The Thomas A. Edison Papers Digital Edition

These letters, which cover the years 1885, 1928, and 1932, were written by Mary Valinda Alexander Fritcher (1869-1933), the daughter of Mina Edison's uncle, Hugh Milton Alexander. The recipients are Mina's siblings Grace, Mary, and Ira Miller. Among the topics discussed in the 1885 letters are the recent death of Cornelius Aultman, the stepbrother of Lewis Miller; the health of various family members; and the New Orleans Cotton Exposition. The letter from 1928 contains an extensive discussion of Mary's various health problems. She also inquires about her cousin Mary's recent visit to the Battle Creek Sanitarium and mentions the activities of her sons Lee and Clifford, her grandson Roy, and Clifford's wife Vera. Mary notes that she is making her living as a seamstress but has been doing mostly hand sewing since her machine broke down. The last letter, written less than five months before her death, includes a lengthy discussion of her hospital stay after a recent operation. Also mentioned are the difficulties experienced by her husband Charlie in finding work during the Great Depression and the financial problems of her son Lee, who was in danger of losing his farm. "I am afraid Mr. Hoover wont get many votes in this section of the country," she adds. "For most of us feel Roosevelt is the lesser of the two evils."