I never knew my grandmother, Hilma Peterson Nelson, daughter of Swedish immigrants to Minnesota and married to Andrew Nelson (Anders Nilsson, b. 1857 in Hjärsås), but I have a letter written to her in Swedish. It is postmarked September 26, 1900, Bernadotte, Minnesota. The return address is printed on the envelope: Nicollet County Telephone and Telegraph Co., Bernadotte, Minnesota. My grandfather worked for this Co. about this time, I think, but I thought by that time the family lived in Gaylord, Minnesota, a town near-by where my father was born in April of that year. The writer seems to be a cousin on her father's side. The letter is handwritten in red ink, so I may have some of the words wrong. Could someone please translate this for me:
Jag vill hermed i allskons vålmening sånda svågra få rader i form af erv välkomst-helsning till smälla Fru Nelson. Vi har ingen bekantskap men jag har sett sota Marma blott Ef (or Erv) gång how var så alskvard att how karr behaga alla sonn ser på heuvel. Jag karr gratulera er man som har fått på sin lott att Jå dela ljuft ock lett med Ev (or Erv) sä innerligt skon maka. Det lik som glader den Gamle att få se så nara (or vara) slaktingar har i värt så Skona Bernadotte med så hogt uppdrag ock fortrvoende som Postmastare Handelman ock så stor konstruar i Tellefon yrket. for allt deta ar min lyertinnerliga onskare ock borv till vär nåderike (or våderike) Gud our (or ovr) bistånd ock ledving under fortsattvingen på edar framtida lefvadsbarra har i detta stora ock fredliga samhalle. (Signed) kusin till Farfar.
Some of the vowels a and o have a squiggle over them like the mark over the Spanish mark over n indicating the sound ny but I can't figure out how to to put that in. E.g., words such as allskons (over the o), alskvard (over the a's), skon (over the o) glader (over the a), slaktingar (over first a), Skona (over the o), hogt (over the o) fortroende (over first o) Postmastare (over the first a), konstruar (over the a),for (over the o), ar (over the a), borv (over the o), fortsattvingen (over the a), har (over the a).
Thanks to anyone who can help. I do appreciate all the help I have been getting from so many on this site! Mary