14 Oct October 14, 1944

Letter
from: Alice Shonkwiler
to: Private George W. Shonkwiler
October 14th, 1944, Wednesday, 10.40 p.m.
Noteworthy: service man is injured, doesn’t sue

My darling,

How’s my honey?  Fine?  I hope you’re feeling a little better than I am as
the pain in my shoulders started again today.  Eleanor’s been giving me some
Bohemian massage, and right now I have the electric pad on it, and it sure
feels good.

I meant to write last night, but wrapped and packed two Christmas boxes
for you, and by the time I finished, I was glad to go to bed.  You’ll
forgive me, won’t you, honey?  I took them to the post office today, and
although I had them addressed, one from Ronnie, and one from me, he wasn’t
going to accept them.  A clerk claimed you’re not allowed to receive more
than one box per week between September 15th and October 15th.  I told him
I misunderstood it and meant one package per week from each member of the
family, but he said no.  I think he’s crazy.  I asked him how they were
going to

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stop the rest of your friends and relatives from sending you gifts as they
lived all over the country.  He said he didn’t know how they would do that,
but that all you could be allowed to receive is four Christmas boxes.
That’s a laugh, as I’ve sent you seven Christmas boxes already, and know
that your sisters and brothers will probably send you more.  Even Edith is
sending you a gift.

I guess I’d better not send you any more, though, unless you send a request
for something, which I hope you will.

Both Monday and Tuesday, it rained, and this morning was dreary, so still
haven’t done any washing.  I should have washed this morning as this
afternoon turned out nice and sunny.

I rec’d your pictures yesterday, and I like them very much.  You look
very nice in your <? OIs>.  I wish I could see you in them.  (I wish I could
see you, period).  You don’t look as though you’ve

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lost any weight at all.  Your face doesn’t look as though it broke out at
all, or are the pictures touched up.  Well, anyway, you look like a very
handsome soldier, and I’m so proud of the pictures.  I’ve been showing them
off to everybody.  I showed them off at the grocery store today, and
Murray thought you made a pretty nice looking soldier.

Last night after dinner, Ronnie went over to Bobby’s.  When I went to get
him at 7:30  he met me at the door, so excited he could hardly talk, and
took me by the hand and led me to the basement where Mr. Dixon had been
running the electric train for them.  You should have seen Ronnie’s eyes
follow that train all the way around the track.  First thing he said this
morning when I got out of the bed was that he wanted to see Bobby’s train.

Well, I was getting ready late this morning to go to the post office to
handle your packages.  I heard Bobby and Ronnie

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flushing and re-flushing the toilet.  When I got in there, the sewage was
backing up in the toilet in the bathtub and I kept asking Ronnie what they
put in the toilet, but got no satisfactory answer.  Well the toilet

overflowed and about two inches deep before the pump stopped and I called
Mrs. Dixon (as Bobby had run home) to find out from Bobby what they put
in the toilet, he told her ashes and stones.  She came over and by the time
she got there and I’d cleaned up most of it, the pump started again and both
tub and toilet kept overflowing and wouldn’t stop.  She called O’Donnell
the plumber and in about 20 minutes (it seemed like two hours) they came
(both Hugh O’Donnell and the plumber) and they proceeded to uncap the big
sewer pipe downstairs and let out all that dirty sewage water all over

the basement (after I cleaned it last Friday too), then cleaned it out
and now it’s

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Ok -- I hope.  While down there, the plumber stepped on a rusty nail and
it went right through his shoe and into the sole of his foot.  O’Donnell
came up and borrowed iodine and a bandage for him.  I asked him how much
I owed him and he said he’d send me a bill.  Now all I have to worry about
is how much it would be?

After they left, I had to mop and scrub the bathroom, toilet, tub and also
mop up the basement.  Baby snakes and worms and bugs of all kinds came out
of that sewer pipe -- I still feel creepy.  I also had to scrub the kitchen
and hall as the plumbers, Mrs. Dixon and I walked all over with wet dirty
shoes.

Well after all this excitement and so on, I finally got your packages
mailed at 4:30 this afternoon.

What a life!  I guess I have more excitement at home than you have

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overseas (ha! ha!).

About 5 o’clock, Ray Hines came over expecting to pick up his check.  I
told him about the deal falling through because of the delay in getting
your signature, and that because of the contractor not being willing to
wait and so on, the lot was not sold. You’d better write him and give him
the details, as I didn’t know much about it.  I wouldn’t have known what
to tell him at all if I hadn’t called Vansyle (or whatever his name is)
at Brant’s and asked why I hadn’t rec’d their check.  They said they

had informed you so I s’pose you know all about it by now.

Ray Hines’ address is: Ray Hines, care of Chicago Bridge and Ironworks,
Seneca, Illinois.

He did say he had rec’d a letter from you since you left.

I called Mrs. Al Evers last night and invited her over for dinner next
Wed. evening.  She said she had just rec’d

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a letter that day, that you had written to her husband.  A V-mail I
believe.  She said he was in Camp Grant for a few days and is now in
Camp Ellis, near New Peoria, Ill., where he is getting rifle training.
Heretofor medical corps hasn’t been getting any rifle training, but
they’re decided they should have it now.  After about a month he expects
to be sent overseas, she said.

Murray came over about 7 o’clock tonight and stayed until 9:00 p.m.  Marge
was having her hair fixed so he came here to chat.  He said he intended
to write you a letter tonight when he got home.

Ronnie, of course, was still eating when Murray came and kept keeping his
food in his cheek instead of chewing, and so Murray put Ronnie in the dark

bathroom for punishment.  Boy did Ronnie ever get mad and yelled and cried.

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Anyway, when Murray let him out he was chewing and finished his dinner
and dessert.  Eleanor and I kept calling him "Papa Murray".  He’s always
saying if Ronnie were his he’d behave and he’d make him eat and so on.
And I sure hope he has a chance to try his methods out on children of his
own someday.

Ronnie is eating good now-a-days but you know how he gets when other
people are around, too interested in everything but eating then.

I’m sending you a letter from Indiana U.  I know you’ll be interested in
attending the Bloomington Games this year (ha! ha!)

Well, I’ve exhausted my news now, so  as it’s 12:15 I think I’ll retire
and write more tomorrow.

Good night, honey,  And here’s a kiss before I drop off to sleep.  And if
Ronnie were awake, he’d send you a kiss too.  He kisses seven of your
pictures every night before going to bed.  And that’s quite a job.

Bye, honey, and wish you were here.
Love always,
Mom and Ronnie