Cards for Anna Christine & Frederik

These two cards are the last of the postcards and letters written to Anna Christine and Frederik Frederiksen, my great grandparents.

This Father's Day card was signed by son Fred. It is undated and blank on the reverse.

The birthday greetings card above was undated and from Ebba Frederiksen Cederberg, the daughter of Anna Christine and Frederik. The message on the back read:

 

"Best Wishes and loving greetings from us all.  Hope you get the old hens.  We are sending under separate cover.  I am in a hurry to get these mailed and on the early train.

Bushels of love

Ebba & All"

~~~~~~~~~~

 

I hope you  enjoyed this small collection of cards and letters written to Anna Christine and Frederik Frederiksen.  They tell small but important stories and give us a view in the their lives. I consider it an honor to be able to share them with others interested in the family history.

Fred's College Graduation

 Fred Frederiksen graduated from the University of California, Southern Branch (later UCLA), in 1925.  His graduation program was shared with and saved by family.

To put this in sequence, Fred and Elda moved to Bell, California in 1923 to teach school.  Fred must have worked hard to both teach and complete the work for his degree.

His graduation was Friday, June 12, 1925.

The Last of the Fred Frederiksen Correspondence

Netherland Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati

Postmarked:  Jul 8, 1940, Cincinnati, Ohio

To:  Mr. & Mrs. Fred Frederiksen, Lewisville, Idaho

Dear Folks, 

Guess you wonder what I'm doing here.  Well we have been to N.E.A. at Milwaukee and are down here visiting some friends.  Got a new car in South Bend, Ind. and are on way to N.Y. Fair.  Will see you before end of month.

Love, Fred and Elda

Comments:  Fred and Elda are doing well.  There were back east just two years ago and here they are at a convention and going to South Bend, Indiana to buy a car and then going to the N.Y. The car was probably a Studebaker.  In the 1940 U.S. Census Fred and Elda live in Los Angeles with Elda's brother Paul and a housekeeper.  This is the last of the letters and cards in this collection that Fred sent to his parents.

A Summer Trip 1938

New Union Station, Chicago

Postmarked:  Jun 26, 1938 - Chicago, Ill

Dearest Folks,

Just arrived on the Streamliner from L.A. Had a swell trip.  Went like hell all the way.  Both feeling fine.  Leave for N.Y. in 230 minutes.  Chicago is quite some city itself - Love, Fred

 

The Statue of Liberty

 

Postmarked:  July 2, 1938

To:  Mr. & Mrs. F. Frederiksen

July 1

Dearest Folks,

We visited this place today.  Do you remember it?  We've certainly had a swell time here since last Monday.  Will tell you more about it later.  Are starting home tomorrow (Sat.) by way of Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Texas, etc.  Will write when we get home.

Love

Fred and Elda

Comment:  Fred and Elda are doing well even as the depression wears on and using their summer vacation from their teaching jobs to travel.  It would be interesting to know if his parents responded about seeing the Statue of Liberty when they arrived in America in 1890.

Fred & Elda Visit New York City

Postcard labeled:

Aerial View of Empire State Building

New York City

Postmarked July 5, 1937, New York, N.Y.

To: Mr. & Mrs. F. Frederiksen, 

      Lewisville Idaho

Sunday, July 5

Dear Folks,

We are here in New York today.  I am writing this up in the top of the tallest of all buildings. What a thrill to see the city from up here.  Wish you were here to see it with me.  Elda wouldn't come up here she doesn't like high places.  Weather is quite cloudy today so not so good for moving pictures.  Having a fine trip.

Love Fred


This is another correspondence from Fred Frederiksen to his mother and father.  In it we can see that by 1937, well into the Great Depression, that Fred and Elda are doing quite well.  Because they are both working as school teachers and do not have children it enables them to travel extensively in the summer.

Fred Gets Promoted!

Letter on stationary

Hostess House

National Young Women's Christian Associations

Headquarters: 600 Lexington Ave., New York

Camp Lewis Branch

Camp Lewis Wash.

 

Sept 10, 1918

 

Dear Folks,

