Tag Archives: Eugene O. McGraw

Roscoe – July 31, 1969

Letter transcription:

Dear Kat, Debbie, Bonnie & Dave,

We arrived at the Bangkok airport on A.L. Flight #750 and would you believe Sunalinee Nikathanonta and a girl friend were there to meet us – They really were! This girl Sunalinee, I had seen the day she left Purdue. She graduated this spring and came in to me to get the shots she needed to go to Peru, Japan, & Hong Kong also Thailand. I told her we were going to be in Bangkok and she said she would meet us. Where upon I got out of the room, but she got the flight number, etc., and she really was there. She explained, Sunalinee that is, that she had been back only one week and since she had been away 3 years she was a little rusty on her driving and had brought her girlfriend along, but Sunalinee was doing the driving. Now we have had wild rides but this was something else. I’m beginning to think the Buddha religion might be the best, since we made it to the hotel safely. Someone or something surely must have protected. I had thought that in Karachi maybe it was Mohammed that was protecting & maybe their religion was the thing. I really know someone had to protect those people. Here was a fellow riding down the street with a bicycle loaded with bottles & cans and about the time I would close my eyes & listen for the crash – crash and/or the tinkle-tinkle all that was heard was a “huh-huh,” a wave of the hand and the cycle which seemed to have a hinge in the middle scurried on down the street and “squeezed” between two more cars, a camel cart or another cycle, etc. – Allah was there??

Getting back to Bangkok – after arriving & registering at the hotel our host Sunalinee informed us we were to be taken out to a Thai restaurant for some Thai food. We arrived at the hotel at 6:00 PM and at 7:00 the phone rang & she and her party were ready to go. This time we were to ride in the car with Boonlest Pheruk and his girlfriend Samporum Sruyakorin. I didn’t pronounce those names either. Anyway this was another wild adventure. It was explained that the traffic was “a little bad” and believe me “a little” was not the proper words to use. We went thru Chinatown. This was a one way street. To me it looked like a six land highway but at times they were seven cars abreast with cars parked on both sides. Of course, there were the usual cycles both human & motor powered squeezing in & out but we made the journey to the eating place. We were told the population of

[page 2] Bangkok was 3 million. I’m convinced of that number. I believe each person has 2 cars and both of them were downtown. Either the maid or the butler had the other car and they were all downtown. Most of these car horns are blowing at regular intervals. I have never heard an oriental cuss. I think they just get in their car do down the street like h— and blow their horns when they are mad and many really had a mad on that night. We have been around quite a bit in that whole 10 miles or so I didn’t see a single person I knew but it was getting rather dark and after all most of those people were foreigners, and another thing it was getting dark. The sun goes down at a reasonable hour here and it comes up the same way. At home the sun goes down at 9 or so. When it is 10:00 PM here is is 10:00 AM in New York according to the big clock in the Bangkok airport. In other words Bangkok & Boston have the same time. Here it is 12 hrs ahead of them.

When we got here we were home sick & decided not to go any further. Our next stop is Malaysia and we will be ½ nearer home. I suppose you have received word from us some places along the line. We have to write to keep from getting homesick – wanta Bet!! Nothing else to see wanta bet!!?

Oh! Yes the Thai food. I guess it all had a name. Some of it looked familiar & some didn’t, some was good & some was ?? The geography & history of some would have been nice to know but others I wouldn’t even have wanted to know the incorrect spelling. The pace was an open air indoor outdoor affair – much noise and much hot-hot. The “hotness” outside could not always equal the hot inside. I looked down inside my shirt once and saw a drop of sweat on my stomach & just then I swallowed something hot, the drop of sweat vaporized just like a drop of water on a tri plate with a blow torch under it. I didn’t eat more than three more bites of that liquid fire. Naturally, we said it was good.

