12/14/1925 Letter from Ted Surdez

                                                                                                          Skidmore, Mo.
                                                                                                             Dec. 14, '25
                                                                                                                 7am

Dear Doris -

Well it is snowing this morning and I am rather mad.  We were figuring on geting through tomorrow and going to S.F. Wensday.  But it is hard to tell when we will get through now.  I was sorry to hear that you got hurt and hope you are all right now.  My knee has been bothering me a lot lately but it feels pretty good this morning.  I gave it a hot bath last night.  Norman and Dewey went hunting yesterday but I stayed home

all day and sat by the fire.  Went to bed about 7:30 last night and got up at 5 this morning and now we can't work so I guess I will go back to bed.  I would rather start for Sioux Falls this morning than any thing I know of but these folks have been so good to us I think we had ought to stay and help them finish.  I wonder what is the matter with Les.  We have been looking for him every day and he hasn't showed up yet.  Is he still at Kennedy's or (-over-)

has he found some more corn to pick?  I have a chance to get my old job back if I want it, and I would take it if you were here but I would die if I had to stay here all winter with out seeing you.  But I realy don't know what I will do up there all winter.  I don't suppose one could buy a job now and it is a long time till spring, but I suppose I will get by some way.  Well I must close as news are scarse and it is almost mail time.

                                                                          xx     Yours only,
                                                                 xxxxxxxx           Ted

                                              xxxxxx
                                              xxxxxx

12/05/1925 Letter from Ted Surdez

                                                                                              Skidmore Mo.
                                                                                                                 Dec. 5, '25

Dear Doris - Another day of bad weather and nothing to do so will try and kill a little time by writing a few letters.  Yes I think I have been getting all your letters as I get one every day.  And they sure kid me about it too.  It sure is cold here today and there is a little snow on the ground.  So we are going to wait until Monday before we start work again.  Went to a dance last night but didn't have any fun.  The music was poor and the crowd was dead.  Outside of that it was pretty good.  Norman came very near going north today but I talked him out of it because I knew it would be foolish to leave all this good corn when I have no job in sight up there.  But he sure is home sick.  And I guess I wanted to go about as bad as he did, but I knew that wouldn't be a very wise thing to do.  Please excuse this big blot.  I was pushing on the self filler and didn't know it.  So you can take it for a big smacker.  My old girl called me over long distance today and wanted me to come up and see her but I told her I didn't have any way of getting there.  O well I can't be waisting my time and money on her when there (-over-)

is such a long winter and a girl like you waiting for me in S.D.  So your red top gum drop was down to see you again was he.  Well it sure is too bad you were not home.  But don't worry he will be back.  Well you know what happens if you ever go any where with him.  Now I guess it was foolish of me to say that as I know you wouldn't do any thing like that.  Well little Pal news are scarse when I write so often so I guess this will be about all for today.  We are going to stay in town tonight and I am going to take Bernus and Eloise to the show as Dewey has to work.  O boy I am getting some real good stuff over the radio just now.  Do you remember the song that was sung on the night of Oct. 3 on the streets of S.F. by a group of women riding on a truck.  Well that is what I am listening to just now and it sure sounds good.  It is coming from station K.S.O. now if you can figure out what those letters stand for.  You will know what sort of people are doing the bradcasting.  Well I must close as it is geting late and I have to go out to the farm and take care of my mules.  So by bye, keep writing every day.

                                                   Yours Till Concret Walks
                                                                       Ted.

"Tantamount to Ted" By Dione M. Surdez (October 10th, 2007)



Ted with Dewey's Daughter, Gwendolyn



Practically practical

Seemingly structural

Romantically rueful

Work first, then love



Seasonally sensationed

Momentarily relationed

Overly creationed

Send money, then love

Holy pursued

Sinfully construed

Passionately perused

Praise God, then love

Grammatically skillful

Dramatically senseful

Chromatically fruitful

Come home, then love



 

11/30/1925 Letter from Ted Surdez

c/o Dewey Surdez

Skidmore Mo.

Nov. 30, '25

Dear Little Pal:  Well here I am in Mo.  Came down here yesterday and we are going to work tomorrow.  The corn sure is good.  The job we are going will last about two weeks then I think we will head tward S.F.  Dewey and Bernus think it is rather strange that I am going back to Dakota this time of year.  So you know they are

kiding me a lot.  Bernus says I am the funniest guy she ever saw.  She says I always get serious but it usualy turns out to be a huge joke.  But I told her this was different.  So you see I have spilled the beans.  And they took it up right away.  Now they think I am going to get married xmas.  "Well I wish I was."  Most of the girls that I used to go with down here are married

except the one that I went with steady and she isn't here.  So you need not worry about losing me.  Well you wouldn't need to any way, even if they were all here and a lot more.  Because I only think of one girl now and she is the best in the world "Doris."  Dewey has a radio but no loud speakers so Norman and I each have a set of head phones on listening to jazz music while we write.  It works pretty (over)

good except that it makes us kinda homesick for our sweeties.  These folks sure were glad to see me.  And it seemed rather nice to see some of my old friends again.  But I would be ready to leave now if the corn was all picked.  But I don't think it will be so lonesome after we get started working again.  Doris I realy haven't been with any girl since I lift and don't intend to be.  And I trust that you will do the same.

Sure are having fine weather here.  I hope it stays this way for about two weeks.  Then, o boy won't we travel north.  Well I'll say we will.  Norman is realy homesick as this is his first time to get so far away.  He sure can pick corn for as small as he is.  We have been picking just the same amount every day.  He says I am the first guy that ever kept up with him.  And he is also the first one to stay with me.  So you see we get

along fine together.  We picked seven hundred bushels apeice in six days when we were in Iowa.  So you know we were steping right along.  How did your mothers sale turn out?  Good I hope, Have you heard from Harry?  Well dear I must close as I am out of some thing to write.

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                                                                    Yours Forever
     xxxxxxxxxxxxx                                                                             X    Ted.

P.S. - Tell Les there is a lot of corn here if he comes right away but in another week jobs will be rather scarse.  You can call him and have him come down.

11/25/1925 Letter from Ted Surdez

c/o Gus Swenson
R.R. 2

Villisca Ia. R.2

Dear little Pal:  Well we have landed a job at last but we are only about to the Mo. line only about eighty miles from my brother.  We were almost in the notion of turning back when we found this job the corn is all picked between here and Sioux Falls, but they say there is plenty south of here.  I think we have struck a fine place at least they seem nice and I know they feed good

(2)

because we had a swell (sic) supper.  We are just a mile from town but it is only about as big as Renner, and we are only three hundred and twenty miles from S.F.  The corn sure is good here but they havent any elevators so we will have to shovel .  We didn't leave Sioux Falls until four oclock that evening and got in Storm Lake about ten.  Just had two flat tires on the way down.  How did your carnival turn out?  I suppose you made a lot of money.  Is Harry back yet?

(3)

Well I wouldn't advise any one to come to Iowa to pick corn because there isn't much corn left any where that we've seen.  I think I will try and get down to see Dewey while I am this close but will try and be with you Xmas.  Well I cant think of any thing to say except that I love you more than ever.  But I don't suppose that is very interesting so will close.  Answer real soon.

                                                                                       Yours Only
                                                                                       Ted
                                                                        xxxxxx

Ted at Dewey's (Skidmore, Missouri)