I hope I get some more mail today from the dearest person in the world

March 6, 1945

My dearest, darling wife,

I received three of your back letters besides one of February 23rd yesterday. Now I understand all about you quitting work at Bullocks. My darling, you told me about it in the letter you began on February 3rd. It took a whole month for it to get here. Also received the one you wrote on your birthday.

Gene with friend in Los Angeles

I see you felt rather bad about the trouble that happened at the office. I too wish I could have been there, my darling, but since I wasn't and am not, please don't hesitate to tell me all about it if at any time you get the blues or feel badly. I don't want you to put on a front just for me. Maybe it might sometime even make you feel better to sit down and write it all to me and I think I will always be able to read it with an understanding heart.

If you like your new job now and are adjusted to it, you have probably nearly forgotten about your trouble, so there is probably no need of me writing much about it. And if you are making about the same and like your work, there is no need to feel badly any longer. Even if you shouldn't make as much, to be able to enjoy your work is worth more than the money itself. Just forget all about it and go along each day being the pleasant, sweet, happy person that you are and know that you have a husband who loves you very dearly. And don't think you aren't as you said, "much of a success in the business world." My experience convinces me that you are pretty good in business and anyway I don't want you to be a "business woman," except only as is necessary in making a happy home and at that I think you are and will be very good.

Darling, that was a very sweet letter you wrote on your birthday. I'm glad you were lucky enough to get four of mine the day before so you wouldn't be thinking I had forgotten you--and your birthday of all days. I wanted to write you a nice letter that would reach you on your birthday, but of course the mail is so uncertain I didn't know how long it would take to reach you. So I decided I would just keep writing you each day and then a special one of your birthday so that when you received it, you would know I had been specially thinking of you. I love the picture you took that day. I have them in my locker so that every time I open the door there you are smiling at me, my beautiful sweetheart.

Gene, I got paid today and so I have a money order for $50 I am sending you--for your own. Also have a money order for my tithing for Jan, Feb, and March. I will ask you to give it to the bishop for me. I will send the money orders in a separate letter. Let me know if you get them. I have been wondering if you would be wondering what I was doing with my money as this is the first I have sent you since I came out here, but I had some debts back home I had to clear up. From now on it will be coming to you regularly. Remember the first $100 is for yourself, what I owe you personally.

I hope I get some more mail today from the dearest person in the world. It seems that regardless of how many letters I get, I am always craving for more. I have an undying thirst for those words of love, my darling, because you are so dear to me. Yours with all my heart, Perry

March 8, 1945

My Darling Wife Gene,

How I thrill each time I hear from you. You described perfectly how I feel too when you said, "It is the peak of my happiness to have your letter in my hand." Darling, when I get your letters, I try to find a place of seclusion where I can be undisturbed and can read your sweet letters. In that way I can get much closer to you. Your letters are so dear to me. I often long for a sanctuary to read them in. I love you with all my heart, my dearest.

Sounds like you are seeing plenty of movies. In nearly every letter you mention seeing one. I'm glad you can though, especially if they are good ones like "A Song to Remember." I surely wish I could have seen it with you and maybe I can some day. That has the two features of a show which I like: musical and historical (or biographical) so I'm sure I would have liked it. I have been seeing a show nearly every night myself. They are all old ones and some of them I have already seen, but I enjoy them anyway as it's rather relaxing after a hard day.

Darling, I think that would be very nice if you could go to the Gold and Green Ball with your cousin. You could introduce him to your friends and he might be quite favorably impressed with the church and its activities. I think it is very nice that he called on you. By the way, is he as handsome as the rest of the Fasts I know?

Mother wrote me that one of my old school teachers told her that if she (the school teacher) goes to California this summer she is going to call on you. I hope she does as I would really be quite proud. She has known me ever since I was a little tot. She isn't LDS, but is surely a wonderful old lady.

Darling, I love you so much for the way you have written to my folks and made them like you so. Mother says that you even seem to have won over Genevieve's boys. Remember, they wanted me to be an old bachelor. How's that?

My sweetheart, just as you, my thoughts and my prayers are always for that day when we can be together again--that that day might be hastened. God grant that it might be soon. I long for you, my love, like I have never longed for anything. That is because I love you so and because my happiest moments have been when we were together, but now we are so far apart.

