Kokomo, IN
Feb 24, 1931
Dear Elma,
You don’t know how good I feel this dinner when I came home from dinner I couldn’t keep from thinking about you all morning to think and wait for dinner to come so I would get home and have a letter waiting for me, and sure was when I got home I had two letters from my dearest friend Elma and also a letter from Oscar and one from a fellow at Washington the fellow I used to tell you about a whole lot and work with last summer at Evansville. He is plenty disgusted with his work and fellow workmen at Washington he said in his letter. Damn, Al I wish they had sent you to Washington in place of Kokomo. Well Elma, I hope you don’t take everything as hard as you mention in your letter for you know I don’t get mad or try to ball anyone or nothing like that. Don’t think that I got mad at you about all that stuff you think. Elma I am only too glad when you ask me about things you aint sure of so don’t let that worry you anymore and I don’t think it will worry you for a while. Anyway, it wont worry you as long as I am here at Kokomo. Don’t you think so Elma.
Well Elma, about your hair I leave that up to you but like you said all the time you was going to get a permanent put in your hair then you wont have to get them cut hardly any before I get to see you again and then I can tell you more about how I would like for you to have your hair so they look good for that one special occasion, aint that right Elma, how soon will that be. I don’t think that I will get a vacation before sometime in the summer so then I can tell you more about how I want your hair to look and how to be dressed oh boy wont that be a great time then and when. We’ll put all foolishness aside and think about it some other time. Elma you said Oscar writes his letters on scratch paper and then on good paper. Oh boy, If I had to do that I don’t think you would ever get a letter from me for most the time I don’t even read my letters over to see what I have written already. To tell the truth most of the time I have to write in a hurry to get done like to go to church in the evening or go to school or something like that. I guess you can tell most the times when I write in a hurry there is no heads and no tails to my letters. I guess some day I will take a day off and write a letter on scratch paper and then copy it and see how that really works.
Elma I got two letters from Oscar now since I am up here and hope to get lots more for that makes a person feel more like he aint yet forgotten by everyone he used to know so don’t get Ossie discouraged about writing tell him he is doing fine then he will write more. His letters are alright but like my mom said to you and tells me in her letters, “there is not enough to the letter” Mom said she gets done reading my letters too quick.
Well Elma, if you don’t tell or show anybody the letter I will send you Oscar’s first letter to put in your life chest to think to have to honor the great man’s adventure. His first letter so some day we may put it in a frame, just think a man’s first letter written to me while at Kokomo, aint that something. Elma now you better take good care of Oscar’s first letter when you get and don’t tell anyone just keep it for yourself otherwise Oscar and Marie might get mad at all that foolishness.
Elma the last letter I got from Oscar that was today Mrs. Nunning put a short address in with Oscar’s writing so I guess I will have to scribble a few lines to her some day. She said that she taken good care of Elma at John Kern’s party so nobody would bother her or dance or kiss her or even look at her so when I get that letter answered I will send it to you also for keeps.
Elma you asked about my overcoat. I don’t think I will need it if it don’t get any worse than what it has been so far and if it should happen to get so cold I have my other coat that will keep me warm as much as I care anyway. Elma I really don’t see how you can make out my crooks and hooks, blotches, dops, and scratches. It damn near turns me sick to look at it myself, much less think you will have to read it. I guess lots of times you cant make out what it is all about, well I guess lots of it is caused because I write my letters sitting in a rocker and lay my paper on the back of a stationery box to write so lots of times I am rocking and writing before I know it.
Elma I am still well and feeling fine just a litte sleepy so I am sending you lots of love and many kisses and a special kiss for I am going to bed now and kiss you through this letter. Goodnight Elma x.
Al
Elma I hope you are feeling better by now and get lots of rest goodbye.
My comments:
As I read these letters it occurs to me that my grandpa was very lonely up there in Kokomo. He is writing letters at a rate of 3:1 compared to Elma.
He also mentions her “life chest”. So he knew she was saving these letters. Hmm…I wonder if he could fathom that they would end up here : )