From: sharon k. bearce <sbearce@ameritech.net>

To: 'Lee' <charlesh@uniserve.com>

Subject: RE: date of letter refered to as letter from Ida Helle to Royal Helle

I wish I knew.  When Mom was alive, she told me that Alta was alone on her farm after I believe it was her parents had died, and they sent Royle to do the farming for her.  Alta was about 5 years older than Royle.  From the sounds of this letter, it appears that Royle was left on the farm to do the farming for Alta, and they had just left him there. It sounds as if Sheldon was there as well, where ever they were. 

Ok, I got out the famous book of our ancestory of the Helle's.  Alta was the child of Maria Theresa "Tracy" Helle Fouts.  Alta's mother died in May 1928.  Her father, Sherman "Sherm" Fouts died in July, 1928.  Alta was born Feb 1899 and Royle in Feb 1904.  Royle would have been about 24 when Alta's father died.  Alta would have been 29.  She and Royle were married when she was 30 according to the book. 

Therefore, If this is correct, and it was during this time, it would have been about 1928 in the Fall. However, Sheldon would have been only 15 years old in 1928.   I suppose Grandma may have left him there for a while too, to help with the farming.

Now I get out Ethels book and find the period of 1928-9 to see where her family was at this time:

She writes:  The depression was hitting many factories and Don (Walton) could see that it would be not time a t all until his job would also be affected.  In 1929 Dad (our grandfather) hadn't made any money at farming.  All of the farmers were hit hard with the depression.  Dad had located some timber close to Kewanee.  He and Delbert bought a mill to cut it.  Walter and Sheldon continued to farm the 220 acres near Geneseo where the family lived.  They were sixteen and seventeen years old at the time, and worked under the direction of Dad. 

So now it all fits together with the letter.  Grandma was upset because they were living through a depression and her family was in two and three locations.  Sheldon and Walt were continuing to farm the homestead, while the rest of the family had moved to the Kewanee area to work a sawmill, that our Grandfather and Delbert had bought.  Royle was helping Alta out with her farm after the death of both of her parents in 1928.  

So with a little bit of research I believe it is in the Fall or 1928 or spring of 1929 when this letter was written.   

Sharon