Sam Snead playing at the PGA championship in 1942 at Seaview, New Jersey
I never quite know where my grandfather’s letters will take me. Today, I’m learning a bit about Sam “Slammin’ Sammy” Snead, the professional golfer. I am rather of my grandfather’s opinion on the whole subject. I don’t really like sports and I don’t spend my time following them. I love his attitude towards golf. I’m sure we have all had the stereotypical picture in our mind of our doctor, playing golf on his day off. I guess my grandfather broke the mold on that one. My only exception for watching sports is during the Olympics. I will watch sports for 2 weeks every two years and then I’m done. This case is no different. I’m sure if I knew who Sam Snead was and if I was an avid sports fan, watching him play would be quite the treat. Dr. Lentz was most likely of that opinion. But how cool is it that my grandfather got to watch this golf legend play (even though he didn’t appreciate it).
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- July 9, 1942 Envelope
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- July 9, 1942, p. 1
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- July 9, 1942, p. 2
Letter transcription:
Thur Eve
Dear Mother,
Didn’t get a letter today- I suppose it got mixed up in the mail at least I hope there is nothing wrong that you couldn’t write.
We are having some pretty hot weather down here at present. So far it has been very cool at nights but the days are really hot + sticky.
We went out and watched Sammy Snead¹, a professional golfer play a little this Eve. He was giving lessons. He is now in the navy and of course must give the lessons free. Somehow I don’t care anything for golf anymore-seems to me that it’s a waste of time and energy. Just as well walk and give up the hitting of the ball ever so often. Dr. Lentz seems to get a big kick out of it, was talking about buying a new set of clubs for $30², but then he doesn’t have any dependants to speak of etc.
Mrs. E. finally told me last night that she found the boxᶟ you left. She almost threw it away thinking it was an empty box. She got a letter from Dorothy. She said
(page 2) she was going to answer both your letters before long.
Today is the first day in eleven days that anyone got orders. He had been here about the same length of time that I have been. He was sent to the Panama Canal Zone.
Well, it’s time to go eat.
Love Daddy
Notes:
- Samuel Jackson Snead was a professional golfer who served in the Navy from 1942-1945. He was known as “Slammin’ Sammy” for his perfect swing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Snead
- $30 for a set of clubs! Amazing, but my grandfather was correct, Dr. Lentz didn’t have any children so he probably had a little more disposable income.
- When my grandmother and Dorothy Krull left Norfolk, they left a present for Mrs. Evans. At this point, it has been over two weeks since they left. I wonder what was in the box?
Genealogy Lady 
When my dad had his day off (Thursday afternoons), his great joy was being at home in his amateur carpentry shop. In our old house it was in the basement; in the new house on the west side of Kentland, it was the garage (a BIG two-car garage). Yes, that was his attitude toward golf: no interest whatever. And there was the very practical reality that my dad always had to be reachable….he WAS the local emergency room. It just would not do for him to be somewhere out on a golf course. He had to be able to respond to medical emergencies immediately. When he build the new house, he had telephone jacks installed on the outside, so that the could plug the phone in when he was working in the yard. Wow…no cell phones!
I never knew him to be interested in any sports at all–either as a participant or spectator.
And here’s a footnote to his policy on the things he built in his carpentry shop. He would build it, but he wouldn’t paint or varnish it. That was my job or mother’s! I recall that he build lots of tables, but we had to do the finishing. 🙂
I must get my apathy of sports from him. 🙂 although I have never really known you to be interested in sports (except baseball).
Don’t you love that? I have learned so much researching things Dad talks about in his letters, Including the Louis-Farr boxing match that happened in 1937. I also love when Dad talks about famous speech’s in the era that you can find any of the presidents (for instance) speeches online AND you can find the specific parts that were talked about in the letters. Great Letter and great job researching!
Thank you. It will be interesting to see what other gems surface in the letters.