July 11, 1943

Enterprise, Florida

July 11, 1943

Dear "Gang,"

I'm like Ethel, I don't have to hunt things to occupy my time. I work about eight hours in the office here at home. I enjoy it when it isn't too hot. I get sleepy when it's hot, and I'm not good for much.

I wonder if anyone else keeps these letters longer than two days like I do. It isn't my fault this time because it came Saturday while I was away. The Chorus from the Home went on a week-end trip down in the southern part of the state and I went as far as Winter Haven with them and from there to Lakeland to visit my sister. I had a grand time with my sister, and then with the Chorus in Dade City that Sunday night. We got home today just before lunch so I just received the letters today.

It seemed natural to be back in Lakeland. I've been back three times since school has been out. I went for the day almost two weeks ago to see if I have gotten the room the I wanted. I have room 321 which was Dorene's room last year. I wanted to be sure that I would have a room some where near the rest of the gang. They were having mid-term examinations the day I was there and poor old Mable was all in a flutter about them because she didn't know anything! (Excuse me Mable!) She probably knew was much or more than anyone else in the room as usual. I bet it isn't any fun taking exams in hot weather though.

We have started building on our playground equipment this week. We are going to build a basketball court, tennis court, and a skating rink, I think. We girls asked Mr. Barnes if we could help, and this afternoon he put the girls to digging the foundation for the basket ball court. I didn't get to help them this afternoon because of my work in the office, but I'm going to get in on it in the evenings after dinner. They said that they really worked and after they quit work for today they had a good sand fight. They seemed to think it was fun, but I bet it wasn't any fun washing the sand out of their hair!

I do believe that I'm going to have to continue this letter until tomorrow because I'm getting sleepy.

Here it is Wednesday, and I haven't finished this letter yet.

We have some very nice young people on a Comradeship Team here conducting a Bible school for the Juniors and Intermediates. Our pastor's wife is their counselor. I believe the Bible school will be a great success because they seem to be very capable and very interested in their work.

Mr. and Mrs. Barnett have left Margaret Hornby here for about six weeks this summer. They thought it would be good for her to have some other children her age to play with,and that the training that she would get would be good for her, too. I believe that she is happy here and is having a good time. I ask her every time I see her if she is still having a good time, and she always says yes.

Good-by for this time and much love to all.

Doris

July 7, 1943

815 Triplett St.

Owensboro, Ky.

July 7, 1943

10:00 P.M.

Dear Gang,

I'm certainly not having to hunt things to occupy my time nowadays. After working all day there is always something to do, some place to go every night nearly. You know me; again, I'm getting behind on my correspondence- yet no one likes to hear from friends any better than I. I'm so anxious for the first gang letter to return, so I can see what every one is doing in detail. For it's kind of lonesome up here in a way, even though I don't have much spare time to pine away and I enjoy my friends here.

The organist at St. Paul's Catholic Church, "Wishy" (we call her) (Mary Aloyish French) and I have been practicing together a lot lately for the mere fun and enjoyment of it.

Willard spent eight days here in Owensboro, and you can bet we had a wonderful time. One afternoon we walked across the beautiful Ohio River bridge here, over into Indiana and took some pictures, some of them of Owensboro from across the bridge. We had lots of fun. He has eight weeks of summer school- only six left now. Then he gets 6 or 7 weeks vacation, some of which he'll spend here and some he'll spend in Portsmouth with his folks.

By the way, out of my first pay-check I got me a nice portable radio (they're hard to get nowadays, too.) After the war, I hope to trade it in for a combination all electronic phonograph and radio set; then I can start my collection of symphony records which I've wanted so long.

I enjoy my work more every day. I believe Mr. Waugh, Chief Engineer, is swell, as are all the Engineers. I find such a wide and untouched field for experimentation along so many lines dealing with television. I don't believe I could give my job up if I should have to; I've become so attached to the work. One of my friends, a chemist, quit work though, today noon. I'll miss her terribly, though I don't blame her in the least. Her husband just got his commission in the marine corps and so she's going to live with him at Cherry Point, North Carolina.

Altogether (in addition to) not including amounts deducted for victory tax, Fed. D. A. tax, etc. I made $160.03 last month. In two more months I'm supposed to get a $15 (I think) raise, and then after the 1st five months, a $25 raise. Some of it I'm putting in war bonds, some I'm going to lend to Daddy for interest, etc. The income tax (20%) will catch me this next month, and I don't mean maybe.

