2270 South Vine
Come with me as I meet my Mother through this series of letters, she died when I was 6 months old and this is my very first real glimpse into her world, who she was, who she wanted to be and how she loved my Father.
A collection of 36 letters hand written by my Mother Joyce at University of Denver and sent to my Father Earl at University of Colorado Boulder when they were first engaged in 1952. The letters span from September 1952 - January 1953. My Mother died from Breast Cancer in 1971 at the age of 40. The original language of the letters is read intact to maintain the integrity of the authenticity of her words, 1952 is a very different time culturally and economically.
2270 South Vine
Letter 15 11/4/1952 Election Night and Empty Arms
November 4th, 1952 — As the nation listens to the election returns, Joyce writes to Earl with one ear on the radio, expecting Eisenhower to win but watching closely for Stevenson’s showing in Illinois. The day feels oddly out of step, a mix of classes, knitting, cookbook organizing, and quiet shifts at work. Dorm TV nights, gossip about Johnny’s poker loss, and musings about whether to move out of the dorm next quarter punctuate her routine.
Joyce’s thoughts drift between practical matters — next quarter’s expenses, finding a job, and knitting gifts for Earl — and tender longing. She recalls her mother’s jealousy when her sister got engaged, and shares her reluctance to commit to Saturday’s game in favor of study time. The letter closes with one of her most intimate wishes: to fall asleep in Earl’s arms and wake to him still there, without the long stretches of time apart.
Topics Include:
- 1952 presidential election night observations
- Stevenson vs. Eisenhower expectations
- Dorm TV gathering
- Johnny’s poker loss aftermath
- Planning for next quarter’s expenses and housing
- Knitting and future gifts for Earl
- Family jealousy over sister’s engagement
- Deciding whether to attend Saturday’s game
- Quartet project losing steam
- Longing for shared nights and mornings together
November 4th, 52. Dear sweetheart, are you listening to the election returns? So far, it seems Ike will win. I'm surprised it is as close. I still haven't heard the report from Illinois. I won't be surprised if it goes Ike because it's still pretty much Republican, even though we have a Democratic governor. I shall feel sorry for your...
poor Stevenson if he doesn't get a majority in Illinois or at least a close second. Pop's course was pretty fair this morning. It was pretty fair this morning. It meets every Tuesday and Thursday. There's one piece that's a lulu on the parts and the kids still don't know it well enough to sing it alone. And he gave me
two hand manuscripts today. Tomorrow I want to copy the parts down on the two staff so I can read them more easily.
We have 12 o'clock hours tonight as dorm 5 invited us all over to watch TV. I don't know how many of the kids went. It'll most likely turn into a necking party in the corners. I'm waiting for someone to come up with...
a pajama party between a girls and a boys dorm. Johnny was pretty down in the dumps today. He said he helped Vella, his wife, came pretty soon. If she finds out about the money he lost, she'll just about stay in California. Someday soon, I want to go over to Piernaut's office and then to the registrar and find out for sure about the comp exam.
Frank Schnauss said perhaps they could not even give us any kind of an answer until I was enrolled in Boulder, but he wasn't sure. I'm going to write Miss Ball this week. Can you see your marketing professor? This morning seemed like Monday and tonight seemed like Wednesday. I keep thinking that day after tomorrow you'll be here.
But never have I spent an entire day feeling so completely dull towards everything but some knitting and fixing my coach?
fixing my cookbook and taking pictures and going shopping and trotting up to see you. Really dear, I went to all of my classes and did all of my homework except for a class I never do homework for, but I felt kind of bored through the whole thing. Work has been awfully quiet the last two days. I don't know if May is, excuse please, losing trade.
or if we, excuse me again, we are just having a lull. Actually, I don't think Johnny would have kept up with a crowd Monday or tonight. One of these days, I will have to sit down and figure out how much it will most likely take next quarter and miscellaneous expenses and see how I think I'll come out for third quarter.
I still haven't made up my mind whether to move out in the dorm next quarter or not. I'll have to watch sooner or later for a job for third quarter. I could maybe work for May eight hours, but eight hours of restaurant work is an awful grind. And it's hard telling who.
will own it by then. I know what kind of socks I'd like to make you if I ever get the Argyles done and someday most likely or for our 25th wedding anniversary, sorry. Unfortunately mama you die before your 25th wedding anniversary but I love the sentiment. I want to give you a sweater too. Sweetheart it just doesn't seem natural that you're not here.
or at least home so I can talk to you on the phone. I'm beginning to wonder how I'll stand being home all of Christmas vacation. Something tells me mama is going to be put out with me if all I can say is I want to go back to Denver. She gets rather upset when we break away from home. Remind me to tell you what happened when Sniff, my little sister, got engaged. She was engaged a year before she got the ring.
That was the first time I ever saw my mother act childish or show a lot of jealousy. It was honestly funny. I don't think Mrs. Cobra and mother have ever met, but it's probably...
because mother never gets anywhere and my stepfather would have been horrid and had she come to our house. We have a game this Saturday. I'll get George's ID if I can, but I'm not sure if I want to go. Saturday afternoon is a great time to study, wash and iron and write reports, etc. Our values quartet doesn't meet today. We are, I'm afraid, getting bogged down with it.
Our enthusiasm is minus along with new ideas and any idea of how we will present it to the class. We will probably just explain our final outline. My eyes are tired, sweetheart. So much as I hate to leave, I think I'll go to bed. Wish you were in it so I can get quite a bit done tomorrow. I love you. Excuse, please, very much.
And if you could only be here to kiss me good night and hug me, I'd be the happiest girl in Denver University. But if you were here, I'd never let you go. I wish we could go to bed together just so I could sleep with your arms around me and not have to leave you. And then when I wake up in the morning, you'd still be with me. Then everything I did could be for you. And I wouldn't have to fill up the days so time would pass between Monday and Friday.
When I write, I feel a little like I'm talking to you and I hate to stop writing, but morning comes early and tomorrow will bring you one day closer. Good night, my darling. I love you very much and I miss you much too. I'll see you in my dreams. All my love, always, Joyce.
