Elma and Al

Whoops Grandma–it’s 1931.

Evansville, IN

Feb 24, 1931

Dear Al,

            Well Al if this is a punk looking letter don’t blame me for if you could see me sitting here, you’d know the reason why. After a real days work and in a chilly house with my big winter coat on. But I made a good beginning by going to church and communion this morning. It was some feast day to gain a big indulgence and don’t think that I forgot you Al. Seen your mother and spoke to her. She, right away, asked if I heard from you. So, Al, I guess I’m not the only that’s always thinking of you. Well on the way home I stopped at Mesers and got the wash for we told him we would do it for a few weeks until they were straightened out. Mom and I did the washing and bottled the P.D.Q. and the rest butchered a pig and made sausage. We bought it from Marx dressed. After I came home this afternoon with Harold I pitched in and done their ironing (It was some washing and ironing no one knew what ,dƒ÷Tena did until now. I finished it all up and mom and dad and Harold and I taking it back tonight. Helfrich’s were there and we stayed until about 9:30 when we got home Oscar and Marie were sitting here with the fire out and it’s not summer time here yet. Marie said she wrote and told you what a good beginning we had yesterday morning. I raised two of the most perfect blisters in my hand pumping up that darn tire that’s how tough I am. 

            Al I was sure glad to hear you got into something else outside of work and worry. I might but didn’t like how it turned out and if you haven’t got the flu by this time be sure to be careful and don’t get it cause mamma don’t want her sweet daddy to be sick and so far away that she couldn’t even kiss him and make him feel better. Don’t think Al that I wasn’t there cause I didn’t want to be Sat. or any other day. Al you know I’d much rather be with you than any or all the rest in all the world. Really you don’t believe how dead Evansville and all that’s in it seems to me since you left it. I go round like lost almost all the time Al. I am lost without you and your love and sweet kisses that I guess I already never thought enough of before Al for I know now how much I really loved you before. But don’t you think Al if we can stick it out this way until later on we’ll do lots better for you might get to come back home. I don’t do like you said last week unless you can’t stand it anymore for I’d never forgive myself Al. 

With all love and many kisses

Elma

My comments:

So it’s been 12 days since Christina Meser died. I know, it seems longer, doesn’t it. The part of this letter that got me was the part were she talks about picking up and doing the Meser’s laundry. She comments that it was actually washing AND ironing, and that no one knows what Tena/Tina did. I struggled with trying to figure out who is Tina/Tena and what was she doing that no one knew about. Then it hit me. Tina was Christina and she was referring to the fact that no one knows what she did as in the washing AND the ironing. She/Christina was probably the glue that held her family together. I wonder what happened after they stopped doing the washing.

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 : )

