February 24, 1969
Monday, February 24, 1969
7:00 P.M.
Dear Larry:
I got home about a half hour ago from my driver’s training, so I though I would write you a few lines. We drove around the parking lot across the street from the High School Gym. I need a lot of practice on my turns, so I will have to have Dad take me out to practice. Mr. Carter said that next week we will go out on the road, so keep your fingers crossed.
January 28, 1969
January 28, 1969
Tuesday – 11 P.M.
Dear Larry:
It’s kind of late to be writing a letter, but I thought I would write anyway. I came home from Bingo and Carol was watching The Miracle Worker on TV, so I watched it also and it was very good. I won $7.50 at Bingo tonight. At least I got my money back.
Larry, we finally got a letter from you today, and as you know, we were all very glad to hear from you. I was really surprised to hear you got transferred to an Infantry Unit. Are you still in the Artillery part of that division? What kind of job are you supposed to be doing now that they changed you?
January 24, 1969
January, 24 1969
Time 9:23 P.M.
Hi Larry,
How are you? I’m not sure how you are this time because you haven’t been writing to us. At the Polish Club, we went because they had chili and hot dogs. Bratski is sitting here watching me, if you know who Bratski is. Schmulick and Karl are on the floor listening to the Elkhart vs. Anderson game. Schmulick wants me and Bratski to yell. Karl had basketball practice tonight. Their next game is with St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s hasn’t lost any games yet. I can’t wait to see that game. I have a feeling we’re going to be the first team to beat St. Mary’s during their basketball season.
January 6, 1969
Monday, January 6, 1969
9:30 P.M.
Dear Larry:
Thought I would write a few lines and send you some clippings from the paper. I thought it would be better for you to read it in the paper than for me to try and write about it. Be sure to read about the 2 youths. We were very shocked to hear about that.
Well, we finally had our first big snow as you can see in the paper. Tresa and I went out and shoveled snow off the sidewalks this evening and it is really crispy out. I also took the Christmas lights off the front porch.
January 5, 1969
January 5, 1969
8:30 P.M. Sunday eve
Dear Larry:
Well, here I am again with a few lines to let you know all is ok here. About everyone in Anderson is sick with the flu, so we are keeping our fingers crossed here. As cold as it is here, it looks like the flu bug would freeze. The temperature here has been in the teens and almost zero the last few days.
We received a letter from you Thursday and, as you know, we were glad to hear from you. I haven’t been writing as much as I wanted to, but with the holidays over and the kids will be going back to school tomorrow, I will probably be back to normal (I hope).
January 1, 1969 – New Years Day
January 1, 1969
Wednesday 1 P.M.
New Years Day
Dear Larry,
Well, here it is a new year and is it ever cold outside. The windows are frosted from top to bottom. The temperature was below zero this morning and right now it is 11 degrees above zero, so it is not warming up much. This morning we went to the 10 o’clock mass and we about froze our fannies off. HA. It’s windy out and it makes it feel that much colder.
Well, in a way, I am glad that the holidays are over. Now things will be going back to normal. I can’t believe that in a couple of days you will be in the service a year already. Did the time go by quick for you? In a few months your time will be up in Vietnam and I am looking forward to that day.
December 24-26, 1968
Christmas Eve ’68
Hi, how are you? This is going to be a short letter because my paper supply is limited as my time is. What did you do on Christmas? What are you gonna do on New Years? Do you think you’ll get drunk as anything?
Mother has been busy today. She baked a ham and 3 pumpkin pies. Last night, she made some cranberry salad. Aunt Mary, Uncle Deda and Uncle Ray were just over here. Aunt Mary got me a pretty blue nightgown. Uncle Deda got me a pair of underpants and Uncle Ray got me a real neat yellow dress with a scarf to match. It is really cool. Barbara got me a pretty cool pair of earrings and a bracelet to match. Carol Porter bought me a charm for my charm bracelet. Vicki Lanone got me some scented perfume and Kathy bought me 3 pairs of really cool earrings. Uncle Tommy got me a real neat pair of cameo earrings. So far, we have just opened presents that our aunts and uncles got for us, but will open the rest from mother and Dad on Christmas morning.
December 22, 1968
December 22, 1968
5:00 P.M.
Dear Larry:
Thought I had better write a few lines since I hadn’t written you the last couple of days. How are you? Ok I hope. Here everyone is ok so far.
Today is the Children’s Christmas Party at the club, so Tresa and Karl went. Tresa just got home with 4 bags of nuts and candy and a gift from Santa. Karl isn’t home as yet and neither is Dad. I imagine Dad will stay until the last dog is gone. Ha. He didn’t have to work today, but I imagine his day will be busy tomorrow.
Today here is a very cloudy, rainy day. The weather man said it is supposed to snow tomorrow, so maybe we just might have a white Christmas.
December 14, 1968
Saturday
Dec. 14, 1968
10:25 A.M.
Dear Larry,
How are you? I haven’t written to you in such a long time and I thought I’d better get to it before you send me a spanking. (HA HA) I can write you more than I usually do because I haven’t written to you in a long time and because there’s more to tell you since 2 birthdays have already passed. I haven’t written you in about 2 months. Guess what? I’m a freshman, in my first year of high school, because I got a 93 on my 50 word spelling test. That means I’m just a 9th grade speller. I’m really only in fifth grade. Hey Larry, I can do a flip. Mommy would have burned your cake but I reminded her to take it out of the oven. Oh yea, today’s your birthday. It probably was yesterday for you. Did you go to a beer joint since you’re 21? I just got through reading your letters you wrote to me July 29, 1968 and August 20, 1968. Them were the only two letters you wrote me and that was a long time ago. We didn’t get our tree but Orlicks already did.
December 5, 1968
Thursday, Dec. 5, 1968
9:30 P.M.
Dear Larry:
Well, another day and no mail from you. But every day that goes by I keep hoping we hear from you.
We just got home from one of Karl’s games. They played South Side and got beat, but no wonder, the boys they played looked like giants compared to our boys. They looked like high school boys to me. It seems like about all the games they play, the boys are taller than ours and we just don’t have a chance.
