Letters written to Stanley Louis Smith AKA Cuilly Burdett From Father Louis Smith

Monday Feb 9 1941 Dear Stanley, No I haven’t forgotten you but have been out of town for the last week. I went to Arkansas and Texas with the United States Marshal to take a load of prisoners. We drove about nine hundred miles and outside of being tired had a nice time. How are you getting along and why don’t you write more often? We have been having nice weather again here for a week but today it is getting cold again and the weather forecast is for colder and snow. What kind of weather are you having down there? Did you get over your cold and how are you feeling now? I had a nice visit with Dale the other day and we got to wondering about you. Suzan inquires about you when I see her. She is really the sweetest thing and getting cuter all the time. I am no longer working at the garage so be sure you send my mail to the house. Business as far as selling automobiles is a thing of the past so decided to take out, because there is quite a bit of expense involved in making contacts and operating a car. I haven’t anything lined up but will soon. I told Walter Creech awhile ago that I was going to write you a letter and he said “Tell Stanley hello for me.” Have you ever written Grandmother? You should do that as she is very interested in you and likes to hear from you. How did you like the stamps? Yes in my next letter I will send you a stamp for your defense book and I was very glad to hear that you were saving your money and starting a book. You know we all are going to start saving our money and buy stamps and bonds because as you already know Uncle Sam has to have and must have money to fight this war and it is up to all of us and little men like you to do your part and help all that you can. I am really proud of you for thinking about i. Well little Captain I must go and eat and will write you again soon. Your daddy, Louis Wed. Feb 18th 1941 Dear Stanley: Well “sweet pea” I was really glad to get your telegram and Caralu wrote me that she too had received one from you. It’s a great feeling of satisfaction to know that our little boy is thinking of us and remembers things like that, which makes one very proud of our little soldier. It started getting cold and snowing here yesterday and snowed all night and today it is 5 degrees above zero and I mean that is plenty cold after all the nice spring weather that we have been having. There isn’t much of anything happening here to write about as a result I am having a little difficulty thinking of what to write you. I am really proud of you in regard to the grades that you are making but think and know that if you study your spelling, you can also bring that up to a satisfactory point. Surely you haven’t forgotten how you used to study your spelling and when you did you would make a good grade. Come on captain, you can improve on that. I know that you can or I would not be mentioning it to you now. Yes I think that I should give you something for the A’s and B’s that you are getting and just as soon as I get into something, I mean a job, I will send you something. So your school is not out until the first of June. Well that is only about three and one half months away and when you are busy the time really flies by. Have you learned to dance yet? You mentioned in your last letter that you thought you were going to have a dance and I was just wondering. How much do you weigh now? Have you put on any weight or are you about the same? Write me and tell me about yourself and what you are doing. Well captain, I have to go now and get ready to go to the dentist. Dr.Buikstra is going to clean my teeth this afternoon so until the nest time, I’ll be seeing you. All of my love to a swell little soldier. Daddy Louis Dear Little Man: Payne County Motor Company letterhead Stillwater, Oklahoma May 6 1941 Dear Stanley: I have really missed you and would like to see you very much and when mother comes up be sure and come up with her. I enjoyed getting your letter very much and have been wondering why you haven’t written me more often. Yes and another thing, how do you get that way by starting off your letter to dad by asking How about my money. Well I am enclosing a check for $1.50 and that includes the interest I am getting high jacked out of. You know that the amount I borrowed was $1.00 but I don’t object too much to paying a high rate of interest to you. I am glad to hear that you like your room and also your teacher. How are your rabbits getting along? I want you to be very careful while riding your bicycle down there because there is a lot more traffic than up here where you have been doing all of your riding. Well captain I am still expecting a letter from you very soon and you had better not disappoint me. Come and see me anytime that you can. I forgot to tell mother that I hope she likes her work so you can tell her for me. Lots of love to you from your dad. Louis Payne County Motor Company letterhead Stillwater, Oklahoma May 20 1941 Dear Stanley: Say young man why haven’t you written your dad a letter? I mean you better sit down right now and do it. How are you getting along and how do you like your school? Any better now? When is your school out? I am trying to find an apartment and when I do you can come up here and stay with me for awhile. I have really been busy for the last two weeks and I think the hot weather is about to get me down. I went fishing last Sunday for about three hours and caught one fish but it was a nice big perch. If it stops raining and you get up here we will slip out and catch some fish. What do you think of that? The next time you are here I will give you some socks and that is in addition to the ones that you swiped from me when you left. It has been raining here this morning very hard and I had to Pawnee and just got back and everything is just about flooded. When you were here about ten days ago I told you that I expected about three letters from you and to date I haven’t received any. If you want me to take you down and sit on you when I next see you just continue to not write. I was expecting to see you last Saturday when mother was here but due to the fact that she was going back early she said that you could come up the next time. Well captain I am writing this during the noon hour and I have to go eat and get back. Now remember WRITE ME SOME LETTERS. Tell mother I hope she is feeling better and her side is not still bothering her. Love from your daddy. Louis