
Frank’s Austin H.S. Grad photo, Jan 1942. My grandmother prayed for his safety in front of this photo and used it as proxy to greet her son morning and night.
Money is still an issue in this letter. It seems that some of the $10 my grandmother sent to Frank Ebner has gone missing. Even though she only went to school through the fourth grade, my grandmother had a good business head and kept careful track of everything she sent—not only the dates, but the time she mailed. Working as hard as they did for their earnings, missing money was not something to be taken lightly. Yet she never hesitates to promise to send her son “all he needs.”
She continues her vigilant praying for him at the small “shrine” she set up with his high school Sr. picture (see photo) where she and my grandfather spoke to their son at the start and end of every day: “Goot morning, Ebner,” and “Goot night, Ebner.” Read on to feel this mother’s devotion.
Letter
Chicago, ILL
September 2, 1943
My Dear Ebner,
I received your airmail from August 31 with all the pictures. They are very goot. I pray hart for your wish [to come] true.
I have plenty of bobby pins for my own use, but what is that 1.5″ diameter stick? [Ebner must have asked for these items, but that letter is missing.] Tell me more about it and we take care[of it].
As God wish it, we try to do and pray for sure, often 3 times [a day] by your picture. [My grandmother had set up a sort of shrine, with Ebner’s high school photo flanked by two green lights. My dad, Fred, will write about this in a future letter).