Dear Mister Ward: The Next Phase
So what's next for Dear Mister Ward?
Well, since I rediscovered the letters during lockdown in 2020 I have wondered what my grandma might have done with them if she were alive today. Did her curiosity extend beyond the letters? Did she wonder about the people who had sent them, or the places they lived? Unfortunately I can't ask her but based upon the interview my uncle did with her about them in 1981 I think it's pretty safe to say she did.
It would have been tough for her to learn more even if she wanted to as she didn't have access to the many internet based tools that we take for granted today. But I do have access to those tools and I love a good research project.
So I decided that once I had the letters published I would continue the project by researching those who wrote the letters, the places they lived, and the products they mentioned.
I've clipped out the name and towns from the letters as they were entered by my grandma. Unfortunately only some of the letters have both names and places attached. So, those are the ones I'm focusing on. You can find them in this post:
The Names and Places of Dear Mister Ward
Some of the towns don't seem to exist in the states as written. I am compiling those towns and possible alternate towns in another post that is coming soon.
I'm still working on tracking down products but if you have any hot tips please contact me.