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1/28/48
Dear Irene,-
You’ll treasure Miss Mitchell’s reply to my letter almost as much as I, and I dare say you will want to write her a letter of your own. Note her correct address, 2108 Volney Road, Youngstown, O.
Am also enclosing a favorite poem of mine.
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2108 Volney Road,
Youngstown 7, Ohio
January 25, 1948
My dear Willard,
What can I say to make you realize how much I appreciate your lovely letter, received a few days ago.
My first thought was how could you remember me through all these years, you whose life has been so full of happiness and earnest work; your wonderful home life, your ideal parents, brothers and sisters, your many relatives, your college friends, your wife and family, and your business life, and yet through all these years in a life so full you have remembered me kindly.
And what I appreciate most of all is that you, such a busy man, took the time to write me such a nice, long letter. I remarked this when I read your letter to my sister Grace, who said, “No one but a Seiberling would have done it.”
I was interested in all you told me about your family, especially about your father. I knew him when he was a little boy. I was born and raised near your grandfather Seiberling’s home. Our families were neighbors and friends.
You say you remember me as an outstanding teacher. Well I remember the Seiberling children as outstanding children. I taught all but Frederick and Franklin in Bowen School. I think of them all as children and cannot picture them as men and women with their sons and daughters now in the teaching profession.
I can see two little urchins coming up to my desk early one morning just bubbling over with the great news that they had an automobile. They were Penny and Ginny. They said, “Mother was away from home and knew nothing about it till last night when we had finished our dinner and father said ‘Hunsie’ (that is what he always calls Mother) would you like to go for a ride?” Mother said, “Yes, Frank” and went and got her wrap. When she saw the car she exclaimed “Is it ours, Frank?” He said, “Yes it is. Let us go for a ride.” That was your first automobile.
A short time after that one evening when school closed your father and mother came to the school and took the Seiberling children and me to Medina to see the bees. On the way home we had two flat tires with no spares to replace them. The road was very rough and we were all bounced up and down. The hair pins all came out of your mother’s and my hair and our hair went down over our shoulders and our hats were knocked off. That was my first automobile ride.
I have so many beautiful memory slides of my visits to Stan Hywet.
One of these was the announcement of Irene’s engagement. It was all so beautiful and I can still hear your mother’s beautiful voice as she sang many lovely songs that evening.
I was invited to Irene’s wedding but was unable to go. But I was at Virginia’s wedding.
I can imagine what a wonderful time you had your family Christmas celebration a few weeks ago when you announced your daughter’s engagement. That was a fine way to announce it.
I must tell you of another memory slide that I often like to review. One Sunday afternoon you telephoned to me that the flowers in your gardens were so beautiful you all wished I would go over to see them, that your car was not there or you would come after me. Fortunately I had a Milburn electric car and at once drove over to Stan Hywet.
Oh the beautiful flowers and the lovely visit we had. You children just filled my car with lovely flowers to take home. Then you insisted upon my going into the house. Your mother was not at home, but your father, you children and I had a fine visit. Presently dinner was announced and I was urged to have dinner with you. Your father gave me his arm and we went to your beautiful dining room.
I was rather embarrassed for I felt I had stayed too long and I remarked that to your father. I shall always remember what he said – “Miss Mitchell, I want you to know that you have a standing invitation to our house always.”
Dear Willard, I would be very glad to see you and have a talk with you but I do not expect to go to Akron again. We have no relatives nor business interests there now.
I will be 85 years old next April 21st. I am quite well and keep busy all the time. My sister Grace and I live in a lovely apartment adjoining Grace’s daughter’s home. They built this for us so that we could be near them and yet be by ourselves. Her daughter has a fine husband and three adorable children. We are never lonesome. Grace, a widow, has a position in the Health Department in the City Hall.
As Mrs. Williams probably told you, I give private lessons in my home. The Board of Education and the Sisters of St. Dominic send me pupils who are not up in their work. Some of them stay with me instead of going back to their school.
Last year I had two calls to take a school as they were short of teachers. I told them they did not know how old I was or they would not ask me to take a school. They replied that my voice did not seem old and that the results of my work did not indicate that I was too old to teach. But I assured them that I was beyond the age for a public school position.
God bless you, dear Willard! and thank you again for your letter which I shall always cherish.
Sincerely,
/s/ Sara C. MitchellTranscriber
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SNOW
By Sylvia W. Schwarz
I ran to tell my Mother it had just begun to snow;
She answered: -- “Yes, I know it,” and went on with her book.
I ran to tell the maid it had just begun to snow;
She said: -- “Oh, bother, has it!” with a disappointed look.
I ran to tell Old Bridget it had just begun to snow;
She snapped: -- “Well, ‘spose it has!” and put a pot on to cook.
I walked up slowly to my room, and that was where I found
Sis, standing at the window, and she quickly turned around,
And my heart jumped up before she spoke – her face was shining so,
As she shouted, “Brother, come and look – it’s just begun to snow!”Transcriber
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