XM/6890/19
LETTER: Annie and Jack Smith, 1422 Maryland Ave., Racine, Wisc., America, to Mrs. Katie Jones, Bryn Gwyrfai, Bontnewydd, hoping that the recipient and her mother were both well. They send congratulations, belated, to Katie on her marriage; they themselves were getting along fine. They intended coming home in August, sailing from New York on the Queen Elizabeth for Southampton for a three month vacation and intended to drop in to see them all. Their niece Blodwen Evans of Royal Oak, Mich. sailed in July to compete in the National Eisteddfod and would probably visit her, she had a beautiful voice and had sung at the St. Davids celebrations in Wisconsin and had toured America They had read good reviews of Blodwen in the Welsh newspaper of Utica, New York. Blodwen had been studying in New York for the past three years under Ivor Thomas one time star of Paris and London. This would be Jack Smith’s, first visit since the Lusitania in May 1915 when he nearly did not make it. He only had one member of the family left so they intended to make their headquarters in Llanrug or vicinity as there were so many of Annie’s relations that there could only be a short stop at each place. They intended going to Yorkshire for a couple of weeks to see some relatives and then back to Llanrug via Manchester. They had been wanting to make the trip for years. They had attended a Cymanfa Ganu in Milwaukee, the welsh church had been packed but very hot. For two days it had rained in torrents, everything was looking like a bumper harvest Wisconsin was a beautiful state and depended mainly on farming although there were many large plants there and at Milwaukee. The ladies from the welsh church had given a farewell party to four people who were going to Wales that year, one a Mrs Gray sailed for Bontnewydd 8 July and two sailed with them: Annie received an umbrella and handbag and about 68 sat down to lunch and played cards etc. till midnight. He had locked the keys in the car and they didn’t got home till 1 o’clock: Johnny had to be up by 5:30 the next day for work. In envelope.
Cyngor Gwynedd