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Note: Erma contracted polio when she was about three years old. Her parents gave her a great deal of care and I think she fully recovered.
Erma was born on her parents' farm that was located across the road from the farm belonging to her grandparents, Ferdinand and Anna Diehm. A railroad track crossed the corner of the Diehm farm. Erma said that sometimes she used to hitch a ride on a railroad hand-car in order to get to school. She also used to stop by Grandma Diehm's house to get something for her lunch box, such as a piece of chocolate cake. (The railroad is long gone, but you can still make out the railroad grade. Going to the southwest, the railroad ran straight for the town of Crab Orchard. I suspect this is where Erma went to school.)
LETTER TO SELMA DIEHM:
Bayard, Nebr. Aug 20, 1920 Dear aunt Sally - Well I will answer your letter and let you know I haven't forgot you. We have the whooping-cough and hope you are the same. Mamma canned 14 quart of beets the other day (garden beats + sugar beets mixed) They are awful good. We eat a dish full every meal. She has a 5 gallon jar of dill pickels she is putting up. She is also putting up a lot of many other kinds of pickles. We haven't got any new dresses for school yet. I am afraid we will miss out on the first part of school on account of the whooping-cough. I am sure glad Paul & Grandma is coming out. Why don't you come to? You could go back before school started. I sure wish I could see granny's flowers. We have a porch-box and we have our flowers in that. Say who did Irene Derr marry? You should hear Marvel talk. She is just like a parrot. She says dwess for dress & she says no when she gets mad and she can say allright & don't & Doris & Erma and she says Gosh for Gus and it will take up nearly all the room I've got to tell the rest of the words she says. August 22. Well Gus was over here yesterday. He came Friday night and went back Saturday night. He intended to stay till this afternoon but he got word about a half hour before he left. Guy and him and Jim Kennedy and his brother-in-law and John Austin all went in Guy's car. We never got to Sunday school this morning on account of the whooping-cough. I will sure be glad when we get over it we can't go any place with it. Say tell grandpa to come along when Paul comes. We want to see him as bad as any of the rest of them. They had a funeral here today. A soldier boy from over sea was buried. There was sure a lot of people there. So I will close for once wishi early answer. With love to all, Erma P.S. Tell Julia I will write to her next time. My sunday school had a party. I will tell you about it next time. LOVE Erma's first love was Paul R. Anderson, son of Carl H. Anderson and Hulda Sophia Storm. He, instead, married Euena Thostesen, daughter of Ova N Thoesten.
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