Plain postcard postmarked Chicago.
Monday AM.
We had an uneventful trip and arrived on time this morning. It is cold & there is some snow on the ground, about 1″ or more.
Will register this AM for the meetings & I think the attendance will not be large.
No livestock show this year which usually brings in a large crowd.
With love
Walter.
November 30, 1942
Dear Daddy,
This is just to tell you I am leaving for Aunt Ethel’s Thurs. July 2. I will leave Roxie at 6:40 A.M. & arrive in Phila. about 8:00 P.M. I am planning to take the train from Meridian on Mon., July 13 to avoid the week-end crowds.
Love,
Walter
July 6, 1942
Phila. refers to Philadelphia, MS.
Walter White, the eldest son, is visiting Ina’s parents in Mississippi while his parents and brothers are settling into the new house in Washington, DC.
P.O. Box 64
Roxie, Miss.
June 17, 1942
Dear Mother & Daddy
I arrived safely & without much trouble. Had a little trouble transferring at Gulfport & Hattiesburg. I had to leave my suitcase at Williston because the buses were crowded & they used an old bus without a luggage compartment. My suitcase arrived yesterday & was I glad! (I had to wear my slack suit & could not play around much). I have to stop because Revah is going to Roxie.
Love,
Walter
June 17, 1942
Wash DC, Thurs 2/26-42
My dear Ina & Boys,
Cannot come home this week & it may be a week from now. Bruce will get here Sat. morning & I’ll have to go over the work I have been doing & leave it with him. Also, I have a trip to New Brunswick N Jersey to see some Rutgers College men & some mosquito repellent men. It looks like I may have to go to Chicago, leaving here Tuesday night to check on a steam sterilization the Army is making at Chicago. If so, I’ll probably leave there Wed. night & come to Pensacola by train then by bus to Panama City. This would make it at least Thursday night before I could get there.
February 26, 1942
We had a conference with 5 Rockefeller men this PM. 2 of them will work on the same problem I am undertaking at Orlando. They are interested especially in typhus as a post war disease.
With love
Walter.
Walter doesn’t provide much detail about the trip to New Jersey here, but that’s probably when he visited the Geigy Corporation‘s US headquarters to hear about a compound they’d been working on.
PANAMACITY FLO SEP 4 735 P 1941 SEP 5 AM 8 14
MRS W E DOVE=
220 WEST MESQUITE ST
ARRIVING NEW ORLEANS SATURDAY NIGHT AND WILL MEET YOU AT SP DEPOT SUNDAY MORNING. LOVE=
WALTER.
September 4, 1941
Stationery from the Fort Gatlin Hotel, Orlando, FL.
Panama City Monday.
My dear Ina & Boys,
Have been rushed, but the dog fly control work is getting under way now. The Public Health horned in for the money and 2 of their men are here to make purchases. It is a PH program but actually we are operating it with Bureau funds for salaries etc. on the basis of an exchange of funds.
September 1, 1941
I went in by air for a conference on Thurs. night of last week & left Washington last Monday night arriving here about noon last Tuesday. Verbal arrangements were made with the PHS while I was at Washington. On Wed. night I met Mr. Padget at DeFiniak [?] & spent the night there. Mr. Dopson & RA were there and all came here. On Thursday night trucks rolled in from Gulfport & Florala so that our yard at the lab was filled with them. Friday we mounted sprayers on 8 barges & opened an office at #11 Page Bldg (upstairs over music store). The phone number there is 10. The control set up there is entirely separate from research, but Dr. Simmons is in close work with us & one man is helping him on research phases. Oil is being bought from the Sunny State & 30000 gals of creosote from Pensacola, delivered here by trucks with 1000 gal. tanks.
Mr. Griggs is in charge at Ft. Walton with 3 barge units which we shipped by tug boat from here at 6AM Sunday. Our first sprayer operated at Tyndall field on Sat. Mr. Landrum, Duck, Culpepper and Miller are in the crew. We will have 2 big barges with supply tanks, one at Ft. Walton & 1 here.
At Wash. I had a good visit with Claudelle & BM. Spent night at their house & they seem like newly weds. Joyce was there part of the time. Dr. Annand seems to be starting out OK as Chief.
Yesterday I had dinner & a good one with Simmons. In PM I took Mr. & Mrs. Landreau, Mr. & Mrs. Duck & son (8 yrs) for a drive to see the barges.
The high school opens next Friday & the date for opening of other schools has not been announced. After the Board meeting this week they will announce the date. Usually it is one week after the high school. Will let you know when. If you could come either next Sunday or one week from Sunday I could meet you in the car at New Orleans. If you could arrive at N.O. on Sunday morning I could be at the station & we could eat breakfast at the station & drive home that day. I’ll bring the ice box in the car. You could wire me Tourate when to meet you.
With love to all of you,
Walter.
