Last letters home

Webster City, Iowa
Sept. 16

Next address 2742 Pierce St. N.E., Minneapolis, Minn 55418

My dear Ruth, About time I wrote you a letter. Up until now I have written Postal Cards. Have been pretty busy studying preaching and going out to dinners. On Tuesday it was to Thompsons. On Wed it was to Haines and on Thurs & Friday at Verne Pigsleys. Have had a nice time.

Tomorrow (Sunday the meeting has an outdoor S.S. picnic after morning meeting and no meeting in the evening. The interest has been good. Last Tue and Wed we had the meeting at Fort Dodge and Thurs & Fri at Woods home.

Yeseterday Mr. Wood sold their house and will move into their new home which will be finished about Nov. 1st. He got $21,000 for the old one. It had six bedrooms besides large family room, Kitchen, living room, dining room & breakfast nook & utility room & basement.

Their new house will have four bed rooms besides family, dining, living, kitchen, & breakfast room. Also a basement and double garage.

Carroll is busy in his law business. He is also prosecuting attorney for the County.

The oldest girl is in Nursing Training, Connie is in College. And Chrissie & Timmie are in school here. They have a fine group of polite & well behaved kiddies. All are saved.

I feel very much at home. I have a suite of two rooms and a private bath, all upstairs, besides the kitchen where I have my desk.

Webster City is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been in. I would like to live here. It is a rich farming community. Lots of Swed mon [sic?]. Nearly every body I meet on down town greets me with a hello.  No hillbillies . . .

Lancelot Johnson who lived out in country passed away a short time ago. Mr. Roland Thompson's wife also passed away a while ago. She was the one who was so "beat up" with arthritis.

I got your letter this morning stating that Art's father has also passed away. I wll write Art a letter next week. When you see him extend to him my sympathy.

I wrote a letter to the Downing St Assembly to find me lodging while I will be in Waterloo. It seems that the Lord is opening up work to keep me busy.

Had a nice time in Atlantic. I see by the Letters of Interest that Waterloo has a conference this week end. I will not go.

Your schedule of my activities is correct. Will keep you posted if I make any changes.

Glad to hear that you are getting on so well, & that you are not lonesome. It's nice that Aults are taking you places & that the Whites took you to Miss Fagners funeral.

Thanks for the blank to fill out for the Workers Conference. I will answer it right away.

My train leaves here about 2:36 on Monday. Philis will take me to Iowa folks to catch the Rocket to Mnlps.

I love you my dear.

Lovingly, Claude

You will probably remember that near Iowa Falls is where I nearly got involved in a train wreck when were ar K.C.K. & on my way to Truman to candidate for the Bpt.Ch.


M'p'ls - Sept. 20. Fri

Darling Ruth,--We are having good meetings [at the mission]. I have a room engaged for me at Waterloo during the Cattle Congress will be there Wed Sept 25 thru Sun. Sept 29. Probably will be speaking at the Downing St. Chapel.

Don Osbeck will join me at the Farm Progress show on Tue Oct 1--Thurs Oct 3. I will ride ride back wtih him to Mn'lp's. Then, the Workers Conference Oct 8-10 [in Minneapolis].

This Sunday [last time he preached] I speak at N.E. in the morning. In the evening at the Mission Sunday the Osbecks & I have been invited to Ediths & Esthers [his wife's sisters] for dinner

Last night I spoke on the Holiness of God. About 36 present.

Tonight I expect to speak on Our Great High Priest in Hebrews.

Did I write you that Woods at  Web Cty sold their house. He asked $21,000.00 for it. They are building a new on on the first St south of them.

I got $100.00 from Ft. Dodge meeting & $25.00 from Atlantic Conference.

Nice letter from Dorothy [his younger daughter]. It is encouraging how the women in Florida are having prayer. It seems like from your letter that some of the faithful women in your prayer meeting are moving away. Probably the Lord will send you others. Don't give up.

Will have to close now. Will pinch hit for Gene Osbeck at the office at 2 o'clock. Thisnew office is aout a half block west of his house. Mrs. Osbeck is going to a baby shower. Barbara Walker, Frank's wife is going to have a baby.

We sure had some good music last night. Two men, one a violin & the other a mouth-harp. It was beautiful.

Will close no. I love you. In a few weeks I will be home.

With much & lots of love
Your hubby


Mon AM, Minneapolis Minn
Sept 23, 1968

My dear Ruth-- We had nice time yesterday with Edith & Esther. They had a wonderful noon-day dinner. Don hasn't got those talking about it.

We had a good series of meetings at the mission. Had about 50 out last night and about that many each night except Wednesday night. The interest was intensely good. Many told me last night how they enjoyed it. I spoke  on Rob. Chapter 2: I believe I saw tears in the eyes of some.

Had good liberty at N.E. in the morning. I spoke on 1 John 1:1, 2. I find that while many of the brethren are well taught yet there is much ground that has not been covered yet. In the evening they had a moody film "The Rocks Cry Out."

The atmosphere is kind of explosive. Some of the brethren wanted to break bread at the mission. I had quite a time convincing Don against it. I finally convinced him against it. Last night Don & I had a talk with Albert Upton about it. He told Upton that he has decided to have nothing to do with it. Don seemingly doesn't have much to say about the mission but only to do the cleaning, painting, and carrying out the waste baskets & also the funning around & calling on people (the same old story; ambitions men!) However I don't think they will do much above. The brethren at Longfellow & N.E. do not favor making an assembly.

I am leaving tomorrow (Tues) morning for Webster City. Then on Wednesday I go to Waterloo.

We have had about five days of rain. It seems to have let up now. If it does not promise any thing better for the next two weeks I will go elsewhere. (May be home) I don't feel that I should have any more meetings for a while until the brethren [?] gets settled. I do not want to get involved.

Robin has a little white, curly haired dog. Is she ever Gag Gah over it.

Today is Gene's 44th birthday. I am taking him & Don out for lunch at noon today. I felt that they have gone "overboard" for us & it would be proper to reciprocate.

I am now sitting in the office while Gene is home doing some work. Tonight she & Don are going out & I will "baby sit", with the two girls & look at Andy Griffiths wedding on the T.V.

The accident we had in front of hte Mission on Friday night when Mr. Rasmussen got hit with a speeding car as he crossed the street to the mission. He died about 11:00 oclock that night, it sure did cast a peculiar atmostphere over the meeting. He & his wife went there often. They were in that Baptist home where Mrs. Walden stayed.

Esther sure looks good. She has lost about 20 pounds. It makes her look younger and more sophisticated. She also gets around good.

Edith still plans on coming to see you. She will stop at Marian's (his older daughter) & she will bring her to you. I called the depot about the train on the Penn, R.R. THey only have two trains now & they get to Winamac & _______ so very late at night.

I am getting sleepy so will quit writing.

I enjoyed hearing your voice last evening.

I love you ever so much my dear one

Yours, Claude