Abiding in Their World

(5/31) Frank Lunn came down from Cheyenne Memorial Day and will stay until tonight at least and perhaps tomorrow night. … He went down to Greeley to visit Rueben and Evodia a little while. They are both interested in the affairs at Bethany. … Have you heard that Pihlblads were in an accident and that they were injured very seriously. He was injured Monday and was still unconscious Fri. when Frank left.

(5/31) Ebba just told me that the theatre in town has been changed into a miniature old peoples’ home. You’ll have to see how neat the home looks. Different people have tried off and on to run a theatre here but they have always been unsuccessful. Mrs. Samuel Johnson told Ebba that some years ago there was a group who held street meetings in this town who prayed that there would never be movies shown here. Prayer prevails. … In the last Lutheran Companion there is an account of the terrible accident that happened to President Pihlblad, his wife, and Jens Stensaas. I wonder how they are getting along now. Conditions in Bethany are quite sick. Adelyn told me somewhat of why Uhi was told to resign. We need to pray about all this.

(6/3) Margaret, I do not see how anyone could say there is no God at all, after beholding this earth and all its beauty and most especially this morning. It is a privilege and we, who are not only alive, but have also all our faculties, such as sight, hearing, thot and motion, must certainly thank God without end. … It was nice that you could help your brothers and you need not worry either about coming out here, buying any furniture or even an elaborate wedding. I say truthfully that I like simplicity. Only, that we be in God’s temple and married by one of his workers. This will certainly not be hard for us. I am glad that you have brothers who are ministers. It is a wonderful calling. I told my folks a long time ago that we should like them to come to the wedding, so they will have an opportunity to plan for it. … I took Frank Lunn to Cheyenne Wed. afternoon and the plains between here and there are beautiful. They are very green with millions of flowers upon them. The Colorado primrose is quite a large flower (they call it the sand lily) and there were acres and acres of them.

(6/8) While at Gustafsons John learned for a certainty that he is to go to the synodical convention in New York. . . . I would like to go because I do enjoy being with such a large Lutheran body and then I have never been to the East. . . . “All the Way my Savior Leads Me. / What have I to ask beside?” … Then John said that I could go along to Mora tomorrow and to the synod next week. Walter, I am so happy. May God use me in His own way. I’ll let you know how the trip goes all along the way. God will direct us and will keep us safely on the way so that no serious accident occurs if it is His will. Maybe something will happen so that I can’t go but I hope not. “Where He Leads me I Will Follow.” I love to ride with John because we have prayer sessions as we go.

(6/9) I surely am glad that you are intending to buy Frank’s Philco radio. John said that that kind of radio, Philco, is a good make. Won’t we enjoy listening to good radio programs? I don’t like to have the radio on from morning to night. I do like to hear good music and I like to have good lectures, too. Won’t it be fun to choose the better programs from the list? … We received a long letter from Bernard yesterday. He said that Dr. Pihlblad is no longer unconscious but his memory is hazy. Next Monday Mrs. Pihlblad is to have her leg set. We need to remember them in prayer. Think how painful the bruises must be. It seems that God had taken the affairs of the college in His hand and He doesn’t want Pihlblad to have anything to do with them for a while.

(6/11) My Dear Margaret: I hope you get a chance to go to the synodical meeting or Conference. I should like to go. Conrad Floreen, will be ordained. He was student pastor at Cheyenne a few years ago and a fine man and friend. It will be a fine trip, besides as you said; a pleasant and wonderful experience to be together with such a large Lutheran body. I must close this short letter now. It is 5:30 a.m. and I must harness the horses and go to breakfast. I planned to write last nite, but Leonard Molander came over and talked for a while. I was too sleepy when he had gone so I arose this morning in time to write. I miss your letters so much even if the space is only 3 or 4 days. Now it is almost a week since I wrote last. Please forgive me Margaret. I love you dearly and long to see you and be with you.

(6/15) My Dear Margaret: “I know that thou canst do all things, / And that no purpose of thine can be restrained,” Job, 42;2. … Only God made it possible for me to meet you and for you to love me as you do. And only he would cause all things to go as well as they have been and are doing. I refer to my work and farming. For everything is working out just right it seems. True; I am very busy and I must say, working pretty steady if not hard. But that is proper anyway and I thank God, for health and strength to work. Never have I worked so hard and never has it been so easy to work. Knowing that I am working for you, and knowing that your prayers go to God, on my behalf; certainly makes it easy to work. … I am glad that you prayed as you worked. I often do, even tho it is only in the mind, God hears and understands and I think these are often our most sincere and most heard prayers, because they are so spontaneous. If you go to New York, I will be praying that He will guide you and keep you, going and coming. Of course this is always my prayer. I dont know when this letter will get to you if you go. If it stays in Minn. it will keep until you get back and if you stay for several days, it will be forwarded to you. … Now I will mention a thot that has been running in my head for several days. If I sent you a ticket would you like to come out here and visit. You could stay both at my home and at Reubens and Evodias. You could meet my folks and we could look over the house and make plans. It will need some cleaning and work done on it. Altho, I doubt that Mr. Brown would spend a great deal, I think he would do quite a bit for me. Then you could chose the colors and make suggestions. We could even plan and look for furniture, perhaps even pick it out. This is merely a suggestion and God will direct us. It would cost far more than a ticket to drive to Minn and at least that much if I went by bus.

