February 1943 - A Letter From Ellen

In February 1943, another letter from Ellen Upton Hall arrived.

Letter - Page 1

"February 1, 1943

Dear Peoples,

Had a little extra time so I decided to answer your letter right away.  Aren't you surprised though?  You should be.

Got your letter Saturday night.  Grover and I went into N. Sacra. Saturday (Grover wanted to go to church Sunday morning) and Mother Burks had your letter for me.  She said she had planned to forward it to Courtland but had a feeling we would be in.

You say you ended up only 2 hundred in the whole(sic) in in a whole evening.  You're doing well.  I lost $5 to Grover in about 2 minutes playing 21 other other evening.  Guess I just wasn't meant to be a gambler.

Grover and I were given a shower the other evening by the people in his church.  Mother Burks told us it was a business meeting of some..."  

Letter - Page 2

"...kind.  I didn't want to go a little bit.  Somehow or other Grover found out about it.  He didn't give me even as much as a hint but he did tell me to be sure and put on my best dress and look nice.  Nearly everything we got was Pyrexware.  Grover said from now on he would just say, "Pass the Pyrex".  Mother and Mr. Burks gave us a nice big skillet, and a friend from Marysville sent a lamp.  Everything was very nice.  Quite a surprise to me.

Can you feature it, I have been getting up every morning at 6 o'clock.  Isn't that something for me.  Grover has to be at work at eight and has quite a ways to go so we have to get up pretty early.  I'm getting so I don't mind it so very much either.  

You asked me if we were setting up house-keeping permanently now.  I imagine that we will be her for about 2 months at least.  We are supposed to get us a house fixed up pretty soon but those things are always slow so I expect we'll be here for quite a while yet.  This apartment isn't much but we are lucky to have gotten it because it is next to impossible to find a place to live down here.  Anyway it is home to us.

Grover finally got his Christmas package.  He said to say thanks for the socks (he sure can use...

Letter - Page 3

...them).  And he was surprised about the picture.  You should hear the way I get razzed down here for being from Oregon.  Why you would think being an Oregonian was the same as having something terribly wrong with you.  Poor people, they just don't know a good state when they see it.

So you had Barbie's hair cut off.  Aren't you ashamed of yourself?  Grover said he would divorce me if I ever had mine cut off again.

Well Sis, guess I will close for this time.  Write soon.  Give Jimmie and Barbie my love.

Love Grover and Ellen"