Ethel Pereira Papers

This collection consists of letters sent to Great Lakes sailor Lester C. Pereira by his wife, Ethel, during the 1935 and 1936 sailing seasons. During this time, Lester sailed aboard the GRAND ISLAND and EMORY L. FORD. The average sailor could be away from home for several months at a time. Most of the letters discuss routine subjects like family matters, Ethel's health, domestic issues, her work, the weather, and the couple's desire to be reunited as soon as possible. On several occasions Ethel indicates her strong desire for Lester to find employment on land and closer to home, but this may not have been possible due to the ongoing Great Depression. She is often frank about serious personal issues in her life, including harassment by a family friend and the diagnosis and removal of an ovarian growth. Letters in the latter part of 1936 also discuss the Spanish Civil War and the presidential election.