Akron, Ohio

January 15, 1945

Dear Evelyn,

I received your lovely Birthday Greeting and many thanks for it. I have sat down several times to answer your letter and I never get it done. This weather is terrible. It has snowed all through December then last week we had a good rain and now it is snowing again. I believe it will take all winter for the snow to melt. I just finished my washing so I wanted a good excuse to sit down a while so I am writing this letter. Evelyn I am over the fifty-year line now. Sometimes when I am blue and I cry about Jack I feel like I am seventy-five years old. I had a nice Birthday but a lonesome one. You can’t get around here in Akron so my sisters and Mary and Jimmy didn’t get over for my Birthday. Bus service in Akron is terrible. Dick was home, that is one of the sailors. I took him to the station Sunday morning. He was only home for one day. Their train had a wreck and he was five ours late coming to Akron. All he got done was eat and sleep but it was mostly eating. He was hungry. He had a bad trip coming back. He was so nervous he said the ocean was so rough and then he said the electric went on the bum and they didn’t have any ovens to bake bread and he said they had to eat soda crackers for four days. He came in from North Africa and brought prisoners back. He said they will load their ship with supplies and leave right away. I got a beautiful certificate for Jack. It is beautiful. The President of the U.S. sent it. It has a lovely reading on it and the letters are all in colors and raised. Yes Evelyn, I don’t like to repeat words that Jack took with him. But that is what he had planned to tell you when he came back. He thought so much of Mr. R. and he used to say he would come home and settle down and may be he could run the farm for Mr. R. When I feel different I will get the letter out and let you read it. Evelyn I think you would have had a nice husband. Do you think you could of lived through it having me for a mother in law? But things had to change. Maybe some day we will understand. How is your mother and Mr. R.? Well I will stop writing. I want the mailman to take it so be good and I will see you some day. Always glad to hear from you.

Love,

Mrs. D