Kokomo, IN

Feb 22, 1931

Dear Elma,

            Here I am once more as I told you yesterday, I would write again today and so I am started now, but as yet my brains are still dead I can’t think of anything to write that is worthwhile as I feel somewhat draggy today. After I wrote you yesterday I washed my head, shaved, and taken a bath and ate supper, so after supper I went down on the south side of town to some of the other fellows I work with the fellow I went to has a furnished home he pays six dollars a week it is a pretty nice place, but his wife and another fellows wife went to Muncie, IN to see her people. So last night practically the whole bunch came there most of them stayed all night at his place and today they was going to have a big dinner there so last night I stayed til about eleven o’clock then I started for home. I was going to take the car home but as it happened I was not at Evansville the cars were all gone home already, I waited a while and finally I asked a fellow walking along whether there wasn’t any car tonight anywhere so he said no not until the last car sometime after twelve o’clock they call it the one. It goes around the loop and picks up the fellows that take their car to the bars and brings them back to town so I wasn’t going to wait for that car and walked about 15 or 16 or more blocks home. It takes me about 15 minutes to walk, but all I was there I had a darn headache and feel kinda tough so when I got home I went to bed but I couldn’t go to sleep. I thought my head was going to fly to pieces so I guess I sat in bed for about 2 hours before I could rest my head on my pillow. Every time I tried to lay down it feels like someone is hitting me in the head with a hammer so I had to sit up again so finally around 3 o’clock I started to get relief and dozed off to sleep so this morning I got up about 7:15 and ate a little breakfast and went to eight o’clock mass and after mass I met Clarence Alstead and another fellow from Evansville they were working at IN so I got in their car and we drove around town and taken another fellow home then they took me home. I been home since and guess I will stay in for today and go to church at 7:30 tonight. I am feeling very well now and hope not go get another headache like that I had last night. I also got me some aspirin this morning and so I guess that helped me a whole lot too, well I guess that can happen to a man with a wife and a dozen kids, get a headache like that if they all aggravate him a whole lot ain’t that a hot one Elma what do you say. Well Elma I guess you about know what it is to have the blues and how a person feels so it ain’t any use for me to sing the blues any longer for I realize that it won’t do any good anyhow it just makes that much worse if you put your mind down to it and start worrying about everything so I might as well forget all about that stuff before I get the blues worse than I have them now don’t you think so too Elma forget all about it and just think for yourself “I guess it won’t be long we will get to see each other again then we can talk all kinds of things over and over and don’t have to worry anymore” for the next time I have to go away I will take you with me where I go, so there is no need to worry is there Elma. The next time I will have a bed partner and don’t have to get the blues and around in bed and can’t go to sleep for having the blues to see you. Elma I think I will get the courier at Evansville 84 cents and get the daily and Sunday paper that will help pass time away and kick the blues in the head when you can get the news from around home every day and know what is going on at Evansville that would cost me 21 cents a week here and you pay 20 cents there at home so for the cent difference why shouldn’t I get it. I am sure I will feel better if I get the courier every day and a letter from you Elma every day. I think I can stick or tough it through if it don’t get worse. Well Elma how is your dad and mother, I guess your dad is drinking his wine and your mother baking and eating the good pumpkin pie and cookies like I had at Rockport. Marie is entertaining at the davenport and Raymond fussing and cussing with the maids, and Harold fighting almost everything that comes before him and Raymond. I guess that is about right or is it not Elma. I believe I made a mistake. Raymond is fighting with Harold instead of Harold with Ray. I think that gets it about right.

            Elma I wish you were here today as it is so pretty outside. I don’t know hardly what to do with myself so if you were here we could go some place and have pastime together and wouldn’t have to sit some place and think I wonder what he or she is doing. And if you were here with me now I wouldn’t have to wish to get a sweet kiss right from your lips like I have to now and you can’t get any so you will hear from me again real soon Elma as this letter is leaving me in good health. I hope it will find you also in the best of health and bring you all the love and kisses that are to be had, so here is an extra good bye kiss.

Al x

a

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.

Letter to Harold

Kokomo, IN

Feb 22, 1931

Dear Harold,

            This is Al, way up in Kokomo he is still thinking of you once in a while and wondering what you could be doing to torment all the rest, but be careful and don’t torment Ray too much for he might bust you once in the eye.

            Well Harold you tell Pheeny (Phine–Josephine) to be careful there might be a lion coming around that has teeth and that lion might bite the lion without teeth and also tell her that I eat my gravy either way hot or cold so she didn’t have to worry about that gravy, that I was getting fatter every day without that gravy Ha Ha “that was a good one”

            Oh boy I come near forgetting. Harold you tell Kate I didn’t want any of her peach pie for they might be spoiled that is not good to eat, so she didn’t need to worry about baking peach pie, or me letting her know when I was coming home, because I didn’t want peach pie anyhow.

            Harold you said Oscar and Marie are sitting on the davenport, well Harold the best thing for that if you don’t want Oscar and Marie to sit on the davenport is to put a cushion on the davenport as they can sit on the cushions they can probably sit longer and don’t bother you so much that way or otherwise get them to take you to a show or riding some pretty day when the sun is shining like it is today.

