The next correspondence I find
is written in
The writing is small and cramped
as he crowds his thoughts onto a penny postcard.
“Dear Folks,
I received your letter this morning Mom
“Dear Folks,
I received your letter this morning Mom
and was very glad to get it.
I know you have been expecting me home every day
and I should have written to let you know how I was.
It looks now as though I won’t be able
to get home for Christmas.
I still can’t keep any food or liquids down,
so until I do they won’t let me out of here.
So I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas
So I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas
and please go ahead and have a very good time
even though I don’t get home.
I’ll be thinking about you.
If I should suddenly get better,
If I should suddenly get better,
Ilene said she’d be willing to wait
and come home with me on the train
on Sunday morning.
Otherwise she’ll be home on the train
on Saturday night.
It seems to me the doctors haven’t been doing
It seems to me the doctors haven’t been doing
very much to try to cure me.
Their idea seems to be that my stomach
ought to get better by itself.
I’m tempted to come home and see
what Dr. Olson can do about it,
but probably that would be foolish.
It would mean a lot of inconvenience
when I did get home.
Well, I hope the old stomach
Well, I hope the old stomach
straightens out pretty soon.
And I hope to be able to see you soon."
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Sincerely,
Gordon
* * *
His parents will travel to be with him
His parents will travel to be with him
for Christmas this year.
Their youngest daughter will join them.
His oldest sister and two brothers will remain on the farm.
* * *
Spring will come, then summer,
and with summer will come Gordon’s passing.
Spring will come, then summer,
and with summer will come Gordon’s passing.
Cancer will have claimed his young life at the age of 22.
Sincerely, Gordon
