16 Apr April 16, 1945

Letter
from: Mrs. G. Shonkwiler
to: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
April 16th, 1945
Monday, 4:00 P.M.

Hello, honey,

Ronnie is still sleeping and I feel lazy, so thought I’d drop you a line.
Pretty nice of your wife, don’t you think?

I’m so sleepy, must be Spring fever, altho it’s been pretty cold here the past
week for that.  Temp. has been down around 40 degrees, and very, very windy.
Today it’s been rainy, plus windy.  Just now the sun’s starting to peep through
the clouds.

Helen and Norma were here all day yesterday, too, altho we didn’t go do much.
I was up at 8:00 o’clock, but they slept until I woke them at 10:30 for
breakfast.  In the meantime, I had baked an apple pie, made a salad, plus
preparing a breakfast of grapefruit, waffles and broiled bacon and coffee.
At 11:30, we stopped at 101st and Lafayette to see Norma’s cousin and family.
We stayed there until 1:15, then we went home for dinner.  I had ordered steak
a week ago for the

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occasion, so we had broiled porterhouse steak, buttered green beans, mashed
potatoes, gravy, orange gelatin salad (with apples, celery, carrots, and
radishes in it) with lettuce, homemade (my own) cloverleaf rolls and jelly and
apple pie and ice cream and coffee.  Doesn’t this sound pretty good to you?
Well, it was!  This is the first steak I’ve had in ages, as they are few and
far between nowadays.

This noon Ronnie and I had a vegetarian lunch, consisting of baked beans,
buttered corn, gelatin salad and lettuce, bread and butter and milk and pie.

After dinner yesterday we were going to a show, but it was 3:00 P.M. and they
were leaving from the loop bus depot at 7:00, we decided we didn’t have time
for a double feature.  Instead we went over to the Rose Bowl, but as there was
a 2 1/2 hr. wait for an alley, we just watched for a while and had a glass of
beer.  Doesn’t that sound exciting? (oh yeah!)  At five o’clock I

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took them to the I.C. station, and Ronnie still wanted to see a show, so we
went to the State to see "Thin man comes [goes] home",  Bill [William] Powell
and Myrna Loy, and "Eadie Was a Lady," with Ann Miller.  Both pretty good.
When I at last arrived home Ronnie went to bed and I did the dinner dishes.
Mrs. Page came down and helped dry them and later she and Mr. Page and I had
some sandwiches, pie and coffee.  By that time it was midnight, and I went to
bed.

I have Ronnie’s crib on the porch now and I sleep on the porch, too, so the
bedroom looks much nicer, now, with the crib gone.

I called Dr. DeYoung today and asked for an appt for a checkup for Ronnie.
Luckily there was a cancellation, so I can see him Tues. Apr. 24.  The girl
told me if they hadn’t been a cancellation, I’d have had to wait until last
part of June.  Mrs. Dixon is taking Bobby down for a checkup May 24th and she

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called for the appt. two weeks ago.  There isn’t anything wrong with Ronnie
that I know of, but thought a yearly checkup would be a good thing, anyway.
He’s had a couple of colds this winter, but nothing serious, thank goodness.

He’s not fat by any means, but guess none of your brother’s or sister’s
children are either and doctors always say they worry more about fat children’s
health, than the thin children.  I think he weighs about 34 lbs and is -
inches tall.  Forrest’s youngest boy, Jimmy, who is four, is no taller than
Ronnie, so guess Ronnie isn’t so small after all.  Of course Bobby Dixon is
taller, but then he always was big for his age.  Jimmy weighs a couple lbs more
than Ronnie, but he’s four.

Ronnie wears size 6 overalls and shirts, now, and size 8 shoe.
I just rec’d a letter from you dated Mar. 8, but I’m sure you meant April 8th,

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as it’s written from the camp with the red brick and stone chateau in the
center and you mentioned having been in Paris three times.

I haven’t received the $50 from Sgt. Sweeney as yet, but I did get the $60 you
sent me, which helped pay my $102 first payment of the tax bill.

Today also I got an Aug. letter which I had sent you.  It’s the fourth letter
written in Aug. that’s been returned so far.  I can’t figure it out!  I’m
enclosing it, now.

My insurance payment of $8.16 is due now, too and me broke.
What a life!  Maybe I can pay it next Sat. when I get the rent money.  Sure
wish I could go to work for a while, at least.

I sent you a box of powders and Vick’s salve last week.  I hope they catch up
with you before long.  I also have another box of powders to send on, but
thought I’d wait until

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I get a new address from you.

Guess it’s time for Ronnie to get up now and for us to get to the grocery and
also mail this.

Well, bye, now and just remember to be good, as Mommy and Ronnie love you - oh
so much.

All our love,
Mom and Ronnie.

P.S.
Sgt. Sweeney’s wife said a week ago when I called her that she’d write to me,
but as yet I haven’t heard from her.

2 P.S.
Frances Evans called last week asking me to come for dinner on Sunday, but as
these girls were coming in, I couldn’t, so she said she’d call again.

I got roped into going to a Fernwood Women’s Club Spring Luncheon tomorrow
noon by Mrs. Hayes.  Oh, well, it’s a free meal.

.