Fri, Oct 31, 1947: Mrs. Brown

"Honey,

"In a few minutes another month of our long nine-month engagement period will have vanished into the past.. November... December.. January... then you'll be Mrs. Brown.  The radio orchestra is playing 'It's a Long, Long Way from May to September.'  But it's a longer time from April to January--especially when you live alone--200 miles (by bus) from the girl of importance.

"Pranksters are running rampant in the streets of Protection.  Earlier the 8 & 9 yr olds--masked as hobglobins--knocked to demand 'Trick or treat' when Mrs. Sanders opened the door.  An apple was enough to send each of the 11 would-be Halloweeners on their respective ways.  After the younger set had finished the more destructive high school group got into action.  When I walked home an hour ago or so, a car was on its side near the Socony service station."

--Letter from my father, Protection, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Friday, October 31, 1947, evening.

Thu, Oct 30, 1947: fraternizing

"After the [play] practice was over we again went to the Mecca Cafe for a coke apiece. After that it was the bowling alley.  Do you think that I will lose the respect of townspeople by fraternizing with my students?  The game was fun; and I finished fourth among the three girls and three boys there.  Irene Rush, Vivian of the play cast, walked away from the rest of us with a score of 250 compared with my puny 142--five pin bowling."

--Letter from my father, Protection, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Thursday, October 30, 1947, evening.

Wed, Oct 29, 1947: your preciseness

"After [play] practice the entire group headed downtown.  We stopped at the Mecca Cafe for refreshments before heading for home.  Jimmy Lindsay accompanied me to the house when I mentioned that my phonograph wasn't working as well as it should.  He is an electrician of sorts.  After studying the wiring he promptly put a wire with a condenser on it in the right place.  Now my tone control works again.  Apparently he's a genius on that sort of thing.  Next year he plans to go to Southwestern College.  Of course, he'll be working his way through to a certain extent. I told him I'd be on the lookout for job possibilities, if I am around the college later in the year....

"Perhaps I am a poet if lack of organization is the trademark.  Dreaming adds a lot to life--even though they may never come true.  I like to dream. Quite often it's nicer to dream or read an airy novel than it is to buckle down to life's realities e.g. picking up newspapers or washing skillets.  So far you character analysis is correct.  When it comes to organization in my studies I'm not so sure.  I like to make a schedule when i can keep up with it.  In many cases, however, I'm so overloaded that there is no possibility of that.  Then I simply drift along doing as much as I can with no definite plan.  That's the way I am now out here in Protection.  You're the mathematician who planned for every minute of your days.  When you come to Protection, I'm sure that your preciseness will be a good influence on me.  Perhaps we do complement each other.  But we definitely aren't poles apart on the matter.  Infact we are alike in many ways--in spite of the old saying that opposites attract."

--Letter from my father, Protection, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Wednesday, October 29, 1947, evening. Two typos per original typewritten letter.

Wed, Oct 29, 1947: the only A

"well of all things!  I've already forgotten the best news.  You are proud to know the recipient of the only A on the 9 weeks test in World Classics!  Sam Bowan & Phyllis Walker got A-, and there were 6 F's!  Ah-hem - goodnight."

--Letter from my mother, Winfield, Kans., to my father, Protection, Kans., Wednesday, October 29, 1947, evening.

Sun, Oct 26, 1947: hitch-hiked

"Before I crawl into bed for that necessary sleep, I'll type out a brief note to let you know that I arrived home safely.  I hitch-hiked the 34 miles from Greensburg to Protection so quickly that I wonder if I shouldn't have made the entire trip by thumb.  Three rides--the last with Don Todd, a 21 yr. old senior whose sister teachers in the grades--brought me over that distance.  My 200 mile journey consumed only about 6 hours of time."

--Letter from my father, Protection, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Sunday, October 26, 1947.

Thu, Oct 23, 1947: picture of a young man

"I'm looking at a picture of a young man who is very handsome to me & wondering if in 20 years our children will drag it out & think how funny you looked then -- anyway, I like it now because it looks like the man I love, but I'd rather see him in flesh & blood."

--Letter from my mother, Winfield, Kans., to my father, Protection, Kans., Thursday, October 23, 1947.

Wed, Oct 22, 1947: old blind Aunt Annie

"And did I tell you my old blind Aunt Annie--Orville's mother--is getting married?!!  That's the real surprise of the family -- Nov. 1, same as Dorothy Snare.  There's hope for anyone, I'm sure.  But I must go to bed--my eyelids are drooping."

--A second letter from my mother, Winfield, Kans., to my father, Protection, Kans., Wednesday, October 22, 1947, late evening. My mother's great aunt Annie was 68 when she married for the second time. His first husband had died in 1934. Annie had lost her eyesight to glaucoma.  In a ceremony performed by my grandfather, Annie married her braille teacher (about 66 years old) who was also blind.  They lived in an apartment at the farm of her son, Orville. 

Sun, Oct 19, 1947: very solicitous

"As you know, Barbara, Stanley, and Mother all came out to see me yesterday.... Mrs. Sanders was very solicitous about everything connected with the welfare of guests.  When Mother (in upstairs kitchen) asked me if I had some cocoa, Mrs. Sanders promptly called 'Sidney, I have some.' Likewise with dishes, soda, and pepper, from the bottom of the stairs she called 'Sidney, I have some.'"

--Letter from my father, Protection, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Sunday, October 19, 1947, before 2:30 P.M.

Fri, Oct 17, 1947: nightly talk

"October 17, 1947

"99

"Darling,

"After a good evening's entertainment I sit down to my typewriter for my nightly talk with you.  Now that the number of figures in the above number is reduced to two I'm a happier man. In just a little over 14 weeks we'll be man and wife."

--Letter from my father, Protection, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Friday, October 17, 1947.  At the top of many of the letters between my parents, they wrote the number of days until their wedding day.  This letter was written 99 days before their wedding, January 24, 1948.

My mother, far left, with fellow Allison Hall residents as a senior at Southwestern College, Fall 1947.

Wed, Oct 8, 1947: buy them alive

"I'm so sleepy that my mind has slipped into a rut. The AmHist test is now prepared. Only constitution faces me. Making them out is fun; but I don't think that grading them will offe r much pleasure. How would you like to be my chief assistant paper-grader?  If we work together, maybe the time will go faster--and more pleasantly.

"The folks say that they can let us have some meet when butchering time comes; so perhaps I won't buy the half beef after all... It would be a lot more convenient for you to have some meet handy at all times. Even chicken is difficult to find here. Perhaps we could buy them alive."

--Letter from my father, Protection, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Wednesday, October 8, 1947, evening.  Three typos in this typewritten letter per original.

Sun, Oct 5, 1947: a weekend guest

"It's one of the hottest days of the past month in Protection--Climate is powder-dry and the sand and dust infiltrate into tightly-closed houses.  You may have a job of housekeeping for this small apartment. When I'm here alone, I let it go.  Mrs. Sanders takes care of the dust film on Fridays....

"News item from yesterday's Protection Post: 'Miss Ruth Murray of Winfield was a weekend guest of Genevieve Jones, and visited with also friends, also.' [sic] I believe that the quote is correct in detail. So you didn't come to see me after all."

--Letter from my father, Protection, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Sunday, October 5, 1947, evening.