File:1940 - 04 14 Theodore Hinderer to Clara.jpg

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source:Clara Hinderer collection.

Theodore Hinderer wrote this letter to his sister Clara in 1940. It is addressing how to pay for their father's funeral expenses who had died the previous month. There has been tension between the kids who about who did the most to care for their dad. I think "M" refers to Melinda Hintz.

Pullman, WA

April 14, 1940

Dear Clara:

Don’t know if I can listen to the Jello Program and write at the same time but here goes. I started putting in spring crop today so I'll be busy for a while. We were ready to go into the field three weeks ago, then it started raining and kept it up until about five days ago. When it does get dry here the ground gets as hard as brick and the crops have to be put in, in a hurry.

So Marie also gets some of those wonderful letters from M. I have had several. I send her five dollars one time, in fact I had one just two days before we got words about Dad. I was sitting at the table trying to think of something mean enough to write to here when we got the message from Paul saying Dad had passed away.

If the one Marie got each time is like the one I have it's a dandy. Will let you read it sometime when you are here. Don’t know if E.P. knows about these letters or not. If he does I place him in the same category with M.

I know if it had not been for the $30 pension money Dad was getting, M. would not have been so anxious to get to take care of Dad. We all know Dad was their meal ticket and I don’t think the HInderer family owes her a hell of a lot. When I used to work for E.P. he always furnished good eats, but I have never seen thirty dollars of grub in their place since he was married. But if he is willing to live under such conditions more power to him.

Now as to the person that loaned E.P. the money. "Rex Price” happens to be on of the best friend I have. He is manager of the Waterville Hardware company. One time when ? and I were indulging in a few extra drinks, he told me how M. read the law to him for sending E.P. a statement when they didn’t have money to feed their kids.

I tried to see Rex when I was at the funeral, but he was busy and I was in a hurry so between saying hello and goodbye that was about all there was time for.

He sure is a nice fellow, very reliable, and a square shooter. I know how to appreciate him because I owed the Hdw. lots of money when times were tough.

Now as to paying the funeral expenses I sure am willing to do what I can, but it is kinda hard for me to commit myself to any certain amount. I may have money to take care of half of the amount this fall and again I may be begging for help. Blaine and I both are dodging an appendix operation. If we would have to have them it would be financially embarrassing for me. I am also on a small place now, but so far have managed a decent standard of living.

You said you may be able to dig up fifty dollars. You have your responsibilities, and I think you helped the folks more while they were living than the rest of the kids and if you do advance any money it should only be temporary.

I don’t know how much salary Gene is getting, but if he is able to do so, I think this still is a good time for him to do something more for the folks. They undoubtedly made as great a sacrifice to put him thru school.

Than there is E.P. He has in 600 acres of wheat and frosfrects in Waterville. Are fine and with this war going on and pessimistic crop reports he should not find it embarrassing to kick thru with his share.

Fred owes the group in ? so much money I suppose he will almost keep busy trying to keep from paying it.

So I guess the thing will simmer down to E.P., Gene and myself whether M. likes it or not. And as far as compensating her for her work, whatever suits the bunch suits me. Fern did Mother’s washing the winter she was sick in Waterville, but the good she got out of being able to help mother could not be bought with money.

I think we ought to at least buy a barrel of lysol and give it to M. She sure must have used a lot of it. Maybe I am getting too ornery because my faith in the old saying “There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us that it doesn’t behoove any of us to talk about the rest of us” is getting me down, and she surely did do a lot of good.

Irh gethour habet an diesen meinen geringsten das habet ihr auch an mire gethau Ifs dor woufs? (Was hast du für das kleinste von mir getan, was du für mich getan hast? = What you have you done for the least of mine you have done for me.)

Time to take a bath and get a few hours of shut eye.

Love to you and Ralph,

Ted