Letter 91 ~ November 7, 1918

Minnie writes me about plans for a Christmas program at her school.

Addressed to Pvt. Ward C. Griffing, Co. E 20th Infantry, Camp Funston, Kansas

Sherman [Kansas]
[Thursday evening] November 7, 1918

Dear Ward:

Well I wonder where you are. It’s sure turning cold and it’s awfully muddy up here. I was mighty glad this morning [that] I had my high top overshoes. Tonight the mud was so deep and thick I could hardly drag my feet along. But we sure have a good stove at the schoolhouse. I can build a fire in it easy and it warms up in just a little bit.

We decided today we would have a box social Christmas, have a Xmas program and Christmas tree about six weeks from now. We’re going to begin on our program right away.

We are going to begin cooking Monday. Tomorrow evening we will appoint assistant cook and general helpers and decide on what we’ll have to eat. I hope they want soup all the time. I’m afraid the cooking will bother me more than my school work. I like to cook and think it will be fun. But there’s such a bunch of them. I’d hate to fix up a mess they wouldn’t eat.

I had a letter from you today. We came very near not getting any mail. I didn’t think we would. I don’t know whether I told you or not that the mail man up here doesn’t deliver the mail at all when it’s so he can’t take his car. They didn’t get any mail up here a couple of days last week. Sometimes he don’t go for quite a spell. So that means this winter Ward G. won’t get any letters from M. F. for awhile because I can’t send any out. But I’ll be worse off than you because I’ll not get any mail – not even the papers. He came today about 4 o’clock, went part way, then turned around and went back. I don’t ever see how he made it this far.

My, but the war news is great. I’m not going to tell you that trade last till you come back to stay after the war is over.

I’m not lonesome. I’m getting used to it up here or at least I’m not tonight. I’m feeling so good. I feel that the world is just more than treating me good. May[be] you would to if you had been reading what I just have been.

I don’t care whether I get to go home or not this week and since I can’t get there to see [my sister] Bertha off (or at least I don’t think I can), unless you should get your gun clean enough to pass inspection. I think that’s pretty poor, Boy. I’ll bet if that’s all that stood between me and my seeing you, I would have that gun clean if it was possible to do so. And you will too. If you don’t come home Sunday, I’m not going to think it’s because your gun didn’t pass inspection.

If you do come home, I hope I get to see you. If you get home Saturday or Sunday morning, and the roads are anywhere near decent, let the folks know you are at home and maybe they’ll come for me. But I guess you won’t get their letter before you would leave if you go Saturday.

They don’t seem to think up here that we ought to have any more than just one day off Xmas. I would like to have more. I’m not much afraid to bet, Ward, that you’re home to stay before I am, unless they keep you in the service for quite awhile after the war is over.

I read in tonight’s paper than Harlan Sumner has been located in a prison camp in Germany.

My, but I’m anxious for you to have your picture taken in your uniform. It will sure be dandy. And won’t we be proud of it tho, or more especially, the person it represents.

Good night, Boy -- Minnie G. Frey

[P.S.] I hope wherever you are boy, that you are well and happy. That counts for more than anything else.

Footnotes:

• A box social was a fund-raising event in which donated box lunches were auctioned off.