22 Jan January 22, 1945

Letter
from: Mrs. G. Shonkwiler
to: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
January 22, 1945
Monday, 11:00 P.M.
Noteworthy: Starting salary for factory worker, $0.90/hour. Gladys suspects
Dick. Some fidelity conversation and philosophy.

Prescript.
Ronnie and I are both well and feeling fine, just keep writing every day.

Dearest,

Will have to make up for yesterday’s V-mail tonight, or I’ll have my husband
feeling pretty bad, won’t I?

I rec’d three letters from you today dated January 12, 14, and 15th.  Seems I’m
getting exceptional mail service lately.  Wish you would get better service,
too, then everything would be hunky-dory.

Muriel was out job hunting today and applied at Douglas Aircraft out on
Mannheim and Higgins Road.  She’s going back tomorrow with the application
blank she filled out tonight.  They said they’d find a room for her at Park
Ridge or Melrose Park if she decided to work there.  They told her she’d

page 2
get 90 cents per hr. to start and raises later up to $1.25 per hr.  I had
hoped she might work at Pullman and stay with me, but she wanted to be closer
to people’s church, which she intends to join.  Anyway I’ll be alone again,
with very little money to live on.  Muriel has been here only a week, so $13.00
are my gross profits on that week.

[The] Met. insurance man collected $4.83 today and paper boy $2.90 (for 2  mo.
of Tribune), and I still don’t have money to pay my $35.00 gas bill and if it
isn’t paid tomorrow, I forfeit $3.55 discount.  I checked thru our bank books
the other day, thinking I might draw some money at Smith’s, but find we have
only $15.00 in our joint account, but there is a brown folder, which

page 3
shows a balance of $1100.00, but this is only in your name.  How come as I
thought all the money was in joint ownership now.  It’s possible this balance
is void, but doesn’t seem to be.  Of course there is a $900 account at
Chesterfield Savings, which is also in joint acct., but didn’t know if you
wanted me to draw on that.  What I’m wondering about now is whether we have
$900.00, plus $1,100.00, plus $15.00, or do we just have $915?  Also if we have
$2,015.00 total, why isn’t all of it in joint ownership?  Or am I being too
nosy?  I don’t really care, but would like to know how we stand as far as cash
funds go, especially now, as I’m afraid I’ll have to draw money, or starve.

page 4
Wish I could think of some way of making money, without causing Ronnie any
hardship.  You mentioned cashing in your new bonds, if necessary, but that
wouldn’t help much, as I’ve only rec’d two since you left. (One in Ronnie’s
name and one in mine.)  I’m sure one $10.00 bond, won’t get me very far.  Maybe
you’d better find out why I’m not getting them, as I should have more than that
during this period.

I got a letter from Gladys Scholl today which I’m enclosing, together with [a]
clipping she enclosed written by your platoon Sgt. to his dad.

I also rec’d an income tax statement from both Sterling and Smith.  I didn’t
know you earned $112.00 at Smith in January.  I

page 5
suppose it was some back commission due you, but don’t remember you telling me
about it, or have I forgotten?  I’m filing a return for your 1944 income, but
may have to send it to you for your signature.  I’ll call the collector
tomorrow to find out what to do.  If all goes well, I should have a refund of
$49.68, which won’t be hard to take, altho suppose I won’t get it for months to
come.

Have you rec’d any more pkgs. as yet?  Maybe it’s just as well, because the
food wouldn’t be edible anyway, but the sweater and scarf I sent might come in
handy if you ever get it, also toothpaste, shaving cream, etc.

Gladys had her last letter from Dick dated Jan. 1st, and he doesn’t seem to be
in immediate danger

page 6
as he’s in or near a town.  She’s worrying herself to death, as he doesn’t
write more than a couple times a week and only a page or two at a time.  You
see they had it out while he was home on furlough concerning some information
she’d heard about an affair with an A and P girl employee.  If you remember
last year he had rec’d a couple letters from a married woman with 3 children.
It’s the same one.  It didn’t dawn on her then that it was an affair on his
part, but since taking over his N.B.C. route she’s heard things, which,
altho he denies it, leads her to believe it is so.  She says she’s lost faith
in him [and] doesn’t think she’ll ever trust him, anymore.  I sure feel for her
(if it’s true), and can imagine how she feels and especially when he’s overseas,
as there’s no chance to get straightened out about it at all.  Of course if
Dick is innocent, I feel sorry for him, too.

page 7
Sure makes me feel funny, too as just as I’m beginning to believe in love,
marriage and faithfulness, this happens to someone that I thought were happily
married.  God, honey, if you ever get to the point where you feel the need to
enjoy another woman’s company, I want to know it, so that I can step out of the
picture before you stray.  Will you promise me that?  I saw so much of this
"stepping out" business on the part of people I knew in Rockford, that I didn’t
want to get married.  I guess I figured if I couldn’t have the kind of marriage
my folks believed in, I’d rather be single.  You seem to have the same attitude
I did towards it, so I believe I would just give up

page 8
completely if you should turn out to be a cheat.  I know you won’t, if I know
you as well as I think I do, so I’ll keep that faith until I know differently.
Please don’t mention anything to either Dick or Gladys, tho, as it’s their
problem and only they can work it out.  I hope everything works out for the
best.  Gladys asked my advice, but all I could say was to try to forget her
doubts and write to Dick as tho nothing happened, and when he comes back never
mention it to him again as it will only anger him whether he’s guilty or not,
and I told her I was sure he loved her even tho he doesn’t write much, it’s
probably just thoughtlessness.  Did I say the right thing?  I’ll call Gladys
and get Dick’s address for you tomorrow.  If you write him, forget the above,
however.

All our Love,
Mom and Ronnie.

P.S.
This morning at breakfast Ronnie said, "Where is Daddy, Mommy?  Is he coming
home soon?"  I said, I hope so, darling.