Lucile Jones | Genealogy Lady

September 23, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

September 23, 1945, p. 1

9-23-45

Dear Daddy –

The party is over and we have had a little supper. We put David to bed before we ate because he ate ice cream & cake and drank punch and then after refreshments he kept eating candy so I didn’t even try to get him to eat supper. We just had some ice cream & cake that was left – I snitched a sandwich but J. & M. didn’t want anything else. Dorothy came out early – they had to go to Chicago this afternoon – and brought David’s gift. She had Lucile Jones bake him an angel food besides. I put the birthday trimmings on it. I baked one too but it didn’t look as smooth as the one Lucile made. I asked Dorothy about ice cream and since the drug stores are closed Sun. afternoons, she had Betty Lou bring the ice cream out from the restaurant before they left for Chicago. I was afraid it wouldn’t keep in the frost chest if I put it in last night. Arlene overslept so she didn’t get here with her youngsters until the party was nearly over, but since we had two cakes, I sent cake home with her and gave the children their favors. I fortunately found some candy that was wrapped individually and different shapes so it made nice favors. Altogether David received $5.00 and several nice toys and a pr. of corduroys. Lucile gave him a telephone with a dial that works – it looks like a real phone. It was quite popular with all the children. Arlene brought a little pull toy – a wagon with two hares that bob up and down like the push toy I got for him. She also gave him the corduroys. Statons brought a pull toy and

September 23, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] a set of graduated blocks. Dorothy gave him a Mickey Mouse toy that turns somersaults. He likes cards so much and seemed to enjoy his cards very much. Mark gave him a magic slate this morning and he was quite delighted with it. John gave him a card with a dollar. When he saw the bill I said, “What is that?” He answered “Money.” He put his pennies in the birthday offering and planted three flags in the sand. He is so much more grownup acting than the little Smith boy (McCloud) who is just a day or two younger, but David has been with J. & M. whereas the Smith children are younger. I had the boys bring up that old play table from the basement and with a good dusting off and a white table cloth it served perfectly for the little folk to eat their refreshments. Also brought up that old bench and with a covering it served for chairs. Martha, Myra & John Hufty, Jimmy Ed and David had a good time at a table by themselves. John, Mark, Jimmy, Betty & Virginia were seated in the den at a card table and the mothers were seated at the dining room table. I placed the play table by the south dining room wall so the mothers could keep track of the children. Everyone seemed to have a good time. The children played with the toys and the mothers visited. After the rain and cool weather yesterday it was so warm today we stayed out in the yard except when we came in to eat. It has been warmer today than it has been for some time.

Mrs. Washburn in Club President this year and is having the opening meeting at her home in the country. Lucile dropped club so said she would keep David for me. I told her I was planning to go. I kept Karen & Jimmy not long ago and she said she would keep David for me sometime.

September 23, 1945, p. 3

[page 3] Dorothy didn’t get to go to Laf. last week so she said today she is planning to go sometime next [week]. They are serving Rotary Thurs. evening. Nick served them Thurs. noon last time, but they would rather have evening meetings. John & Gladys are opening Wed. this week. I wonder if Rotary will go there. It’s a cinch John will have all the business he can handle – so maybe he won’t want special dinners.

John is doing homework and keeps asking me for words. Mark said he had a headache and wanted an aspirin but I told him I didn’t think he needed one – so he went out of doors and came back in much improved, he says.

So far my thumb is still stiff – It seems to have affected the joint. The allergy is gone and it’s about all peeled off but I can’t bend it very far. I can use it but without bending it much. Jimmy had another attack of asthma and Lucile thinks it was caused by red beans. She said they had chili for supper and that night Jimmy began to stop up – the next day he was in the kitchen and ate two red beans she was preparing for lunch. She said while chewing the second one he began to cry and said it burned his mouth and wanted to spit it out – He had a severe attack after that. In checking back Lucile said they had had beans before another attack of asthma he had.

David was so tired I think he must have gone right to sleep. I haven’t heard a sound out of him since he went to bed. John decided this was a perfect day for the birthday. It has been warmer than any Sept. 23 in the past 3 years. I remember last year it poured down rain in Mo.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/06/03/davids-birthday-gladys/

: May 20, 1943 envelope

: May 20, 1943, p. 1

: May 20, 1943, p. 2

: May 20, 1943, p. 3

: May 20, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
May 20 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

It is still cloudy today – No sunshine this week except some Tues (This is Thurs). It has rained so much the water is higher than it has been in years – I think this is supposed to be equal to the 1913 flood. All the towns the floods always effect are under water. I am glad we are living here now. I haven’t had a letter from your Mother for a few days but I know the water must be out all around them. The field north of us was plowed just before these rains started, and it has lakes all over it. John had to mow wet grass this morning but it gets so tall it has to be mowed wet or dry. Your letter of May 9 came this a.m. and that is the first this week – all from May 1 have to

[page 2] come yet because the last I had last week was dated Apr 30.

We are to go to Mutch’s tomorrow to take plants, but I am going to call Ruth tonight and see if they still want the plants now – If it doesn’t clear up they wouldn’t be able to set them out. I hate to think what our garden is going to be like if Mark doesn’t get some weeds out soon – and he can’t get into the garden without getting stuck in the mud – so it seems to be a vicious circle. I wanted to get some more flowers put in this week but I can’t until there is a little less mud.

I see in the paper an account of Dr. M’s accident last week. He had his electric spot light band on his head and touched the water faucet – and got a jolt that knocked him out. Dorothy had to work with him several minutes before she brought him to. The wiring in the spot light was evidently defective. I saw him the next day after it happened and he

[page 3] was still feeling the effects.

I saw Pinky Carlson in town. He is stationed at Pope Field N.C. – Margaret has been here since she came home after the death of her father. I see that Lucile Jones has gone to New Lond, Conn to stay with Kenneth while he is in Sub. training school.

Yesterday we stopped at Funks, and Bobby came to the door – Said his mother and Louise were upstairs working on Louise’s wedding dress – then as an afterthought he said, “oh ho, She’s going to be married next week.” When he is up here playing he invents new works. John asked him what the lights on either side of the front door were and he answered “mistiders.” I suppose that is the way to spell the word – because that was the first time I had heard it. I was making a new flower bed (one day before the rains started) and he was helping haul away the pieces

[page 4] of sod – and he called them “magloshies.”

John is practicing for the recital and Mark wants to practice too – so that I suppose will be the case all summer if Mark continues to take piano lessons. Now Mark has decided to practice on his cornet.

As yet the $150 check hasn’t arrived but will be looking for it and will pay off that Ins loan when it comes. I just can’t seem to buy bonds any more but will try to get a few after we pay off the loan and I get all the uniform money & travel money. The way groceries cost and the monthly house payment etc, etc, etc, there isn’t much left out of the allotment. I bought material for new dresses this spring. Ready made dresses are much too high I think so will see what I can do with making my own. IT’s almost like dressing grownups now to buy clothes for J. & M. – We are getting along OK but there isn’t much surplus. It is time to feed David so must get the apple sauce, etc. ready.

Love Mother