5 cents - Air Mail
U.S. Grant Hotel - San Diego
European Plan - Absolutely Fireproof - Baron Long, President

We have been worried about you both in the hot weather of the past week.

U.S. Grant Hotel
San Diego, California
11 A.M.  June 30, 1931.

Dear John, -

I have just bought my ticket and stopped in here to write you, when I will arrive.

If you are going anywhere the Fourth, don’t stay home on my account, as I will not get there until the afternoon of the Fourth.  Will come to Lasita on the motor from Garrison.  My trunk will not get there as soon as I do because I am changing trains five times en route.  I leave here 2:30 P.M. Wed. 1st

I go by way of Los Angeles - Salt Lake - Denver - Manhattan and Garrison to get a cooler route than I used to take, but costs the same.  I have a couple hours off every supper time at those towns Wed - Thu - Fri - arriving at Manhattan 12:50 Sat. over the Union Pacific #6-26.  I do not go through Clay Center.  If you would rather I came to Clay Center you would have to telegraph me c/o Western Union, The Union Depot, Denver anytime before 10 P.M. July 3, as I will ask there before I leave on my train at 10 P.M.  Then I could change at Junction City.  But because of my trunk I thought I better come to Lasita, although we have carried it inside our auto as it is a “steamer” trunk.  And the motor doesn’t run on Sunday.  If I had not been waiting for the July 1st rates I could have come a day earlier.

If you need to reach me any other time you will have to telegraph Guy as he will know where I am every day on the trip, and would let me know.

If I do not hear from you I will come via Manhattan as I said.  I leave Manhattan 2:35 P.M. and Garrison 3:03 P.M. according to the time table, July 4th

I hope the hot weather hasn’t been too much for you and Mother.  I know it will soon be better - it couldn’t be worse according to the papers.  We are well as usual.  Greetings and Best Wishes.  If you are gone the 4th I can easily walk from Lasita if I remember the way.

Yours Hemmie.

Next HNB Letter - July 3, 1931.

[1931.06.30 / day - HNB to John Backlund Jr. in Lasita, Kansas.]

5 cents - Air Mail

San Diego, Calif.
June 26, 1931.

Dear Mother,

Thanks for the letter, received some time ago.  I hope you are well as usual.  We are all well and the weather is nice here.  We read that it is hot in Kansas.

I have been thinking I would come and make you a visit this summer as I have not been to Kansas for several years and since school is out I can come now.  Lloydine is a big girl now and can keep house for her Daddy while I am gone.  It will be good practice for her to cook and keep house for Guy while I take a trip.  She has to stay in San Diego to be ready for school in August and she is going to the dentist every week to have her teeth straightened.

I think I can come after Fourth of July and will let you know when it will be that I can come.  Lovingly, and Greetings from,
Hemmie.

Next HNB Letter - June 26, 1931.

[1931.06.08 / day - HNB to John Backlund Jr. in Lasita, Kansas.]

3735 32nd, San Diego, Calif.
June 8, 1931.

Dear John, -

A little late for “Best Birthday Greetings” but here they are just the same.  Birthdays are something like a bald head - “What no one welcomes but what no one wants to part with altogether.”

I enclose some clippings.  Lloydine says one of them is “too intellectual”.  I don’t know who had it printed.  I sat down to read the paper one day and there it was in the “annual” edition, on the front page too.  Someone asked me if I made it up; I said, “You don’t think I copied it do you?” and I guess they felt foolish.  Anyway, I got 75 cents a word for it.

In passing our old home one day I took some pictures of it.  Will soon take some of our new house as the tile roof was just put on and the outside plastered white yesterday.  The painters are working on the inside yet, and the hardwood floors are not laid, nor the hardware on.  Otherwise it is pretty well done.  Plastering now & setting windows next I guess.  It sure ties up money.  And we are so anxious to get our house on the market to sell.  But you can’t sell until the painting is done.

Guy had some had some hard luck the other day on the Hansen job.  He had the house wired for electricity (52 outlets in it) and that night someone who had a grudge against the electrician (there is an association) came in and wreaked all they could with an iron bar.  Tore it all to pieces, doing about $40 worth of damage.  Guy got the police out but they couldn’t find who did it.  They tried to get finger prints on the “conduits” (the wires are all inside of pipes) but the paper wouldn’t stick or something, so they couldn’t.  The police watched & so did we the next night after he got it put in again but no one came.  We can guess who did it but can’t get any evidence at all.  The wiring had cost $101 in the first place, and had been inspected and accepted.  And Guy has never even seen or met the man who probably did it, so he did not even know him.

I got the letters and could read Mother’s very well.  I am quite a Swede you see.  I am glad she liked the oranges.  Also got a letter from her just after Mother’s Day that was nice, and more English, but couldn’t read it any easier.  She seems very contented but I don’t see how she can do much around the house, etc.

And you are pretty well crippled too with only one good right hand to use.  If I was there I would at least be able to use two hands and two big feet.  School will be out in a week, now, and Lloydine will be home for the summer.  So I will be free to do what I want.  Thanks for your offer and you can send a check if you wish or you can wait if you think best.  We are known at the bank here so you can send your personal check or you can get a “Cashiers check” at the bank if you are there.  Then I can keep it in the bank to use for coming when you need me, or I can come when school is out and stay till fall.  But if it will put you out to raise the money now you can wait and send it when needed later instead.  We do not expect to move and our address will be 3735- 32nd St. probably all summer.  We will probably try to sell our house before moving into it, then we won’t have to furnish it.

No more for now.  Hope your corn is coming up.  I have planted some garden, now coming up.

Best Wishes from all to all.  Your Sister, Hemmie.

Next HNB Letter - June 26, 1931.

[1931.06.08 / day - HNB to John Backlund Jr. in Lasita, Kansas.]