Dear family
I expect you have been anxiously waiting for more word from us, but I really haven’t had a chance to write. However, I’ll try to get a few lines scrabbled off before we leave this morning for the folks’ and then S.S.
The wire with the bad news came to Robert’s Dad down at the office– we are so glad that it did not go to Mom, home alone. It came about 8:45, and he went right down the hall and got Robert, who was fortunately at Republican headquarters. Then they came home to get me, I had just started to fill the machine to do the weekend washing, but I could stop that instantly, so I changed my dress, grabbed Mary and off we went. Mary wouldn’t stay here with Mildred or Dickie — I guess she knew something was wrong. When we got to the house Mom was still asleep. She had had a club there the night before and hadn’t gone to sleep till nearly daylight. And we had to waken here with that news. She promptly went right to pieces, and leaving Dad and Robert to do the best they could I took Mary right out and we went over to tell the neighbors. Then I had to go to school to get Aunt Ella. I told the other teachers first — Aunt Ella’s room is on the second floor, so she didn’t know I was there till he had arranged for a substitute to come for her, and then a youngster just went up to her room and told her that a lady wanted to see here downstairs. Mary and I took here home with us to the folks. By that time Ev was there, and she persuaded Mary to go down to the office with her, and between her and Marg Jahn, Mary was disposed of for the rest of the day. Most of the rest of the morning I spent running back and forth to the neighbors putting in phone calls. At eleven thirty I went home to be here when the children got here to tell them. We thought that would be easier for them than getting them at school, for they would probably be in a crowd of kids, and it would be harder for them than here alone. While I waited, I started the washing again. It was such as nice day for drying , and I wanted to get the sheets and towels outdoors. I heard Bobby come in and I called up to him and he came racing down, yelling, “I know what you are going to say!” Youngs had said something to him on his way home from school, not realizing that he didn’t know about it yet. He just sobbed and sobbed, and then raced upstairs to the daybed to fight it out alone. Anne came in shortly, and Bobby blurted it out before I had a chance to tell her, but she took it better than he. She has known more about how worried we have been lately anyway, so it wasn’t as much of a shock to her. She helped me with the washing then, and we had it all out and dinner over by 12:45. They both decided they wanted to go back to school “where they would be busy and wouldn’t think about it”, and I thought that was just as well. I couldn’t stay home with them as I was needed at the folks and I couldn’t leave them alone, and I couldn’t take them there, with Mrs. Mac in such as state. When I got back they had gotten some medication for Mrs. Mac but we might as well have given here bread crumbs. She wouldn’t go to bed or quiet down so the medicine would help any. She insisted on being right out on the davenport, and everyone who came in (and there were scores) brought forth a fresh flood of tears and wails. Dad really was swell– better than I had thought he would be, considering the state his health has been, but I guess he was so concerned over Mom and Robert that he didn’t have time to feel sorry for himself. I came back over here a little after five to feed the children and then Mis Jameson stayed with them while I went back. Mrs Mac till refused to go to bed — insisted that she couldn’t possibly sleep, etc. Finally, a eight thirty there was a lull in the rush of callers, and Robert and I just advanced on her and ushered her right out of the room. We marched her into the bathroom where Robert washed her face and I fixed some more medicine. then we plunked her into bed and I walked out. Robert did stay in there with her till after nine, and then, as she seemed quiet he slipped out. He thought he should stay all night, so about nine fifteen I came home. We had most of the lights out, and I thought surely no one else would come, but the next morning Robert reported that three people came just after I left. He didn’t let them in to see Mother, but at eleven fifteen another couple came and that woman just marched right in the bedroom. So then, after they left, there was the job of getting her quiet to do all over again. She finally did get some sleep after one, and Dad and Robert dozed some too.
I went back over yesterday morning as soon as I had the children up and fed. Mary went with me, as Anne had to go over to the Little Theater, but Mom was in bed and seemed quieter, so it didn’t upset Mary so much, and she played around and helped dust and clean. Myrtle was there to get lunch oft he folks so I came back here to feed my tribe agin and then went right back for the afternoon. Mary went over to Jahn’s to play and Anne took Bobby to the football game, so they were disposed of. There weren’t so many callers in the afternoon, but there was some one most of the time, and the flowers were flooding in. Really, that is a hard situation to handle in a home. We have flowers on every possible stand and table– beautiful glads and roses and chrysanthemums, but Mom just barely glances at them, and I knew she has no idea who sent what, tho’ we told her very carefully when each arrived. Food has flooded in, too– salads, cookies, pies, etc. Last night’s donations brought two angel foods, three chickens dressed to fry, a pint of home made salad dressing, a quart and a half of cream, a box of frozen red raspberries and some cured ham slices.
Mom got up and came out to supper and ate a pretty good meal. We stayed there for that meal, as Mrytle had to be gone and I had to get it. Anne brought Bobby there after the football game (we hadn’t been able to get him to go there before), but they both left right after they ate. Mom decided then that she would go out on the davenport again, as she was tired of bed. She had really done pretty well all day, cried some, but not as hard, but people started coming in droves and by a little after eight when Geneva came up, she was all wound up again. Geneva just marched me out to the kitchen and we made plans. She straightened the bed and I fixed a washpan of water, and then we just marched Mom out (practically carried her, really) and put her to bed. Geneva gave her a capsule she had brought up, bathed her and rubbed her, and at 8:30 she came out and shut the doors and said no one was to go in any more. And that was the last we heard out of Mom. Myrtle and I stayed till ten (Robert brought the kids home for baths and bed) so Dad could have his bath in peace, and then we left them. Dad said he thought he could sleep all right, and he didn’t want anyone to stay.
Which brings me up to date, as I must close and get Mary dressed. I told you all we know about the wire. no date was given, and no place, just a flat statement “killed in action defending God and his country”. We’ll let you know as soon as more word gets through.
Love, Elizabeth
