Letter #19

February 22, 1931

The date that I am writing this is November 22, 2022, exactly 116 years to the day that Elma was born. Today is Elma’s birthday. It is so hard to fathom that both of them have been gone for so long. I remember my grandma so well-it’s like I just left her house on my way back to college, honking my horn as I rounded the corner to head down the hill next to my grandparent’s house. I don’t remember her birthday celebrations that well, but I do remember one of the last presents I gave her: a Kelly green cardigan sweater from the Gap. I asked my mom and aunt what they remember about her birthday and they both said in unison “not much”. Then the memories came. It turns out that my great grandfather’s (Nick) birthday was November 21. My grandpa’s brother, Alois, and his wife, Mary, would often come over and play cards, have a little bite to eat and then leave. On Nick’s birthday they would play cards until midnight, then sing happy birthday to Elma. Typical Germans. They wouldn’t want to celebrate too much!

Dear Elma,

            I wish open the door here is a begger, begging for more relief from the blues it is Al at Kokomo again knocking at the back door try to bring all the good and bad news from Kokomo, Elma I am feeling fine again after that terrible struggle I had the other night with that darn headache, man I hope I will never have another headache like that anymore, but what’s the use to worry if it is all over and I am feeling fine. Elma, I had a big day today changing telephones we way out on the north side in the dirt and mud and where the city people have cars and feed them cornstalks. I changed four telephones and my buddy had the luck to have five on his sheet out in that part of the country so this evening we moved back to town and I can come home for dinner for we are close to where I stay so that makes it nice for a change. I guess tomorrow if I have luck I might get about a dozen telephones changed, but I am not worrying about that at all for it is no use to. Elma the other day a fellow said when the job at New Albany starts that either I or another fellow here would have charge of that convention there but when that is going to start nobody knows yet so by then there might be a lots of changes made. March the first three fellows are going to Indianapolis to be stationed there as installers. I kinda think they are going to have another convention at Indianapolis. There are about six or eight different switchboards there that have not got the dial yet. I don’t know really how it stands there but as much as I have heard they will put the dial on another switchboard at Indianapolis but the details I don’t know. Elma I wish you were here tonight. I have the whole house for myself. The old man and lady went to the show and that kid I think also went to a show so I am here all by my lonesome writing the blues away and listening to the radio. I am in my room writing this letter and have the door open and got the radio going full blast out in the other room listening to the station W.L.W. from Cincinnati, but that’s as much as I know what’s going on don’t even know what the program is about all I hear is an orchestra playing. 

            Elma, I told you some time ago about those people, this kid here is not their boy but is their nephew. They raised him and had him since he was two years old the way the old lady said his mother was so sick and the doctors didn’t think that this kid would live so this old lady took him and still has him. His mother comes here once in a while and helps the old lady bake pie and the kid goes home to his mother once in a while but when the sun sets he is here for bed. These people have no children this means here is sixty-one years of an old soldier he tells me he was in the Spanish-American war. He is getting a pension from the government now. He said ever since the war his hearing is bad. He now is so have to holler to talk to him sometimes.

            Oh heck Elma, I don’t see why you don’t come here to stay with me now. Its just as well for you to come here now as later so you might as well come now as later whats the use you sitting at home and worrying your head off and me the same way here. You might as well be here then neither one of us would have to have the blues and worry about when we would see each other again which I hope will be real soon Elma. Just make up your mind to land at Kokomo with Al for a while. 

            Elma I believe if it wouldn’t be for that dear ring I got from you Xmas I don’t know what I would do, this way I can console myself a little by thinking every time I look at that ring that some day I will also have the once owner and the giver or donor of that ring “Elma” That ring helps to pass and also restores blues lots of times but, to get the fruit of that dear and sweet seal you impressed on it before I left, will settle it all. The only trouble is it isn’t real anymore it is too much worn off already, and I wish it would soon be renewed again and when that will be I am positive I will have many more renewals don’t you think so Elma. 

            Well Elma it is about nine o’clock and time for all homesick kids to be in bed so I guess I will just as I wrote “I guess I will,” I heard the old folks coming home so I don’t have to get up to shut the radio off. I can simply turn over and go to bed, but I have to pray my rosary first the I can go to dreaming of the one most loved far away and sleep over it till morning if I don’t wake up to much during the night dreaming. Well Elma, here comes all the love and kisses that I have night now and an extra great big hug and a sweet kiss.

Goodnight El

Al x

My comments:

My grandpa is listening to a radio station out of Cincinnati, WLW. I did a little bit of research on radio stations in the Midwest and I found this on Wikipedia:

“The company was founded by pioneer radio station operator Powel Crosley and was based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its flagship station, WLW (AM), was first licensed in March 1922.^[5] Most of its broadcast properties adopted call signs with “WLW” as the first three letters. In the 1930s, WLW had an effective power of 500,000 watts, and was the only commercial U.S. AM broadcasting station ever to be permitted to transmit regulary with more than 50,000 watts. The 500,000 watt transmissions were only allowed by the FCC in the “experimental” hours, midnight to 6:00 AM, and the s’s’ignal was heard in many places, including Europe.^[6]“

it goes on to say that many of their sister/spin-off stations adopted these first three letters as the first three letters of their call sign. They also became the “Voice of America” during and after WWII.

The ring that Elma bought him is a bit of a mystery. My aunt said that my Uncle Junior has a ring that was Gnandpa’ That’s all we know.

s they has a stone in it.