I'm continuing my series of scanning, transcribing, and annotating my grandfather's love letters to my grandmother leading up to their marriage in June 1940. The letters are chronologically organized and preserved, using the methods I discuss in detail in my book, Creating Family Archives: A Step-by-Step Guide for Saving Your Memories for Future Generations .
In the 30th letter of Grandpa's Love Letters series, Grandpa is making plans for their new apartment. There seems to be a lot of logistical details to take care of before their nuptials.
The line that stuck out to me was: "The more I think of it I become surer that we will at least have our floor coverings, curtains, kitchen set and either a studio couch or a bed room set in our home by Saturday June 29th and then we can start living." "Living" is underlined twice.
As I was looking through photographs to include with this post, I found this one, which I don't think I ever really noticed before:
My grandma wrote "7/20/41" on the back of this photograph.
I could probably talk about this photo the way that Barthes discusses the Winter Garden photograph of his mother in Camera Lucida, but I will spare you.
The photograph was taken during her first year of marriage. Look at how she is subtly positioning herself away from her stepfather. Look even how the leg to our left is angled away. She has an unhappy look on her face. Her stepfather was not a good man.
Sometimes I think my grandparents were getting married to also get away from their families.
***
6/11/40
Scranton Pa.
Dearest Ann:
The best deal I could make with the gas store was $15.00 down and the balance ($15) on or before July 10th. The woman suspected that we want to try out the stove before we buy it in full.
Do you think it would be a good idea to bring our dishware, pots, pan, etc. up this coming Monday? I have not inquired at the tourist home about rooms as yet but I intend to do so before Friday. I do not intend to ask the gas company to install a meter until early next week because we will not have any use for it until the week of the 24th.
I had a hard time keeping my eyes open on Monday morning and had a narrow escape due to the wet roads. Even though we had to ride through rain and fog, we made the trip in 3-1/4 hours.
Do you get your card to go for a fitting of your gown? Perhaps you can go for the final fitting on Saturday while Charles goes for his morning suit at Damoff's.
If you have the time make a list of the things we still have to definitely attend to this weekend so as we do not forget anything.
Fred Eickenberg's Paterson [crossed out] Haledon address is 322 Morisse Ave.
The more I think of it I become surer that we will at least have our floor coverings, curtains, kitchen set and either a studio couch or a bed room set in our home by Saturday June 29th and then we can start living.
I paid Mrs. Troop $1.50 extra for our week-end stay.
Fred thought that I could at least have gone and told the landlady that he could not make the trip and that she should not hold the rooms until his mother looked at them.
I must close now but not before saying that I love you, I love you, I love you.
Your Sweetheart
"Newt"
***
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