Below is my scrapbook where a lot of the following information came from. It covered September 1964 to summer 1967. I had to take it apart to scan the pictures and items inside.
I had another pen pal from Sweden. I think I received her name the end of last year from:
"From the Pen Friends Division
The English-Speaking Union
16 East 69th Street
New York 21, New York, USA
Here is a Pen Friend for you:
Name: Ninni Elmdahl
Address: Sprigrand 13, Lulea, Sweden
City and Country:
Sex Female Age 14
Hobbies: Pop music, reading, dance, gym"
Lulea, 15, 1964
Dear Mary Ella,
Thanks for your letter. My birthdays is in September 12, 1950. I have blue eye and blond hair, just like you. I am 64 inches (160 cm) tall and I weight 45 kg (100 pounds)
I have two sisters and one brother. My sister Karin is 18, Brigitta is 17 and my brother Kalle is 10 years old. I have also two cats, Sneveran (?sp) and her daughter Titti.
I go in a secondary school and my hobbies is like yours.
My favorite singing group is The Rolling Stones and the Beatles, the Lollipops. The movie 'A Hard Days Night' hasn't been here yet, but I hope it will come soon.
Yesterday I was on a party, we were three boys and three girls. It was great ...
"fun. In Sweden there is nothing called date, instead the girls and guys mostly go to a dancing-place alone or two girls (two guys) and there they dance with (all) the boys and then they have a association with someone (girl & boy) home.
I have been reading English for only three years, and therefore I cannot much english.
Cheerio for now!
Ninni"
Ninni's English seems pretty good to me after just 3 years. And music continues to bring people together.
Below is Ninni's 2nd letter - check how she wrote the date on the letter.
Lulea: 37/1-65
Dear Mary Ellen,
Thanks for your letter.
You asked me if I speak any French. I don't, but I start next year.
Tomorrow I am going skiing with my class.
The song 'That's the way' by the 'Honeycorns' is number 1 on the MW program at radio.
Here in Lulea is a popular popgroup 'The Shame' with their song 'Let me show you how I am."
On Thursday we shall have an English exam.
My father is an engineer and my mother a housewife, ...
but sometimes she works as a nurse. My grandmother live with us in our house.
The most people in Lulea work at the iron-factory.
Lulea have a rather big harbour with ships from the whole world. We have only have ? 10 cinemas. How many have you?
The clothes we often have is a green coat with a hood, and big square blouses, and a very long scarf on under a big pull-over.
Cheerio for now.
Ninni.
PS I send you a school game."
"Lulea 32/1-65
Allowed by the post
office in England
International
school-game.
Dear Mary Ellen,
Please send a picture postcard to the first name on the list. Write four (4) letters like this to four of your friends. Don't write the first name on the list, but instead you write your name last on the list. You must do it in two days, or else this play is broken. In 20 days you get 256 picture postcards. You will be surprised when you know from where they come. This game started the 27 January 1961 and it isn't broken yet. If you break it everything is spoiled. So be kind don't break the game.
OBS! Don't break it!"
On page 2 there are 5 names and addresses listed - 2 from Finland, 2 from Sweden plus Ninni who is from Sweden.
"Hallo! Your penpal:
Ninni Elmdahl
Hallo! Hallo!
Cheerio for now!"
I guess I broke the chain because I don't remember getting any postcards!
Pat Dullea (?) - she was John Devereaux's niece - he was renting my folks downstairs apartment at 4 Green Street - Ma and the Hulistons were upstairs at 6 Green Street. He was an Irish guy from Ireland. I think relationships were strained at times between John and my father, and John and the Hulistons. I know my mother and father were happy when John moved out - coincidentally he and his wife Sally moved to Spring Street around the corner from us! My Aunt Nellie Keohane then moved in to our downstairs apartment. Pat Dullea and her 2 sisters used to visit the Devereaux - I think they were Sally's nieces. This picture was taken around New Year's. We were fascinated with their accents - I think they lived in England - we tried to imitate the way they talked. I wanted to visit England after meeting them.
"Lulea January 6,1965
Dear Mary Ellen,
Thanks for you letter. I received it today. Our schools operate two terms, the first term is from September to the 21 December and the second term, is from the middle of January to the first week in June.
We have a week holydays in the autumn term and in the spring term we have a week Easter holydays and a week winter holydays in March and then we have lots of others fridays (about ten).
In our school we read English German, Swedish, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Christianity, History and Geography Biology.
I have one penpal in New Zealand and some in Sweden.
