June 25, 1943

R 1 Box 100
Yoncalla, Oregon
June 25, 1943

Dear Folks,

Your letter came on Thursday. Not bad. Today is Friday. We went to the show in Drain. It was a “Tarzan” picture Boy! Oh Boy! We all sort of got a kick out of it. I guess I told you that one of the fellows has a big Buick out here and when his gas is lasting alright we go to a show once in a while. We haven’t seen a good one yet but it gives us something to do a little relaxation.
We have been having too much rain this week to get much done. It rained Sunday and didn’t clear up till yesterday (Thurs.) then the sun went under a big bank of clouds in the afternoon and we had to quit. Then it rained this morning and we didn’t get out till afternoon. So we haven’t done much.
From you letters it seems that things have been happening pretty fast back there. Stella and Grandpa and Grandma coming up and with the weeds and corn growing so fast that you had to plow night and day. I recon that you have sort of caught up with it by now if it hasn’t been raining there and getting you behind again. Say, it would have been nice if you had the little tractor plowing too but I guess that to quote someone “A certain amount of fleas is good for a dog, it keeps him from worrying about being a dog.”
Perhaps you’d be interested in something about the fellows that I live and work with. Maybe I can give a character sketch of one of them in each letter. Sort of a serial. I’ll start with “Buck” Guthrie. His name is Wayne. He’s 22 years old and from West Branch, Iowa. Buck is shorter than I am and a little wider he weighs about 160, slightly chubby. He makes me think of Harry sometimes especially his love affairs. His father is a Friends preacher. He has 9 brothers and sisters one of his brothers was out at Elkton but was transferred back to the Ames unit. Buck hasn’t heard much from him but he don’t like it extra well there we don’t know why. Buck is a pretty good singer and he is always singing something he knows all the latest songs and a lot of old cowboy and hillbilly songs too. Well that’s about enough about him. If this sort of thing is interesting to you I’ll keep it up. It is different thing living with a small group like this and working with them too. We really have a good time, a good bunch I’d say.
How’s the Endeavor Mom? It sounds to me like you may be getting on the right track at least for a while.
I kind of hate to see John Me. leave but I don’t pretend to know what is best. The way you wrote I got the idea that Phinny was the one that you seemed to want. I don’t know anything about him I do have a faint recollection of hearing him once at P.R. and there is a fellow at Elkton that knows them very well I think he is engaged to their daughter. She is (the daughter) quite pretty. I saw her picture. This guys name is Clifford Wolfe.
I might mention that my watch is still going and I guess it is keeping pretty good time tho I haven’t checked it accurately. It sure does have a pretty dial. It is about twice as big as a $1.50 watch like I’m used to. But I am used to it now.
Time to go to bed,
Yours,
Bernard