1942 - A Letter From Ellen Upton

Ellen Upton & Grover C. Hall

In early March 1942, Margaret Upton received a letter from her sister Ellen.

In it Ellen announced her engagement to her future husband, Grover Cleveland Hall II.

Envelope - 1942

Letter - Page 1

"3/2/42

Dearest Sis,

I will start this during my lunch hour as I have a few extra minutes.
Well Grover has come and gone again.  Those 4 days passed so fast I barely know what became of them.  Want to know a secret?  Grover and I are engaged!  I'm so happy, I just wish he wasn't going away.  He may not get to go even yet.  He has to pass a physical in Seattle before he can go - if he doesn't he goes to Medford.  He said that he would write me a letter this evening and let me know what he is going to do.  He says he doesn't like Portland any better than you do.  It seems so funny nobody likes it but me.  Poor old Portland."

Letter - Page 2

"If you want to go see a really exciting picture show, go see "Captain of the Clouds".  It has plenty of action, etc. in it.  I've got to go now.  I will finish this later.  Bye-bye.  Ellen

3/3/42

Hello again,

Well I never got much written last night like I planned to.  I was so sleepy last night that I went to be at 8:30.  I'll bet that is better than you did.

You met Alice Chase, didn't you?  She is in Portland for a couple of weeks.  She is staying at Lorna's (her sis).  I am going to dinner there tomorrow evening.  I'm not particularly crazy about going, but she wanted me to..."

Letter - Page 3

"...awfully bad so I guess I will...
Oh incidentally Grover liked my hat.  He said it gave me that extra something that I needed.  I was so surprised for I hadn't expected him to like it.

Well I wonder what G. has found out - whether he is going, how long he will be gone if he goes, etc.  I won't know until tomorrow.

Did you know that Mae Vanberg was married?  Is she still teaching at Pleasant Hill?  I was rather surprised cause I didn't think that men who joined the army could get married until they served their first enlistment.  He (her fiance) only joined last summer.

Did I ever thank you for..."

Letter - Page 4

"...the pretty Valentine you sent me.  Thanks anyhow - it was awfully sweet.

Well that is all I have time for, for this time.  Be good and don't do anything I wouldn't.

Write soon.

Love,
Ellen

P.S. pardon the paper, but it is all that I had handy."