You ask me about Rolling Stones. I like their songs, but I don't like their looking. Do you like boys with long hair? I think it's pretty with hair like the Beatles but awful like Rolling Stones and longer hair ....
"Lulea is a town with 34000 people. I live in a part of Lulea which is called Mjolkuciden it's a new suburb. I have been living here two years. before I lived in Gavle it's a town in the middle of Sweden.
I have a cat. Have you any animals?
This morning I was out skating. Not far from our house there is a river on which we can go skating and in summer we can bathe there.
A week ago my cousin went to Chicago and he is going stay there a whole year.
Thanks for the pictures of The Rolling Stones you send me.
Cheerio for now!
Ninni
Write soon!
Swedish English
Hej = Hallo!"
Granted I'm looking back over 50 years ago, but I'm thinking about Ninni studying English and German - and the next year would be French. We did study Latin and French -no one speaks Latin but it is the foundation of French, Spanish, Italian - and I recently found out when I was in the Balkans that Romanian is based on Latin! So I was able to read Romanian menus, directions enough to get by.
Not sure who this is - any guesses? Christine, Jimmy - ? It is looking down Marshall Street to Spring Street.
I put the date on the envelope when I was trying to put the letters in order. Thank goodness Mary Jelonek was very good about putting the date on her letters because I had taken the foreign stamps to give to one of the nuns who was collecting them for some reason - so there are no postmarks on most of the letters!
"Mary Jelonek
1 Bankhead Street
Cohuna
Victoria
Australia"
"1 Bankhead Street
Cohuna, Victoria
12th January 1965
Dear Mary Ellen,
The first thing I have to do is to apologize for not writing sooner - I misplaced your last letter (and the photo) and I haven't found it yet, but I'm sure it will turn up. Thanks for your photo, I think you are a very attractive girl.
I can remember most of the things you wrote about in your letter especially about all the holidays you have. You seem to have quite a lot of them and I only just wish we had as many.
I think you also told me about the weather and it certainly does get cold in America. I bet it's fun having snow in winter. I just wish we had it. In Cohuna ...
"it's been very hot lately and I've been spending most of my school holidays swimming.
You certainly don't live very far from New York, do you travel there very often? I suppose you would go to Boston often and what sort of a place is it? In Watertown what do you do in the way of recreation? Here in Cohuna we have weekly dances with special guest from Melbourne and some of them have been The Thin Men, The Delltones (they recorded Hanging Five) Johnny Chester, Jody Stone, Bobby Cookson, Betty MacQuade (she recorded Midnight Bus), and many others. Each week we go to pictures or drive-ins and last week I went to Barhan and saw 'The Night of the Iguana' with Richard Burton, it was okay. Have you seen it? The week before that I went to the Echuca Drive-in with Jeff Keath, he's ...
"terrific, I also went to the senior social with him.
New Year's Eve was quite a merry one this year as I invited a gang of my friends over for a New Year Party. It turned out a terrific success as I had turned our kitchen (which is quite big) into a beatnik coffee cellar. We were all dressed up in Beatnik clothes and once it started we really let it go even though Mum & Dad were home. The kitchen looked terrific with the candles as the main light. It was really fabulous and we all enjoyed ourselves until about 2:30 when it ended. Now I'm planning for my birthday party and have it in the nightclub style, and if it's as good as the New Year one, I'm sure it will turn out terrific too. How was your New Year?
I will send you a postcard of Cohuna ...
in my next letter if I remember.
I can't seem to remember what else you wrote about in your last letter but if there was anything I haven't answered in this letter please ask me again in your next letter.
What are your favorite TV programs? Mine are 'My Three Sons,' The Fugitive, Bonanza, Mr Novak, Rawhide, Shindig, Patty Duke, Combat, Rescue 8, and practically all TV programs. I really enjoy watching all shows.
Have you got any pets? I have two cats, Pancho & Cisco, (their names originated from the TV program of 'The Cisco Kid'. They're real cute cats ones black and white and the other is a ginger colour.
I can't seem to think of anything else to write in this letter so I might as ....
"well close now. So long for now.
Your pen-pal
Mary
PS Sorry about the delay in not writing back sooner.
PS I Excuse writing and I will try to answer the next letter sooner & make it longer and more interesting.
PS II Say 'Hi' to the family from me.
PS III Write soon."
Music, movies and TV shows were common interests I had with both penpals - looking back after all these years, it re-enforces that everyone has something in common. But I can't quite imagine turning our kitchen into a coffee house with all the small kids around! But Johnny and I did have parties in the attic a couple of years later. I think the pool table was still up at that time. I did watch all the shows that Mary mentioned - and I did like Tim Considine in My Three Sons - but I loved Clint Eastwood in Rawhide! And of course, Cathy who was Patty Duke's English cousin!
