(Letter from Emilie Petersen to daughter-in-law Ann from Racine to Passaic, New Jersey. Image is taken from Wisconsin State Summary for War Casualties for Navy, Marines and Coast Guard in the U.S. National Archives. Harvey Hansen was killed aboard the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbour. Clarence, who also joined the Navy, died in the Atlantic.)
Dear Ann and Rudy!
Thanks for your letter, but Rudy, you ditn answer me? about the Sweater? the Curtians? and the Bike.
By the way R. Last week I see Riches Sorensen sister left for the Army last week in the 10 star she is clerking tho she told me Valentines, had a telegram from Jake, asking them to send his camera to him that was the first they heard from him since July, thy think he is in Astraline
Ester Valer got a Baby Girl a week ago. I supose youv heard about Paul being sick in the Hospital a week, he is allrigth now, but it put him behind in his work so now he has to make up, We hop Ann facit is allrigtt again, don't let the kitten claw your furnitur as we did, I let a kitten in her, last spring and he did some damage to 2 Chars, Ann can tell you, I am rigth, wil this wil be all, as I have to go and order my graseri Jenier Ctr dont come and take the order and I have to get some coffe this week, I geus that Caffe Ration wil be hard for Ann or can you stile get all you want. 
Satryrday we are having a Bazar over to the Old Peoples Home that Vern ad i ready now we are having or sale in the mens Basement so Ann can se I am busy rigth now getting all the Aprons ready. I meet Mrs Paulsen yesterday she asked me if I know Hansen got a telegram from the Government Clarence is killed I dint see anything in the paper but it must be so it is to bad if thy batle had to go.
Ester Nielsen got her Baby girl a month ago. Barma sent her a baby suit from Zeeland.
Love Mother and Father
Let us hear from you again soon
November 18, 1942
October 15, 1942
(letter from Emilie Petersen to her son Rudy, posted from Racine. Includes Birthday Card and small length of brown wool glued to letter)
Dear Rudy and Ann!
As Sunday is your Birthday Dear Rudy we wish you a happy Birthday and a good year.
I forgot to tell you in the last letter about that Sweater, you better send it out her, tried it on and let Ann put a marker in the sides, an in the shoulder, so I can se how must it is to big for you, I think it wil fit Papa (undecipherable) eigth yarn for another Sweater so I wil tri to knit one ther fit you ask Eddie what color he wil like. I so a nice ligt green, but maby he woul rather have a dark blue or blak ask him, this is the color I borgt for you Sweater , please let us hear from you soon, and again thanks for the lamp.
I have knittet a long scharf and a cap mufler for the Russian Relief next Wedi the club meet here, yesterday we vere at Mrs Brouns Hause, Mrs Yacobsen 
is the head of it se also send 90 lb used clothing, I gave a lot of good warm clothing some I washed a prashed to day I am getting a
big bag of Rags and all kinds of skap together in the garage wat about your Bicykle part and jan old Bicyckle is it allrigh if we give it to Andersen mabe he can used it as repair part. I like to get all that old yunk out of the way.
We have the furnace down and is having it eenainted over and a new smokestak put up. I have been waiting for 3 weeks for the men to come finely Tuesday they swore up it is rather cold without a fire
I was all over town the other day tried to bag a elikstc heather but none to be had but in a day or 2 we wil have the furnace in working order again
best regards from Father and Mother
please Ann let us hear from you too
Love Mother
October 13, 1942
(from Paul to Rudy and Ann, typed letter on Michigan State College stationary from East Lansing, Michigan)
Dear Rudy and Ann,
I was glad to get your card and letter and also to hear that you've found a better place to live. You probably noticed that I've got a new address, too. Well, this is the fourth place I've stayed since I've been down here. All the others were just temporary.
There's a terrific housing shortage around here since the Army took over one of the college dormitories and since the Olds gun plant has been going full blast. I've got a half-decent room, so I'm going to keep it for the term, anyway.
Boy, the prices around here are terrific compared to Angola. I'm refering to restaurant meals, mainly. The cafeteria in the College Union is just as bad in that respect as the others.
This place is so big that you get tired just walking between classes. I have to classes that are consecutive, and they're in buildings way over a half mile apart. We're supposed to make it in ten minutes.
Say, maybe you hear Vox Pop last night. It was broadcast from the main Auditorium and I thought it was pretty good, but of course it was all rehearsed. 
Those United Nations heroes are coming here Friday. I think that Russian girl that killed 300 Nazis is among them. Classes, campus, students, etc., everything here is different from Tri-State. Here we have class on Saturday, mine being from 8:00 to 12:00.
I got a long letter from Vic the other day, too. It seems he's getting some kind of radio training, and he doesn't like it very much. I'll put his address on the back of this sheet, in case you can't locate it among your things.
