Back in 2005, my mother, Kathleen Pittman Job, put together a booklet containing letters written by my great, great grandfather, Conrad Job, in the latter years of his life. For context, I’ve copied the introduction from the booklet here, and the link to the booklet is at the bottom of the page.
Minnie and Oral MacCammack were 25 and 26 and living in Sheridan, Wyoming in 1920… a long way from their home and families in Putnam County, Indiana. Oral was a fireman for the railroad. Perhaps he was gone from home a lot. Minnie began to write to her grandfather, Conrad Job. She must have been very homesick and missing him. She sent little gifts to him as well as letters and encouraged him to go and visit her.
When Minnie Job MacCammack Bashaw died in 1984, some letters from Conrad were found in her possessions, along with the letter her cousin, Blanche Job, wrote to let Minnie know of his death in July 1923. The letters were returned to Blanche and, because they should be shared, are reproduced here for anyone to see.
Conrad’s letters are a 3 1/2 year long narrative of his life and the things that interested him. He wrote about the weather, crops and his bees, family and neighbors, his health and his failing eyesight. They are sometimes touching, very sweet, usually interesting and quite amusing at times.
The sixteen letters from Conrad are all written on lined paper without punctuation and with very few capitals. They have become faded and brown with age. They have been scanned here and transcribed with as little editing as possible. To assist in reading, spaces were added between what seemed to be sentences and a few “t’s” were crossed.
According to family history, Conrad came to the United States from Germany in 1840 with his parents, Sebastian and Catherine Frances Knoll Job, two brothers and one sister. His grandmother Knoll emigrated with them. Conrad was 7 at the time and remembered the rough voyage over the Atlantic but very little of his childhood in Germany. Surely one of the first things for him here would have been to learn to read and write in a new language.
Included here are some other items of interest about Conrad Job and his family – some photos and various documents. Blanche Job Vaughn is now 100. She remembers her grandfather Conrad well. For years she has shared pictures, letters, and information to encourage my interest in family history. Her keen mind and excellent memory have been so helpful here. She is my inspiration and I thank her so much. I need to give credit as well to my son, Eric Job, for
getting this on the website.
Kathleen Pittman Job
February 2005