Commentary on two letters Mar and Apr 1902

Mary,

Thank you for the extra effort in scanning the two letters. One thing that got lost in the previous translation effort was that we had one long letter. Although the long letter has four distinct parts knowing that it was one letter helped the translators understand who was speaking and what was being said. The primary translator works with the Emigration Center in Vora, Vasa, Finland, which also collects genealogical information about residents. That is why they are able to suggest the identity of the letter's scribe. 

Context for the letters

The people

The Rasmus Farm

Matt Rasmus Family

Betsy Rasmus Lund (Beatta Mattsdotter Rasmus married Wilfred Lund in Denver in 1889)

Lisa Mattsdotter Rasmus (married Finnish neighbor Charles Bartell in Denver )

Anders Mattson Rasmus (married Anna Lisa Johansdotter Enges before emigrating to Colorado)

Mickel Rasmus Family

Lisa Mickelsdotter Rasmus This 18 year old unschooled scribe of the long letter used no punctuation and few capitals.

The Enges Farm

Johan Enges Family

Anna Lisa Johansdotter Enges (After marrying Anders Rasmus she moved to the Rasmus Farm before emigrating to America.)

The Bertills Farm

Jakob Jakobsson Bertills

Karl Johan Jakobsson Bertills(As Charles Bartell he married neighbor Lisa Rasmus in Denver in 1894)

Lisa Rasmus Bartell's husband, Charles, died in an accident (probably mining) March 3, 1901. Betsy Rasmus Lund's brother, Anders Rasmus, died in an accident at Arkins Quarry, September 19, 1901. Anders's death was mentioned in Denver, Fort Collins and Loveland newspapers. Wilfred Lund, who had been waiting in Denver for Anders' wife to arrive from Finland, rushed back to Arkins and Jonas Hard went to Denver to meet the new widow Anna Lisa Johansdotter (nee Enges) Rasmus and her one year old son, Johan. The following year, 1902, Anna Lisa and Jonas were married just in time for the birth of their first child. 

First Lisa Bartell's parents are speaking through the scribe. Next the writer, Lisa Mickelsdtr, makes some pointed comments and then expresses her excitement about Lisa Bartell's possible visit. Some last greetings are squeezed into little remaining space.

In the second letter Lisa Bartell refers to herself and her son as Le and Janie (pronounced yawnie). She may have just received the long letter from Finland and included it with her own note.