I was going to give you some information at the end of these letters about Dorothy and her family, but I can do it now. Also thanks to Terry and Baz for their emails. I am happy for you to save these letters, if you pass them on, please credit where they came from, for the records. As I had hoped, the letters are giving some of the Lincs listers an insight as to what their ancestors lives might have been like it they had family in U.S.A. at this time. I think Dorothy was a very brave girl leaving Lincolnshire, to go and meet her Pen Friend, Walter Wood, with a view to marriage if they liked each other, as they obviously did. Dorothy arrived in New York 28th May 1920 Dorothy kept her mother up to date with her daily life, and generously supplied her with press cuttings, photographs etc. I cutting from the Denver Newspaper for 6 June 1920 shows the deck of the ship S.S.St Paul, her decks crowded with First Class Passengers. Dorothy has hand written a note in the margin. "I spent my days on the other end of this ship" she was not a first class passenger when she crossed the pond. I have many photographs inherited from my Grandmother, beautiful photograph of Dorothy as a young woman, I presume this one was taken just before she left for U.S.A. Walt with their 'High Priced Car' Ed and Mary as children thru the years. Edwin in Army Uniform, Nida, Carrie. Walt and Dolly in their mature years. Another photograph taken at their Golden Wedding. Terry asked if I had made contact with anybody mentioned in these letters. I had the one letter from Edward, he replied to a letter I sent him when I started Family History in 1983, shortly afterwards he died. I understand he had three wives, he died 22 February 1994. Ed married a lady named Shirley, 28 May 1953, but I dont know where. Ed sent me a photograph taken at his daughters wedding, taken Nov 2 1981 Where? The bride is his daughter Kimberley (Brooks) Wood, aged 20 yrs, unfortunately the Bridegroom isnt on this photograph, looks like he might be called Brooks?. Others in the photograph are Brian Wood aged 16, Sharon Wood 17, Ronald Wood 23, Edward is aged 60, his wife Shirley is 52, and his wife's mother Lillian Marshall is 72. For some reason Ed put all the ages beside their names. The letter Ed wrote to me is dated February 24 1983 from 5025 West 73rd St; Prairie Village, Kansas 66208. Dolly died 30 December 1978 in Denver, Walt had been born in Tiverton, England in 1891, died in August 1979,in a Fort Collins Nursing home, so didnt live long after Dolly died. He must have returned to Fort Collins to be near members of his birth family. Apparently he had 4 sisters still living when he died aged 88 yrs. According to Walt's newspaper obituary, Walt and Dolly had lived at Grey Rock, Wellington. Walt had been working as a Supervisor for the Larimer County Highway Department in Wellington. Then in 1940 they moved to Denver, he owned and operated a Gas Station until his retirement. Their two children, Edward Lee WOOD was born 29 Sept 1921 Wellington and Mary Emily Wood 19 August 1923, I presume also in Wellington. Mary married a Jim RUSHING, and I think had two daughters, one was called Marilyn and born 25th August 1942,(info taken from back of a photograph) I have no details at all about the second child. I also have been unable to find out anything about JIM RUSHING, or where he and Mary lived etc;. Also have been unsuccessful in finding anything out about Marilyn, who I would dearly like to get in touch with. Mary died 24 Sept 1965 at Ogden USA and buried 27th at 2.0 p.m. Valley Vista Methodist Church. I make it that she was 42 years when she died. The few facts I have about any of them have been obtained from the backs of photographs and two or three letters my maiden aunts Annie and Edith had kept. However I did have success with the surname AHLBRANDT, mentioned in one of the letters. I got in touch into the WOOD family,and had been helped by Aunt Nid Ahlbrandt nee Wood, who is mentioned many times in the letters. Looks like another of Walt's sisters, Dorothy, also married an Ahlbrant.Arlene sent me copies of her research and many photographs, which included many with Dorothy, her husband and children one, so a real treasure trove, and very gratefully received. My grandmother had also kept a letter she had received from Walt's mother, written in 1927 after the death of her daughter Florrie. This letter has also been sent from Wellington, to my Grandmother who was then living in Holton le Clay, Lincolnshire. I can type this letter for you, if anybody is interested. If anybody wants a photograph of Dolly etc; please email me and I will scan and send one by email. Pat