November 12, 1942

From: Mai Baker, The Cottage, Ballincollig, Co Cork
To: Frank Gleasure, 56 Gardner Street, Allston, Mass. USA

My dear Frank,

What a pleasant surprise when I was just going to take my breakfast this morning at getting your letter, you bet I did not bother with breakfast until I read your letter over a couple of times so glad to hear yourself & family are well, its a relief to you they are all grown up now, you had a lot of worry while they were young but in married life there is always something or another.  I have not heard from Listowel for past two months they are a bit slow sometimes in writing or I think they are busy making lots of money, they are doing very well down there they have got the house next door and are enlarging their business.  There is not many in Listowel that you would know now the only ones belonging to your time would be girl & boys of Buckley's family.  Mollie Lyons.  Leane the Chemist & Dr. Dillons.  You know Behan house next door got burned to the ground.  George came near losing his home at that time also there are strangers there now all the Behans are left town & some of them are dead.  I suppose you remember Nell Dowling who used bring us the milk she has a provision shop at end of the Square & has a grown up family she used often ask about you her sister Maggie went to New York & done very well.  Paddy has the house at Woodford.  All the old people of Tullig & Mt. Cole are dead James Connor Uncle Adam & Wife some of the Parkinsons etc. and all their family's are grown up and have children of their own grown up also I would not know half of them as I am over twenty years left Listowel and it's 19 years since I was down there they never invite me down for a few days and I would like to go John & Jim Connor are at Mt. Cole John is married but Jim is not.  Sarah is married she was very bad during summer & had to be put in hospital suffering from cancer.  as you know all the Dillons are out of the police now Tom is here in Cork he has five in family all doing splendid Paddy is living in Listowel his wife is dead and he drinks a good deal himself Bridge is living near Lixnaw & has a grown family also do you ever meet Mike he buried his wife last March and then the Carrolls there is only one of them left here Henry & Matt are dead Jerry is in New York also two others and are doing well by what themselves say.  And now about myself I don't know if I told you I have seven boys eldest 21 and youngest 9.  my eldest boy is motor Mechanic and is very good at his trade my second boy is trying at present to get to Belfast to do some war work if he can but the country is a bit upset and its hard to get anything [?].  I had a hard struggle to rear them as the father is very much given to drink and I've had a terrible life up to this he is over in England at present and I hope he stops there you said you did not hear from George after you wrote to him they told me they answered your letter & did not hear from you since so you got a wrong idea about it the world is so upset for past few years a person don't know if the letter goes right or not.  I do not know how many times I've written to Annie but I'm sure it's about 20 letters anyway I never got an answer to any of them I even sent them to Mrs. Smyth.  I am posting another along with this to her.  I'll be delighted to get the parcel if you will be able to manage it I hope I did not give you too much trouble I never knew you should look for permission to send them.  George was not very well for past twelve months I met them in Cork last May they were up to take their boy home from hospital as he was in with apendix George got very old looking his wife is very good to me as she sends me all my clothes as the same things fit us and she get finished with hers before they are worn I'd be lost for clothes only for her as I could not buy them myself I will send them your new address this evening and I'm sure they will write to you you will be tired reading all this I hope you will write to me very soon again I've often and often thought about you and wished you would write ask Annie to write me also Hope this finds you all in best & wishing you all a Very Happy Xmas

Your loving sister,
Mai

June 17, 1901

From: Annie Gleasure, Listowel, Ireland
To: Frank Gleasure, 82 West Canton Street, Boston, United States America

Dear Brother,

We received your most welcome letter two weeks ago last Thursday, and were very pleased to hear from you.  I hope you got the job you wrote about; we think it is very good.  Stick to your work now, and don't go drinking or you will never get on.  We did not hear from Miss Reardon yet, so I am going to write this week.  I suppose they knew you, and were glad to have you over?

Everything is nearly the same here.  May and George are going to the Convent now; and Joe is going to the National school on Church street.  The Sweetmans are going to the Convent too.  They are learning sewing and a lot of things there.  Old Tom Sheely died about a week after you left and Tom sold up everything and is staying in Duagh now.

Sarah Conner and Ned Molneaux stole away on the 13th May and James heard a week ago that they were over in England.  The Conners are always fighting with the Banmore lads now.

There was an awful accident in Tralee the day you sailed; it happened about five or six o'clock in the morning.  The train rushed into the station and tore forty-five feet of buildings and jumped five feet high before it stopped.  There were two men killed and some more were wounded.  There was something the matter with the brakes; the engine driver tried to turn it but he could not.

Loyd's and Ginnet's Circus was here a short while ago.  They were very much the same as last year.  One of the Circus men walked across a wire very high up with a man on his back and nothing to balance him but a sunshade.

There was a man there too, whistling like the different kinds of birds.

Will you send over some of those small flag pins for the fourth of July?  You will have a jolly time that day, seeing all the soldiers marching and everything.  And send us over some papers as soon as you can, and we will send over some for you.  The Boy's Friend is enlarged to 16 pages and costs a penny now.

I think it must be very hot over there by this time and there must be some awful thunderstorms there.  We had some very nice weather there until lately; now it is very rainy.

We had a letter from Mike shortly after you landed.  He says they are doing well there.

I have not any more to say, so I must close.  I am still

Yours Affectionately

Annie Gleasure

P.S. Write very soon