All of my filing by year is done. I finished 1943. All that’s left is the miscellaneous cards and one-off letters (1941, 1942). Not sure yet what to do with them except to maybe put them in a file of their own for now.

1943 didn’t have many letters, only a few from the month of July through December, and a single letter from March. I don’t know if that means that they didn’t write each other much, or if those letters are simply missing.

I was curious about the single letter in March, so I took it out and read it.

March 3, 1943
7 p.m.

Dear Mary Jane,
Received your note yesterday I believe, days are passing so fast I can’t keep up.
Please explain to me why we won’t be seeing each other anymore, even if you are in another building.
Thank you, for the pictures, they turned out worse than I had expected, guess one always looks bad to one-self. 
We have been plenty busy recently, or at least I have, because they gave me two men to train, that in itself keeps me busy, then there’s all the inspections to satisfy to.
Fred Waring is playing, “Moonlight becomes you.” Did I tell you, I received my train ticket and leave papers which I left home. (over)
Dad sent them to me.
I’ll try to come to your building in the next few days, and try to find you. 
They are playing “Brazil” now, my favorite song. 
Suppose, this enough scribbling for one time.
as Ever, 
Ske

It raises many questions for me. Like my grandfather, I, too, want to know why they wouldn’t be seeing each other anymore. And I’m curious about the line, “even if you are in another building.” My grandfather was in the military at this point, so was my grandmother a civilian employee? Were they dating at this point, or had they only met and decided to write each other?

I’m looking forward to getting into the rest of the letters.

Categories: Family History Project