picking up the pieces with letters

Picking Up the Pieces with Letters by Diane Conroy

In the last issue of Home & Harvest magazine, I wrote about how the Lorang family responded, as did the rest of the United States, when they were called to war. World War II was not kind to the Lorang family. Many of them ended up being flung far and wide. But it was with letters that they stayed in contact and those who were left returned again and again to their first home, the White Spring Ranch.

Two of the brothers and sisters of Henry Lorang passed away in 1945. His younger sister Mollie Lorang Whalen was in California. She had married in 1913, then she lost one of her young daughters, Marie and then she lost her husband, Charlie. Mollie ended up going to California to be with her other daughter, Monica, who had become a radio singer. The bright light at the time was that Monica Whalen was a wellknown singer who actually sang with Bing Crosby for a bit. Mollie supported her daughter in the beginning of her career, then passed away in 1945. Henry’s older brother Peter Lorang also passed away in 1945 from a heart condition. He had moved up in the banking profession and had been working as a National Bank Examiner in New York City. This is a 1942 letter that Peter’s wife Charlotte wrote during the war and it shows the conditions they were going through.

“Dear Joan (daughter of Henry): We received the announcement of your Commencement Exercises, and want to congratulate you on your accomplishments, which undoubtedly were made under difficulties at times. I wish so much it were possible for me to make this occasion with some nice gift to you- however that isn’t possible so we must extend the will without the material gift. I am sending you by parcel-post a few things I have gotten too Fat and too Old to use, and you probably can use. I do want to tell you that it is fun to share with you, and hope you will enjoy using the things. The pictures on the other side of this note are pictures of the building we live in out on the Narrows, which is the channel leading in the East River and the Hudson River from the Ocean. All ships to and from the Atlantic pass here. It is a pleasant place to come to after a difficult day in the Too Big City – it clocks about 9 miles from the downtown (Financial) district of the city. This is Memorial Day so we are at home. Uncle Peter necessarily spends most of his time at home in bed, because of his heart condition. He can’t ride street cars, subways or buses any more. so always has to go work in his car. Parking space in downtown New York is 70 cents a day now- so you imagine what it takes to drive a car to work here. He is not permitted to walk more than a couple of blocks at a time, so we have to park very near his work always. No cars are allowed on the streets at all anymore, since the declaration of war. Peter has been working in Newark, New Jersey, during the past three weeks. That is a 20 mile drive morning and night in heavy traffic; however that job has finished yesterday, and we leave for work out in the district, (too far to commute) so will have to stay out for a month or two. I do not leave him alone nights in those towns, so have to go along. I spend my days in those towns working at Red Cross every day, so the time doesn’t hang on my hands. Again congratulations and a happy and successful future to you. Fondly Charlotte + Peter”

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The 1940’s had several difficult days. In 1946, Bob the oldest son of Marguerite and Henry Lorang made it through the end of the war but he didn’t make it home. Bob died in a plane accident in 1946, when the fuel line did not switch to the 2nd tank in an A26. Bob and his co-pilot crashed into the Sea of Japan May 16, 1946. Henry Lorang was in the hospital again at the time and survived with the help of his kids and friends and letters.

Mother Marguerite Lorang also had a very difficult time since Henry was in the hospital in 1941. She she was completely overwhelmed with 11 children and the Ranch to run. With all of the animals to take care of, all the eggs to sell and the older boys gone to war it was too much for her and she ended up spending four months in the hospital for a nervous breakdown. The children wrote her letters and she wrote back very loving motherly letters. Marguerite though still had difficulties after leaving the hospital and had to be helped with the Catholic Daughters Association to gradually get back into a nursing position, which she had done during WWI. Marguerite and the children continue to write back-and-forth for several years in very sweet letters.

“April 9, 1942

Dear Mother, How are you? We got the yard raked Saturday. We have a lot of spinach now. Some of our flowers are in bloom. Rita went to school Tuesday. Good by. Lois

Dear Mother, Rita got a buggy full of candy from Aunt Bert. Jean gave me a basket for my birthday. We had spinach for three days. Mary Alice

Dear Mother, I halled a box of ships in. And a big pile of wood. I picked a lot of spinach. I got 90 in our spelling test. We all hope to see you soon. Albert

Dear Mother, Yesterday Mary Alice and I played house. We kids made a flower garden. Joan made a real pretty cake for Easter. It had green and red cake decoration on it. Good-by Rita”

“Sunday April 19, 1942 My Dear Little Honey Bonnies, Mother was sure happy a week ago yesterday to get such lovely letters form you kiddies. Lois dear, I do hope you were not too disappointed, not having your coat for Easter. I am sure Joan or Pat could finish it there is so little to do on it just finish tacking the lining and the buttons.

Mary Alice, Mother was so pleased that you were praying for her. Honey you can wear that rose colored silk dress and your white stockings for good also that blue knit coat. Any of your work dresses for school. Albert, Honey you sure are a good boy to help so much with the work. I know how better it looks with the wood and ships halled in. (wood chips) For you to pick the spinach must have been a big help for the girls. 90 is a good grade in a county spelling test. Albert you can wear that suit in the drawer in my bedroom for good. Mother’s little Honey Bonnie Rita, how I would love to have you here so I could love and kiss you. I know you are a good girl and help a lot with the work. I hope your flower garden grows, and that you will have some pretty flowers. Now all be good kiddies and eat lots of spinach. Lots of love and kisses from Mother. I have been worrying about the Prom. I do hope you children were able to get your clothes so you could go and have a good time. Pat if you did not get to go I will be terribly disappointed. If it is ever possible I sure will make it up for you. I planned so much on making and seeing you in your first formal. There is so little I can say, and I guess it is just as well as it does no good any way. I would love to hear from Bob. Love to All, Mother”

Joan and Mary Frances (Pat), the oldest daughters, helped out quite a bit and the older boys, Jim and John, helped out when they could, but they were all getting old enough to go off to school or return to school. The younger children grow up connecting with their Mother with letters and seeing her whenever they could. The children began to be flung far and wide, with marriages and school, but they continued to connect with letters and for years later returned to see each other at White Spring Ranch. I know somehow that since the beginning of our Restoration in 2003, some of those people that really care seem to have been helping us. Hopefully they’re looking down and enjoying what is happening now. Every once in a while something happens then it makes us wonder. One time we found on Facebook that somebody needed a pink peony for a photo shoot. When they showed up to shoot a picture of the peony it turned out that it was the same person that had just gotten a position at the U of Idaho in the volunteer department. And we needed volunteers. One day last Spring, WSU volunteers showed up and even though it was a little chilly, one student said he wanted to work outside. He turned out to be an excellent carpenter and works for us a while doing some amazing things. When we needed the boom truck to take down the gearbox of the 1930’s windmill for restoration, one of the cousins saw a boom truck south of Moscow parked in the Lowell tree service parking lot. She ran in to inquire about the use of the truck. It turns out that her husband’s brother, her brother-in-law, had just started working for the Lowell tree company. We were able to use the boom to fix the windmill, because they knew who we were and knew it would be handled well. I hope they keep smiling down on us. We could use the help. We have now found on site, 4,300 letters and counting, with several pages.