Letter to Anita Brannin
from her son, John Carrington "Jack" Ward
Jack was born March 18, 1917
and departed this life October 24, 1930
due to an inoperable brain tumor
Big Timber Montana
Jan. 11 1927
Dear Mother, how are you and all the outhers I am fine and all of
the resth but Ed has a cold and he had dr church come
up and give him a copolo of tretmants he’s filling lots
beter now and I got over may coff a day or so after I
cam down I have bin having lots of fun playing basket
ball with a lot of outher kids and Degan and Bug (??)
and a few mor of um I don’t now when I am going
to writg this litter but Ill triy to finish it
to nigh I hant got a any hear puld out yeat I’ve got
to get bisy on a few studys at school and catch
up in them. I thing I will pass in the fift grad
I will cwit school if I don’t pass the teatcher got
a little sor today she was rollerskating and
fell down but it’s a good thing is washout on
the side woolk and the grond wher
she fell was not as hard as a rock on any thig
else it did int hurt hur very much and skated
around the school house a cupol of times and came
back in and I ges she is all right. I ou Shelbe
a litter to he hasant wrot to me for as
long as a cats tail and fill the rest of and tucrs
I supose you hurd about the killing so I will
not tll you if you now for I’m shur you
now ther was three pepol dide yesday. I don’t no
onle one of them and it was mr dicacon and I don’t no
the outher ones Thalmos kotos is blamed
I shur wish I cud come home and have nine
months vacashun and three months school
I’m geting tiard of going to school and I shur
wish I cud come home the rest of the year
I’m geting home sick and I don’t have iney one
to play with me most of the time onliy them
religis nuts and you can’t have endy fon out
of them they are to religis for iny desant
pursan and the only time I cans have
any fun and that is at school when you see
a fight or play basketball and play tag
it is snowing hear is it snowing there
Im not writing very much it is only
a note and the wind is bloing alot
tell evear one hellow and writ as sune
as you can.
Yours truly
John Ward
Billy Briner, Delia Cannon, Alice Brannin, Ralph Brannin, Virginia Briner, Clarence McMahon
Orville Briner, Buddy & Jim Brannin, Jack Ward
picture taken in 1930 at Grannie Brannin's funeral
background photo: Jack sitting between the horse's hooves