Letter from Jean S. Valley to G. E. Valley Jr. about Oscar Valley's family: Grace, the stepmother who raised his children, why "Mom" (Edith) raised Big Oscar, and Little Oscar's memories of Montreal. With a Wall Street Journal clipping about mailing laundry home from college, and notes by Jean and George.

[Notebook pp. 4-5. Handwritten letter from Jean S. Valley to GEV, four small sheets pasted in, with a newspaper clipping she enclosed. GEV's note at top: "Valley". GEV's receipt note on sheet 1: "rec'd 27 June 86". Scans n007-n011 show the same spread with the sheets lifted in turn.]

[Printed letterhead:] Jean S. Valley / 6970 Sylmar Court / Dayton, Ohio 45424

June 24, 1986

Dear George, Thank you for the most interesting article on the Cummins family. I think the pictures are outstanding and it is wonderful to have it all so well organized. How Tom would have enjoyed reading it!

I don't know if I can be of much help with Oscar's family. I know Grace was their step mother. She was a friend of their mother's and she cared for the children when she thought her friend neglected them. Grace and Mom discussed Oscar's first wife; their talk was that she was not a good wife and certainly a poor mother. I believe Mom approved of

[Same spread, first sheet lifted to show sheet 2.] 2) Oscar's divorce and marrying Grace. Grace took good care of the children, worked all their married life and made a pleasant home for them. Grace was the opposite of timid Oscar and she and Mom hit it off as well as Mom did with any woman. I can't remember if Oscar's first wife's name was Lillian, perhaps it was.

Oscar is close with his sister - I believe Lillian is about Tom's age - at least they talked of playing together and Oscar was older - retired the last time we saw him in '82 I believe.

As to why Mom raised Big Oscar - I thought it was because Pop's mother was caring for him and getting too old for the care. Little Oscar has memories of your grandmother and could remember her address in Montreal. I don't know who Big Oscar's parents were - because of the age differential, it must have been one of Pop's older brothers? Mom never

[Notebook p. 5, date stamp JUL 1 1986, note at top "Valley". Sheet 3 of Jean's letter, on her letterhead.] 3) mentioned Big Oscar having a mother or father to interfere with her care of Oscar - I assumed they were both dead. I do believe in those days men were not deemed capable of raising a child and that would explain him coming to your home. My own mother raised her step mother's niece in our home because her mother had died. Her father subsequently remarried and had a second family but did not take her in his home until she was 16 and could be of assistance with his young family.

Little Oscar's mother did keep in touch with her children. I remember him telling Tom they saw her infrequently.

Little Oscar may be the source of

[Same page, sheet 3 lifted to show sheet 4.] 4) some Valley family information for you. He is a friendly person and made us welcome.

I see I have taken a month to answer your letter, perhaps you have already been in touch with Oscar.

We are well at the moment. [Two sentences of news about a young grandchild, left out of this transcription.]

Trust you are both well. I send you my best, and thanks for the fascinating reading material. Jean.

[Under the letter, the enclosed clipping: "To Son, With Love—and Not Too Much Starch," by James G. Schneider, from the Wall Street Journal, a Mother's Day piece about the mailing cases college students used in the 1930s and '40s to send their laundry home, which came back clean with cookies or fudge tucked inside. Summarized, not copied.] [Jean's note on the clipping:] Did you read this in the Wall St Journal. I thought of Tom sending his laundry to Flushing from Lancaster. [GEV's label:] FROM JEAN VALLEY, 27 June '86 [GEV's note below:] I had one of these too - for all 4 yrs at MIT just like the man said - cookies. GEV

[Same page with Jean's sheets lifted, showing the whole clipping "To Son, With Love—and Not Too Much Starch". See n010.]