Well, Ann, what are you going to be, a welder or a riveter? It seems like all the women are taking up those two jobs.
It's time for supper, so I'd better sign off.
Very Best regards,
Paul
Pvt. Victor Petersen
12th Reg.-55th Bn. F. A.
3rd Platton
Camp Roberts, Calif.
U.S. Army
October 11, 1942
(from Peter Petersen to his son Rudy and his wife Ann)
Racine, Wis
Dear Rudy and Ann:
Thanks for you card of September 29th. Emilie and I just finished writting letters to Victor and Eddie. The weather around Racine is again fair after two weeks of cold and rain. It's begin to tinning out in the ranks of young men here in Racine, and the factories is going good. I have been working on factory painting for three weeks and it's good for another 4 weeks can work Sat if I want to at 1 1/2 time many factories here spend there ex profit on the Bldg trades for repairing painting etc.
Lui Bruno, Evelyn Westerguay husband was drafted so he joined the navy. Leonard Hoyt also joined the navy, Jack Valentine is in Australia. Loyd Valentin has just been home on leave but is back in the coast guard. We sendt Paul and Victor clippings from the paper regarding their friends. Proable Paul write you about it. Paul seems to like the new school, but it is hard to find rooms there. Now we wish you Rudy a happy birthday.
Best regards to both of you.
Mother and Father in Racine
Victors adr is
Btry D 55th F.A.
Bldg 6204
U.S Army Camp Roberts, Calif
September 15, 1942 - 2
(from Paul Petersen to his older brother Rudy and wife Ann)
Dear Folks,
We received your card the other day, but just got around to answering it. Vic left yesterday for Ft. Sheridan along with 270 Racine fellows. He didn't seem to mind going. Sig Petersen, Bob G and about 75 left today. Vic sold his car last week for $350 cash to the same guy he bought it from. I think he did pretty good at that don't you. Vic gave me $330 of it to go to school on. He also got two weeks pay when he left Case's. 
I suppose you know that I joined the Enlisted Reserve, Unassigned, which is part of the Army. It's one of the reserves where you can finish school unless they want you. I came home the 27th and started working at Hartmann's the following Monday. I quit there yesterday, because I want a coupla days off before I go back to school next Monday. After seeing Vic off yesterday, I came home an found an order to report for induction from the Indiana Draft Board. I went down to a Racine board and they told me to ignore the order since I am already in the Army. I hope they're right.
I am not going back to Tri-State next Monday, but instead to Michigan State College, East Lansing, Michigan. I can get a good transfer of credits there because they're on the quarter system just like Tri-State.
Lloyd Valentine is coming home today on 15-day leave. You know he was on the Wakefield, the troop transport that just burned off the East coast.
Ma said that she would get busy on those pillows for you next week. I'm enclosing a few pictures clipped out of the papers of some fellows you know.
That's all for now.
Best regards,
Paul
September 15, 1942 - Part 1
(from Vic to his older brother Rudy and his wife Ann - a postcard from Fort Sheridan, Illinois)
August 9, 1942
(from Vic's younger brother Paul to his older brother Rudy and his wife, Ann)
Hello, Rudy & Ann,
I was glad to hear from you. The last I heard from Ann she was in Racine, so I presumed she was still there since I haven't heard from there since Ann wrote, either. So I was kinda surprised to get your letter.
How does Emilie act now that her sister is getting a little bigger. I'll be she acts like she was the mother.
I hope you find yourselves a new apartment. Are they building many new homes around there yet?
I was down to Pleasant Lake (about four miles south of here) last Thursday night and had a sample of my blood taken for the draft and a few questions asked. That's all there's to the "screen test" now. The real examination doesn't come until your inducted. In the physical shape I'm in I think they will take me so I'm going to try to get into one of the reserve plans offered by the Army, Navy & Marines to college students so they will stay in collect. If I can get into one of these reserves I can stay in college a couple of more terms anyway. But if I get into one of the reserves I must stay in college and not drop out at all.
I was up to Detroit the other weekend to see the Army War Show but couldn't get in because they were sold out. It seems like everyone you talk to in Detroit is pulling in big dough. Even draftsmen were pulling down $1.50 per hour and they were hardly out of high school. Anyway, I think I'm going up there at the end of the term and see what I can make. Probably a lot of what we heard is the bunkum, but there's no harm in trying. Then, if I have to come back to college for the fall term, I'll have a little dough. This term ends August 28th, and the Fall term starts on September 23rd. Now a lot depends on whether I can get into one of the reserves or not. I'll write you more dope on this later. At any rate, I should would like to come to visit you for a while.
Well, that's all for now. Let's hear all the dope on your recent trip Ann, and anything you want to say.
So long,
Paul
