Floyd Boyce Phillips was one of millions of boys from the United States who were sent across the Atlantic to the Old Country to fight in the Great War. In this series of posts, we follow the 101st anniversary of Floyd’s journey and get glimpses of what was going on at home while he was over there.

Many thanks to Coralee for providing me with artifacts throughout the years and especially for the stack of WWI-era letters that were delivered to me on 31 May 2019. They have provided countless hours of family history entertainment.

– Denise

Florence Estelle Manning, the fiance of Floyd’s brother Arthur Guy Phillips, wrote another friendly letter to Floyd, or “Foe” as she called him. She was recovering nicely from her appendicitis. Florence had never gotten around to mailing the letter she wrote a few weeks earlier, but included that in this envelope too.

283 Grand Ave.

Oct. 22 ’18.

Dear Foe:

I received and welcomed your letter this P.M. Was surly glad to hear from you. I called your mother and she said she had received three (I believe) from you. Also the one for Albert and she was more than anxious to send it off to Albert as she knew he would be so tickled to get it.

It really does seem quite a while since you left here. And how I would like to have a little chat with Foe. Glad to year you were still carrying the four leaf clover and hope it will bring good luck to you.

You will know long before this reaches you, about my operation for appendicitis. I got ‘thru’ just fine and really am quite myself again altho’ I have not gained back all my strength as I have only been out of the hospital three weeks. But I am fast on the road to good health again. I surly missed Arthur during my sickness and I know it gruired him not to be here. He had just been gone one week when I was taken sick, but there was to much for the boy to do in Canada to think of coming home to me as long as I got along so well.

I feel sure that I will be happy up there with him, Foe and I am perhaps one of the happiest girls in Aurora to-day.

I use to wonder about some girls who left their home, married and went away off to some new country. I use to wonder if they were happy and contented so far away.

But Floyd I feel different since I met your brother. I expect him home about Nov. 1^st.

You spoke in yours of the 10^th about putting in your application for something but it was marked out when censored so I do not know what it was but if you succeed I wish you the best of luck.

I hope you will not get into the influenza. It has been pretty serious here. In private homes as well as in camps; perhaps your mother has told you the sad news of Herbert Klinks death of influenza. They seem to have it checked now to a certain extent, my brother-in-law who is still at the Great Lakes has been lucky so far to escape it.

I am sorry I haven’t some pictures to send you but Albert has one camera and Arthur the other. When Arthur comes home I will try and have him send you more. I know how you appreciate them.

I am enclosing a letter which I started to you while in the hospital, it will be rather stale I know but I’ll send it anyway.

I hope this will soon be over Floyd and we can give you a welcome home coming.

I am always glad to hear from you. And will write again soon.

With Love,

From your little sister (to be) Flo.

Next…

Inquisitive Letter from Uncle Clarence

Who is Who?

Guy and Gertrude Phillips Family

Floyd was the middle of the five sons of Gertrude Lovin Boyce and Guy Allison Phillips.

Sources:

“Flo” [Florence Estelle Manning] (Aurora, Illinois) to “Foe” [Floyd Boyce Phillips], letter, 22 October 1918; privately held by Denise Krueger, Rochester, MN, 2019.

The Phillips Family

---