Trudel continues translating her letters in “diary style.” This post consolodates her entries for August 14 and 17 with the rest of the month.

Surprises

Will Rogers Dies

8/14/35
Will Rogers died in an airplane accident in Alaska.

8/17/35
Somebody jumped from the 20th floor of the next building. Glad I did not see it.

Oil for the Lamps of China

8/30/35
Nothing special, only movie: “Oil for the Lamps of China.” Excellent.

8/31/35
Letter to Erna to let her know that I mailed a record to Papa for his birthday and to ask Liss to catch it before he sees it.*

*With that single line Trudel only hints at a family legend. According to newspaper stories published much later, the record she sent was very special. She wanted to surprise her father with news of her engagement. One paper said,

In the phonograph recording room at Lyon & Healy’s store, one day . . . Leonard J. Grossman, former alderman of the Fifth Ward, asked a father 3,000 miles away for the hand of his daughter. Into the recording apparatus he spoke of his love. And the daughter declared that she would be happy if she could marry him.
The record was mailed to the father, Adolph Adler, former member of the German stock exchange, in Frankfort-on-the Main, Germany.

Wooed by Phonograph

What the newspaper didn’t say, at least according to the story as I heard it many times, was that my father spoke in German on the record and Trudel spoke in English. It also didn’t describe my grandfather’s amazement and excitement when he listened to the record. Over and over again.