629 6/30/1944 Albert Erwin to Helen Carlson

Albert Erwin Box 44, Enumclaw, Washington Friday, June 30, 1944

Helen Carlson Box 1310, Knoxville, Tennessee

Dear Helen, Your nice letter received several days ago, intended answering it before this, but kept putting it off until some other day. You certainly sent me a swell Father’s Day present. I thank you very much. I should be getting to bed, but expect mother to call from Portland. She should have arrived there this morning. We have had a couple of warm days but it turned a little cooler today. I built a small fire in the heating stove this evening, you see the house being closed all day gets rather chilly. I was over to Stella’s for supper this evening. The Bensons are packing for their week at the lake. They go Sunday afternoon. Sunday is Bernice’s birthday. We are very busy in our department in the shop. You have quite a town there on the reservation. Mother will tell me what it is all about when she gets home. Jim says that they charge 40¢ for a pocket comb. Mother just called from Portland. She saw a lot of combs there and will get some for Jim. Mother had a seat all the way but the train was just packed, people standing in the aisles. She got into Portland about 7 this morning and went to a show this afternoon. It is cooler out in this country, she has been wearing her coat all day. I think mother said you were about 40 miles from Knoxville. I suppose that things are cheaper there on account of a much bigger town. It will be swell if you can get to go to church, but it is hard to get away when you have two small folks to take care of. Have you heard from Bob recently. I suppose he is right in the fighting in Italy. Jim wrote the newspaper here a nice letter when he asked them to send the paper to him. After mother has read it we will send it to you. I finished cutting the hedge one evening this week, so things don’t look so bad. Mother will arrive in Tacoma at 1:30 pm Sunday. I will meet her and we will go somewhere and eat and then come home. The Bensons want us to come out to the lake Sunday evening, but we will want to save some gas for a trip or two up to the cabin. I haven’t been up there since the kids left in the middle of May. I bet it did seem strange around there after mother left. Did Jimmie remember mother when she first arrived in Lake Charles. I hope Jimmie gets someone to play with soon. How’s the work going for Elmer. Do they keep him very busy, and does it look as though the job would last for a long time, and are there many of the Monroe and Lake Charles people working there? Well Helen I will have to get to bed. I will mail this down at work in the morning. Love to you all, Pop