Council Grove, Kansas

November 12, 1942

Dear Brother,

There is so much noise up here today I can hardly hear myself think so if there are more mistakes than usual you will understand the reason. I didn’t know until I got your card whether you would be likely to get a letter if I sent one but after your card came yesterday and I knew where you were I felt better. Mother said she mailed you a letter Monday so I suppose you have it by this time. How do you like traveling on the water? I don’t suppose you will be able to tell us much about where you are or what you see but try and remember everything so you can tell us about it when you get home.

The weather turned cold last Monday afternoon and did the wind ever blow. By next morning the wind had gone down though and since then it hasn’t been bad. In fact the sun has been shining and the air is crisp and cool. I was afraid we were in for a storm Monday night. We went down to Lillian’s for a shower for Irma. Gloyd stayed with dad while Mother, Josephine and I went on to the shower. We had a very nice time and she got a lot of nice things. There were about 30 women there and four or five men. They served ice cream, cake, cookies, and coffee. Mother made the ice cream and it sure was good. I guess Irma was leaving Wednesday morning. Hazel Woodmansee was going with her to Washington, D.C. That made it nice for Irma because Hazel is a good traveler.

We went to Emporia Saturday night. Mother, Paul and Charlotte went with us. We left here about six and did our shopping as soon as we got there then we ate supper before we came home. I got a couple dresses to make but haven‘t gotten them made yet. Maybe I will get started tonight. Gloyd is going to ask his mother to let me borrow her sewing machine and I will be able to get a lot more done if I have the machine at home than if I have to go over there to do it. I wish I could buy a sewing machine. Seems like I need one worse all the time. I looked in Topeka Wednesday afternoon for a dress but it seems they are so high to get them already made.

Charlotte stayed all night with us Saturday night then she and I went down to her place early Sunday morning and finished moving her furniture so her aunt and uncle could move in where she had been living. She stored most of her furniture upstairs. Her husband passed his physical examination okay but Maurice didn’t pass his and he came back the next day. Dale is still in Leavenworth but hopes to get sent out soon. The folks had a letter from Wayne yesterday. He finally got sent out. I believe he is in Big Springs, Texas, now. Paul likes his work fine.

Gloyd has been sick with a cold since Tuesday morning. I don’t know where he got it. He just had it when he got up Tuesday morning. He felt worse yesterday so went down to Dr. Campbell yesterday afternoon and let him work on him. He didn’t feel very good yet this morning but went to work about 10:30 and seemed to feel better at noon. He had to go to work again at 1 this afternoon.

We went to the show Tuesday evening and saw “It Happened in Flatbush” and a comedy “Tireman Spare My Tires”. They were both very good. The comedy was about as good as any we have seen.

Well, I had a big long interruption. Now I’ll see how much I can get done. Seems like I don’t know much news to write any way. We had to work yesterday and everything else in town closed but we don’t have to work Thanksgiving. We don’t get paid only for the days we work so I guess it is just as well that we work. There will only be 24 working days in November and that won’t make a very big Christmas check I am afraid. We had thought my check this time would just about get us out of debt but Gloyd hasn’t worked much these last two weeks so the car payment will have to be made out of mine and that will slow things up a little. Gloyd will have a lot of work around Christmas and that will help.

I wonder what we will have for supper tonight. We have been living on soup this week and I believe we would both enjoy something different tonight. We missed a good dinner last Sunday by not going down to Uncle Loren’s but Gloyd had to work that day and I needed to help Charlotte and by the time Gloyd got through in the afternoon it was too late and we were too tired to go so we slept the rest of the afternoon. I slept by spells. Gloyd came home and woke me up. Then we went to sleep and one of the Mullins came over and knocked and woke me up but I didn’t go to the door so she came back after while and woke me again. I still didn’t go to the door but something else woke me about five-thirty so I decided it was time to stay up and get supper. I went to bed early that evening though. Last night we went to bed about seven-thirty then Gloyd couldn’t go to sleep so he got up and listened to the radio until about ten-thirty. We have Wallace’s little radio now and it sure is nice. We have enjoyed ours but it never has worked so very good.

The payroll came back approved the first of the week but I don’t know whether the big check has come yet or not. I hope it gets here by Saturday anyway. My check this time will be about fifteen dollars bigger than I had expected it to be. Of course there will be the ten per cent taken out for bonds but that is all right.

We haven’t been going so much the last two weeks so it doesn’t seem like there is much to write about. I suppose you knew that Ernestine and Joe were married. She went to Kansas City and they were married there. We saw her in Emporia Saturday night and she said he was supposed to come home in three weeks.

This seems like it has been a long day and I sure will be glad when five o’clock comes. I expect it is time for me to get busy now so I will close for now. Hope you will be able to write to some of us before long and let us know where you are and how you are getting along. I imagine you received our Christmas package some time ago didn’t you? If there is anything we can send you at all I wish you would tell us and maybe we can get another package to you before Christmas.

Write when you can.

Love and Best Wishes

Frances and Gloyd