            Harold tell Pheeny I had some good chicken gravy for dinner today and that was hot also, had chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, lettuce, butter, jelly, bread, and cherry pie but not peach pie so whenever you get hungry just put your finger on that map and push it right up to Kokomo then you can get a lot of good things to eat. Tell your dad and mother Al is still at Kokomo for you just got a letter from him. And I will stay here til I get another letter from you so I am the same as before still at Kokomo.

Al

My comments:

It occurs to me while reading this that Elma’s family held a certain amount of affection for Josephine or Pheen, as Al referred to her above. Pheen had something neurologically not right. My mother and aunt both confirmed that when Kate, her sister, would tell her to do something and she would just do it until she was told to stop. She loved to eat jelly bread and drink coffee, at the exclusion of anything else. Thus the talk about food.

I think that the letter-writing to a little brother shows that Al was making himself part of the family. I mean, if he was just trying to lasso Elma he wouldn’t have to write to everyone else.

I was intrigued by the numbers at the bottom–not sure what that is, but it reminded me of how my grandma would save old envelopes that had mail in them and write on them. She was the original recycler.

So people often ask me, “how many letters are there?” and I let them know there are well over 300. I think I need to do an FAQ to explain all of this.

Anyway, today’s letter comes from my favorite, great-uncle, Oscar Nunning. If you are new here, Oscar married Marie, my grandma’s younger and only sister, in 1932. In these letters, Oscar is courting Marie and telling us all about life during that time. I ran into Oscar’s son, David, last weekend at my mom’s 80th birthday party. I told him that his dad was quite a character and he said that his mother knocked it out of him. I had a chuckle.

Howell, IN

Feb 22, 1931

Dear Friend Al,

            I received your letter Friday and was glad to hear from you, so I am writing you a few lines to let you know that I am still alive, last week I worked 3 days and made 4 loads to your old town Rockport, IN at the corner of Fifth and Sycamore. Only a few blocks from your old loading house. Ted was at Rockport yesterday and came back in 48 minutes. All of us were at John Kern’s birthday party last Sunday night and had a hot time plenty of you know what? But this week the bootleggers are catching hell. My friend’s Bill Schauss and George Grim of St. Wendel are in the storm. Bill is under $2500 and George $5000 so that is tough for the bootleggers, but they didn’t get 1% of the boge and didn’t find all for it was buried in the ground by the barrels.

            The negro and I were to Sking Watterman’s house to deliver some cement and boy we got some HEIMGEMACHT and plenty of it. We now have lent so we will have to play cards and carry beams instead of dancing but we can still have our homebrew we also can drink peanuts and eat brew and go to church twice a week. We have had lots of rain now it sprinkles every once in a while.

            Well Al, Oscar was very selfish with the other letter he wrote to you he had it all ready to mail didn’t give us a chance to put a word in but this is the time I tell you Al don’t worry about Elma. I taken good care of her at the birthday party last Sunday I won’t let another fellow look at her less dance or give her a sweet kiss that is all for you. Mr. Nunning says hello hoping you are having a hot time while you are away. Theodore isn’t home but I will just say hello for him too.

            So that was a word from mom, pop, and Ted. All are well and hope this finds you the same.

From your old friend,

Oscar

My comments:

Oscar is at it again. First of all, Rockport. Just for context, 5th street in Rockport is now the Ohio River Scenic Byway. I couldn’t really find more info about what was there before. I did realize that these letters were written during Prohibition, which was very much alive and well. It seems like all of my relatives were making alcohol, trying to get alcohol or drinking alcohol. He used a slang word,”boge”, to refer to the bootlegged alcohol. That word now, Norwegian in origin, literally means bow, but is used to refer to THC cigarettes or joints.

