Nurse Ruth Beery: Correspondence with Next of Kin (Letter 4)
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- About the Letters
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- See Ruth Beery’s Uniform (Links to the UVA Medical Artifacts Collection in Virgo)
P. O. Box 141
Ashland, Ohio
Feb. 19, 1946.
Dear Capt Beery:-
Received your note today and I want
to thank you for writing to me.
I have often hoped that some day
I would hear from someone that had been
with my late husband or had seen him or
something. I have often wondered just what
happened that day. But I don’t suppose I
ever will since most of the boys he was with
were from Texas.
I had been informed by the govern-
ment that he was ill and since he almost
had pneumonia once before I was rather prepared
for the worse. Altho I still say it was rather
hard to take. But then things do happen and
it could have been right here at home as out
there in his case.
I knew he was being well cared for
he wrote me one letter from the hospital and he
said he was getting the best of everything the
first decent things he had had in weeks.
There is one thing I have often wondered
about and that is his wrist watch. He had broken
the strap and was carrying the watch in his pocket.
until he could get the strap fixed or get a new one.
That was the only thing I didn’t get back or that
was of any importance or value. I don’t know if
it was on him at the time he was brought into
the hospital or not. But I do know that it was
on him just before that.
I did get back the broken strap that
is what seems strange but then strange things
did happen over there as I have found out since
some of the boys I knew have returned.
The watch was a gift from friends and
I would of liked to have given it to my son
some day. The value of the watch alone didn’t
mean much it was just that it belonged to
his Dad and his Dad was very proud of the
gift. My late husband’s name was engraved on
the back so maybe some day I will find it.
Or maybe run across the person that has it.
Because I would know it any place.
But I might as well forget about it there
isn’t anything I can do about it. As I said
strange things do happen.
Yes, I do have a baby but he isn’t
much of a baby any more. He will be 3 in
May. He is built and looks very much
like his Dad. He is very tall for his age. I hate
to think what he will be when he goes to school
he will be so much bigger than the others. But
he can’t help that I guess. Any way I’m very
glad that I have him.
Thank you again for taking time to
write me it was wonderful of you to do so and
I can assure you it was greatly appreicated [appreciated].
Sincerely,
Mrs. Dorothy J. Coss
[envelope marked "ans"]
Box/Folder: 33/007