In Eldred on Wednesday, February 3, Ella Leavenworth received her third letter of the month from her son Jim.
“February 4, Guadalcanal is finally in American hands. United States’ first land victory over Japan,” wrote Ella on Thursday.
On Friday there was a letter from Jim and one from Stella.
Friday Aida went for oleo—first to Randolph’s and then to the A&P.
It was rainy and terribly icy Saturday when Aida went to Randolph’s for bread. There was a letter from her brother Ell. In the afternoon Robbie Bosch was over.
Saturday Ella received “a lovely letter from Jim.” Jim’s cousin Bill Austin in Mississippi wrote his brother Raymond.
Monday, February 8, was sunny and blustery; Tuesday was cold and icy. Wednesday morning Aida walked to Randolph’s. In the afternoon she went to see Mary Bosch.
“He is sort of blue [sad],” wrote Ella after reading Jim’s letter on Wednesday, February 17.
Thursday the snow was very deep and the weather cold. Katherine Dunlap was able to get to Aida’s, even though the road through the lane was terrible.
Friday morning Katherine gave Aida a number of papers when she visited. In the afternoon Aida went to the A&P and Randolph’s.
Saturday afternoon Aida went to Mary Bosch’s. [Sadly, this is the end of Aida’s Diary entries.]
Sunday was cold and snowy; Monday was warmer and the snow melted fast. In Islip Anna Leavenworth chopped kindling and sifted ashes. She listened to a rationing program and the President on the radio in the evening. There was quite a crowd at the school on Tuesday when Anna picked up her second ration book.
Ella and Garfield continued to get letters from Jim. Their son Goldie wrote occasionally too.
The last day of the month Bill Austin wrote his aunt Charlotte.
Pvt. W. Austin, Camp Shelby, Miss., to C. Leavenworth, Eldred
February 28, 1943
Dear Aunt Charlotte,
We have had some chilly weather but not near as cold as you have had. It is a good thing it don’t get very cold down here because we have been out in the field most of the time and there is lots of swamps to wade through.
I had a letter from Arthur dated 7 January. He was alright.
I haven’t saw Willie Eldridge yet. I did look up John Ort and Ray Wolfe. They are the only ones I haven’t met down here from around Eldred.
Write whenever you get time. Your nephew, Bill