(6/16) Dear Walter, “All the Way my Savior leads me.” Thus far our trip has gone just fine. We slept on a steamboat last night. We hope to see Niagara Falls this evening. I have never been out of the U. S. before and so I am certainly drinking in the sights. Quite a few ride bicycles and walk instead of riding in cars.

(6/20) Dear Walter, “Jesus only!” Mother and I are here at Olanders but I plan to go to New York City sometime soon. We have had such a nice time travelling. Since we don’t know when we are coming home I don’t think you should plan to come to Minnesota the week of July 16. I am quite sure that I won’t be home then altho maybe the folks will.

(6/22) My Dear Margaret: The Teacher is here and calleth thee. John 11: 28 Good morning Margaret: How are you. Did you get seasick or did you only take the boat for a short distance. I thot that you might take the boat almost to New York. A lake excursion on a large boat would be lots of fun and very interesting. Jamestown is quite a long way north of New York city, is it not? Is it on the Hudson river! It is also the home of one of the largest churches in our synod I believe .… May your journey, be safe, pleasant, profitable and may our Father watch over you all the way.

(6/27) Dear Walter, “My Church! My Church! I love her ancient name!” Today we have been to the [tricentennial (?)] celebration. We witnessed the ordination in Bethlehem Church in N. Y. City yesterday. Tomorrow we plan to spend in Philadelphia. I received your letter while I was in Jamestown. We are not planning to return via Jamestown.

(6/28) My Dear Margaret: “For the Son of Man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mark: 10:45. Margaret, it seems such a long time since I heard from you that I find myself fearing that you are not well. My hope and prayer is that you are instead enjoying your trip and benefiting from it. I have often wondered about that which we call love. How is it expressed? As we look about us we certainly see many different ideas of how it should be expressed. But I think Jesus makes it very plain here that we are to express our love thru service to one another. Certainly, He who was love, knew best how to express it.… P.S. Last Sunday I came to our prayer hour at 6 P.M., but that meant 9 P.M. there. Should you change your mind, about staying as long as you had planned, please let me know immediately. I must either come see you soon after the 4th or wait until the latter part of July or 1st of August. I do wish you could come out here for reasons that I have already mentioned. Tho I long to see you, do not cut your trip short. I think I can stand it for a while yet, if I only get a letter once in a while. Please write as often as possible.

(7/14) My Dearest Margaret, “He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said.” Matt 28;6. How important that statement is. If it was not in the Bible or was not true, this world would be vastly different, so much so that the most vivid imagination could get no picture of it. … I am tired and must soon go to bed, but I wanted to send just a little letter to you. Soon I shall see you and we may talk together and plan together. I lost the horse that was sick. He was suffering so much that I shot him this morning. It was quite a loss but I think it will all work out for the best.

(7/17) My dearest Walter, Thanks for the letter which I received yesterday. … I am sorry that your horse died. I hope it isn’t the one that was gentle. I hope none of the other horses get the sickness. The death of the horse, I’m afraid, means quite a loss for you. May God supply you with another horse. Walter, there isn’t much time left before I’ll be on my way to Colorado. On the 29th of July is mother’s birthday and in the evening is an ice cream social. John wants me to sing a solo that evening. I don’t like to travel on Sunday as I guess it will mean that I start out on Monday morning the 31st. It will surely be fun to be with you in our little home for a little while before coming there to stay a long long time.

(7/20) Wednesday evening. … Now I am lying propt up in bed with one of my feet raised up on a pillow. I thought I would tell you about what happened today before I go to sleep. … Now I am finally coming to what I have planned to write to you about for almost a week but I wanted to know more about it first. While at camp I noticed a little swelling on my foot, I asked the Mt. Carmel nurse about it and later a deaconess, Sister Minnie, about it and they both said it was a tumor and for me to see a doctor about it but not to worry about the swelling. Since Margaret Setterman asked Ebba & I to ride along to Bertha we got a free ride to the doctor. I told him about the tumor. He said that because of the place of the tumor he thought it best to have it cut away . . . In the afternoon I had the operation. … He said that I should do very little walking for a month. Now—how about my going to Colorado? I want to come but it will be very hard to walk around shopping when I am to be so careful. I am glad to be over having that swelling which I thought was but a mosquito bite.

(7/22) Tomorrow I am to go to the doctor to have my wound cared for. I have been in bed since Wednesday afternoon. There are so many things that I should like to do but I do want to obey the doctor so that I can get well soon so instead I lie in bed. … P.S. Rebecca didn’t see Isaac until she came to his home to be married. I have seen you at Colorado and in Minnesota so I can wait until you come to Minn. for the wedding.



(7/29) Since my foot has healed so fast I plan to leave for Colorado on Monday morning. The bus leaves here at 10:30 a.m. I don’t plan to stop off any place except to change buses. If all goes well and as planned, I will get to Greeley on Tuesday evening.