The top of Oscar’s letter was marked Howell, IN. Howell was a city/village, separate from Evansville in the southwest part of town, delineated by the railroads, Louisville and Nashville or L and N. It was named after the local freight agent, Lee Howell. Mainly, the railroad workers lived there. It was annexed by the city of Evansville in 1915. Prior to that it was known as a Sundown City, in which African-Americans were not allowed after dark. This designation was popularized in the movie “Green Book”. Growing up, I knew Howell as the place where my dad’s side of the family, Hickses and Burdettes, lived. I always thought of Howell as a low-lying place near the railroad tracks.

Oscar refers to Ted. Who was that? Theodore Nunning or Ted was Oscar’s older brother by three years.

I was going to gloss over “the negro” comment, but I think I need to address it. I am sure that in 1930 this seemed like a perfectly reasonable thing to call an African-American, but today that seems appalling. As it turns out, the Ku Klux Klan or the Klan came to Indiana by way of Evansville. The west side of Evansville, where Bassemiers and Weinzapfels lived, was almost 100% German Catholic at this point and although African Americans could have lived there, they likely did not.

Again with the heimgemacht! I’m convinced this is their German slang for homebrew. The direct translation is homemade but in this context I am certain they are referring to homebrew.

Lastly, in this letter, we hear from Oscar’s parents, Henry and Anne. I like how everyone was making sure that no one else even looks at Elma. They were a tight-knit group.

Kokomo, IN

Feb 21, 1931

Dear Elma,

            Well Elma about that staying here in this town, I don’t know anything about that in fact, I aint going to worry about anything no more, but nevertheless just come ahead and I will have plenty room in my bed for you too. All you have to do is hop the train or bus and come to Kokomo and I will be at 620 Union Street the same as always just look it up and you can’t miss finding me there and plenty room to sleep in that big bed of mine. Elma I do wish you were here with me it would make things a whole lot nicer for both of us like that victrola record you have “you can do the cooking and I will chop the wood” so come ahead there is lots of things here in this town and if not enough here we will go to another town and so on aint that hot.

            Elma I just received your dear letter this dinner as I came home, but you weren’t there to surprise me, so after I read that in the letter it made me feel blue, to think you could just as well be here to surprise me as I came home Elma why wasn’t you here to do that. I would feel a lot happier than this way all by myself and nobody that I even care to talk to that’s the way I feel a lot of times. Well Elma you want to be careful when you are driving the car it is all alright to let the insurance company fix the car but how are they going to fix you when you get tore up or probably knocked the insurance company can’t bring you back to life so be careful Elma and don’t get hurt anyway. Well I guess that P.D.Q. will be good to drink by the time you get this letter and they won’t be able to tell the difference who made the beer so I guess the beer will be alright don’t you think so Elma. I just wish I could be there and drink a few quarts of that beer Elma I had some homebrew the other night our supervisor told me to go with him, he just lives a block away from where I stay, so he gave me some to drink but it was not much good they put some kind of in it and that makes it taste funny, I don’t like that junk, I rather have yours any day and how.

Well Elma I think that I will have to take a bath soon otherwise it will be supper and I ain’t cleaned up yet the same as I come home from work first I ate dinner then I read your letter and then a letter from Mother then I read yours over and went and put $30.83 in the Citizens Nath. Bank here in Kokomo, and bought some more writing paper so I can write the blues away then I came home and sharpened my razor for it was pulling the hell out of my face, I guess you know how hell feels it burns something terrible that’s what it does so after I had my razor sharp I laid it down and read your letter the third time then I started to write the blues once more to send them to you , so that is what I am doing right now.  It is 4:15 now and not much done not even this letter, but I guess I will get it done and get shaved and a bath before supper if I hurry a little, last night I went to church like everyone should during lent, so you know what I will be doing every  Friday night during lent, that is 7:30 pm I will be in church praying  for you and me for I do think we need it bad enough.

