Elma and Al

Kokomo, IN

Feb 25, 1931

Dear Elma,

Here is the usual Saturday night blues, everyone gone but me and I am here all by my lonesome trying to write a few lines to you Elma to make you feel better the day after that is after Saturday night and Sunday, which seems so darn long and lonesome to me that I lots of times wish it were Monday already so I could go to work and forget the blues and get my mind to work on something else, for it makes me feel darn funny once in a while to sit here all by myself and think about home and you Elma. I know there is always something going on to pass time even if it is only fussing and scrapping with someone that is evermore than I can do here, there ain’t anybody here to fuss with so try and do something Elma. I believe I told you about that I was going to start Monday and change telephones out in the country. A fellow by the name of Pat Gray and I will work or go together with a truck. Gray has to do the wiring on the outside from the pole to the house and I want to do the work in the houses, that is put the telephones in as much as I know about it. They have about I think a few more than 400 to be changed out in the country around Kokomo and I think we are supposed to change them all. The way they figured for us to change about 8 a day that is only an average so you can figure out about how long it will take til we get done with the job so I guess Elma you will sure have to come up to Kokomo for Easter for I will sure want that load of kisses you are going to bring to me then and I will sure be waiting for them and when you go back home that is if I let you go back home I will load you up with all the kisses you want to take along home. Elma, if there won’t be any changes made until then I mostly will have to be looking for you so you can make all preparations to come to Kokomo for Easter and don’t forget it Elma that daddy will be looking and waiting for mama to come to see him on Easter day. Elma if you haven’t got the money just let me know and I will gladly send you the money and pay those few dollars to have our love renewed once more by you coming to see me at Kokomo.

Elma tell me in your next letter whether everybody gets to read all of my hot letters or not so I have to quit writing such crazy stuff and straighten out to write more sensible stuff so it is fit for everybody to read besides you Elma. So please let me know Elma for I have been worrying about that for a long time. Elma I sure will have to come home pretty soon to see all the pretty things you have by now. I bet you sure have a lot of nice things for us already for it will be three weeks tomorrow since I left home and kissed you goodbye in the bus depot in Evansville. You sure have a lot done by now that quilt I bet sure looks good and those tea bowls from Harold and like you said a woolen quilt and I guess lots more things which you probably didn’t tell me about. Elma, I am like you are I am not going to worry about anything where I will be or where I will get to for it is not going to do a bit of good if they tell me to go home tomorrow. There sure would be one boy that would get home as quick as the first train or bus got there and no later, well Elma I hope myself that I will get to go back to Evansville very soon but I am somewhat afraid of it for as soon as the job in New Albany opens up I think I am doomed for there, but as it is there might be a change overnight. No one can tell so you and all of us will have to pray real hard that I will get back to the old E town again. Well we will live in hopes anyhow and I won’t worry about it at all. Let it come when it will if it gets too much there is always some way out if I have to quit someday to get to go home.

My comments:

I got a little out of order. I also found a few letters from February that were loose. I may or may not post those later.

So in this letter Grandpa is worried that other people are going to read his “hot” letters. I chuckle because Grandma knew she was saving these and even after he died in 1991 she knew that she still had them squirreled away. So far I haven’t read anything that isn’t for public consumption. I couldn’t find the end of this letter so it just ends.

Evansville, IN

February 26, 1931

Deal Al,

            Just some more of Elma’s scribbling and scratching to bring happenings and blueness and most of all some of tonight’s kisses to you.

            Well Al, tonight Oscar and Marie have company, Ted and Mary are here and they are playing cards. Mom and dad went over to Puths with Kerns and Kolders and Mayse they’re going to have some music. I first thought I’d have to take them but they rode with Kerns and I was glad of it for it seems I can’t take enough interest in anything or anyone to care for any place or do anything in particular. I go from one thing to to another starting a whole lot but finishing none it seems. This evening I tried to work one of our tea towels while the rest were in the card game but Al the longer I kept at it the less I got done for I just couldn’t do a thing but keep thinking of Al wondering if Al would have to stay away much longer and what Al was doing tonight if he had gone to bed already and if he was as lonesome as I or still more lonesome all by himself, wishing I was with him tonight until I just laid down my work and started to write some more of the blues away.

            The rest were all working outside today and I had ripped and washed two old wool coats and started to sew them together and make a wool quilt or comforter, it looks nice and Al I bet we’ll keep pretty hot under it don’t you think. Well anyway, mom brought one of your letters in and waited until I opened it and when I started to laugh she wanted to know what it was all about and I showed her Ossie’s letter she thought it was pretty good. She told me she was going to start praying that you would be stationed closer home. She don’t like this far away business. But Al I’m not going to worry so much about it. Hard telling where you might be by your vacation time ain’t it so Al. Hope it is right back here in Evansville and you wait until fall to take your week off then we can go away together and come back again and stay here. Al if you don’t get transferred before Easter I’m coming up to see you then won’t that be real then I’ll bring you a whole load of kisses and take a whole load back home won’t I Al.

            After I kissed your letter goodbye last night I went to bed and spent the most restless night I had since you’re gone Al. Woke up dreaming a dozen times or more and the rest of the time I rolled from one side to the other. Guess I didn’t wake up enough to realize you were so far away thought you had to be as close as you were the night before you left. Well anyway woke up this morning more tired than when I went to bed. Try to do better tonight I guess.

            Your brother across the way was some place on a trip yesterday and today I don’t know where thought first he came to see you. Dad was over there this evening a little after he came home he said he spoke of being at Terra Haute and mom and dad just come home and said Kerns said he went along to take a prisoner to Michigan City so that’s that.

            Well I guess I’ll have to quit and go to bed for the company’s all gone and the rest are all home and I’ll be too big a sinner if I keep on eating orange and bananas and pretzels that they have here on the table. I’m celebrating Lent. I started out fasting pretty strict, lasted until tonight. But don’t believe I could’ve kept it up any how like that. Did you get your Courier already Al? If not they’re going to dedicate the Mead Johnson Terminal tomorrow Ray has to play. Well Al here goes all the love and kisses I can send and an extra hug and kiss for Saturday and Sunday. Goodnight Al.

Elma. X

All are well hope you are taking care of yourself.

I don’t know about you, but I love the fancy, pink paper. It is not as easy to scan, but it looks nice.

As usual, so much to cover in this letter.

First, Ted and Mary. Ted, Theodore, was Oscar’s older brother by two years. He would have been about 27 .here. He and Mary would go on to have five kids.

All the names she mentions were likely westside German families. The Kerns were cousins. Mayses have a farm market down on St. Joe, north of Diamond Avenue. I couldn’t track down Kolders or Puths.

What I did find out was that the Mead Johnson terminal, is still over the Ohio River. Built in 1931, the complex is located at 1830 W. Ohio Street in Evansville.

thttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mead_Johnson_River-Rail-Truck_Terminal_and_Warehouse.