The family members listed in this letter and their relationship to him, are:
- 'Mom' was Olive Letha Rose Schnack, his mother
- 'Irene' was Irene Orvetta Cole Schnack Speer, his wife
- 'Cindy' or 'Cindy Lou' is myself, Cindy Lou Schnack Arsenault Coffell, his daughter
- 'Chuck' is Charles Elbert Rose, his cousin
- 'Betty' is Elizabeth Ann Olmsted Rose, Chuck's wife
- 'Kathy' was Katharine Rose Schnack Jones Gall Hammon, his sister
- 'Dad' was Jochim Walter Schnack, his father
- 'Eddie' was Edward Alexander Schnack, his brother
- 'Jake' was Walter J. Schnack, himself and author of this letter
- 'Viv' was Vivian Eleanor Schnack Cope, his sister
- 'Don' was Donald Everett Cole, his brother-in-law
- 'Mother' was Ruth Elma Harder Cole, his mother-in-law
16 Oct 1955
Kitzingen, Germany
Dear Mom and all,
Well, here I am writing another letter to you. I'm getting good. I haven't written much since Irene got here. This morning (It's Sunday, I made a mistake on the date above) I had planned to sleep and last night I shut the alarm off and I'll be damned if it didn't go off at the regular time. I was so mad that I got up anyway. It's a German alarm clock and, to stop the alarm, you push a button on top down. It's quite easy to put it back in position to ring. It quite often goes off after I get home at night. Oh well, at least you are getting a letter from me because of it; maybe you'll think its not so bad a clock. My conscience was bothering me anyhow about my letter writing. Irene and Cindy are both still sleeping. I went into Irene's letter box and found three letters from you so I'll answer those although we have written since we received them. The first one is dated September 11. Gosh, that's a long time ago. I'm glad to hear you have a job right in Milford. It sure must be nice. I'll agree with you on the gray hairs you could get from driving between Portlandville and Milford, especially that hill to the school. The school in Milford does have a much nicer atmosphere. You have your assemblies right there and
don't have to run back and forth.
Gee, you sure must have worked hard if you have gotten so much of the house painted. I'll bet it looks real nice. I know it needed it. Oh well, at least the front is finished. You can say you have a false front house.
Gee Mom, if you fell in love with Cindy Lou from her passport picture, I know you'd want to get a hold of her now. She's so much cuter and a bigger "butter ball" infant. The Doctor has her on a diet. She weighs 18 pounds 10 ounces. We had to take away orange juice, one serving of cereal, all puddings and Karo syrup; he even wanted one less bottle a day, but she only gets three now so we still give her three. She seems to be very susceptible to colds though and she has one now. She's had three so far. You should have seen her last Sunday when she was baptized. She was a perfect angel. She never once made noise all through church, not even when she got her hair washed. The chaplain, after he sprinkled her, put his open hand on her head and said a prayer; she never moved and that's one thing she doesn't like. I can't put my hand on her head without her getting mad. Chuck and Betty were our witnesses and he charged them to see that she was brought up to live a christian life. It was really very nice. I rather think Chuck and Betty will try for one now. They both seemed to fall in love with her, especially Betty. If she stayed here long, Cindy would be spoiled. I know also what will happen the first time you get " a hold" of her.
I wish I had more time when we get to New York, but that's the way it goes. If I want time to find a place to live, I'm going to have to leave as soon as possible after the boat docks. We leave Germany November 23 or 24 and arrive (estimated time) 2 December. We should make it because that's quite a few days to cross. We will dock at Port Hamilton, New York (Brooklyn Army Base). We will be there most of the day we dock while they process us; then they will turn all persons with leaves and married personnel and personnel who have cars loose and the rest will proceed by train. I guess that's all for that letter; the next is dated September 29. And mom, you say a lump comes in your throat when you hear Irene and I talk about Cindy. You should see the ones I get every once in a while when I see Irene and Cindy playing and I'm watching. It sure is a wonderful feeling even if a lump is in your throat. I may not show it but I'm about the proudest daddy around.
Gee, I'm glad to hear you went bowling. I hope you can find time to do it often. I never learned but I guess I will some day. I like very much to watch and I have set pins before. I think it would do my waistline good if I started. I know they have quite a few good bowlers in Milford. How does Kathy make out? Too, you should try and get Dad interested. I'll bet he would really enjoy it. Have you tried that yet?
Gee, if what you say is true about Kathy, I'll surely want to see her. I'm glad to hear that she is doing so good in school. I'm also glad to hear that she really wants to take piano lessons. Maybe she'll get more out of it than I did with a trumpet.
Gosh, I guess you did have a house full of company for your anniversary. We mailed your card late but we are to blame for that. We had it here in the house and forgot to mail it. Marcia sure must be fickle or something. I'm sure if my engagement had been broken, I'd never become engaged to the same girl again.
Gee, I'm sorry for Eddie. I can imagine how he feels about not being able to stay in the Navy. Especially since his buddies are still in. If I were him, I'd volunteer for the draft and see what the Army says. They don't have so strict a physical as the Navy and if the Army won't take him, at least he will never have to worry about the draft and can go ahead with his schooling or get a job without fear of ever being drafted. With his little schooling in mechanics, he could ask for Armor and, if accepted, could be sent to Fort Knox and get in the Armored school for mechanics on track vehicles. I would really try it if I were him. All he can have happen to him is to be rejected and he would know once and for all if he could be drafted or not. I guess, though, he'll have to enlist in order to get whatever school he wanted. Try and talk him into it. I believe that would be best.
Now I'll talk some more on the Lincoln, which I hate to do. The way it looks to me, I don't believe I'll get those checks from Indianapolis and we will be short on cash for awhile and I do want the Lincoln to drive to Fort Riley. From the way it looks to me, it will cost between $125 and $150. If you can hold off on what I already owe and get my insurance and license, I could pay you back so much a month or when I do get my checks. They are for a total of $404.30, so you can see how much in the hole I am. If you could arrange a loan at the bank for me, I'd rather it was that way because I hate to ask you to help me that way because I know it will put you in a strain and besides, I have a personal reason for hating to ask you and dad for financial help. Well Mom, I've written myself out. Maybe Irene will add a post script, so until I see you, I remain
Your loving son,
Jake
Boy - this sure is a help when Jake writes letters. He's said about all there is to say. He wrote Viv today, too. Now I have to write Don and Mother plus a few others to be answered. I catch up on the few others when he is on guard. All night, Cindy Lou has been holding quite a conversation with
anything she sees. She is quite a girl. I'm hoping Don can see her before we leave. I called him today and he doesn't think he can get down. We surely can't get up there. I'm still hoping though. Jake left one thing out about her baptism. The chaplain used a carnation. We have it, or rather we had it. The maid threw it out because it was dead. I'll look in the trash for it in the morning. I hope I can find it. I guess I'd better close and put Cindy Lou to bed.
Love,
Irene Jake, and Cindy Lou
P.S.
Don't write here after November 15. After Decemer 9th, the address will be
Sgt. Walter Schnack, Jr. RA54015856
Co "C" 63rd Tk. Bn.
Fort Riley, Kansas
