Letter or Postcard – Letter
Sender – Ralph Peterson
Recipient – Phyllis Peterson
Postmark Place – St. Petersburg, Florida
Postmark Date – 4 April 1943
Letter Date – 3 April 1943
Text:
Dearest mother and baby,
Well I got your letter tonight on the last mail call. Now to answer some of the questions that you asked me. First, I am so glad that you and the baby are getting along a lot better. It makes me feel awful good to get letters like that one. Just don’t worry about me so much and take good care of yourself and Bonny. That’s the only important thing in the world. As long as you are alright and getting along good then everything will be alright. So your company at last left. Maybe you can get some peace and quiet for a while. I am glad you had a picture taken of you and Bonny, as now I can see what my little daughter looks like. Boy am I going to like that. What are you and Joy doing, having a little competition over the babies? I think ours will win because if she takes after her mother she is a cinch to. If your Dad wants to wear any of my clothes and he can fit them let him have them. They will be too small for me when I come out of here. He liked that glass belt of mine pretty well so if you want to and he will wear it let him have it. Is he still working at Chapman’s or isn’t he? You ask your Mom what she wants to do. I mean running out without her shoes on. Tell her I will come home and give her the devil. I bet you have already. Whatever gave you the idea that I would want the other side of your breast? You know I never did that before. Or did I? Maybe you can prove different when I get home. We will wait and see. If Bonny girl likes it I sure as the devil will, and I won’t have any trouble hanging on. I don’t want you to lose any sleep or be getting sick over writing to me. Just wait until you feel better, then you can make up for it. Don’t worry about the army changing me, because I will still be the little blonde Dane that you love no matter where I am. This is all for tonight, honey. More tomorrow. Love and kisses to my sweetest wife and baby from Ralph.
PS – That $10 will be a part of a birthday present. More later.
Note: Joy was Mom’s sister-in-law, wife of her brother Alvin. They had their first child, my cousin Alan Grant, just six days after my sister Bonny was born. No comment on the sexual reference, no matter how benign.