• General Notes

  Helen was graduated from Salem High School, Salem, Washington County, Indiana in 1933.  She attended Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana for two years and then was graduated in 1937 from Indiana University, Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana with a sociology degree.  At Indiana University she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.  Helen worked at the Teachers' Placement Bureau at IU after her graduation.  She was also employed by the F.B.I. office in Indianapolis.  After her marriage to Carl Theodore "Ted" Renne in 1947, she and Ted moved to South America where Ted had been a special agent with the F.B.I. during World War II.  At the time of Helen's death on May 14, 1960, she and Ted and their three daughters had been living at 623 West Main Street, phone number 83, in Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana for seven and a half years.  The family came to Madison from South America where they had lived in Chile and Peru for six years.  Helen was a member of the local Tri Kappa chapter, the Madison Woman's Club, a past president of the Lydia Middleton PTA, a Girl Scout troop leader, the Madison Township Advisory Board, the League of Women Voters, the Trinity Methodist Church and its W.S.C.S, and she voluntarily taught Spanish to elementary pupils of Lydia Middleton school. 
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  Return address on envelope:
  Pfc. Sam Laudeman 35147233
  Det. of Patients, Hosp Plant 4175 apo 121, c/o Pstmn. NY, NY
  Postmarked:
  November 24, 1944
  Addressed to:
  Helen Cavanaugh
  1235 N. Delaware #208, Indianapolis, Indiana
  Contents of letter:
  
  Tues nite Nov. 21
  Hello There Helen,
  Got your letter today.  Thanks a lot.  We didn’t get very much for about 3 1/2 months so now when we have mail call here everyone is damned glad to hear what’s happening.
  Hey I hear there’s a cigarette shortage in the states.  We’ve gone a little over a week on the lines sometimes without getting any, so if the papers back there say what I imagine they’re saying don’t believe them..
  That sure was some experience having a fellow stick a gun in your ribs.  Will tell you exactly what I would have done.  Would have stuck my hands up right away and boy I’m not kidding either.  Every time when we started an attack my knees had a quarrel.
  Aunt Lillian [Lillian Annette Roberts m. Guy Shrum] sent a picture of Buddy [Guy Addison Shrum, s/o Lillian and Guy].  He sure looks good in his whites.  When we both get back, we’ll all have to have a big reunion  Maybe Ted will be back for a while by then, and Buddy can bring his gal friend and I’ll bring Ebbie and Sambo.  That’s what Ebbie has nicknamed him and it will probably stick.  Glad to hear about your love life Helen.  It’s a hell of a thing when the next to the youngest of the bunch has to start the ball rolling.  Maybe Martha [Sam's sister] and Carol [Carol Jean Shrum, d/o Lillian and Guy] will have a little outside interest then too.  Damn I’m a vicious little cupid.  Ha!
  Well Helen there’s not much happening around here in the hospital to write about.  We eat, sleep, and read the latest magazines (last July’s).  Used to get enough practice on my German to give you some return competition on that Spanish you’re quoting me but can’t put it in this letter because the further behind the lines you get the bigger and better the spy scares go.  They -- well I won’t say it, but I’ll be glad to get back to my outfit again anyway.  Will write more later.  Good luck to you Helen and write again.  If you write in the next 3 weeks after you get this, write to the hospital and they’ll forward it.  After that write to my outfit.  [draws an arrow]
  Name ASN
  Med. Det. 318th Inf.
  APO 80
  c/o P. NY, NY
  Love, Sam

Details of Helen Beatrice's family with Carl Theodore "Ted" Renne