Summer is over so I can resume sharing the Love Letters from EO Lindbloom to sweetheart Mardean Saunders:

Editorial note: These letters start after Edwin visited Mardean for the first time and apparently declaration of marriage was proposed.

Camp Howze Texas

28 June 1945

Thursday 7:45 AM to 9:45 PM

Dearest Sweet:

I have a few minutes before the beginning of the working day so I thought I would get this started and maybe I’ll get it finished before the end of the day. It looks like we are going to have another beautiful hot day--the wind is blowing a little bit so perhaps we’ll survive the heat.

My movie camera film came back today from the Kansas City laboratories--all I have to do now is find an 8 MM projector. When I maybe a sneak preview I’ll write and let you know what kind of an Hollywood aspirant you turned out to be…Who know you might be another Greta Garbo. From the looks of the film I think you might be photogenic and that’s good.

My letter from you today did not arrive but guess what happened….The first letter that you wrote on June 19th just arrived but thru some one else’s mistake it has been floating around the camp. Anyway I read it with much glee and excitement---in fact so far I have read it over three times with a possible fourth coming up. And with each reading I find greater interest.

The Presto cooker sounds like a good idea….I guess a cupboard full of utensils is necessary when two people get the same ideas as you and I have.

Now that you mention the incident of my meeting Vern Seamons at the Mission Home in Salt lake I am reminded that I did visit there and talked with a bunch of the Elders just going out into the field. I am surprised that he remembered after all these years. It just goes to show how people can remember things when they want to. I hope people don’t remember all the bad things that I have done in the past 10 years---at least to broadcast them to the world.

I called Orson just before my train left Ogden and explained that it would be wiser for me to leave on the train leaving at noon rather than leave at 7:00 p.m. as I had originally planned. He excused me from my promise of helping him. I certainly would like to have helped him since that was the least I could have done for him after all the wonderful consideration that he had shown me during my visit to Zion. I’ll make it up to him in some other way if I am able. I consider Orson as one of my bet friends and hope that I can keep our friendship up to standard. And the things that he or I mean we talked about should make your ears tingle--of course they were all good things---

I guess I really or I mean We really took my folks by storm….They just couldn’t figure me establishing a beachhead in such a short time however whether they showed it or not they have given us the family blessing and I’m sure they have a nice wedding gift in mind at which they slightly hinted toward. So I gather from all observation that they are happy about the outcome---they said toward the end of the family council that the real reason for their coming to Zion was to get Eric and I married to the right people.

Brother Eric is quite pleased with our arrangement. He has always been a real pal to me and I take his advice on important matters. He has exhibited plenty of common sense and logic in all his doings. He says you are tops. Of course Hannah will be pleased without any stretch of our imaginations.

Now my sweet you must tell me what your relatives had to say about me. I mean those that I met including your sisters and brother. You’ve got more relatives than King Solomon’s Grandson.

My love - time and place bids me conclude this bantering for now ee tomorrow I’ll white again.

Love, Love and more Love my Darling

Your Eddie







In reply refer to: Headquarters Camp Howze
Your love of Camp Howze Office of the Quartermaster
Camp Howze, Texas

29 June 1945

Subject: Love and Miss Mardean Saunders

To: Miss Mardean Saunders


Dearest Sweet:

Today has come and gone and no mail---my morale has hit a new low. You gotta send me them sugar reports on time sweet or you’ll be having me in the jug for not keeping my mind on my work.
One of the girls at the office said that there would be days like this and also said it was too much for any man to expect his Lady to write every day. I told her a few things about the difference between Mormon girls and gentiles. So Sweet--it will have to be two letters tomorrow or else I’ll lose my faith in womankind.
The weather is getting hotter and hotter---by July and August I’ll be wasted away to almost a shadow. The wind blows here most of the time but it feels like a blast furnace. The nights have been fairly cool so far but I dread the nights when the full summer heat will be turned on.
Tomorrow is pay-day so I’m going to pay up my late bills (those accrued while on leave) and some tithing accounts. After that I will try the budget system.
So much for this and so much for that. They tell me that it will take about 6 months to make the budget idea work. I never did practice the budget way before but I suppose every married couple do sooner or later.
Do you think that we’ll ever get rich or shall we be like the Indian Yogi’s --practice poverty like a religion in order to exalt our souls after death?
Well Sweet--Did I ever tell you that I love ya lots and lots and lots. And now I just thought of an excellent idea---for every day I don’t get a letter I’m subtracting one kiss from your allotment - What think you of the idea?
It’s time to go now so here is hoping that tomorrow’s mail will be more fruitful than today’s
Lovingly
Eddie





I wish I could scan this letter to do it justice. It is typed on a Property Issue Slip.

To: Miss Mardean Saunders, Hyde Park, Utah TYPE OF ISSUE: INITIAL LOVE
For: The Sweetest girl in the United States INITIAL: Yes REPLACEMENT; none needed

ITEM NO. 1 STOCK NO : Forty-Love: NOMENCLATURE: Bundle of Loveliness UNIT ea AUTHORIZED ALLOWANCE: daily ON HAND: none DUE IN: Plenty ACTION: soon

Dearest Sweet:
Yours of the 26th arrived at noon for which I am thankful but who says that I write shorter letters than you do? My little love- just you count the words in my letters per page and I’ll bet my last nickel that over a period of a week I’ll write more than 100 more words than you do---Now what do you say about that?/???
Sweetie I go on the theory that rare things are small and small things are rare which in turn makes them expensive and hard to get so---that’s why my letters are so priceless. I don’t suppose that you agree with me on ideas like these so I’ll let it go at that.
Every morning when I wake up I keep telling myself that I have had another dream when I think of the wonderful time I had with you and your folks. Now it doesn’t seem true because I’ve been tossed into dreary drudging camp routine to the point that things don’t seem the same anymore It seems like I’ve stumbled on to a Pearl of Great Price and I cannot get myself to believe that such a wonderful arrangement could happen to me.
There could be many tings happen that would change bother of our minds on things marital but if we both loved each other enough to withstand any outside influence or surmount thte troubles that would normally arise along life’s rocky road to happiness, I am sure we could win out in the end.
If I got sent over-seas---you would probably do like all the rest of the good women of the land---just wait and wait. At least that is what you are doing now and what does it matter whether I’m in Texas or Timbuktu as long as the element of waiting can’t change. Just think how long I’ve waited for you----did you ever think that over….And it is and was much harder for a man to withstand temptations than it is for a women----or would you rather present an argument on the subject.
Will you send me the words to our song---”I’ll be loving you always” I
will try and learn the tune along with the words.
Have you heard from Hannah lately, that is since my leaving Utah?
Have you heard from George and Jean since their wedding?
Well Little Miss Eve - I miss you tonight and certainly could use some of your sweet kisses.
I miss you
I need you
I love you
Eddie