Monthly Archives: September 2012

August 9, 1932

Walter is at the family farm in Roxie, MS, helping his brother Revah install a new casing in the well. Ina has gone to visit her family in Uvalde, TX while he’s there.

Tuesday PM.

My dear Sweetheart,

Arrived at home Monday PM and had a good trip. Was rested Monday AM and felt fine. Last night we got in touch with a truck man and at last we are at the foundry to load it on truck. It looks OK and seems to be large enough to work in. Revah has a – Was interrupted here and we had to drive out on road where truck had a worn out bearing. The truck will be OK and it will be ready tonight. We expect to get it home in a couple of hours.

August 9, 1932

Mr. Darden, Revah & Mother were at home when I got there last night. We ate dinner with them at Roxie this noon. They will be at Revah’s tonight. We don’t expect to use much labor at Revah’s this time. Mother will cook for us.

With love to all & a better letter next time

Your
Walter.

Hope you found all OK and that you had a good trip

Around May 25, 1932 (from Claudelle)

Westmoreland
Wednesday afternoon

Dear both of you,

Your letter came just a little while ago, and I read it while I was down in the Book Store. I’d read a sentence, sell a college Algebra, read another sentence, open a bottle of pop, read another, sell some hot tamales, and finish the paragraph while I was selling candy with one hand and making change with the other. I enjoyed it immensely though – the letter.

Around May 25, 1932 (from Claudelle)

Ina, do you really cook all the good things you say you do? I can’t believe you do – unless, as you say, Walter does over half of it. Your letters don’t sound at all as if you were living on “love and pickles” – at least you haven’t mentioned the pickles yet. I’m so hungry after finishing your letter that I “just can’t wait” for the hash we’re sure to have for dinner.

Yes, exams are over and I passed on everything. I surely thought for a day or two that I wasn’t coming through on Trig. By dint of “cramming” and Arthur’s coaching I got through all right, though.

Did you know I was home last Sunday? The Choral Club left early Sunday morning, gave a program in Hondo at the church hour, had lunch there, and went on home. We got there about four and left at eleven that night. The program lasted from seven to eight, and then the League gave us supper. I wasn’t at home hardly any time, and while I was I had two other girls with me. It was wonderful, though – I would have died of homesickness pretty soon if I hadn’t gotten away from here. Mama and Papa and Thelma and Bob and the children seemed to be fine, except that Papa had a cold. Thelma and the children have been a little sick, but are all right now. I didn’t get to see them until during the program, when I looked down and saw Reitha grinning at me for all she was worth. She pulled Thelma Lee over and then they both grinned. I had a terrible time keeping from laughing. They’re precious.

Bob has shaved his mustache! He made me kiss him under it when I was home Christmas, and you can’t imagine how relieved I was to see it gone this time. Walter, please don’t ever try raising one, will you?

Speaking of mustaches, you should have seen me one night last week. We had a manless wedding over at Smith House and I was best man. I vaselined my hair, wore a neighbor boy’s suit, and got my mustache out of the chimney. Oh, I looked quite heart-smashing! Quite the best-looking boy in the family – excepting the in-laws, of course.

Dinner time. Bye-bye!

Claudelle.

May 23, 1932 (from Mrs. Geary)

I think Lucile Geary was Anna Laake’s sister.

Dallas, Texas
May 23, 1932

Dear Mrs. Dove,

Your letter came this A.M. and thanks for remembering me & I did not write before now because I knew that you would understand and did not expect it, however I did make several attempts to write to you while at the sanitarium. I wanted so much to thank you for the beautiful flowers, which she really did see during one of her few conscious moments, but it was impossible for me to do anything but just sit there and see her suffer, which was almost more than I could stand. That is the only thing that helps to give her up was the thought that she was through suffering.

May 23, 1932 (from Mrs. Geary)

Ernest was wonderful in every way; he spared nothing for her comfort & had everything in his power done for Anna, besides he never left her only when necessary. He stayed when I thought he would drop, you know he isn’t well. The same trouble seems to be giving him more pain & he lost 10 lbs.

Mrs. Dove, this letter seems to have no connection but I know you will over look it because I’m heartbroken & I know I will miss her more every day.

Ernest said that he had had several sweet letters from you & Mr. Dove & the flowers you sent for the funeral also some that were delivered afterward were all a consolation coming from you who loved her & share our grief & loss. Anna loved you dearly I have heard her say so many times. I wish that I could see the baby. Thanks again & love

Lucile Geary.

May 20, 1932 (from Mr. Laake)

Letterhead from the Bevans Hotel, Menard, Texas.

May 20, 1932

Dear Walter and Ina:

I haven’t had a chance to write you and thank you for all the wonderful things you did for Anna and for myself during the time of Anna’s illness and death. You must pardon me for not acknowledging your many favors, but you understand, of course, that I had many things to think about and to do during Anna’s illness and since her death, well, it is almost impossible to get a-going again.