Another letter from New Delhi.
The return address is:
"Hardeep Singh Vidwan
P 47 Officers Married Qtrs
HQ Training Command IAF
Bangalore-6
India"
"A F Central School
Club Road
New Delhi - 3
22nd Jan 1965
My dear Mary,
I am in receipt of your letter of the 28th Dec 1964 instant. I was glad to know that you are quite well. Many thanks for your letter. Speaking of my school, I shall be glad to tell you that our school runs almost as yours. Our school is co-educational and is situated in the capital, very close to Asoka Hotel, which is the biggest hotel in Asia. We have three terms in a year. First term begin from July to October. Then comes a break of 15 days called '???' (I can't make out the writing) breaks. The second and a shorter term starts from the end of of October to the mid of December in which we have half yearly examination, after exams we have 20 days off. In these holidays I went to NCC Camp.
The third and final term which is a longer one begin from the beginning of Jan. to May, in which we have final examination ..., after exam's we have a duration of two moths called summer vacation.
Coming to the subject, I have taken Engineering subject which we have Physics, Maths, Chemistry and Hindi ...
I intend to become an engineer and my brother doctor. Do you have any chance of visiting India? If you do, then my parents and I will be glad to you company.
'oh yes'! I have completely forgot to answer your questions, As you have asked me about 0.15 on the stamp, this means that I had to pay 0.15 np (NP stands for 'Neia Paise'). I think I put 6 to 7 stamp on which it was 0.15 np in the corner and one of 0.10 np. if you add all this it will come to Rupee 1-00 np. Your 1 dollar stand for 5 Rupee of our country. As you have shilling and pence, we have neia paise - our 100 np is equal to rupee 1. If you collect coins, please tell me, so that I can send you one by one.
As regarding stamps are concern, I am sending you 100 Indian stamps recently.
Anything else you need, please tell me, I will be very delighted to send them. As you have also asked me to tell you what I got in Christmas, I have got watch and camera from my brother, cycle from parents and ring from uncle - what did you give to Joanne, has he started going to school ...
"As there is nothing more to write, pay my regards to your parent and love to you until next letter.
Cherrio.
Your kind remembrance just to hand
ever your pen-pal
Harddeep Singh
PS I Please send me your Snape. If you do not mind.
Anything you want from myself of India
Please do tell me.
By-By.
Rest in Next Mary"
A ticket for left section, row M, seat 5 in the Balcony for a matinee on February 6, 1965 for My Fair Lady.
The Playbill for Boston at the Saxon Theatre for My Fair Lady in February 1965 - I made a note that Birdie (Roberta) and her older sister Pat Green, their cousin and I went to the matinee. The Saxon Theatre is now the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre.
What a star studded cast this was! I guess this was the movie which was released on Christmas 1964 - the playbill had me confused.
Eliza was Audrey Hepburn
Henry Higgins was Rex Harrison
Alfred Doolittle was Stanley Holloway
Colonel Pickering was Wilfred Hyde-White
Mrs Higgins was Gladys Cooper
Freddie was Jimmy Brett
Zoltan Karpathy was Theodore Bikel
It was directed by George Cukor.
The Captain Bob Show was one of the sponsors of "My Fair Lady." I remember this show - he taught us how to draw. There were other shows like Captain Kangaroo, the Mickey Mouse Club, Bozo, Rex Trailer.
Mary Patricia and me in a Photo Booth picture.
"Lulea 21/2 - 65
Dear Mary Ellen,
Thanks for your letter and the photo.
Tomorrow we shall see a man at school called Ole Adolfson, who sings 'Nils Ferlin's -songs'. Nils Ferlin is a big man who has written lots of well-known songs. But I'm not sure you have heard about him.
We don't wear uniforms at school. But last term it was 'in' to have a jumer with the schools name on it. (Ninni drew a picture of herself in a sweater with her school name on it.)
"Yesterday evening I was and saw the film 'Skoi pa noj.' It's a swedish film and its name means 'Funny on a bike.' It was very good.
We have a big bath-house in our town. And I and my friends use to go there swimming.
In the summer I use to sail with my brother, who has a sailingboat, my father has one to, but I can't sail that one by myself because it's rather big.
Next week we have sportholiday, and then I'm going spend my holiday at home, but we have to take small trips.
Cheerio for now.
Ninni
PS I send you a little picture of me. But you will have a bigger later."
