From Moravia to Texas

As the early 20th century steadily recedes into the distant past, many details of daily life during that American pre-depression period fade to an increasingly abstract perspective, void of the feeling brought to life in this loving couple’s extensive and valuable correspondence. The minute details of everyday life become more important as the distance in decades between their readers and the correspondence, increases. This is a rare first-hand account of the stress and hardships of a country nurse, and country doctor and WWI veteran, from humble origins. With the advent of WWI, there is also the beginning of the ‘medical corps’ in General “Black Jack” Pershing’s notional army, which later became a permanent institution in the federalized U.S.A. army in WWII. Before this time, organized medical and nursing services were almost completely lacking, with tragic consequences in the American war between the States, only 60 years before Joe and Golda’s correspondence. This was a condition said not to have been resolved until the conclusion of Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ of the 1930’s–early 40’s and the demands of WWII, that the great advances in medicine and nursing care achieved in the hospitals of the north eastern United States, had finally reached all corners of this country.