30 Aug August 30, 1945

Letter
from: A. Shonkwiler
to: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
Aug. 30, 1945
Thurs. 10:00 A.M.
Noteworthy: Mom predicts she will have all boys.

Hello, honey,

I ironed clothes and mended them from 9:00 A.M. until 11:15 P.M. yesterday, so
consequently, I had very little to write about.  I’m writing early today to
make up for it.

I called Packard again yesterday and he finally (after I got sort of impatient
about being put off so long) told me to bring the car in Tuesday morning of
next week.

Murray stopped in for

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a few minutes yesterday to tell me he’d checked at Smith’s for me about that
103rd St. lot tax for 1943.  According to Smith’s they paid the tax thinking it
was the Hopkin’s property tax and when they checked downtown no other duplicate
payment was made.  So, Darling, it seems we owe about $42.00 for 1943 tax.
Nice, isn’t it?  I told Murray to tell them I still wasn’t sure as to whether
we paid or not and that they’d

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have to wait until you get home.  Or do you think I should pay it now?  With
the car repairs and touch-up and simonizing to pay for, plus the auto insurance
to pay, which they tell me will cost more this year, it’s all I can do to pay
for that.  It seems I can never get 2 cents ahead of bills.  I don’t s’pose I
should expect to and be glad I’m not way behind as some soldier’s families must
be.  I read an article in the Cornet or Reader’s

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Digest about war wives who[,] in order to supplement their allotments[,] start
gambling and instead of winning they lose all they have plus mortgaging
themselves for life and eventually threatened by loan sharks etc.,  commit
suicide.  It certainly was a warning and while reading it I was thinking how
lucky we are to be getting by as we are in spite of your being away.  Of course
the money you’ve sent has helped tremendously.

Well, it can’t be too long now until you’re

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back with us, and even if we don’t have a lot of money, we’ll be the happiest
couple on earth.  Altho we’re both so used to being more or less independent of
the other now that perhaps we won’t like being together. -- Oh, yeah?  Perhaps
whenever we think of saying or doing anything nasty we can count to 10 and
think of something nice instead.

My beautiful tan acquired at Paw Paw Lake is peeling.  Only my back, tho, so

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that isn’t too bad.

I have a busy day today, too, as I have to finish mending Ronnie’s clothes, go
down to the testing station, as my car inspection is due before the end of
August.  Then I also have a house to clean and I’m going down to Root Bros. to
get some white enamel to paint the kitchen cabinets, trim and doors.  I’d like
to go down to 63rd, too, to see if I can find a snowsuit for Ronnie.  I did
want a

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black suit [for myself], but guess Ronnie needs his outfit more than I.  Snow
suits run about $30.00, now, too, and "that ain’t hay."  He also needs shoes
and some kind of wool suit, too, but suits for him run as high as the snowsuit.
Perhaps I can make one, but don’t know where you’d get material now-a-days.
Why don’t you hurry home so you can worry with me?  All these prices[,] do you
think we can afford 3 or 4 more

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youngsters?  A girl wouldn’t be so bad, as I’d love to make clothes for her. Be
just my luck to have all boys.

Yesterday was dark, rainy and gloomy, but today is beautiful and sunny. I just
went out and picked a bouquet of snapdragons, marigolds, and bachelor buttons
from my garden.  Very pretty, too!  Ronnie of course had to smell them and help
arrange them in a vase.  S’pose he’ll be a florist? -- I’d like that.

Well, it’s getting late

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and I have so much to do and very little to say, so I’ll have to bid you "Good
Morning" and then "get going" as you say.  Guess it’s a good thing for the
"boys" that you’re not a "Sergeant."

Well, bye, now and I hope you had a wonderful vacation and that it helped your
many ailments.

All our love now and always,
Mom and Ronnie