorothy.
No picture of Art, though.

Mail Call: 14 Sep 1935 (George)

Elaine Potter (21) and Dorothy Potter (19)
in St. Louis, Sept 1935

George Potter in Cabool, MO to his daughter Mary in Washington, DC

The school tuition issue from earlier letters was not resolved in the Potter's favor; Florence ("Flapper") and Dave can go to Cabool High School but Marjorie ("Peg") is stuck in the country school at Sargent.  This is financially a problem, as the drive to/from Sargent is costly in the long run even though the cash was not available to pay Marjorie's tuition up front.

Mary has evidently spent Labor Day with her then-boyfriend Art and his friends in New York  See the 1 September post for some mementoes. "...but how can you lose so much sleep?"

Elaine is in St. Louis; Dorothy evidently visited at some point in September, 1935, which led to attitude once back home...

"Too young"...George is 60 at this point.

Verna Madison:  identified
Katie Brown: Arch Brook's son Roy's wife Mildred's sister.  Really.

"Dora" is George's sister in E. St. Louis with whom Elaine is staying
Dorothy is, I believe, in Springfield doing domestic odd jobs.

Mail Call: 18 March 1935 (Marjorie)

From Marjorie Potter in Cabool (Age 11) to her sister Mary in St. Louis.

The fun in this letter is on the second page; Sixteen year old brother David has been snatching his sisters' gum and gets shut out of the house for dinner.  He manages to improvise for himself and does not go hungry,

Thanks to cousin Linda Rauk for this letter, which Mary had returned to Marjorie in the 1980's