Nils Ferlin, whom Ninni mentioned above, was a Swedish poet and lyricist per Wikipedia. And Olle Adolphson who was going to play at her school is considered one of four great Sweden's songwriters of the 1900s - also per Wikipedia!
We could hardly afford our two weeks in Falmouth for our summer vacation never mind owning a sailboat!
Jody walking in the dining room. She must be about a year old. Look at the clothes rack in front of the radiator. We never had a clothes dryer. That radiator had a wooden cover over it - otherwise clothes would have been thrown over it. There were radiators like this in our bedrooms - clothes would be lovely and warm after sitting on the radiator for a few minutes before getting dressed or putting on pajamas. The one in the front hall was full of gloves/mittens, hats and scarves in the winter time. We would slip our wet boots or shoes under the radiator.
"1 Bankhead Street
Cohuna,
Victoria, Aust.
9th March, 1965
Dear Mimi,
Thanks so much for your letter and especially the photo of Paul (McCartney.) It's a fantastic photo and the girls around Cohuna envy me for having it.
I was sorry to hear about your sprained knee but I hope it's better now.
I really envy you and Joanie (Huliston) going to the 'Worlds Fair' and I just wish I could be there. Anyway I hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy yourself and thanks about sending me the souvenirs from the 'Worlds Fair' when you go in June.
How long is your February vacation going to last? You're very lucky having one now because we're well into school work with heaps of homework. This year I'm only doing six subjects which are Geography, History, English, Economics. Domestic Science and Needlework. This is altogether different to all the subjects I did last year and during one week I have twelve free lessons.
By the time this letter reaches you, you will probably have been at the ski lodge or stayed at home (if no snow) and I hope you had a wonderful time and no broken bones.
Yesterday, we had our inter school sports at ...
"Kerang and I guess Cohuna High School just wasn't good enough as we came last. Kerang came first, and Echuca (declared a city on March 1st) came second even though we weren't far behind. About a fortnight ago at the school sports my team (Burke) came first. I don't know whether I told you this before or not but there are four teams Burke, Heume, Mitchell, and Sturt and all were named after Australian explorers.
Next week we will be going to Kerang to play softball; I play catcher and am captain of the Seconds and I just hope we win.
The week after that Form 5 (my form) will be going to Melbourne to see 'MacBeth.' This play is on our course for English. We leave by bus at about 11:00 am on Thursday and return about 6:00 am Friday morning.
Next Friday and Saturday Cohuna will be having their 52nd Annual Show. The Governor of Victoria (Sir Rohan Delacombe) and Lady Delacombe will be opening the show. The show will include Dog Championships, Trotting, Cattle, and the Grand Parade. There will also be the side shows, Ferris wheel, flying horses and many other things. On March the 22nd Miss Australia, Carole Jackson will be visiting Cohuna and I'm really looking forward to that.
At the end of last year Cohuna High School had an additional wing built on and the other ...
"day in Economics we were discussing the cost of it and I was amazed when I found out that it was 27,000 pounds. Now another 5,000 pounds -- is going to be spent on Hockey Fields, Basketball courts, and tennis courts. Very soon an Assembly Hall will be built and also a canteen. It's amazing how much things cost nowadays isn't it?
I guess it wouldn't do any harm to join the boy watchers club and from your description it sounds very interesting.
With this letter I have enclosed more stamps. Some are from Poland, Italy and Australia. You probably have some of the Australian ones as I don't remember what bird I sent last time. In your letter you said you had enclosed some American stamps but there wasn't any in with the letter. I guess it's just a minor mistake but don't worry about it and I would just love some American stamps.
I suppose you will remember my two cats Pancho and Cisco well Cisco died on the 26th February and Pancho died on the first day of Autumn (1st March). I don't know what made them get sick but I felt sad when they died. They were both buried under a peach tree and now the leaves are falling off the tree onto the graves.
I'll finish off now as I've run out of news.
So long till next time
Mari.
PS Say 'Hi' to your family from me.
PS I I told Elizabeth about Joanie's flames ...
"PS III Write soon.
PS IV Tomorrow is 'Labor Day' and the Post Office is closed so I'll post this letter on Tuesday.
PS V Thanks again for the terrific photo of Paul.
PS VI I('ll) try and collect interesting news for the next letter.
PS VII Write soon.
PS VIII Byee.
PS IX Hope there are not too many PSs.
PS X Last Saturday a friend of mine and myself went to do a job for our local priest. The job landed up being addressing, sticking stamps on and putting letters into 300 envelopes. Boy was I tired after we finally finished."
