March 20, 1902 letter to Mary Ann Keith from Lulu Drake

March 20, 1902

To: Mary Ann Keith

From: Lulu Edna Drake, Nashville, MI

A new schoolhouse is being constructed and new houses are also being built. They have fine electric lights now.

Scan of 1902-03-20 Lulu Drake to Mary Keith

March 20, 1902

We are going to have a new school house constructed of red brick trimed in white brick. It is expected the new building will be ready for use at the opening of school next Sept. Children will be very glad of it for having to attend school in the church made it hard for them.

It is very good for B-dale[1] that the cost to the town and Drs bill was not any greater and it is good also that there are not any more cases of Smallpox in town isn’t it?

And it is here like it is in B-. You can hardly rent a house for love of money. New houses are being built and we have fine electric lights now so you can see we are booming out this way too.

We are sorry to hear Mrs Shafer was sick and hope she is well by this time.

Please tell Mr Keith[2] “Good Afternoon” for me and we do hope this finds you both well and enjoying fine weather.

Hope you may have to have many returns of the same day.

I remain your friend

Lulu Edna Drake

To Mrs Mary Keith

Bloming dale

Van Buren Co, Mich

——- 

[1] Bloomingdale, Michigan, where Mary lives

[2] Mary’s husband, James “Oscar” Keith

 

This letter is among several which were loaned to Jim & Ruth (Stankey) Keith, probably back in the 1980s, by Ella Nola (Curtis) Eaton, whose husband, Clifford Eaton, was the great-great-grandson of James “Oscar” & Mary Ann (Batey) Keith. This is a photocopy of Ruth’s handwritten copy of the letter. Note: Jim Keith is the great-grandson of Charles Luke Keith Jr., who was James “Oscar” Keith’s uncle.