ALS signed twice, “Love, Lee,” two pages, lightly-lined on two adjoining sheets, 5.5 x 8, December 13, 1961. A letter home to his mother, Marguerite Oswald. In full (spelling and grammar retained): “We recieded your post card today and also the first package of books which you sent us a month and a-half ago. I sure do appreciate your help. I think we’ll get together if we finally get back to the states, and maybe we’ll be able to settle in Texas. I hope everything is allright with you, why do you change address’s so often? I sent you and Robert a Christmas card, and even Aunt Lilian in New Orleans, do you write to them at all? or to Aunt Lilian. Has John been writing to you lately?
When you write you can send us just post cards instead of letters they are cheaper and Marina enjoys the pictures of Texas and America. Snow is on the ground here and will be until April or May. Marina is feeling fine and everything is O.K. with that. Marina laughed when she heard your question about babies born at home or in hospitals of course allmost everyone here has their babys in the hospitial. Your choice of books is very good, thanks alot for them. Marina sends her love and hopes you recived her thank-you letter for the beautiful scraf you sent her." He then adds a brief postscript, in full: "P. S. I wrote this letter on one day but didn’t get to send it till today, when I recivied your second package of books, (cowboys & times) so I shall thank you for them also." In fine condition, with trivial brushing to the second signature.
This letter was an official exhibit (No. 187) in the Warren Commission investigation into the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and, like most of the exhibits, is protectively and permanently soft-laminated with an identification label affixed at the top; this was also previously held in the collection of Dr. John K. Lattimer and bears his pencil identification number to a lower corner. The newly wed Lee and Marina Oswald would joyfully become parents two months later, but their optimism would soon wane as they struggled to obtain exit visas from the Russian government. In addition to the cards Oswald mentions that he sent, his mother testified before the Warren Commission that she also received ‘wonderful gifts’ of ‘a box of tea, very fine tea’ and ‘a box of candy for Christmas that has a Russian Santa Claus on it.’ An exceptional Texas content letter from the well-respected Lattimer collection. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA.
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