Give my love and best wishes to your parents. With all my love, yours, Perry

March 10, 1945 (Saturday evening)

Gene with friends at church

Dearest husband Perry,

I wanted to write you last night but got home rather late from a movie with Viola (about 10:00) so went to bed and dreamed about you instead. Three of your dear letters came yesterday, Perry. Oh, how I loved them. Do you know what I think? I think you are a perfect lover. Darling, when you make love to me in your letters, it thrills me almost as much as when you held me in your arms. Oh Perry, my lover, I couldn't live without your love.

Your letters were of February 27th, 28th and March 1st. I'm so glad you got my pictures and like them so well. I hope you will soon get that missing letter telling about my change of jobs. It was quite a lengthy story and not so pleasant. That's why I don't want to repeat it again. But I will, darling, if you don't receive that letter. I hope you do.

Oh darling, I understand when you say you want to know all about me, and it is a husband's right (the thought thrills me.) So I do not think it strange that you should want to know what people say to tease or compliment me. Only, Perry, there is not much change--I think I was only being teased.

I must tell you what I did Friday afternoon, which proved to be so interesting and seemed quite strange to me. Viola and I had our lunch about 1:00 pm (we bring our lunches.) Then, because it was such a beautiful, warm day, we went for a walk. We walked up on Sixth Street between Grand and Flower streets. I don't think I have ever been up that far on Sixth Street before. There are lots of small shops--most of them book stores. But guess what! I found just about everything that I have been trying so unsuccessfully to get for the past several months all over town.

First there was a book store that looked like it had about every book in the world in it. I remembered a book which I had been trying to get, so we went in and asked. Well, they did have a copy, "The Constant Nymph" by Margaret Mitchell. It's just an old fiction story, but I saw the movie last year and liked it so well. Then we passed a jewelry store and "low and behold" there in the window were some white gold or platinum wedding bands for men. Perry, I have been trying to find one to match mine ever since you're been gone. (I want you to have a wedding ring too.) But white gold and platinum are frozen on the market and jewelers just can't get anymore. Well, of course I went right into the place. It seems they had had a few on order for a long, long time, and these had just come in. Oh, they were just beautiful. So we picked out the prettiest and the largest one (it was 18 k white gold) and the lady put it away for me till I could bring in your class ring for size. (I did that today.)

Then we went on up the street. We passed a large stationery store, and I said to Viola, "Oh, I wonder if this store might have some Dupont transparent glue." I had almost given up the idea of ever getting any of that. All the stores I had tried were always out of it. Well, "believe it or not" the man had it. So I bought two tubes of it. Oh what a perfect day that was for me, for I had found so many things. (Well three anyway.)

Today I took your ring down and the wedding ring measured just a little bit larger, so thought it would be just right for your finger cause isn't that the finger with the large knuckle? Perry, the ring was $21.00. That isn't so bad, do you think? It's just a plain band. Do you think I should keep it for you, Perry? I also took my wristwatch down. They are gong to clean it for me. Then I went to the main post office and got my income tax all figured out. I will get a refund from the government this time instead of having to pay something. I had to write your name on the statement, Perry, and the man asked me if you had gotten a "Power of Attorney." I don't quite understand, but he said it gives me the right to sign my husband's name on things, and you are supposed to write a statement and have it notarized so I can do that. Can you find out about it Perry?

Mother and Dad have given up the idea of trying to buy a house. After looking around a lot, they found that people want too much for their places, so guess we will stay here after all. But we still have to find a place for Emily. Guess Mom and I will be looking for apartments for the rest of the month--maybe longer. We just have to find a place real soon cause she is coming right after Easter. It is quite a problem and I have taken it to the Lord in prayer. I do hope we might be guided to something.

I don't think I have told you, Perry. I wasn't able to take a voice lesson last Monday. Verna has been awful sick, and she is going to have her baby in another month or two. I talked to her by phone last week (she hadn't come out to church) and decided to postpone my lessons indefinitely. It is very hard for me to practice here at home anyway. So guess I'll just have to wait till circumstances are better. I surely wish I had a piano. Perry, can I have one some day? I want so very much to continue my lessons. I want to be able to sing correctly. I want to sing with my husband someday.

Today was another beautiful day. I enjoyed being out and not working. You surely must be in the tropic zone--you speak of the heat and rain. That's not a very healthy climate to be in. I do hope it does not affect your health, dearest Perry. I pray every day for His spirit to be with you and protect you always. Must stop now but will go to bed with sweet thoughts of you, my lover. I love you. Your own, Gene