Name/Title
Letter: Anna Jones Borroff to Gertrude SeiberlingEntry/Object ID
A 2025.12.b1.f7.8abDescription
[a] The writer starts by saying she received Gertrude's letter's and that she's been think about her. She suggests Gertrude come to visit her at their location in Wisconsin. She says George will be coming soon from Chicago and Gertrude could meet him in Chicago and the two could come up together. George and Albert can fish while the writer and Gertrude visit and John sleeps. She describes the resort. She talks about taking care of John, the baby, and says that he is doing well. She talks about taking John out on the boat. Continues to try and persuade Gertrude to come visit for a week. She describes the resort. She says if Gertrude cannot come to the resort, then she needs to visit them later at their home. She starts starting about some of her concerns, specifically about her father who is sick. She admires Gertrude's ability to work through worries, putting them aside so she can listen to other people. She gives detailed instructions for Gertrude if she were to come to the resort. She says seems been meaning to write Mrs. Miles and sends love to the family, specifically mentioning Irene and Franklin. Gives her regards to Cecil Fanning. Mentions being glad that Fred is home.
[b] The return address is printed in the left top corner, however it is torn so only "Walsh [ ]er Resort, Ed. Walsh Prop., Minocqua, Wis." is legible.Subject Person/Organization
Borroff, Anna Jones Rankin, Seiberling, Gertrude Penfield, Harrison, Irene Seiberling, Seiberling, Franklin Augustus Jr., Seiberling, John Frederick, Penfield, Elsie Marie Ferguson, Fanning, CecilSubject Place
City
HesselState/Province
MichiganCountry
United States of AmericaContinent
North AmericaCollection
PERMANENT COLLECTIONCataloged By
Katrina NeffAcquisition
Accession
A 2025.12Source or Donor
UnknownAcquisition Method
FoundLetter Details
Letter Date
Aug 17, 1914 - Aug 18, 1914Postmark
Date and Time of Postmark
August 18, 1914 at 8 PMPostmark Place
Town
MinocquaState/Province
WisconsinCountry
United States of AmericaContinent
North AmericaStamp
Red, depicts George Washington, and cost 2 centsSender
Name
AnnaAddress
Minocqua, WisconsinAddressee
Name
Mrs. Frank A. SeiberlingAddress
Hessel MichiganPrimary Language
EnglishTranscription
Transcription
Minocqua Wisconsin
August 17th
My dear G. A. Dearly loved –
Your two letters reached me safe – I’ve been thinking of you constantly and sending you thoughts. In fact having you walk up the hills with me and row around the lovely lakes – So you have had some of my messages – now I have a though – which my husband has given to me in words – we will be here until the 1st of Sept. George is coming up before we leave and why cant you come to Chicago and from there with him. Then he and Albert can go off fishing and we can visit while John sleeps. We are in a four room cottage living room and porch. on a hill overlooking the lake and the rest of The [sic] resort. We could all be here alone and have a joyous time – The meals are splendid. Plain but fresh vegetables from the garden and berries from the hills. Albert has picked most of the blackberries. He is having a real vacation and incidentally helping with John – there is so much to be done for him and we found to our surprise that washing was no easy thing to have done – so I take the diapers out on the lake in a boat with a cake of naptha soap. It does not seem like work. Mrs Walsh is such a competent clean and orderly person and a splendid cook – John is thriving finely Has gained almost 3lbs since we came – a good Jersey cow and the milk so carefully handled – we take John out in the boat and he plays in the water and lie [sic] on his back and crows and babbles – He is crazy to walk he has, [sic] such a big mouth and every thing [sic] goes into it and everything is gazed at by means of it. He laughs and is so good. it hardly seems like having a baby – sleeps all night and plays by himself during the day – I feed him every three hours. now Im [sic] off-!!! Maybe you wont [sic] want to come and visit such an obsessed person. But it would be such a joy to have you – cant [sic] you just run away for a week and let all the cares and responsibilities slide and be a vagabond with us – Such old clothes and not obliged to talk to any one [sic] or go any place [sic]. No meals to plan nothing to do but walk down the hill and up again. The people who come here are all very plain and not obtrusive or fussy – we eat in a big dining room – 8 at a table – The walks are nice just narrow trails – Some pretty woods – Now I have one other plan if the first one does not come out. You are to come up and visit me as soon as you leave the island. Albert says that we ought to have a visit together and its [sic] difficult for me to move my baby around so you can try our simple way of living and know that its [sic] because we love and admire you and not because we can give you anything remarkable or interesting in the way of entertainment – I wish that you had a little baby to hold and love and care for as you say its [sic] a fine time to have one. When the rushing time of life is over – Mrs Hagans said that I ought to enjoy my baby as I gave up everything and just spent the time with him. I truly do and I’ve not let any feeling that I owed any thing [sic] to other people interfere with my doing it. It has taken some time to learn this and I’ve been disturbed and terribly blue and discouraged because my physical strength has given out and my nerve force has been worn to a thread. My father has not written me a line and he has been quite sick. I could not take John down there and I felt that it was wrong to leave him as he was not gaining as he should – So you see we all have worries and we all go through them It always seems to me that you accomplish so much in every way and that you think of such beautiful things to do for people – You surely have gained in poise and in an expression of geniality since I first knew you – at first you seemed so concentrated on what was in your mind that I felt as if I were interrupting your thoughts and irritating you all the while you were polite The last year you have such a kindly way of putting your own thoughts away while you are with other people and making them feel that you were interested in their thoughts and them – This is poorly expressed but maybe you will understand what I mean – I must get into bed so please write me that you will come up here first and then George will arrange about your ticket and berth. You leave Chicago at 6 p.m. on the North Western and come to Woodruff Wisconsin Arriving there at 5 a.m. Drive 10 miles in a stage and have breakfast with us at 7. at Walsh’s Resort on Lake Shishebogama. (Lake of Many bays). We are near the Flambeau Reservation – I wanted to write Mrs. Miles and hope I may yet find the time – Please give her my love and also Irene and your mother – Franklin must be a big boy by now – Will you give Cecil Fanning my regards – I am so glad that Frederick will be home so well and happy an [sic] if you cant [sic] come up here do decide to come to Chicago –
Your devoted friend –
Anna –
Our post office is Minocqua. It is about the same distance as Woodruff – but the train service is better to Woodruff –Transcriber
Cindi RokeLanguage
EnglishCreate Date
February 24, 2026Update Date
September 29, 2026