I don't remember if I found this letter interesting back in 1965, but it is very interesting now. Especially the classes she is taking in school - Economics, Domestic Science and Needlepoint - all the sports that are a big part of the school curriculum - and her surprise about the cost of the school additions. At St Pat's we didn't have as many girls' sports and certainly didn't take Economics, Domestic Science and Needlepoint although they certainly would have been useful. And her class is going to see "MacBeth!" We had to memorize Shakespeare
soliloquies but I don't remember ever going to see a production. Plus Mary's interest in stamp collecting surprised me. Having a pen pal was very enlightening!
John Huliston is getting big - this is around March 19 per the note in my scrapbook. He was a big baby - my arms were aching as I was holding him at his Baptism - I think I finally had to give him to Chris Navin - we were the Godparents.
Another letter from Ninni.
"Lulea Marsh 65
Dear Mary Ellen,
Thanks for your letter.
We have lots of American television programs. We have Burke's Law The Defenders and lots of others, but I don't know what their names are in English because they change names.
Now I remember some Lucy Show, Dick van Dyke Show, I like the last board very much and lots of American films. 'Giddiness business' is one of the best program.
Do you like dancing? I love it! What dances are popular over there? Here we are dancing Shake, Left Kajenka, and some modern waltz, but most ...
Shake of all sort.
The pop group Tages is a Swedish one it's very good and I like them. Have you ever heard about them. They have written 'I should be glad." 'Sleep little girl" and lots of others.
I have found a girl who would like to write to your friend.
Cheerio for now.
Ninni"
Now another letter from Australia.
1 Bankhead Street
Cohuna, Victoria, Aust.,
30th March 1965
Dear Mary Ellen,
Thanks so much for the most beautiful postcards and stamps. The postcard I liked the most was the one of the Late President Kennedy's birthplace; the other ones were terrific too.
I was sorry to read that you didn't go to the Ski Lodge, I hope you get another chance sometime in the future. I wouldn't have taken your place for anything in the world to do the National Education Development test. I hate tests and exams but still it's something I can't get out of at school.
Thanks for writing to the 'Boys Watchers Club' for me.
I hope that your basketball team win their match and goes into the finals.
No! I don't baby-sit but I think it would be terrific fun if I had too. That must have been quite some experience baby-sitting for you cousins, but kids will be kids.
I told you in my last letter that we were going to Kerang to play softball, well Kerang proved too strong for us and the final score was 6 to 16. But the week after we played Echuca and won, with the final score being 9 to 13. The other day we went to see 'Macbeth' in Melbourne and the trip ...
"was simply fantastic. On the whole, the trip was terrific and it's really hard to find the right words to describe it.
I was just wondering if you would tell me why a code is used when you self address your letters. I don't believe we have it in Australia, so I hope you won't mind telling me.
In about September I'm going to be a bridesmaid for the first time and now I'm so excited I can't wait for September to come. My brother Joe is going to be best man. A close friend of the family asked us if we would and I'm really thrilled to be able to. Have you ever been a bridesmaid?
I guess I'm pretty scarce for news this letter as nothing really exciting has happened around here soI'll say Bye for now.
Your pen-pal
Mary
PS Say 'Hello' to your family from me.
PS I I have enclosed a couple of postcards and I will send more with my next letter.
PS II I have also enclosed an Australian coin and a few stamps.
PS III Excuse writing and write soon.
PS IV This Thursday the staff are going to play the students in a softball match and it's really funny because they come dressed up in all funny clothes but the games (are) very exciting."
"The Rose Series P 14813 The Camping Ground, Cohuna, VK"
"The Rose Series P 4519 King George Street & Garden, Cohuna, VIC"
Jody standing beside Mum who is holding Christine. I'm cringing at the wet diaper on the oriental rug! After I took this picture, I had to put it in a diaper bucket. No disposable diapers in those days. My mother did have a diaper service when she first came home from the hospital with Joanne. A company would come and collect the dirty cloth diapers, clean them then return them. I think that only lasted a couple of weeks. I remember hanging out lines of white cloth diapers on the clothes lines in the back yard - it seems like I did that for years. Then I'd have to fold them in thirds to put them on Christine or Jody. We had diaper pins and rubber pants. I was 10 when Christine was born so I was delighted to be changing her diapers or getting her dressed - it was like playing with a doll.
I was almost 14 when Jody was born. Her crib was in my mother and father's bedroom. One day she had gone down for a nap and now was awake crying. I went up and picked her up and was trying to soothe her as she was still crying. She bit into my shoulder so hard! And wouldn't let go! Looking back I suppose she was teething but then she left teeth marks on my right shoulder!
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