Reuben H. “Pinky” Carlson

September 24, 1945 envelope

Letter transcription:

September 24, 1945, p. 1

Monday Evening

Dear Daddy –

I just went down and started a fire. It was so warm yesterday we let the fire go out. I cleaned out the ashes so it’s ready for another week, unless we have a cold snap and have to have more fire – in that case it will need cleaning oftener. Hope they get that burner soon. I won’t look for it for two or three weeks yet.

Coco told me that Nate Baer is on the Nevada – that is if it hasn’t arrived yet. Her sister is here now. I don’t know when she is expecting to see him, but soon. Maybe you will get to see him while he is in San F.

Dorothy came out this afternoon to see David’s birthday things. They had to go to Chicago yesterday afternoon so they couldn’t be here for the party. Dorothy says she is going up to visit her mother next week. She is going to take Bobby and stay a week. I told her if I could get someone to stay with J. & M. I would take David and go to San F.,

September 24, 1945, p. 2

[page 2] but I suppose you would get orders if I did. However if you should get orders to go out I think I would want to. Let’s just hope something is done soon so you will get to come home.

It has been cloudy and rainy all day – not exactly the kind of weather to boost one’s morale – if it happens not to be so high. I suppose it’s the letdown after last week-end and working a little too hard on David’s party.

Tomorrow is club opening at Mrs. Washburn’s. Just hope the weather is a little more on the sunny side. Nelly wanted to sell me a brown hat to wear but I didn’t get brown purse & gloves to go with my suit so I decided to wear my black hat & “things.” I washed my hair this evening and have it pinned down. I think I’ll have to get another perm. This one seems to have lost its pep.

David had a spill this evening and hurt the inside of his mouth. He keeps hitting his teeth. Just hope he doesn’t know them loose. He was up early this morning and wound up like a clock. He told John a wild tale. Today he was playing and talked

September 24, 1945, p. 3

[page 3] about an imaginary person. It made me think of the way John used to make up names of people he played with. David had to stay in today because of the rain. I tried to take a nap but every time I would drop off to sleep he would bounce up on the couch by me and awaken me. He said he would take a nap too but that didn’t last long.

John said Smith was back in school today but not feeling too chipper. John says he mispronounces so many words. He said some word in particular today and John said he had a notion to correct him (but he didn’t). John is working on Latin tonight. He is really having to dig to catch up with this class, but I think he will make it OK. Mark has been going to bed for the past 20 minutes, but I don’t believe he is in bed yet.

I don’t know what to tell you about the purse. Alligator is very good, but I hate to pay that for a purse. I would like to have a smart looking one, but that is a little high. However, those do run high. Bill brought Arlene a new bag from Chicago. I don’t know what he paid for it but he said

September 24, 1945, p. 4

[page 4] the one he wanted to get was $35.00. She said she would have had a “fit” if he had paid that much for a purse. I said Mrs. Swarts showed me one for $12.50 she claimed was genuine leather. I said I didn’t believe it at that price, but Arlene argued that we used to buy real leather purses for $2.95 – adding that it was usually the dollar ones we bought. So much for that.

I saw the Mullen bride & groom in town this evening when I went to buy groc. I haven’t seen anything about Joe Bill being discharged, so he must still be in.

Marg Carlson says Eddie is coming back to run the paper so she is retiring. She doesn’t seem to know when Pinkie will be home.

John mailed some letters for me today and Tony said he heard you were coming back. I said he should have asked where he got his information, but John said he told him you would more likely be sent out again.

I am afraid this hasn’t been exactly the most cheerful letter, but I’ll try to do better.
Love Mother

Tues. eve – Just back from club & yours of the 22^nd handed to me at the P.O.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/06/07/the-most-cheerful-letter-gladys/

: January 25, 1944 envelope

: January 25, 1944, p. 1

: January 25, 1944, p. 2

: January 25, 1944, p. 3

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
1-26-44 [sic 1-25-44]

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Jan. 13 & 14 came today. So glad some late mail finally reached you. Now if David’s pictures just come thru. He is still on the sick list – that is he still coughs and that makes him feel not so good. He isn’t running any tem. But coughs a good bit. Early in the morning he has quite a siege. I think I’ll have Dr. M. give him a shot – he had his whooping cough shots last summer but one now may clear this cough up. I could have gone to Laf. today with Mr. Z. but didn’t want to leave D. while he feels so touchy. He has such a good reputation for being such a pleasant baby I wouldn’t want to spoil his record by leaving him with anyone while he feels this way. Dorothy would keep him and her Mother is with her now but I think I should keep him home another day or two. I think this cough is a culmination of a condition that has been present since before Christmas. He had a cold way back then and has had a hang on cough ever since. He seems to be alright otherwise.

I went to town to mail letters and get groc. after school yesterday and stopped in the restaurant to tell Dorothy I wouldn’t go today. Pinky and Marg were there. Pinky was on the funny side. I think he had been drinking a little. He said when you were in Frisco he waited two months for you to come and see him. I told him you were there one week and that you couldn’t go see anyone. He wouldn’t have it that way and kept going on about not seeing you. He said if he had known you were at Moffett Field he could have flown over to see you. Marg didn’t seem to think so but he insisted. I don’t know just what happened to him,

[page 2] but I was told that he had been grounded because he smashed up a $75,000 job – at any rate whatever the truth of the situation he doesn’t seem to be getting places very fast. He has a desk job now – at least that is what I heard. Marg stayed out in Calif. with him then I think they were in Colo. But since he has been closer home she has remained here, tho she doesn’t see him very often. It may be that she feels she should stay here and help her mother run the newspaper. She has quite a nice column in the paper every week for service people.

The new license application came so now I will get the car tagged for another year. They were late in getting the blanks out this year. I saw a notice in the paper that some may be delayed yet. I was surprised to get ours this soon.

I have a washing going today, should have put the line out and hung things out but I resorted to the easier way. I figured it probably wouldn’t be this warm the next time I wash and what good would one day do. Sometimes the things get covered with smoke from the trains across the way so they look better when dried in the basement than out of doors.

Dr. Messman talked to Dorothy yesterday. He said to tell you he has been discharged – nervous condition – I didn’t talk to him myself so don’t know just where he has been or what brought about the condition necessary for a medical discharge but maybe you know something about it. Those things get around and I know when I wrote to you about Dr. H.in Laf. you knew something about it. I am glad you are in good health. As much as we want you home, I would rather you stay well than have to be sent home sick – don’t you agree?

[page 3] Mr. Z. took my glasses to Laf. to get the left lense replaced so I am going without them today. I just hope I don’t get a headache, but have been having one some days anyway so maybe it won’t be so bad if I don’t knit or read. I probably won’t have much chance to do either. David keeps me pretty busy these days. I left him with John when I went to town yesterday and John was about worn out trying to keep him quiet. He said he finally just walked around with him – carrying D. of course – I told him D. would get over that when he feels a little better –

The temp in Chi this am at 7:30 was 49 – so you know how unseasonably warm it is. It is more like a spring day – windy, sunny and sometimes a little cloudy.

I hear the washer – it’s about ready to stop, so I much stop and get things done. I put D. up in his bed while I went down to put the things in and he went to sleep. Have to make hay while the sun shines.

Love Mother

P.S. Heard over the radio at noon that Senator Van Nuys died suddenly this morning.
It is warmer this afternoon but didn’t take D. out. Thought maybe I should keep him in out of the wind. He is full of pep this afternoon. I have him in the nursery. He has a box of toys I can hear him dumping.