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 11th letter in the series, Grandma and Grandpa celebrate Valentine's Day. He sent flowers, and she sent a card, probably similar in style to this one.
A typical 1940s era Valentine's Day card, courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Grandpa mentions a connection between the Scranton plant and the Paterson one, which makes me want to research what company employed him. Looks like Fred has his work cut out for him with designing! I'm assuming that he was a pattern-maker. My grandfather seems to be managing the inventory.
When I was organizing and archiving these letters, I unfolded them and laid them flat between pieces of acid-free cardboard. I placed books on top of the pile to gently allow them to lay flat. This letter seems to resist being flat, so I just let it do its thing as I photographed it!
***
Feb 13, 1940
Scranton, Penna.
Dear Sweetheart:
By the time you receive this letter you will also have received the flowers I had sent to you, my sweetheart. I hope and trust they conveyed something of the feeling I have for you, but which I could not express as I would have liked to, because we are so far apart.
I received the valentine you sent, this evening. You could not have chosen a more appropriate one for the occasion. I like it very much and I most surely will treasure it.
My cold has gone by now and I won't care at all if I do not get another. I hope you didn't catch one from me.
Yesterday was the nicest day since I have been here. The sun was shining brightly all day long and the weather was spring-like. Today the weather is quite different. The sun did not shine all day and it started to snow late in the afternoon. I hope the weather doesn't become miserable again because I generally feel like the weather except when I am with you.
Fred Eickenberg has to do his designing on a table in the super's private office, until they fix up a room for him in the old clubhouse. As a result he is handicapped and can not turn out the work he would like to.
Mr. Steiner our old superintendent at the Paterson Mill is going to be here tomorrow and he will no doubt leave us with a lot of work to be done. I expect him to ask for the Paterson Inventory Shuts which I have just finished entering and which I have to recheck.
And now for some news that may turn out to be very pleasant. Otto told Fred and I tonight that if he gets his pay check Friday we will leave for home on Saturday if the weather is all-right. Here's hoping his check does arrive in time. With all my love, I remain,
Your Sweetheart
"Newt."
.***
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