55 4/10/1945 Gladys Dahlstrom to Sadie Erwin

Gladys Dahlstrom 9007 South Elizabeth, Chicago, Illinois Tuesday, April 10, 1945

Sadie Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington

Dear Folks, Our nice weather is back with us and it really is hard to stay in the house to work. Cully built the kids a sandbox last Sunday. It is in between our house and the apartment building toward the back. He put a fence - or gate toward the street and cleaned out that whole little corner. It is a perfect place because it will be out of the hot sun and they won't spill sand all over the grass and it is just outside our bedroom window so I can watch and listen to them. I guess I told you all about this already. Well anyway we drove into Indiana again to the sand dunes with the trailer and brought back the swellest sand. It is soft like powdered sugar. We have been having 6 to 10 kids in the box all day long. Jeannie cries when she has to come in to the toilet or for lunch. Last night 8 of us went to the Barn for dinner - Besides Cully and I there were Al and Ev, the football coach from Northwestern and his wife and a captain and his wife. He is a flier and has lived many years in China and India. We first met them several years ago. He is a friend of Al's. Anyway he knows India like a book and it was so interesting to hear about the tribes - their customs, marriages, etc. There are some very rich Indians too. He said Assam is in the N.E. part of India - It is arid country - in a valley and quite tropical. It rains there a lot - and most of the time. It is not quite so seasonal as in most parts of the country. He said the Air Field there was mostly a freight port but that many, many planes stopped there as it was on the route to China. I thought Jim was in the N.W. Corner - not N.E. Has he moved or do you know exactly where he is? The country is full of towns and is quite thickly populated. The other couple has a son in India so we were all glad to listen to all he had to say. He told of the different animals, birds - huge bats, etc. Also about life in Calcutta, living conditions, the people, etc. He doesn't plan to go back. He says he is getting too old and just can't take it anymore. His wife was living in China until forced to leave - I believe in 1941. He went back after that. I'm enclosing an old snapshot we took when in Florida 3 years ago. I seemed to have the two alike. This George Eichhorn that Cully works with and who is the Personnel Director for Utah is leaving soon to work for the Wilson Packing Company. We do not know if that will mean Cully will take his place or not. Time will tell. We hope not except that having had that title once would mean a better chance of getting a job elsewhere when the time comes. Guess I told you that Cully is now Assistant Personnel Director. He has learned a lot and really enjoys his work. In June he expects to start gong to night school again. However, there isn't one single night that we do not talk or plan about what we want to do when we can go west again. We want to fix little things around the cabin and then buy a place on the Sound too. I just looked at this picture again of Ruthie and am tempted to tear it up. She sure was funny looking with that darn fuzz on her head. We finally got our other new pictures but still haven't them ready to mail. Virg Johnson should be here tomorrow or Friday on his way home to Minneapolis from Cleveland. They won the hockey championship last night by beating Hershey. They are in the American League. Fido Purpin also plans to spend a few days with us after the Stanley Cup Series. He is with Detroit now in the finals against Toronto. They should finish up next week. I'm going to nap with the kids then get up and finish my ironing. Do you need any red or blue stamps - sugar stamps or shoes? I have plenty of all so if you are short let me know. It is wonderful to have friends. I bought two pair of beautiful shoes for half price and no shoe stamps. I got Ruthie's without too from Doug Larkin of the Penney Store. His store is in Kenosha so there is no state tax either. Cully and I got our shoes from a fellow that is manager of a nice shoe store downtown. He is an ardent hockey fan. He also let me have 6 pair of 54 gauge hose that are like gold these days. We might as well make use of these connections - at least we are not buying black market goods like so many are. This city is full of crooks and sin. Guess I'd better get Jeannie to bed - will write more soon. Love, Gladys. Ruthie really wants to go west to see Grandma and Grandpa - the Bensons and the cabin. She also thinks she would see Prince. I doubt if I will go though. I feel much will happen in the next few months to shape our future. I've decided to enclose a few red points (80). Wish you could hear Jeannie say her prayer at night. She sure is cute.