Thank you to all of you who read the letters sent back from three WW2 theatres of the war. We thought you might like to read an “ending” for them. Some of you may be wondering where and how they were found. Most of them were addressed to “Jean and Jerry” (Jerry was the brother who was not in the war due to medical reasons.) He and Jean were newly married and unknown to others, they kept all of the letters they received. Their son found them in a shoebox several years ago.
My daughter Amy Jurries took great interest in the find and wanted them to be shared with family and others as well. She archived each letter in the proper storage materials and then began the long job of recording the contents so that they could appear on this website. Some of the letters were those found later – Lorne’s letters to his parents for example, though Milly burned the letters he had sent to her, which of course was her right. Amy also added historical material and photos – both family photos and those she researched, in order to provide the setting for the news in the letters.
Thankfully all 3 of those involved in the conflict came home. They did not readily share their experiences and they resumed leading their lives as before. Both Cliff and Beany married and had families, made a living, enjoyed family gatherings. Lorne’s National Guard Unit was called up during the Korean War and he and his family moved again to Alabama and Georgia assignments for a year and a half.
The Nelson family was very close – continually worrying about their siblings and their mother, especially after their father died in 1943. This kind of bond is quite evident in the letters. It is sad to say that everyone who wrote or was mentioned in the letters is now gone. The only person still living is me, and I am so blessed to have been part of the family portrayed in this collection, and to know and be related to the sons and daughters and grandchildren of each of them.
Thank you again for your interest and we hope you enjoyed the read and perhaps learned from this very personal collection of an amazing time in the history of the United States.
Susan Kay Ward Jurries
