Tag Archives: W.A.A.C.

A Variety of News (Gladys)

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: February 17, 1944 envelope front

: February 17, 1944 envelope back

: February 17, 1944, p. 1

: February 17, 1944, p. 2-3

: February 17, 1944, p. 4

: February 17, 1944, p. 5

: February 17, 1944, p. 6

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind.
2-17-44

Dear Daddy –

Yours of Feb. 5 & 6 came today. Also had a letter from Ruthie, wanting your address. Seems Glenn has been ill with a topical fever, temp being 108. Ruthie wants to ask you if you know anything about Dengue fever. Ruthie says they won’t go to Ga. This year as Floyd thought they might. He isn’t so sold on his job as he used to be. He feels like he gets kicked about too much. Of course if he was in the Army he might be glad to get back to his job. I am not the one to judge but so far Floyd has had rather smooth sailing in his young life. Last summer he had to do a lot of heavy work and things he thought was a little below him but I still think he has a better

[page 2] job with more possibilities than school teaching.

I mentioned before about the Yost-Barce wedding. It was last Sat. They went to St. Louis to be married – why I don’t know. Maybe some of the family live there. I didn’t recognize any of the names mentioned of the places they visited. A Mr. & Mrs. Kerlin were attendants and Mr. & Mrs. Wood gave a dinner for them. They are to return home after a week’s honeymoon. I understand Paul will have to return to Panama.

I see in the paper that Mr. Hartley died – from complications due to a fall. You remember him – lived across the street from us at 2 & Carrol.

Lucile came out with Jimmy this afternoon. We both decided as smart as Jimmy and David are about everything else they should tell their mothers when

[page 3] they have a toidey – but neither one will. Lucile put panties on J. this morning and he had a B.M. in panties – She had to give him a bath he was in such a mess. She is going to keep D. tomorrow while I am gone. I promised John to take him to Purdue to hear the Indpls. Symphony orchestra. Lucile won’t get much done but change diapers, etc. I asked her how a person would train twins. She said Ed asked her if she didn’t want another baby. She said not for a while. She is going to sell the baby buggy she had for Jimmy. She has a little Reed stroller she used now. She says she hopes she won’t need another buggy until after the war, and by that time can buy another.

David eats a cookie now & then. He knows the cookie jar (Dorothy gave me one for Christmas).

[page 4] and when he wants one goes to the jar and tries to say cookie – what it sounds like is kee, but we know what he means. He knows so much about what we day around him, we spell some things. Never say “go” unless you are ready to take him out.

I stopped to glance thru the Dem. to get some news that might be of interest to you but didn’t see much.

I have heard the Great Lakes Training School is to be closed. Also Camp Atterbury. I suppose those places have served their purposes and there is no further need for them. Jim said in his last letter they weren’t getting any more Seebees to train. There is a campaign on the radio now to get new W.A.V.E. enlistments. So many of the programs bring a Wave character into their sketches to give a pep talk. There have been campaigns for the other women’s organizations from time to time

[page 5] Several girls from here are in the W.A.C.S. and a few nurses are in service but I don’t believe there is a large percentage. Catherine Ade is in the Marines. I think most of the girls around town are still at their jobs in offices or factory. With so many men gong from here all the time the girls almost have to stay. I heard over the radio about a certain town in Ill. that had a custom. I should say leap year custom, when on the 29^th of Feb. the women took over the government of the city and of course their object was to arrest eligible bachelors, fining them with dates, etc., but this year they won’t follow this custom, reason: “they are either too young or too old.” There is a current popular song bearing that title I thought was rather cute. I suppose you have heard it some time or other,

[page 6] but in case you haven’t – it’s a girl telling her boyfriend she will be true to him because as the title says, those left at home are either too young or too old.

Mark worked his Arith. at school and brought it home for me to check and has been pestering me all evening to check it, so to get some rest from him I had better check his problems. Arith. Isn’t one of his easy subjects, and he won’t work on it any longer than he absolutely has to. He is working in fractions now and they baffle him somewhat. I wish I could get him to spend more time on homework but when he gets thru with what the teacher has assigned – that’s all.

John is working at the piano, and I have another letter to write if I can keep my mind off the music.
Love Mother

©2015 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2015/12/13/a-variety-of-news-gladys/

Croquet (Gladys)

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: May 30, 1943, p. 1

: May 30, 1943, p. 2

: May 30, 1943, p. 3

: May 30, 1943, p. 4

Letter transcription:

Kentland Ind
May 30 – 1943

Dear Daddy –

This is a lazy Sunday. It was warm & humid this morning and about 1 o’clock the rain started. The first since last Tues. The farmers have had a chance to do a little plowing if not all. Last night the Funks were plowing corn ground. I drove Bill’s car and Arlene took him a lunch to the field. He was plowing close to his father’s house. I wanted to drive our car but they insisted I drive theirs. It seemed harder to handle – and I still prefer a Ford. Arlene’s sister Loray has been here visiting, so she went with us. Also John went with us, tho it was late for him (10:30 when we left). I was a little sleepy myself this morning when I had to get David’s

[page 2] 6 a.m. bottle. He was right with the Sunday morning bells. After I had fed him I wanted to sleep and Mother was up by then so they she took him down to the ‘nursery.’ I didn’t get up until time for the family to go to church. I was tired from yesterday’s activities. I helped some in the garden, but it was cloudy and the garden needed cultivating and Mark needs supervision when he works in the garden. John helped too so we got along fine. Mr. Zell helped then Mark helped him in his garden. We planted some corn & beans & set out 12 tomatoe plants. I didn’t think it was necessary for us to raise so many tomatoes, but do want to can a few quarts. We will soon have lettuce & spinach. Are having radishes & onions now. Now that is [it] has rained today there won’t be any garden work for a few days, but the lawn will need to be mowed tomorrow or next day.

[page 3] Since Mark couldn’t play out this P.M. he decided to bake a cake. He is now cleaning up the mess & sampling his product. I am afraid there won’t be much left if he keeps on tasting.

David was out so much yesterday, but has to stay in this afternoon. I had him out this morning a while. He is so tan – his hands and feet are as dark as his face – Mary Parttens stopped a while yesterday and said he was the best looking baby she had ever seen. I said she had had two but she said they were fair and she thinks a dark skinned baby the best looking. She said he looks like you. He is a little hard to handle this afternoon – he wants to go out in his buggy.

John and Mark had to work most all day yesterday and were planning to play croquet this afternoon, now the rain has changed their plans. They can play with partners – The two

[page 4] older Zell girls like to play too so they have games all the time.

I saw Ellsworth taking Eddie Ray for a ridge one evening. Irene took Jimmy to see him while he was still in bed. He doesn’t remember anything about his fall or why he has been in the hospital. I think he seems normal otherwise.

Oveta Culp Hobby, 1942 (Image from the Library of Congress)

There is a radio program on now taking a group of W.A.A.C.’s into Service – They just took the pledge. Mrs. Cal Hobby just gave a short talk.

I think Nick’s idea of joining the Navy must be out – because he was to take a final exam – and I don’t think he took it. Also they are having some remodeling down on their house – Having a bathroom put in downstairs. They got the buffet & china closet we had in the basement to put their dishes in – due to tearing out that pantry to make room for the bath.

The rain is still coming down rather fast – like it may last for a while. It is 4 P.M. – and I can’t figure where the time went (or how).

Love – Mother