Holyoke, Colo.                                 Mar. 9, 1916

Dear Muriel & family 

        Am going to start a little earlier and see how that will work.  We are all well.  I didn't have the aid after all.  The men wanted to work on the church and didn't want to take time to come clear over here for their dinner and the preacher thought they ought to have a warm dinner, so they said if we would go to Mrs. Wages and all cook something, they would pay for their dinner.  There was ten men there.  We now have some over 70.00 in the treasury.  We are going to pledge 150 dollars towards the church, will pay 50 down, 50 next fall and 50 a year from next fall if not before, so you see we will have to keep busy.  I heard the preacher telling the men that this little bunch of women down here were just working their finger ends off to pay something towards the church and it wouldn't hurt them to help out a little.

           Well we got our plans all laid for dedication, committees all appointed except a reception committee.  We never thought of that but guess we can arrange that over the phone.  We concluded to serve baked beans too.  Think I told you what we thought of serving for lunch.  We think it will take a thousand sandwiches, but we will make them of bread instead of making buns.  Then if it is a bad day and but half as many as we expect there, we can use the bread at home.  Will fill them with chicken.  We grind the chicken, put 4 or 5 hard boiled eggs with each chicken and moisten with salad dressing, so you see it goes farther and is good too.  It will take 35 chickens, 35 cakes, 5 gallon beans, 5 gallon pickles and 5 pounds coffee.  We will have 3 tables 20 feet long.  Will buy paper plates and napkins so will only have cups, forks, and spoons to wash.  We can buy the plates for five cents by the dozen and think we may get them cheaper by taking 500.  You see that will save lots of work.  We have 4 young people to attend each table, 2 women to spread sandwiches, and 2 to wash dishes and help with the sandwiches when not washing dishes, 2 to make and pour coffee.  We think we have it arranged so we can take care of the crowd as quickly as possible.  Then if we can get some one to serve as reception committee, we will have one in the church above to show them where to go into the basement for their lunch, one at the door to see that only as many as we can feed at once come down the stairs and one to show them out the outside way.  In that way, we won't have them in the way in the basement.  Don't you think that will be a scheme, and we can serve them better too.  I am one of the dish washers.  It is only for 1 1/2 hours you know and I will take a chair with me and a rug to stand on so I won't get so tired.  The floor is cement and will be hard for our feet, but I know they won't let me overdo for they all look out for me as I am the only white head among them, expect they just let me do it so I won't feel that I am no good.  Of course I do want to help.