 I haven't yet received an answer to my last letter but am writing anyway.  How are you all by this time?

The old life goes on very much the same as usual.  New men are coming in so thick and fast that we can hardly take care of them in the depot Brigade.

They are filling up the new Division of the Northwest and it sure takes some men.

I am a real honest to gosh corporal now and am wearing two chevrons or stripes on my sleeve, it means six dollars a month more pay and the enjoyment of a good many special privileges that the ordinary private doesn't have.  They tell me I am in line for the Officer's Training School but I probably won't get in on that for some time yet.

Elda is still working here at the Hostess House and is getting along fine.

Saw Ole the other night. He has been transferred to 37th Machine Gun Battalion, Co. A. I read your letter and enjoyed it very much.  This is sure some mix up about old car.  I'm afraid it will be the death of you yet.

I have found several old Albion students here this time.  Three of them came to the same company.

 

 

Comments:

This letter had no envelope and ended here with no signature.  Probably there was another page that is missing.

His brother Ole is now also at Camp Lewis.

Elda is working at the Hostess House - where he got the stationary.

His father has a car of some sort - the first family mention of such a vehicle.

Postcard from Camp Lewis

Postcard with a picture "Looking East on California Ave. Camp Lewis, Tacoma, Wash.", Dated June 5, 1918 to Mrs. F. Frederiksen, Lewisville, Idaho

 Dear Mother,

We received our uniforms today so am sending my useless clothes back. Am feeling fine.  Haven't heard a word from home yet.  Hope you are all well.  Will send you a picture as soon as I can get one.

Love, Fred

Lessons:

It is interesting at this point how all the envelopes and cards are addressed to his mother.

The First Letter in the Fred Frederiksen Collection

A letter, postmarked June 3, 1918, Tacoma Wash, Lewis Branch,  addressed to Mrs. Fred Frederiksen, Lewisville, Idaho with a return address of F. Frederiksen, 16 Co, 4th Bn 166 D.B., Camp Lewis, Washington.

Camp Lewis -

June 2, 1918

Dear Folks

Gee it seems ten years since I saw you.  Hare you all anyway?  Am I every going to hear from you?  I hope so soon.

This is Sunday and it is terribly lonesome around her even if there men, men, men, everywhere on all sides.  A soldier certainly isn't any curiosity around here, in fact that's all you can see.  It sure is some life.  Everything is done by clockwork and the alphabet around here.  We drilled nearly all day Friday.

Yesterday forenoon was inspection to see that everyone's bunk and uniform were in proper order.  If not, one gets what is known as K.P. which means acting as one of the "kitchen police", whose duty it is to serve the hungry bunch in the mess hall.

There are about 300 men in our barracks, so you know it is quite a job feeding the bunch of them.

Say it isn't any too warm out here, even if it is nearly sea level.  The cold, damp winds blow over here from Pacific.

They gave us each a spring bunk, three blankets and a mattress to sleep with.  They also keep all the windows open so we won't suffocate.  But I guess we will get used to this airing out process after while and become as tough as a hard boiled owl.

We are in what is known as the Depot Brigade which is under quarantine for th first two or three weeks.  We have been examined and vaccinated a couple of times.  I have passed fine and dandy so far.

I have signed up for the same branch of service that I applied for to Washington but don't know whether or not I'll get it.

We have fine grub here and plenty of it.  But you have to forget all about your table manners and dive in or you'll starve. I'm afraid I'll be a full-fledged hog when I get back, for its every man for himself.

We are all feeling fine and enjoying the new work.

Don't forget that I am very lonesome and want to hear from home.  So please write as soon as you can.

Love to all and best regards to Aunt Nell and the other folks.

Tell Ole I'm sorry that I didn't get to see him.

 

Your son & brother

Fred

 

Lessons:

His parents have relocated to Lewisville.

Fred is now in the military.

Ole is not yet in the Army

I don't know who Aunt Nelle is.