06 Jun June 6, 1944

Letter
from: A. Shonkwiler
to: Pvt George W. Shonkwiler
June 6, 1944
Tuesday, 11:30 p.m.

Hello, honey,

I ’spect by the time you get this you’ll probably be just too tired to even
care. Am I right?

Today has been a very quiet day.  Not a thing exciting has happened.  As if
anything ever does!  First thing this morning while Mrs. Page washed her
clothes, I emptied all those bushels baskets of junk I cleaned out of the
basement outdoors and had a big fire.  It lasted for a couple of hours, and
Ronnie was thrilled to death,

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just watching it from the window.  After that I got down on my hands and knees
and scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom floors and waxed them.  Then ironed
clothes again.  Also the toilet’s been flooding off and on ever since Sunday
when Gladys put something in it that she shouldn’t have. (Please don’t mention
it to her, or she’ll think I’m a louse!) I’m having an awful time, as ever
Murray’s plunger doesn’t help at all.

Tonight I packed your bivouac party.  I hope you get it O.K.  I wanted to bake
something for it

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too, but as it may be delayed in reaching you on account of your being out of
camp, I decided not to.  I’m going to ask Mr. Page if he’ll take me to the Post
office as I won’t get the car until 5:30 tomorrow night.

I sent some paper napkins and some wax paper, which might come in handy.

Marge called me from work yesterday and asked how I was etc.  She also said
she may send you a pkg while you’re on bivouac.  Gladys said she would send
something too.  If Marge, Gladys, and Mrs. Hayes all keep their word you
should

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have lots to eat.  But doubt if they all will.  Oh well, at least I hope you
get mine O.K.  I thought I’d better tell you about sending it, so that if you
shouldn’t happen to get it for some reason, you’ll know it’s not my fault
anyway.

Guess who called me today?  Elsie Carlson’s sister [Lillian] of all people!
Her new baby boy is now 3 months old.  She lives at 106th and Sangaman in a 6
room bungalow, which they now own.  Elsie still lives with her she said, but
she sees very little of her, as she’s out all the hours every night.  She just
came

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back from Tampa, Florida.  She was there a month on sick leave to visit a girl
who is in the WAACs, (At least so she told her sister.)  She also told me Elsie
is wearing lipstick, which is almost black and is hennaing her hair red.  [She]
Also said Elsie is getting tougher all the time and she said she’s probably as
tough inside as she looks outside.  She wants me to come over and spend the day
with her sometime soon.  How can sisters be as different as Lillian and Elsie?
I asked if Elsie is still engaged to Harvey.  She said "yes," but

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You’d never know it, as she goes [out] with anybody and everybody and writes

Harvey once in a while.  He has been in the South Pacific for 6 months she said.

Ronnie’s sniffles are all gone now and he’s just as full of the old Nick, as
ever.

Judy is still having the time of her life and she has boyfriends calling for
her both day and night.  They could at least let me sleep.  Right now she’s
snoring away back of my chair!

I just wrote a letter to the Treasury Dept. telling them you were

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in the Army and if that income tax balance of $66.62 can wait until the war is
over.  Wonder what the answer will be?

Do you know that the temperature here is less than 50 degrees now, and I have
to have the heat on.  Isn’t that terrible, from dresses to winter coats.  The
men are even wearing top coats.  Here last Sunday it was 90 degrees in the
shade.  It also rained again today.  I’m afraid my garden is going to freeze.
I hope not!

Elinor went to work again tonite, so I guess she’s really much better.

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Murray is s’posed to have written you.  Did you get a letter yet?  He told
Elinor they had planned on coming over Sunday, but Marge’s sister and
brother-in-law came in from Washington, D.C., so they couldn’t come.

Mr. Dixon asked about you today, also Dr. Elliot and Mrs. Elliot, and Mrs. Hand
inquire about you once in a while.

Well, darling, I’ve all run out of news, so we’ll get to bed, as it’s now 12:30
A.M. and I must mow the lawn and sprinkle the garden in the morning.

Keep that chin up and grin and bear it, when things get tough.  Won’t be
long till we see you.

Love forever,
Mom and Ronnie