25 Aug August 25, 1945

Letter
from: A. Shonkwiler
to: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
Aug. 25, 1945
Sat. 3:25 P.M.
Noteworthy: Mom and Dad’s anniversary is August 28th.

Hello, Darling,

Just about this time you’ll be spending your last day at the Riviera.  I had two
v-mails dated Aug. 17, today, and you mentioned wishing Ronnie and I were with
[you].  Wouldn’t it have been ideal if they’d sent us over there for your
furlough?  After all why should all these French girls get all the breaks?  Such
is life for the poor little girls back home.  Each day just another day

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of waiting for that certain guy to come home.

Murray mentioned the other day that if we still wanted to sell the house now, he
could probably save us some money by having Smith’s handle it as a private deal.
Everyone seems to think it’s advisable to sell now.  Do you think so?  I talked
to Mr. Dixon today and he said his brother is coming back from Lincoln, Nebraska
in a month, but can’t find a place to live in Glenn Ellyn.  He says

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everything is 3 to 5 thousand dollars higher in price than they should be.  Maybe
we should take advantage of the present prices to sell ours and perhaps by the
time you return it will be cheaper to build and materials released.  I think
Murray will mention it in his letter.  Would you rather, (if you decide to sell),
that Brandts or Chapman’s handle it, or should I advertise on my own and save the
commission?

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Any special salesman?  Galassini?  Or perhaps Emil Kuester would.  But he doesn’t
have as big an office.  Would you want one office to have exclusive listing?

Another thing you’d have to either send me "Power of Attorney," or else have the
documents sent directly to you.

This all sounds as though I’m in favor of selling but it’s not that (as it would
be simpler to stay here), but just that if property goes down,

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we’d just be out a neat sum.  I’ll abide by your judgment, however, as you know
more about this business than I.

I stopped at Hayes’ for a few minutes last night and she gave Ronnie and I some
ice cream and cookies.  At 7:30, we left, as I wanted to stop at Jostes.  As luck
would have it they weren’t home, as newspapers, mail etc. were all over the front
porch. They’re evidently on vacation.

At 8:00 o’clock I picked Marge up at her Beauty

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Shoppe and we went over to her apt.  I had brought her a cake from Erga’s for her
birthday, but it seemed she’d already bought one too.  Anyway we had 2 kinds of
cake, ice cream and coffee.

She seemed to like the pajamas I made for her.  When she opened them she remarked
on the well sewn seams and that she hadn’t seen anything made that well for ages.
I couldn’t help but giggle and all of a sudden it dawned

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on her I had made them and we both laughed.

This morning Ronnie was playing in the backyard, when he rushed in and said
"Mommie, Bobbie just came home, can I go over to see him?" Boy, was that a
reunion.  It wasn’t long before they were bickering as usual.

About 11:00 Ronnie and I went shopping for groceries.  I couldn’t get any meat
at John’s, so I went to People’s Store and lo and behold - meat of

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all kinds.  I got 2 pieces of flank steak, 1 T-bone, and 1 lb. of beef stew.  I
have to have Frances Evers over soon, so got the flank steak for "Swiss steak."
In the meantime I’m freezing it in the ice compartment.  Ronnie and I will split
the T-bone tomorrow (Sunday).  Don’t you wish you could be here?  So do I!  The
beef stew will be for Monday and will last several days.

Ronnie and I ate our

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supper at the Rose Bowl Cafe last night.  We had each a hot roast beef sandwich
(With mashed potatoes and gravy) plus each a side order of spinach and Ronnie had
jello and glass of milk and I had cocoanut cream pie and coffee.  All for the sum
of 97 cents.  We had a better dinner ordering this way than the regular meal. --
Boy, I can think of more ways to cut corners nowadays.  I’ll be so closefisted

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by the time you return, that you won’t even like me.  It’s fun to make money
last, tho and I’ve sure had good experience in the past 19 months.  We still eat
all we want and don’t suffer much in any way, but clothes.  I guess I was pretty
lucky to have a large wardrobe to begin with.

Remember I told you about the navy and white dress I bought.  The

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enclosed tag was on it, so you see I’ll have to "beat the boys off with clubs
while wearing it."

I’ll have a chance to wear it next Tuesday night, Aug. 28th (does that date ring
any bells?), as Marge and Murray, Jim and Martha are taking me out for dinner to
celebrate that special event, which happened 2 yrs. ago.  Pretty nice of them I
think.  Of course it’s all Marge’s idea, I s’pose.

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She gave me a box of Rinso soap flakes last night, as she had two and as yet soap
is very scarce.  Another thing[,] the stores have been out of toilet tissues for
a couple weeks and I’m completely out of the stuff -- fine thing, I’d say!  If
one only had a couple Sears catalogs, but they’ve been extinct for years, too.

Well, write and tell me your troubles, now.  Here’s a bit of love from us to you,
always Mom and Ronnie.

P.S.
Edith Kuester called last night and asked about you, etc.  She works for Emil
now in his office.