Thursday, July 26, 2012

Birthday Party, Seventy Years Later


Though she was only a girl at the surprise party of her mother in 1898, Agnes Tully Stevens must have thrived in such a social milieu, for the next letter I find among her keepsakes talks about nothing else. The social circles around Agnes must have been lively, friendly, clusters over the decades. That one thing, for certain, seems not to have changed.

I have no clue who it is that composed this letter. The letter was written just a few days after Agnes turned eighty, so it must have followed a party for a grand occasion, indeed!


Chicago, Ill.
June 17,
1968
*    *    *    *    *    *
My Very Dear Friends:
            Have you ever met people for the first time in your life, and felt that you’ve known them all your life? Well, that’s exactly how I felt last nite, after leaving your house—like I’ve known you and have been visiting with you all my life! I couldn’t resist writing you folks this letter, to show my appreciation for having been invited to a “GRAND LADY’S” Birthday Party! I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed anything more.
            If my mother were living, today would have been her birthday, and she would be 81.
            You certainly have a wonderful “bunch” of relatives and friends—and what a grand re-union it must have been for you, Agnes.
            After we got home last evening, Terry told me what a grand time she had out there too!
            Some Tues. or Wed., when I’m out driving around with my girlfriend who has her own car, we might drop in and say “hello.” Sometimes she takes me shopping to Ford City or to Scottsdale, and sometimes we wind up as far as 95th Street!
            With this letter, I’m enclosing about 8 copies of that joke that Alice O’Brien gave me to type up. Maybe some of your relatives might want a copy. I’ll keep the one Alice gave me, and if I need more, I can make them easily enough.
            Once again, I want to say how much I enjoyed meeting everyone out there yesterday.
            Hope to see you folks again before the summer passes.

                                    Love and Prayers to all - - - - -
                                                Celia

1 comment:

  1. Ford City and Scottsdale are neighborhoods in south Chicago only 6-7 miles from Garfield Avenue.

    Agnes seems to have had "friend winning ways."

    ReplyDelete

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