Tag Archives: Irene (James) Staton

First Anniversary of Pearl Harbor (Gladys)

: December 7, 1942 Envelope

: December 7, 1942, p. 1

: December 7, 1942, p. 2

: December 7, 1942, p. 3

: December 7, 1942, p. 4

Letter transcription:
Kentland Ind
Dec 7 – 1942
Dear Daddy –
After receiving four letters this morning I should be able to write a little better – also I went to Music Club this afternoon. My first Club meeting since Sept 22 – then I only attended the luncheon. Mrs. Shirk told me while I was at club that they called Dr. M. and he refused to go. Also several have told me similar stories. I didn’t know this until Clara M. worked for me last week but Mrs. Cunningham said he wouldn’t come when she called him for Frank and she called Dr. G. In case you missed my letter telling you Frank died. Some people seem to think it is your patients Dr. M. is independent with, but he always talks about missing you and wishing you were back. There is something funny.
We are still “enveloped” in winter weather – and tonight that is literally the truth. When I came home about 5 P.M., I noticed a fog rising off the snow and it kept moving up and over from the meadow across the street, and it is all around now. This makes such dangerous driving. I heard that all the hotel rooms are full tonight. I suppose anyone reaching town after the fog started

[page 2] decided to stay over rather than try to drive – since the roads are so slick. I don’t know how 41 is beyond town but in town it is covered with filmy packed frozen snow and is slick as glass. I won’t try to drive until the roads are safe.
The Lbr. Co. sent more coal out today – but Bun didn’t deliver it. Denver Perkins was helping. I don’t know who the other was. So we will have enough coal to meet the demands of this cold weather.
You keep mentioning the Federal tax so you surely haven’t rec’d my letters explaining about it. Agnes advises not to pay it – says it may be cancelled after the duration, but if you still insist on paying it I will. I just turned the papers over to her and she sent them in. If you get this – and want me to pay – mention my letter of this date (Dec 7).
Mrs. Roberts called and she had a letter from Joe and he wants you to write to him. I suppose you have since I sent you his address.
Mrs. Tilton told me this afternoon that Bob has entered officer’s training. I was trying to talk to someone else when she told me so didn’t catch all the details.
Red gave Coke a new record player for Christmas and she is going to have John over to hear a complete opera. The opera is on in Chicago now and I wish I could take John but with travel as it is now he will have to get his over the radio & on record.

[page 3]Tues. A.M. Will write a few lines more while D. takes a nap before bath time. If you have been getting my letters in which I mentioned the weather you will think I am a little strong on the subject but every day it is a little different. Last night I mentioned the fog – now this morning all the trees and shrubs are so thick with snowy ice they look like they have cake frosting on the. It is very beautiful. I can’t remember when we have had so much snow and weather like this so early in Dec. Maybe reading this will make you feel a little cooler.
Dorothy and Mildred Morton were going to Indpls [Indianapolis] today but I doubt if they go. There is still a lot of haze in the air and I imagine the roads are still slick as glass.
I am ordering Mark’s Christmas gifts today – Now I know you won’t approve but he wants ice skates and I am not keen on getting them but he wants them so much. Maybe I should be firm and say No! but if you could hear him. He says if he can’t have anything else he still wants skates. I am also getting him a tool chest and hope I can get him interested in doing shop work.

[page 4] They are buy stamps at school today. You know I got them to agree to buy $5⁰⁰ each out of their tens. They get such a big “kick” out of buying stamps in large quantities at school.
You said you had your mother’s box and I was trying to count how many were sent to you. I sent three (one was your laundry). Ruthie one, Ruth M. one, the Clubs of Kentland one, Boonie another one, and the Statons said they were sending one but don’t know whether they did. The Funks sent the pen & pencil set and I can’t think of who else, but these are the ones can recall now. But, all those had you first address except one or two of mine had “White Poppy” but since they were sent in Oct you should get them.
It is time to bath & feed the baby, then get lunch and do a few other necessary things.
Dr. Bushnell from Chicago is the one Joe met. Bushnell is in the Army.
Love Mother
P.S. – The V-mail greetings to J. & M. came today
©2013 copyright owned and written by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/08/14/first-annivers…-harbor-gladys/

November 2, 1942 (Roscoe)

1 Reply

Roscoe’s regular routine was to write his letter and then leave a little space at the bottom. Since he normally wrote in the evenings, the letter would be brought to the censors the following morning. If there was any additional news to include in the letter, he would do so before dropping the letter off. In a previous letter, he apologized (in advance) if he had ever forgotten to sign a letter. Up to that point, he had not. This appears to be the first letter in which he did not sign it and add a closing. For some reason or another, he got distracted and dropped the letter off with the censors before finishing it.

: November 2, 1942 Envelope

: November 2, 1942, p. 1

: November 2, 1942, p. 2

Letter transcription:

Nov. 2, 1942

Dear Mother,

Things looked up again today – got 2 letters from you and one from Ruth M. They were all dated around the First of Oct. – 6^th – 8^th Gradually the things I ask about are coming in. You told me you understood what I asked you to do about the lawn so that is something. I suppose from the way yours and Ruth letters sound there have been a few frosty nights there. Ruth said they had a pretty good snow storm. I guess it was a lack of mail that made me more or less down in the dumps yesterday for I feel better today. Then too we had something else to do. We again did some changing on our tent. In fact we got a new one our old one was rather rotten and after continuous rain it would seep thru in some spots.

I got a letter from the Bureau of Something today asking for some other data before I could get the uniform money. So I sent that in and asked if they would send the check to you. So you can look for it but I still don’t believe they will send it to you. There may be two checks of 100 & 150 so it’s OK if it comes that way. Or if just one comes – wait on the next. They are sometimes sent out like that.

All the folk that wrote to me told me of Henry S. [Steiner] so he must be in pretty bad condition. Some one of them wrote that he was in the hospital at Terre Haute.

Just this minute got a box of candy from Boonie. That is the funny thing mail might come any time of day or night. Last night it was about 9:30 when those four letters came and the others came this morning and then the box of candy came about 5:00 PM. I’ll have to write to Boonie now also. I’m really going to get behind if I’m not careful, because now I’ll have to write Clarence. Mom sent me

[page 2] seven air mail stamps, Clarence 4 and Ruth 4. And I have about 35 on hand, but they won’t spoil unless it gets to hot and moist. I’m still waiting on the stationary as you will note from the kind I’m now using.

If I were home I’d write Mead Johnson and have them supply David with his food but I hardly think it would be the thing for me to write them from here. You should have no trouble with the food since John used that kind also. I’d be a little careful about keeping the milk upstairs too long it might get too warm unless you can put it between the window & storm window. You might be a little sensitive to liver shots since it has been so long since you took one so if you haven’t taken one yet I’d be a little careful. You might be like Irene S. [Staton] when I gave her the Vit B., but if you have taken one and it didn’t bother you should be OK on the next.

The Clay City Paper just came and I had to stop and read it a bit. Mom said she was having it sent. It didn’t have much in it but it made pretty good reading. It was the Oct 2^nd issue.

Boonie had a guess on the outside of his box of candy as to where I was and the guess was right – Maybe you have been talking to him. I wouldn’t tell too many people about that but if they guess right it isn’t your fault. There is still some mail coming in so maybe I’ll have more to report a little later.

Post originally found at: https://genealogylady.net/2013/06/04/november-2-1942-roscoe/