Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Staff
Marguerite Butler Letters II 1918 -1970
transcribed by Marguerite Butler – Staff 1914-1922
for Mary Rogers (PMSS Archive)
(Marguerite Butler Bidstrup (1892-1982)

FULL TRANSCRIPTION of Marguerite Butler Letters II
1918-1922, 1969-1970

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TAGS: Transcription of Marguerite Butler letters, education, PMSS students, Mary Rockwell Hook, smallpox, Evelyn Wells, Frances Lavender, Celia Cathcart, Mr. Roettinger, Creech Family, Schoolhouse fire, Katherine Pettit, Mary Angela Melville, Ethel Zande, extension work, fundraising, Olive Dame Campbell, folk dance and music, Denmark folk studies, Cecil Sharp, John C. Campbell Folk School

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FULL TRANSCRIPTION OF MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS, Parts I and II, consists of images and lists of the pages of a complete transcription of Marguerite Butler’s letters to her family while at  Pine Mountain Settlement School, Pine Mountain, Kentucky. The letters began in 1914 and ended in 1922, covering the time she was working as housemother, superintendent of extension work, and fundraiser at Pine Mountain Settlement School.

The transcription was completed years later by Marguerite Butler at the request of Mary Rogers, (PMSS staff and wife of the then-director, Burton Rogers), according to Marguerite’s correspondence with Mary Rogers in late 1969 and early 1970, in which she wrote:

With Pine Mountain’s history I have confidence it will wisely meet the future. It is exciting for me to have my two schools [John C. Campbell Folk School and PMSS] working closely together…. And there are still some [letters] waiting to be read. I can see what they meant to Mother, and I must say I’m enjoying reliving my pioneer days. [November 18, 1969]

As I have read these letters I have re-lived all these experiences. Again I realize how much Aunt Sal, Uncle Wm., Delia, Henry, etc., meant to me. [January 28, 1970]

Some of the letters were not dated and during her transcription of them, Marguerite often estimated when they were written (as indicated by question marks). Letters in Part I – dated 1914 to 1917. Part II – dated 1918-1922 and includes three letters to Mary Rogers in 1969-1970.

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CONTENTS: FULL TRANSCRIPTION of Marguerite Butler Letters Part II

1918

047-048 March 4, 1918. “Dear Mother, Henry has seen the pictures so I am enclosing them.”

048-049 March 18, 1918. “Dear Mother – This is a perfect spring day….”

049 [Possibly July], 1918. “Dear Mother – Your letter came last night but I hardly had a chance to read it until today.”

049-050 [No month, day], 1918? “Dear Mother – This has been a busy time – “twas a wonderful day yesterday for fair….”

050-051 October 1918. “Dear Mother, I certainly hated to see Miss Gaines go….”

052 December 1918? 1920? “Dear Father, Your box came Friday night and mother’s Saturday night….” 

1919

052-054 [No month, day] 1919. “Dear Mother – I wonder if you have heard of our terrible loss – the school house burned to the ground….”

054-055 January 1919. “Dear Jeannette – I wish you might see the boys that have come thru….”

055-056 February 9, 1919. “Dear Mother – The comforts arrived last night and they are lovely.”

056-057 February 15, 1919? “This is to you all — messages for everyone. Dear Father – & Mother – and J —-”

057-059 February or March 1919. “Dear Mother, Your letter was awaiting me….”

059-060 [No month, day] 1919. “Dear Mother — So father and J weren’t sports!!”

060-061 Possibly summer 1918 or 1919. “Dear Mother — Yesterday was one of the nicest days I’ve ever had!”

061-063 June 1919? “Dear Mother, I got some laurel off to Mrs. Mayers yesterday….”

063-064 Summer 1919. “Dear Jeannette – I have no heart to write today if my long one last Sunday was lost.”

065-066 September 5?, 1919. “Dear Father, After your nice letter from camp….”

066-067 Fall 1919? “Dear Mother, It seems as tho’ I never have been away….”

067-068 December 1919? “Dear Mother, This has been a lovely day. I had my Sunday School this morning….”

068-069 March? [no year]. “Dear Jeannette – This is a perfect day. Delia and I were going down to the Medical Settlement….”

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The following letter is missing from this transcription. Its image, list of contents, and transcription can be found on MARGUERITE BUTLER Letters 1919:

1919 LETTER 13 – Sunday, September 1919 or 1920 – “Dear Jeannette — Seems like old times. Miss G. [Ruth Gaines] is taking care of Berto for all Zande family….” [images 072-077]

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1920

069-071 March 1920? “Dear Mother, I think I had better wait and write father next week….”

071-072 Possibly early 1920? “Dear Jeannette, Mother’s letter came last night and yours early in the week.”

072-073 April 1920? “Dear Mother — The box has been lovely! Miss G. and I have feasted alone….”

073 Possibly April 1920. “Dear Father, Well, I guess you think this letter ought to be yours and right your are!”

074 April 25, 1920 (“Should come before previous letter.”) “Dear Father, Your letter was a surprise – And I hear you are getting….”

074-075 Christmas season 1920. “Dear Mother — I was glad to have your and Jeannette’s letters. I am sure she will be better….”

075-077 1920. “Dear Mother – The way I travel around the country. Have just sent the six boys out to see Pineville.”

077-078 [No date]. “Dear Mother, Well, I have thought of you today. Riding home from [Sunday] School….”

078-080 September 17, 1920. Dear Mother – Thank you so much for the ribbon,”  

1921

081-082 September 11, 1921. “Dear Mother – It is seven o’clock – Miss Gaines and I have just come back….”

082-083 September 14, 1921. “Dear Mother – ‘Queen’ is here! From the enclosed letter you will see….”

083-084 September 18, 1921. “Dear Mother – It is nearly five and I am at Open House.”

084-085 November 13, 1921. “Dear Mother, This is a regular grey, windy, November day.”’

085-086 November 21, [no year]. “Dear Jeannette and all – As you are the only one I heard from….”

 

 

 

 

1922

086 & 088 January 22, [no year]. “Dear Mother – I never had such an easy trip. The four of us….”

087 [BLANK PAGE]

088 January 1922. “Dear Mother, Yesterday it was 10 degrees above zero, today it must be….”

089 January 20, 1922. “Dear Jeannette, A letter came from Mrs. Taylor to speak at Seventh Presbyterian….”

089-090 January 23, 1922. Dear Mother – I still do not know just when and where to send my suitcase.”

090-091 May 14, 1922. “This is a queer letter. Read to the end. If I don’t come Tuesday…Dear Jeannette…”

091 May 21, 1922? “Dear Father, You must have sent the box Wednesday for it never came…”

1969-1970

091 November 16, 1969. From Mrs. Georg Bidstrup, Bidstrup Acres, Brasstown, NC, to Mary (Rogers).  “Dear Mary (Rogers) – Maybe you will regret you asked for more.”
092 November 18, 1969. To Mary (Rogers) from Marguerite. “Dear Mary, Thank you for your good letter which came yesterday.”

092 January 28, 1970. To Mary (Rogers) from Marguerite. “Dear Mary, I think these are the last three letters of Miss Pettit’s.”

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GALLERY: MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS II

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Return To:
MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS I 1914 – 1980 Transcriptions by Author
MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS II 1914 – 1980 Transcriptions by Author

See Also:
MARGUERITE BUTLER Staff – Biography
MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS 1914-1970 Guide

DANCING IN THE CABBAGE PATCH Olive Dame Campbell’s 1922 Letter on Danish Folk School Training

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