16 Jun June 16, 1945

Letter
from: A. Shonkwiler
to: Pvc. George W. Shonkwiler
June 16, 1945, Saturday night
Noteworthy: Mom shows she is quite capable, diligent, and very hard working

Darling,

Notice the nice new stationery. Isn’t it beautiful? Nothing but the best for
my honey. That’s what I always say. It certainly is a wonderful feeling to
look out and see those lamp posts giving glorious light. Sure helps to make
a person feel safe and sound. Last night for some reason, they gave only a
very dim light and I was pretty disgusted. But a man came around this noon
and evidently repaired a short in the wiring so the result is bright light
and thank goodness.

I’ve been a pretty gal today and that is for sure. First I went up to
Michigan Avenue with Ronnie and Mrs. Page. I picked up a slack suit,
(gabardine), I had ordered for Ronnie a couple weeks ago. It’s just like a
man’s with

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in or outer shirt and long pants with loops for a belt and a regulation
fly front. He certainly is a real boy now. His clothes now come from the
boys Dept and not from Infantswear as when you were home. I bought a scrapbook
to put Ronnie’s works of art in so as to keep them for him. I also bought
a pattern for a sunback dress as I’ll need one if I go to the lake with
Claude’s family. I already had some cotton material I bought last Fall for
a house coat. Besides doing these things I deposited $75 of the $100 you
sent. Part of it I’m using for the May 12th through June 12th gas bill
$16.72 and the balance for a phone and light bill. You said I could use
some for myself but I won’t as I may need it if I have the car checked
over and Simonized. (That is

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If you think I should). I now have $225 in the bank as a result of your
money orders. As you know of course $102 will go for taxes about $30 for
auto insurance so I’m still not much ahead it seems. It’s nice to know I
can keep up our bills however so I don’t want any piling up for you to pay
later if I can help it.  I know that the things I go without now (such as
clothes, luxuries and so on), I’ll have some day if it’s in your power so
I’m not fretting. The next money order I get (if any) I may hold out, so
that I’ll have something new to wear when I welcome you home. I’ll have
to look nice to compare with all the glamour you’re seeing now in gay
Pariee.

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I got home from shopping at noon and after having our lunch, Ronnie went
to bed for his nap. I started cleaning house, dusted all the floors,
vacuumed the rugs, scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom floors and dusted
the furniture, changed bed clothes and was ready to go to work in the
yard by four o’clock. From then until six o’clock I dug dandelions, six
wagon loads, out of the backyard. Mr. Page gave me a long dandelion digger
as a gift this noon and it works fine. I also cut and pulled all the weeds
around next to the fence. Ronnie got me up at 4:30 and helped me load the
wagon. He and Judy had more fun. Every time I threw a dandelion plant in
the wagon, Judy jumped for it and Ronnie

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would bawl her out, "No, no, Judy. Mommy wants those weeds in the wagon.
Stop that Judy", to no avail, however, as Judy thought it was a game.

At 5:30 Ronnie said, "Let’s stop picking weeds Mommy and go in the house

and eat carrots, beans, chicken and milk". I said, "are you hungry Ronnie?"
And he said "yes Mommy".

So at 6:15 we ate a meal composed of lettuce and tomato salad, broiled ham,
candied sweet potatoes, broiled white potatoes, green beans, whole wheat
bread and milk. Boy did Ronnie eat. He was really hungry. In fact, he ate
three good meals today, which is wonderful considering his being so sick
yesterday morning.

Mr. Page works on Saturday evenings, so she came down after supper and

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sat and talked to me while I cut and sewed on my sundress. I have the blouse
practically finished. At 10 o’clock he came home and we chatted some more
and up until now we were having coffee and ham and cheese sandwiches and
cookies upstairs.

Ronnie, of course, went to bed at 8:15 and was sound asleep before 9 o’clock.
I had to read Simple Simon, Old King Cole, Hickory Dickory Dock, Peter
Pumpkin Eater and a few more to him before he consented to retire, of course.
He just about knows them by heart. I read the first word or two of each

line and he finishes. Pretty smart child, isn’t he?  If I skip a line, he
sure tells me a thing or two.

Marge and I conversed via phone tonight and she tells me her brother,

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in one letter mentioned playing baseball in Campaigne a while back. He
is stationed at Saissons.  Says he comes through Campaigne on his way
to a supply dump quite often and will try to look you up sometime. Just in
case you have a chance to look him up, his address is as follows:

   Captain John Dianton,
   230th General Hospital
   Med Department, APO 513.

He works in some capacity in medical supplies, if that would help you
locate him.

Besides the other things I attended to today, I mailed you a five pound
package and an eight ounce package with a roll of film and bar of soap.
If you need anything, first let me know and I’ll try to send it. You,

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see I must still have a request letter to send you things. I used today’s
request letter once before but took out the sheet that she stamped last
time. She didn’t stamp on the correct sheet last time which accounted for
my using the same letter twice.  Once I used an old Blanding Florida
letter in which you had mentioned the contents of a box you boys had
shared. I just underlined the things you mentioned and as they don’t read
the whole letter it worked fine. I’m just too brilliant (or crooked) which
is it?

Tell your CO that I need you at home and that I said so.

Bye and good night. Our love always and always,
 Mom and Ronnie.