Prelude:

Here is another letter from Bob in Rochester to Fran in Hornell. It’s written in January of 1940. The address on the envelope is the same as Bob’s previous letters to Fran but the letter is addressed to Mrs. Robert Flannery. I’m pretty sure Bob and Fran are married, but Fran is still at her Hornell address and Bob is in Rochester.

 

THE LETTER:

Dearest Fran,                                                                         Monday Night

Just thought I’d drop a line in hopes that when you get this you’ll be tempted to answer it as you did last week….Kind of silly calling you up tonight like I did, but I was a-missin you as usual and thought that I’d like to do something about it… I intend to put in some paper, in fact, I had intended to give you some of it last night but forgot it… I don’t know now, if I’ll be able to get home this weekend or not. I’d like to but I feel as though I should stay over here and look around here again. What do you think about it?

The weather here is still very cold and it has snowed here all day. I haven’t gone down to get Al’s camera yet but I intend to do so tomorrow or the day after. Did Clyde come up yet? I don’t think that you father and mother are any too anxious to have him do you?

There has been a brief intermission while I cleaned the type on this typewriter, which accounts for the benzol that is spattered about and there still isn’t any difference is there?

I wish that you’d come over some night and we could look for a place together, will you? Honestly Fran, I’d like very much to have you and Bobby over here… can’t you try and get over some night or would you think it better to call up another agent?

I hope that you sell the car for what you want to get for it. It will seem kind of strange without one after all these years won’t it?

Well I must get it and take a bath and go to bed. Please answer this Fran, when you get it as I look forward very much to getting your letters.

You know when you think about it Fran, we’re a couple of screwballs don’t you think? Me mostly. I don’t think that we should even consider giving it up. I do wish that you’d forget that idea and start to think of our getting along together and doing all you can to help the idea a long and I’ll do likewise, cause I do love you honey and couldn’t bear the idea of not having you. Please answer when you can and let me know how and when I can see you again.

So long,

Your loving Husband

Bob

(Hand written on the letter)

I know that this letter sounds like something out of a primer but give me a chance, they’ll get better.

Bob

 

 

COMMENTARY:

Wow-sa! So it looks like Bob and Fran got married, possibly had a baby whom they named “Bobby” and are living in separate towns. I don’t currently have any more letters from Bob to Fran, so I can’t be sure. I do feel there is much more to this story. So, I’m going to go back to the antique store where I bought these letters to see if there are any more letters from Bob to Fran. Bob seems to really be trying to get them together and to get Fran to move to Rochester to live with him. I’m very curious to see how this relationship turned out and if I do find more letters I will post them soon.  I do have two more letters from 1935 that are written to Fran from a girlfriend and I have several letters written to Fran’s parents from someone in the military, possibly Fran’s brother that I will also eventually post. I guess we can learn that life in the late 1930’s and 1940’s was complicated and this is before WWII started.