Historical Context

This letter, dated May 11, 1932, was written by Evan's mother, Ethel. Among other things, she mentions receiving a beautiful "white carnation" at Sunday School. This is a direct nod to the original traditions established by Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day in the United States. Jarvis designated the white carnation as the official symbol of the holiday because it represented the purity of a mother's love. Traditionally, people wore a red or pink carnation if their mother was living, and a white carnation if their mother had passed away—though as seen here, churches frequently distributed white carnations to all mothers as a general token of appreciation.

The family choosing to sell a Holstein cow to buy "large white chickens" (likely White Leghorns or White Plymouth Rocks) reflects smart Depression-era economics. Holsteins are massive dairy cows that require substantial feed to produce high volumes of milk. In 1932, wholesale milk prices collapsed drastically. Switching to chickens allowed a family to utilize minimal space, feed the birds kitchen scraps, and secure a daily, tradeable source of protein (eggs) with much lower overhead.