1948 Christmas Wishes from Grace Doud to Susan and Herman Weber & family

The Grace Sherwood Doud referred to in the last blog sent a Christmas card to my Grandmother 40+ years after the time described in the previous blog post of the Doud Brothers in Tacoma.  Grace still lived in Tacoma and in 1948  and  sent Susan and Herman Weber a package and a card.  The reason I wanted to share this was because of the descriptive short note written on the inside.  Grace is remembering back to her  growing up years on the farm in Kendall (picture at the end of last entry); the same farm on which her niece Susan and family still lived and worked -- Spring Brook Farm.  The parents she is recalling are Richard William Sherwood and his second wife, Grace Gulvin Sherwood.  He had been married previously to Grace's sister, Mary Ann with whom he had seven children.  Grace Sherwood Doud was the last child of that marriage as Mary Ann died in 1866.  A year later, Richard married his sister-in-law, Grace Gulvin, namesake of his youngest daughter. The two of them had three more children, two of whom also moved to the Pacific Northwest.  During the early 1870's when the events Grace recalls happened, she would have been in grade school.    

December 15, 1948

Dear Susan & family,

            I am sending you a small carton of holly.  Hope you enjoy it.  I have a large tree in my yard.  It is so beautiful with its vivid green leaves and bright red berries.  It is such a beautiful reminder of this happy Yuletide.  My thoughts go back to a Christmas Eve long ago when Aunt Esther [Gulvin] was at the farm. She gathered we children around her and we sang carols at father and mother’s window.  It was a lovely night, cold and plenty of snow and the stars looked so close with the Milky Way a path all across the sky.

            We have so little snow here and none so far except in the mountains where it is deeper than it has been for many years.  Most of the passes are closed and there will be little skiing for a while. 

            Love to you all and a Merry Christmas from

                                                                       Aunt Grace Doud

 

 

Esther Gulvin, the Aunt to which she refers in this letter. Esther was another sister of Mary Ann Gulvin and Grace Gulvin.