What eighteen-year-old kid hasn't lost money? Wasted it, spent it, been careless with it, overdrew the checking account, and so on. And what parents haven't been ready to rip out their hair as they tried to explain to the kid to be more careful. So it was with my grandmother. Although she had little education, she was smart enough to hold off until later in her letter to give some gentle advice and admonitions to her son about taking better care of his money. She front-loaded her letter with appreciation for his latest letter, home-front updates, and a sincere desire to know more about his life in Miami Beach.

Ebner and Cookie at Austin H.S. Prom, 1942 Frank Ebner's mom has received the birthday gift he sent her and tries to express her gratitude as best she can in English. Ebner's girlfriend, Cookie comes to visit with [...]