P.S. I am enclosing the Kehoe check with my endorsement. You can endorse & cash at Uvalde. Would suggest you call the station agent a day or two before you leave & reserve a drawing room to New Orleans.
Western Union telegram.
CJ ARLINGTON VIR 23 502P 1941 AUG 23 PM 5 06
MRS W E DOVE=
220 MESQUITE ST=
ARRIVED HERE THURSDAY MORNING AND EXPECT LEAVE MONDAY NIGHT ARRIVING PANAMACITY TUESDAY AFTERNOON LOVE=
WALTER.
August 23, 1941 (PM)
Stationery from the Plaza Hotel, San Antonio, TX; “Come to San Antonio – the Venice of Texas.”
Sunday Jan. 26
Dearest Ina and Walter and BOYS!
We were so glad to hear the news we hardly knew what to do. We had decided you had changed your minds about the whole thing. I know that weary waiting was terribly trying. Ina, you will stay in the hospital until it’s perfectly safe to go home, won’t you? And then take good care of yourself? It’s so important – to all of us as well as to you.
January 26, 1941
Even though a little girl might have been nice, another boy will be awfully nice – you have a third of a baseball team now, you know. And I’ll bet Lewis Dunbar and Walter White are glad. What on earth will you name him?
Mama and Papa seemed to be recovering nicely from the flu when we left Wednesday. Mama actually stayed in bed 8 days, but Papa was up and down – continued to take his children back and forth. Mama had no cough at all, but Papa did – that seems to go with flu often. Almost everyone in Uvalde has been sick.
B.M. had to fly back to Washington for almost a week, and just now he’s in Gulfport. He left Friday night and I’m expecting him before noon. We’ll probably leave today for Austin, be there tomorrow and then – probably – on to Gulfport. We’ll have to spend some time there, I don’t know how long. We are still hoping to see all of you, but I’ll try to write you more definitely as soon as we know. You know how that goes.
Just this minute had a wire from B.M. that he’s arriving at 2:40 this afternoon to resume the honeymoon.
We enjoyed so much our stay in Uvalde – everyone was lovely. We had a nice trip to the Valley. Dolph is such a cute child – I don’t see how Thelma can even pick him up, but she does. Ina Marie is so anxious for W.W. and L.D. to get back to Uvalde.
Mama has been so glad she didn’t go to your house and get sick; of course, she might not have gotten sick there.
Who does the baby look like? We’re as anxious to see him. And Ina honey, you will take care of yourself, won’t you? We love you so much.
Love and congratulations from both of us.
Claudelle
Chicago
Sat. A.M. 9/22
My dear Ina,
The enclosed is from Polly & her mother has a malignant cancer which requires 2 more operations. Polly seems to have more than her share of trouble.
June 22, 1940
When she came thru Chicago last Sunday A.M. Mrs. Simonson and I met her at Clyde a sub station on the RR & carried her to the airport where we ate breakfast with her.
With love,
Walter
Enclosure:
1430 E. Greenwood Ave.
Nashville – 6/20
Dear Dr. D. & Lillian –
Arrived still in one piece, and not frothing at the mouth. Altho’ I’d just as soon do my flyin’ low.
Mother is still battling; so are we all. She has 2 more trips to surgery, and Drs. say we must build up her strength as fast as possible for that. It has been definitely determined as malignant but – while they don’t offer too much encouragement, she does have a chance. Only time can tell.
I just don’t know when I’ll be back thru, altho possibly sometime next week. I’d like to stay for next phase of operation if possible as perhaps a little more can be known then.
Her expenses are terrific, so I’m doing hospital duty during days to eliminate nurses’ services – and we’re holding all offers in abeyance until I have to go. After then except few days after surgery, p’raps she won’t have to have anyone full time.
They tell us it means 6-8 weeks in hospital at best, and after that, we’ll just have to wait for developments. They’re not too optimistic about her returning to her usual active life – but – they (medical profession) do not always know.
Let me hear if you have opportunity. You’ll be advised when I come thru you may be assured.
Thanks for everything, and best to all.
Sincerely
Polly
830 S. Mich. Ave., Chicago
June 21, 1940.
My dear Sweetheart,
I expected a letter this AM because I thought you might want me to come to Wash. and drive for you to Chicago. Since I did not hear I assume that you want to stay there until we move to Florida. B.M. said that I might come in on the 4th, but this will be governed by the activity of the program at that time. If shipping is heavy I think I should stay here. At present it is a small program & it looks as though Kans. Neb. Iowa & Missouri represent the extent of it. Mr. Rainwater is in the field now but if things are rather quiet he could come in & let me get away on the 4th. If you want to come to Chicago I’ll come for you & we will go from here to Miss. & then Florida.
June 21, 1940
For the past few days I have been buying a few books. I have about 62 at a cost of about $20. I hope you & the boys will like them. They are on varied subjects – some fiction.
Hope you are feeling OK. I love you.
Walter.