Today our storeroom was moved up right beside the new office building and that is only two blocks from where I stay so I won’t have far to go anymore only two blocks, o boy that is real life, but we won’t have school on Monday and Thursdays anymore, everybody is supposed to go to school on Tuesday nights at 7:00 o’clock back at the new building so    that’s that. Elma I will have to close this letter and seal all the love and kisses that I can possibly dig up and put out so with an extra kiss I will close this and write and send you some more kisses tomorrow sometime so

Goodby Elma

Al X

February 20, 1931

Letter from Elma on the pink paper

The transcript:

Evansville, IN

Feb 20, 1931

Dear Al,

            Just came home from church and the rest are going to bed, Marie asked if I was coming too. I told her I’d be there in a few minutes for I know I wasn’t going before I sent a few sweet kisses and just a few words far away to you Al. Far away as far as the distance is concerned yet Al no matter how many miles between us you always seem closer and really are closer to my heart than anyone right here with me. Telling the truth Al I don’t see how I can do what I am doing around here with my mind and all my thoughts right with you. I go around all day, half in a dream feeling like something terrible has happened when I wake up and realize Al is gone and I won’t get to see or be with him for a long, long time. Better cut this out before I make you too homesick Al for we’re going to brace up and stick it out for we ought pray that you still have and will keep your job. We’ll be together again someday and it might not be so long. Really Al it’s two weeks today you came in from Rockport seems like two years and yet it passed in a hurry. A few more of those blue Sundays and you might be coming closer home. I’ll pray harder every day.

            I almost gave up getting a letter today though the mailman had passed already, was looking for a long one tomorrow when here he came at 1:30 and whenever I’m close around I don’t give anyone else a chance. I get there first to see if I got a letter from Al and gosh Al I’m always glad to hear that you’re still among the living even if I don’t know just where Al I never knew you could write such wonderful letters and Al If I would have known you were going so many kisses. To think anything about Roy Marx at Kerns I might not have told you as I never even gave such a thing a thought and I’m not going to let Ed nor anyone else think I did. Yes Al I’m going to tell you all but don’t you worry about anything like that I’m not worrying about him or a dozen like him I’m waiting for you.

            Had wash day today and market tomorrow and still feeling plenty tough so I guess I’ll make this short well otherwise and sweet. I don’t know when you’ll get this letter but if not sooner maybe it’ll help out on blue Monday. All the rest are well. Sure hope you’re still ok. If not be sure to tell me Al.

Goodnight with love and kisses,

Elma

My commentary:

They were so in love and it’s obvious from this letter. I was thinking about what I would have said/written to my husband before we were married and I don’t think I would be as passionate as Elma and Al were. I was almost the same age as Elma when I got married. I was 27 when I got married. Elma was 25–almost–and Al was 31. I just now realized that there is a 6.5-year gap in age between them. That gap didn’t stop them, though.

You might be wondering who Roy Marx was. According to the letter, he was pursuing my grandma, and she wrote that she is committed to Al. I wondered also so I asked my mom, but she didn’t know. I did a little bit of research and it turns out that Roy founded Marx BBQ in 1955, before barbecue was even a thing. Growing up we would eat Marx’s or Wolf’s whenever there was a family gathering. Little did I know that Roy Marx could have been my grandpa or technically someone’s grandpa. I like barbecue as much as the next person, maybe more, but I have to say “thank you Grandma for staying with and marrying Grandpa”. Life wouldn’t be the same if you hadn’t.

https://marxbbq.com/

February 19,1931

I’m realizing now a couple of things. Al wrote Elma a lot more than Elma wrote Al. It seems like he wrote almost every day while Elma wrote every other or every third day. After all she was pretty busy making that quilt : ). Also, sorry Grandpa, Elma’s handwriting is better and easier to read. Growing up, I remember my Grandpa’s hands as tough, almost leathery, and I can’t imagine those same hands writing a heartfelt letter. Those hands were well-suited for holding a scythe to cut the long grass in the side field, speaking from the experience of seeing him do it. Anyway, I digress. So in today’s post I thought I would feature two letters, one from each of them written on the same day.

