Letter from Annie to Gilbert. There are other letters from family members relating to difficulties in Gilbert's marriage to Annie and correspondence relating to Nancy Perkaquanard to whom he was subsequently married. She clearly had a hard time and Gilbert's marital strain seems to have created difficulty all around.

Meers, Oklahoma

March 12, 1918

Dear Husband,

I will answer your letter and such a letter. Well I hope you are keeping well we are the same baby & I the little thing is on the bed eating an orange his little mouth just smacking loud. Every time I say here Irvin he looks at me and says here just as quick and fast he keeps me a laughing all the time. I also tried to give him a hard tack but he was so angry that he threw it just as far away It sure tickled me though and he dont like to me laugh either for he sure gets worse

Well Mattie & Hub are here now and it is so crowded that I think Irvin and I will have to leave now to give this room up to them besides your mother is beginning to hint at me I am always sad to think of you as I stay here, so I will now leave for my brothers. I shall never forget you dear where ever I go I will write to you often my only God Bless you

I am leaving the old place where I spented the days with you those lonely days now gone bye and I still love you more than ever to think that you are a man of honor & loyalty of our country God Bless you again with his choicest of blessings.

Dear I don't want any of your money now at the office cause your mother is not on real good terms about that she would rather you pick it up for yourself so I suppose you'd better listen to her for she claims that she is more closer to you than a wife. I thot I was closer but I guess I am not, but I love you just the same for you are my husband, but the bible speaks of a man should cling to his wife so I look at it that way I don't know which you may like to cling to. (good bye)

Well you sure wrote my name good and plain you might have done better if you left yours out. Oh such a change of temper.

No more Meers so don't write yet.

Unsigned but obviously written by Annie

!Photo of Irvin sent to Gilbert when he served in the Army during World War I. The back read, "This is sonny who says 'Daddy's in Sance [France]'."

Joseph Gilbert Kaulay