About Letter 160- Mudder to Bill

This letter, which never reached Bill and was returned as "undeliverable" is the only known letter from "Mudder" included in this collection. She has lost all interest in Christmas now that it is certain Bill will not be home. Mudder is puzzled about a wooden crate they received in the mail marked as from Bill which contained "one very swell vacuum cleaner" and speculates that it must have been sent to the wrong address. (note: In fact Bill did send it and eventually the vacuum cleaner ended up with Bill and his new family after the war. As a child I distinctly remember it being used by my mother and, believe it or not, she told me recently that after all these years she still has it buried away with the junk in her garage-Greg Taylor). In closing Mudder sends a newspaper clipping of a Drew Pearson article on "the caste system in the navy".

About Mudder

Bill's mother Alice Aten Taylor was born on September 26, 1900 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The first Aten arrived in the new world from Holland in 1650. Not much is known about Alice's early life. The Aten family consisted of Elijah and Elizabeth Aten, two daughters, including Alice and a boy and girl from Elizabeth's first marriage.

Alice married William Wellington Taylor in 1920 and shortly thereafter they moved from Scranton to Los Angeles. The Taylor's only child, Bill Jr. was born in 1925.

Although little is known about Alice's formal education it is clear that she was well educated and very informed about current affairs. She had a keen interest in politics and was very opinionated. Much of Bill's political awareness, cynicism and sarcasm is inherited from his mother. Alice characterized herself as a housewife and homemaker. She was devoted to her husband and only son.