Elma first:

Evansville, IN

Feb 19, 1931

Dear Al,

            I guess you missed my skipping last night for I know how I feel when the mailman goes on passed. But Al I can hardly tell you what a job it really is for me to write to the one that’s always been so near and dear to me, the one that I need to wait and whisper just everything to, things that my heart and mind are loaded with, things that I couldn’t tell and wouldn’t interest anyone else. Al these few days have already seemed like a few years to me, how much longer will it last? Al in that letter I got today you surely didn’t mean you were going to stay there when you spoke of having to go to the meetings with the regular men and me coming and staying there with you, did you? If I knew anything like that was going to take place I believe I’d tell you to move over in that big bed of yours and make room for a kicking partner right away. Still there aint much use to worry I guess just wait and see.

            So here goes for a few of the happenings. Yesterday morning up at Reitz some fellow cut in front of me so short my only choice was to get over or get hit. I cut over to the curb and bent up my back fender on the bumper of a parked car. Caught the bumper above the running board. It wasn’t so bad, but I let the insurance company fix it. Took it up to Stockens this morning at about 10:30 and they said I would have to wait until 1:30 so I went uptown and looked around window shopping. Bought three bath towels that were on sale 3 for $1.00. Al they’re real pretty and we might want to take a bath some day. Also got some gingham I want to use for aprons. Every cook needs an apron. I then went to get the machine and the paint was dry enough so I didn’t have to wait when I got down in the west end. It was ten til two already and not much use in going home and coming right back, so I was real good and went to church and prayed the rosary and Al, I never forgot you. After I came from church I went over to your home and spent the rest of my time with your mom and dad. Your mother was sewing and your dad asked if I got a letter from Al today. They’re both well. After coming home more tired than if I worked all day and nothing done anyhow, I mixed up two batches of your P.D.Q ??. Been out for a while so you didn’t miss that part.

This evening Oscar is over to see Marie and mom and dad went to John Kerns. Tony Folz is there and they’re going to have music. I had to help Harold with his lessons and put him to bed. If you could make out anything of his letter write him a few lines of his own. He makes plenty over it when he gets a letter from Al. but one thing I know he won’t get my pen to write with anymore as he about shot it already. All the rest are well and told me to say hello from them.

            It’s getting late again so I’m going to quit for this time but I believe its harder to stop than it is to start. Anyhow, when I happened to think you’ll get all this junk Saturday afternoon when you’ll be home from work. Al you know how I wish I could be with it if it were only on Saturday and Sunday. How I would like to surprise you by being right there with all my love and kisses to greet you when you stepped into your room. And what a greeting that would be. They all tell me absence makes the heart grow fonder so if we’re apart much longer hard telling how I will act when we meet again Al. Until then all I can send on paper is coming right from my lips to yours.

Goodnight Al with more love and kisses than ever before

Elma

My comments:

After I read this one I felt bad because then my grandma wrote a 4-pager. She obviously really missed him too. So my grandma had a wreck down by Reitz-the public high school on the westside of town. I’ve already told you about how she didn’t have a driver’s license…

Other things that happened were that she said Nick and Sophie went over to Kern’s to dance and listen to music. Kern’s lived down Harmony Way, where the Y is with New Harmony Rd. My mom said that often people would visit other people and put a canvas on the grass as a dance floor. It was February, so I’m assuming they stayed inside.

Now Al’s letter. which he wrote on the same day, but she didn’t get until a few days later.

