Not Every Family Heirloom Is Fancy... Some Bought Butter.

Could This War Ration Book Belong to Your Family?

Every now and then, an artifact comes along that quietly tells the story of an ordinary family living through extraordinary times.

This World War II War Ration Book has been patiently waiting in my collection for the right family to find it. It belonged to John Floyd Grau, his wife Corrine Edna, and their children, who called Gary, Indiana home during one of the most challenging periods in American history.

It's amazing how something as ordinary as a ration book can become such an extraordinary piece of family history.

(One small note for the history buffs: the cover is labeled War Ration Book Five, but the booklets inside are actually War Ration Book Four. Even government paperwork wasn't immune to confusion.)

The booklet is War Ration V but the Ration books inside are labeled Ration IV.

Life on the Home Front

When we think about World War II, our minds often go to soldiers overseas. But this little booklet reminds us that millions of families were serving in their own way right here at home.

During the 1940s, Gary, Indiana was one of America's industrial powerhouses. Its steel mills worked around the clock, producing the steel needed to build ships, tanks, aircraft, and countless other supplies that supported the Allied war effort.

John Grau was part of that story.

Born in 1911, John registered for the nation's first peacetime draft in October 1940. A year later, he married Corrine Edna in nearby Porter, Indiana—just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor would forever change the lives of American families.

After the war, John worked for United States Steel Corporation, helping build not only America's industries but also a future for his own family.

Writing on the back of the Ration booklet

More Than Just Coupons

War Ration Book Four was issued in October 1943, and every member of the household—adults and children alike—received one.

These weren't simply books filled with stamps.

They represented sacrifice.

Families used them to buy everyday necessities like meat, butter, canned goods, sugar, and cooking oils. Purchasing these items required both money and the correct ration stamps. It meant planning meals carefully, making substitutions, and learning that "making do" wasn't just a saying—it was a way of life.

For families like the Graus, rationing became another way to support the war effort.

A Family Story That Continued

Like so many American families, the Graus' story didn't end when the war did.

John passed away in 1967, remembered as a steelworker, husband, father, and Freemason.

Corrine lived until 1989, but not before experiencing a heartbreak no parent should endure. Both of her children passed away in 1988—their son Spencer, who proudly served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, in January, and their daughter Kathleen just a few months later in August.

Looking at those dates, it's hard not to pause for a moment.

This little ration book survived a world war.

It witnessed a marriage, a family, years of change, and generations of history.

And somehow... it survived long enough to end up here.

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Could You Help Bring It Home?

This is exactly why I do what I do.

Every photograph, letter, Bible, document, or artifact has a story—and every now and then, that story finds its way back to the family it belongs to.

I'm hoping to reunite this World War II ration book with a direct descendant of John Floyd Grau and Corrine Edna Grau.

If the names John, Corrine, Spencer, or Kathleen Grau sound familiar—or if you think this family might be part of your family tree—I would love to hear from you.

Please share this story with anyone researching the Grau family. You never know whose aunt, cousin, or great-grandparent might recognize a name.

Because around here, we're always chasing one simple idea:

Every antique has a story... and every story deserves to find its way home.

Help Bring This Home