Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Oak Park Ill.
Dec 2, 1918
My Dear Kaye

Just think, I am too late , to even send you a Christmas card. And can only express my best wishes for the very Happiest Year you have ever experienced.

My heart is so full of joy and gratitude that this “little scrap” is over that I need only the assurance, that you and Cecil are both well. And will soon be at home again. How we shall appreciate our everyday mercies in the future. If I had you both here, I would given you such a hugging, as you never have had. I am not saying it would be the embrace most desired, but it certainly would be heart felt.

Your very interesting and most welcome letter of the 30th of Oct. reached me, one day last week- And I presume this will not reach you this year. All the time I am writing I have the feeling you may be home before this reaches France.
The mails have been terrible tied up. And the ? of those whoes boys and sweathearts & husband over here has been terrible. And we in this country are still receiving long casualty lists in the papers each day, It seems hard that very many homes that were so happy  when news came that the war was over were so soon to be saddened by reports of death and wounded.

Words would fail me and time too to describe the wild joy of people everywhere when the whistles blew and bells rang to the limit of ? for hours. The city went wild but why attempt to describe what I realize you have heard about though letters that are more frequent then mine and I know have left little for me to tell what will be news.

But really I never expect to experience such thrill of….

There are many more pages to this letter, but the beginning is so full of promise and hope that her loved nephew and son would return home safe. Sadly one did not return home alive and her son died shortly after returning home.

To remind you Kaye was killed on November 29 1918, just three days before the above letter was written.

Happy Hunting!

Julie Hogston - Visit Website