Kokomo, IN

Feb. 19, 1931

Dear Elma,

            I have just received your request and you don’t have to be worried about anything Elma for in no time I think your trouble is too much worries and your system is rundown and weak, so please take care of yourself and don’t worry so much get plenty of rest or if you think you have to keep worrying so much, I will quit the job down here and come home before I see you get down sick with a nervous breakdown so Elma please be careful with yourself please do if for my sake. I want you to get all the sleep and rest you possibly can because you need it very bad Elma your nerves are just about shot now. I know that from myself if I could let everything worry me like that I would be as bad as you are Elma, but I get plenty of sleep and rest all the time and am getting fat. I weighed today and weigh 185 pounds so that is gaining plenty since the last time I weighed at Evansville I weighed about 175 pounds so you can do the same Elma take good care of your system and be healthy and strong for your sweet daddy is wanting you to be in good health, we have school tonight and I want to mail this early so you will get it as soon as possible with love and many sweet kisses and lots of kisses for the days you don’t get a letter so goodbye Elma and a kiss goodnight on your sweet lips.

Al

My comments:

Wow, he sure was worried about her! It cracks me up because if you read this in isolation you might think that my grandma was a nervous person that needed consoling which couldn’t be farther from the truth. I remember her as a strong person although she was a worrier, I think that goes with the time and territory. She lived a lot of life between this letter and when I knew her 40-60 years later. She would go on to marry my grandpa later this same year. She had four children and each of them married and had children. And so much more happened in the world: WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam. As they say…life happened. But it all started here with the letters.

With these letters, it’s hard to keep them in order because Al writes so darn much. He just missed Elma and his family so much.

Kokomo IN

Feb. 15, 1931

Dear Elma,

            Here I am back again after going to church and communion. This morning, feeling pretty good or you might say about as good as can be expected being out in the world all by yourself. You might say nomans land. I went to a show this afternoon, but I don’t think I will go to anymore I guess this year. There isn’t a darn thing to them anyway about like at Rockport, I gave them one donation too so I gave Kokomo a donation of 40 cents and I guess it will be the only 40 cents Kokomo will get from me.

            I believe I would feel a hundred percent better now if I had not gone to the show for all that junk merely gives a person the blues or I guess I won’t go to any others. The other day, I mean, Friday PM I worked on a telephone in the colonial theater. It is 15 cents a show but ain’t worth it. You might say Hello from Al, the one I went to this PM is the Indiana it sounded better but I don’t think it is worth you might say a damn, so that’s that. No more shows for a while anyway til after Easter and God only knows where I will be by that time. I hope at home in Evansville. Oh boy wouldn’t that be real Elma what do you say about all that junk.

            Well Elma you can tell all mine and your friends and also enemies if you have any, for I haven’t any, hello from Al. The old soul at Kokomo and tell Harold I would die if I held my breath til he wrote me a letter, but nevertheless I will forgive him this time for he has to go to school and has to get all his confounded lessons, like Harold thinks these confounded lessons. Tell Harold I am still at Kokomo and he should try and see if he can’t get here so fast as he can push his finger on the map, well I have to say something once in a while or you might think I am rich, which I aint so don’t worry.

            Well Elma, I am feeling a whole lot better now I just had supper had potatoes, steak, eggs, corn, pumpkin pie, cake, bananas sliced, bread, butter, jelly, coffee, and water and I got my fill of it too. Well it is now six o’clock and in another hour Oscar will be there to see Marie that is if he was not there all day. Elma, I wish I was there tonight and could spend only a few minutes with you Elma. I would feel a whole lot better than I do this way so far away from you tonight, but I guess I will have to live over this too. Elma I want to write mom a German letter tonight so I will discontinue any hooks and scratches for tonight to you with lots of love and many kisses.

Al

My comments;

My grandpa was obviously very lonely and so he wrote almost every day. 2/15/31 was a Sunday so of course he went to church. He went to see a movie, although he claimed that it wasn’t that good.

The top ten movies released in 1931, in order of their popularity were

1. M
2. Frankenstein
3. Dracula
4. City Lights
5. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
6. The Public Enemy
7. The Maltese Falcon
8. Night Nurse
9. The Easiest Way
10. Little Caesar

There were plenty of good ones that year. Maltese Falcon was my favorite.

I do wonder what movie he saw that day. And he said it wasn’t worth it…hmm. He said that he wasn’t going to any movies until after Easter. My guess is that he wouldn’t go because of Lent.