Well, this is the main news I can think of now. Except- I certainly do miss those good oranges and grapefruit we had at school.

I'm having to review (or relearn) up on my calculus for one surely can use a knowledge of calculus in this business - in deriving formulas and different functions for television viewing tubes, etc.

This will be all for this time.

Much love to each and all,

Ethel Ruth

June 30, 1943

Spruce Apartments

Apartment B-5

Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

June 30, 1943

Dear "Gang,"

By the time you get this letter I hope Florida and I are moved to Kennett Square. We finally succeeded in finding a very nice apartment there, except that it is unfurnished. The apartment is on the second floor. It has four rooms and a kitchen and bathroom, with a nice big closet in each bedroom, a small closet (or maybe it's two) in the hall, and a very large linen and storage closet in the hall. The kitchen has a stove and refrigerator in it. The apartment faces west, I think, but I can't be certain because all my directions are all turned around. The living room has large triple windows on two sides of it. The dining room and living room are opening into one another with just part partitions. It surely is nice. It seems to be very cool.

Kennett Square is fourteen miles from Wilmington. It is just a small town, but is very pretty. I like what I have seen of it much better than Wilmington. There are some of the prettiest farms I've ever seen between here and Kennett Square. The country is very hilly, some of the hills being almost small mountains.

Florida and I have surely had a time finding furniture. She and Walter had decided to not buy furniture until they had saved enough to pay cash for it, but it was (and is) impossible to find a furnished apartment anywhere around here unless it's a sublet for the summer, and they didn't want that. But what we have gotten is very pretty and nice. As soon as the furniture can be delivered no we'll move. We had been in hopes of being moved before this but we were told yesterday that the furniture can't be delivered until we have Walter's signature. That makes me so mad, because here all this time (two weeks) they've been talking to us that everything is all right and that the furniture would be delivered immediately, then here when we now want the furniture delivered (we had to wait for the people to get out of the apartment) they tell us that. And Walter will be here Saturday or Sunday, but only for a few days because he has to go back later to take his exams. The man that he is working under is mad and won't let him off on the first (tomorrow) as was first planned.

I don't think when I wrote to you last I had gotten my suitcases. They came after three weeks, and one of them had been opened, but thank goodness nothing is missing, so far as I can tell. One lock is broken and everything on the inside was surely a mess. You know how I keep little things in boxes, all the little boxes had been opened. The contents poured out, and the boxes closed again. The only thing that seems to be hurt except the lock is that they (or he) broke my blue necklace so that I can't fix it. Some of the straps, etc., around the dresses (I was using La Dora's wardrobe case) had been undone. I don't think it was for an inspection because it wasn't marked inspected.

I've been making Junior a little sack. I'll embroidery it and bind it with a ribbon tomorrow. I'd have finished it tonight except that I want to wash it after embroidering it before putting the ribbon on.

I surely do hate to see Walter have to come here to stay a night or two, because I'm afraid he and Mrs. WIll are going to disagree. I'm afraid she's going to bring up how wonderful Germany and Hitler are simply because she knows he is Polish. We are going to have to just stay away from here as much as possible. Florida says that we'll have dinner out- that she and Walter will meet me up town right after church, then after dinner we'll do something, even if it's nothing but get the papers and go to some park and read them. Personally, Florida and I will both be glad to get away so that we don't have to hear the woman's fussing voice- she fusses at Mr. Will all the time.

Friday Mrs. Will, Florida, and I went to Philadelphia on a boat. The trip takes about three hours each way by boat, and twenty minutes by train, but the boat trip is much the cheaper. The big joke of the whole thing is that I had to come all the way from Flordia to Pennsylvania to get a tan. The trip was lots of fun, but very different from our boat rides home. I want to take the trip on some moonlight night. I think it would be pretty. I wish you could all go with me. I think you would like it.

La Dora is working in the sore at the sawmill this summer. She seems to be enjoying it, but she seems surely be tired out when she gets home. She works from eight to eight- pretty long hours. The little rascal- the dear- has already spent her first week's pay to get each os us a raincoat and umbrella. It's sweet for her, but I wish she hadn't spent it on me.

When we get in our own apartment and get settled I'm going to try to get some fruit and put up a lot of jelly and preserves. If it turns out pretty good I may even take some to school next year.

Tomorrow I have to wash, then iron Saturday, so as to have everything clean and ironed when we move because Florida doesn't have an iron, and I don't know how we're coming out.

Love,

Fannie Evelyn