Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
Nov 26 – 1942

Dear Daddy –

Thanksgiving Day and lunch over – including David’s. He just finished his 2 P.M. feeding. We lunched rather lightly because we are going to Krulls for supper and thought we had better go with good appetites. It is cold today but sunny. We did a small washing and the clothes froze while hanging them out so that can give you an idea of how crisp it is. Yesterday it was warm enough to hang things without gloves on. This kind of weather make me want a warm coat but really haven’t had an opportunity to get one yet. The mail was delivered this morning but no letters from you. I am anxious to get the letters you sent the money in so I can report to you. The one mailed the 18^th came yesterday but there are three or four previous to that date that haven’t come yet. They often come in such a manner. Yesterday one came dated the 11^th and I had already received the 12-13-14-& 15^th.

John and Mark are washing dishes and being very pokey this

[page 2]being a holiday they aren’t very fast doing things. John’s report card was better this month than Mark’s. I mean John raised some of his grades and Mark dropped on his. Mark got A+ on Band but that was the only grade that high.

Uncle Wes stopped again this morning. He and Paul Harris were returning to Chi. Maybe he and Aunt Jessie will come down Sunday to spend the day – since gas rationing will start Monday. He thought I could get a better rating for gas on the strength of collecting bills, but I told him no. He was trying to tell me how to collect some of those accounts but I doubt if anything short of suing would get some – or most. The  check Amel Taylor gave me that bounced I put back in the bank and they are to run it though when & if he puts any more money on deposit. We should be able to collect all those accounts – the way most people are making money now. If I thought it would do any good I would send you a list and have you mail statements from there and make a plea – but I suppose it would be a waste of paper & air mail stamps.

I gave you Dr. Joe’s address some time back but will give it to you again so in case you didn’t get the first you might possibly run into him but that would be almost too good wouldn’t it? I went to see her two weeks ago and she wasn’t home. I should go again before rationing starts.

[page 3] I don’t know why, but it gives me such satisfaction to put a real address on your letters. Maybe you will get better mail service now. I hope. Just hope you get the birthday box & cards we sent.  You should get your Mother’s box before Christmas because she didn’t specify it as Christmas mail. We were instructed to mark all boxes intended for that date as such.

The Zell girls brought some ice cream over for the boys. It had turkey figures on it. They said their Daddy was coming over to clean out our furnace this afternoon. I told them to thank him but John and I had already done the job. I don’t mind having people do things for us we can’t do ourselves but I want to do all we can. Link said he would clean the leaves out of the guttering and I think I’ll let him do that job. Now that the leaves are all off it can be done.

I have been thinking about Christmas gifts for your Mother & Dad and I believe I will send them a subscription for Reader’s Digest. While here this week she read some from ours and I believe she & Dad would enjoy them. Kenneth said he liked to read them. I showed him some articles we had read and he read them and said he thought they were good. That is the most I had been around Kenneth. He certainly is a fine boy. He seemed to enjoy his visit and I [he] never seemed to be bored like some his age would have been without someone his

[page 4] own age to be with.

Bart told me he had written you and filled his letter with town gossip so that takes care of that sort of news and I won’t try to include such in my letters – in fact I don’t know much about the local scandals.

There was a notice from the Laf. Life Ins. to the effect if you want a urine [?] analysis you may have a free examination – but I hardly think you will be interested. There were slips from John Hancock for those dividends we take off our premiums every year. I don’t know whether I am sure about what to do with them or not – as you remember we have had a mix up on that every time. Don’t worry about the taxes. Agnes is taking care of things in that line for us, so just forget about it. I won’t quote the bank bal. today but will give you a report after the checks come the first of Dec. I haven’t been spending anything but am getting a chest of drawers for the baby things. It is in the unfinished wood and will fit in the den with some shelves of the same make. I am getting this from Sears. You know the shelves we wanted to put in the Den when we built the house. Now that we can drive only so far a week and aren’t spending money on much else I thought I could squeeze out enough to buy the things I mentioned and maybe consider would you want me to send you a good wrist watch? Let me know – if so I will

Love –
Mother (over)

J.M. Roberts Lt Cmdr Mobile Hosp #4 U.S.N.R. Fulcrum c/o P.M. San Francisco Calif.

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