Grandma Peabody
August eight
Dear Cedric,
I was so relieved when I received your card telling of being an Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Nora’s.. You did not state how long you expected to stay with them but I am taking a chance hoping this letter will find you still there on the farm.
It’s wonderful to know you are meeting so many of the relatives. I’m sure you will enjoy knowing them all. Don’t you think Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Nora very nice? I fell in love with her when I met her.
Last Sunday afternoon Burton and I went over to Trumbull, having received a letter from Elizabeth inviting us, also telling us Aunt Corinne was there on a visit. I don’t suppose you remember her very much, do you? It was nice to see the family again. Laddie and Daniel were home. Dickey was away at camp. They all seemed fine.
Monday afternoon I was very pleasantly surprised by Anne and Dorothy arriving unannounced. They are both fine. Aunt Anne expects to leave for Vermont the latter part of this week. Uncle Larry and Aunt Marian are leaving today. If you could hitchhike to Vermont too, you would have some more happy times.
Things here in Ossining are running along the usual way again. That gruesome accident made quite a stir up. It was horrible. Most of those injured were brought up St. Paul’s Place to the hospital which is some blocks away on the street above us. Also the dead were taken to the undertaker who lives on the other side of St. Paul’s Church. As only one person could be carried in the ambulance and trucks it took a long time before all were cared for. There was such a clanging of bells, and noise from autos. Hundreds of autos passed our place. Burton was very busy getting all possible information and did not get home till after midnight. One young man lost his father, mother and a sister, 13 years old.
Today’s papers are telling again of the terrible heat wave in the middle west, and that we will get it. Thermometer shows 80° today. I would love to hear from you again. Please give my love to everyone and keep a lot for yourself.
Lovingly,
Grandma
Tomorrow, I’ll begin a week of letters written in 1941. Dan and Ced have been in Alaska for almost a year and Lad is looking forward to coming home in a few weeks after being in Venezuela for almost two and a half years. Everyone seems to be excited about that.
Judy Guion
"Greatest Generation" Life Lessons 
Times have certainly changes. Ced could’ve hitched a ride to Vermont and I think it would’ve been safer to do than it is today.
EmilyAnn – And to think, Grandpa let him hitchhike all the way to North Dakota and Wisconsin… I still find it amazing !
It most definitely is. In some ways the world was a much bigger place back then. Not as many restrictions as we have today. The irony is that today we are told we have more personal freedom and choices than in previous generations! Nobody would hitchhike cross country today, not if they really were worried about personal safety!
Judy, I think it says something about our society, too. There is increased mobility today and less knowledge about who is who in a community. Back in our parents generation many small towns and cities had a stable population so that hitching a ride to town or even the next city wasn’t as risky sometimes.
EmilyAnn – You are absolutely right. I know I had much more personal freedom than my children did. We were much safer back then because most people followed a moral code. I’m afraid we can’t say that about many people today. :(
Wow, a family letter from 1934 is a treasure yet in this case, tragic. I don’t have a date but there was a horrendous bus accident in July:
http://www.newspapers.com/image/50882478/?terms=ossining+four+dead
Koji – Thank you very much for the additional information. I’m sure that is the accident Grandma Peabody was writing about. It certainly would have been the major news story for several weeks after the accident and her letter was written on Aug. 8th.
We won’t know for sure…unless you find out, Judy! :-)
Koji – I’ll try to find out.
It wasn’t my intention to imply that! :-) But if anybody can dig it up, it’s you!
Koji – I’ll give it the old college try !! :)
I liked her closing – “Please give my love to everyone and keep a lot for yourself.”
Lillian
Lillian – I do too. She always sent her love to each of the boys as she wrote to them.
Do you know what the tragic accident was in Ossining?
I am also wondering. A train accident perhaps?
gpcox, perhaps it was this bus accident in July (plz see above).
AHA.
Koji – Thanks. I’m sure you are right.