May 20, 1932 (from Mr. Laake)

Walter, I especially want to thank you for your very kind letter which you wrote from New Orleans. It was mighty kind of you to want me to go back to Charleston with you for a while, and for you to offer to come by at Dallas for me. I wish I could have gone with you and Mr. Hall, but it was impossible for me at the time. Furthermore, it was not my innermost desire to want to go so far away when it would be impossible to go out and visit Anna every evening. After visiting her, so it seems at least, it is somewhat less lonely at home, or rather in the place that was a home of happy memory.

Coming over here I came by the way of San Antonio and Uvalde. I stopped at Austin and visited Claudelle and at Uvalde I had a very pleasant visit with Mother Lewis. Claudelle’s return from Texas is now only a matter of a few more days and I am sure that Mother Lewis is going to be right happy when she will have Claudelle home again. She is also anxiously looking forward for the time when you, Walter and Ina and Walter White, will come home for your summer visit. I presume you will drive through when you come down and that you will want to come by Dallas on your trip down or on your return trip. You must do that and remember that I will be awaiting your visit at our home. I know that it will never be the same to any of us, but it will be a pleasure, for me, at least, to have you stop with me whenever you are in Dallas.

Again I wish to thank you for all you have done to lighten my sorrow.

With kindest regards,

I am,

Sincerely,
Ernest

May 19, 1932

I have no idea what these photos are about or who they depict, but they were tucked in amongst the letters at this point. I’m reading the letters as I post them, so the explanation might be lurking in later correspondence.

May 19, 1932

May 11, 1932

Wed. PM.

My dear Sweetheart,

Your second letter came today. Am glad that the accident was not serious.

May 11, 1932

Day after tomorrow and the exhibits will be over. I know that both of us will be glad. We feel pretty good over the appearances of the exhibits, but it gets tiresome. Dr. Dyer’s paper was very good. It was a resume of the typhus literature. Dr. Shelmire’s discussion was OK.

I am enclosing a letter from Revah. They will not be ready during the week.

With love to both of you

Walter.

May 10, 1932 (Letter)

Tuesday PM.

My dear Sweetheart,

I wired you that Mrs. Laake passed away at 4 AM today and that the funeral would take place tomorrow at 10 AM. The message came from the Cushings. I wired a floral spray from here – through the florist here. I am writing Mr. Laake asking him to return to Charleston with us. I imagine that Bishopp will write him about it too.

May 10, 1932 (Letter)

Mr. Hall is out with Dr. Hinman this evening. They went down below N.O. on a collecting trip.

The exhibits look fine and everything seems to be going OK. Dr. Shelmire came yesterday and I am to see him tonight. Tomorrow Dyer has a paper on typhus and both Kemp and Shelmire are to discuss it. Saw Dyer today, also Dr. Morsund (Dean of Baylor), Waters (artist of Baylor), Kemp, Dr. Hanson of Fla. State Board, Dr. Bassett, Health Officer of Savannah, and a lot of others whom I know. Mr. Hall seems to be enjoying it all.

The exhibits come down Friday noon. I told Mr. Laake we would come by Dallas if he cared to come but I think he would come to N.O.

I am enclosing a note rec’d from Revah.

I love you, Honey, & you too Buddy.

Your
Walter

May 10, 1932 (Telegrams)

Apparently Mrs. Laake held on a bit longer than the doctor’s “matter of hours” forecast, but nonetheless succumbed.

May 10, 1932 (Telegrams)

DR W E DOVE
CARE JUNG HOTELMRS LAAKE PASSED AWAY FOUR OCLOCK THIS MORNING FUNERAL WEDNESDAY TEN AM
=CUSHING

MRS W E DOVE
PHONE 4763 XM RIVERLAND CHARLESTON SOCARMRS LAAKE PASSED AWAY FOUR THIS MORNING FUNERAL WEDNESDAY TEN AM STOP AM SENDING FLOWERS FROM HERE
=WALTER

May 8, 1932

Walter’s brother Revah is apparently repairing a well on the family property in Roxie, MS. Walter will be heading there to help him shortly.

Roxie Miss.

Sat. May 8 2 P.M.

Dear Walter:

Your letter received yesterday.

Today at noon we stopped till Monday. One sec. of curbing was gotten out yesterday and we are ready to pull the last one Monday.

May 8, 1932

Pump and engine are working fine. It takes about 3 hrs to pump well dry.

Our chain block was fixed yesterday after breaking a link on last section.

It will take a few more days before well will be ready to put in curbing.

Keep me posted as to your whereabouts. I wire you just when to get here.

Revah

Let me know how long you be in N.O.

May 6-7, 1932

Walter is traveling to New Orleans again.

Friday 4:15 PM.

This is Marianna [Florida]. We came here a few min. ago. Spent last night at Burbridge in Jax. We are feeling just fine and we may go to Mobile tonight. It would be about 10 o’clock by the time we reached there.

The trip is going OK. No car trouble & very little traffic.

Will write next from N.O.

Walter.

May 6-7, 1932

Saturday 9:30 AM

We finished breakfast at Morrisons a few min. ago and Mr. Hall is now addressing hte package of drawings to FCB. We got here about 12 last night & he worked the drawings until about 3 this AM. We feel fine and should get to NO before dark. We stopped at the Camp on the Bay.

W.E.D.