The ride back to the hotel was uneventful. We had a good night’s sleep and breakfast on the veranda. This overlooked a river and we enjoyed the traffic – small boats, barges, large boats, sail boats, etc. I presume ach had a purpose out in the stream but one wonders if there were that many purposes in a town such as this. We didn’t have much time since we had to be at the air port 1 ½ hrs. before plane time and it takes 45 minutes to get there. The Thai people are looking forward to the visit of Pres. Nixon in the next few days. I’ll just bet he doesn’t get the thrill out of the trip from the airport that we did. Our fiend said good-bye last night and promised to call us at the hotel where we will stay on our way to Hong Kong after going to Penang to Indonesia. I hope she keeps her promise and does not try to meet us at the airport. Anyway we are off to Penang.

Hope you are the same

RSY

(over)

After giving Louise the pictures – (we viewed them one evening) I read your letter again and decided you meant for me to leave the duplicates here. I didn’t remember what you had said in your last letter since I was hurrying to finish our preparation to leave so when you received letter from Penang you probably wondered what was going on.

Getting ready to go out to dinner with a Chinese couple from church Mac & Louise attend. Have been seeing much here in Penang. Hope my camera has been working properly.

Love, Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/06/21/roscoe-july-31-1969/

Gladys – October 18, 1968

4 Replies

Letter transcription:

Oct. 18, 1968

Dear David and Bonnie (and Debby)

This is not going to be long since my electric is in shop for repairs and believe me, it is no fun to use this old Remington.

Your birth certificate copy is enclosed, also some copies of pictures you requested some time ago. I just didn’t get around to having them made.

We are still having beautiful, warm fall weather, but I have a feeling we are going to have some cooler weather. There is a football game tomorrow and according to the forecast is will just be pleasant since no rain is forecast. Since Purdue lost last Saturday to Ohio State, I rather think they will not be going to the Rose Bowl in January. Dad had thought they would be top team this year, but last Saturday they failed, but completely. Dad listened to the game on the radio until it got so bad he lost interest and went about doing work on one of his projects. He is beginning a project in my office to elevate the safe and make a shelf or two. I want the safe at eye level height (now I have to stand on my head, almost with shelves above and below).

I was quite surprised when I read your letter that you plan a trip to Europe. We won’t be going until August. Bonnie’s Mother and Dad have invited us to visit them in Penang in August, and that is the best time to get a vacation at Purdue. We do plan to be in Europe and visit the Yegerlehners, but that will be after you are there. However, we can write you a letter of introduction and with your German, you should have no trouble conversing with any of them. I just presumed you would be in school next summer.

I thought for a little while this morning I might be attending a UN seminar next week, but after a few telephone calls, found the funds were not available and besides, I have quite a heavy schedule here. The minister in charge of arranging the seminar called me about it. Since our Conference sent a bus load of people to participate in the Poor Peoples Campaign, the seminar money was used and it is no longer available for the seminar. Well, maybe something else will turn up. I would enjoy seeing you and Bonnie and especially Debby.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/04/29/gladys-october-18-1968/

Newest Grandchild

3 Replies

“Cape Ann births,” Gloucester Daily Times (Gloucester, Massachusetts), August 1968, p. 8

YEGERLEHNER

Rev. and Mrs. David A. Yegerlehner of 17 Hale Street, Rockport, announce the arrival of a daughter, Deborah Ruth, on Aug. *, at the Addison Gilbert Hospital. She weighed seven pounds, 11 ounces.

Maternal grandparents are Rev. and Mrs. Eugene McGraw of Penang, Malaysia. Maternal great – grandparents are Mrs. Emil Sandwen of Avon and Mr. and Mrs. Oliver McGraw of Centerville, Ind.

Paternal grandparents are Dr. and Mrs. R. S. Yegerlehner of Lafayette, Ind.

[Editor’s note: I wrote about my birth for the Book of Me project four years ago. Read it again here.]

© 2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/04/22/newest-grandchild/

Project Concern

1 Reply

transcription:

Jan. 4, 1968

Dear David and Bonnie:

It is staying at about 10 or a little above today with a strong wind, so feels much colder. I have been getting figures ready for income tax figuring. Have an appointment with a C.P.A. Saturday to have him do the final figuring. Next year we won’t have such a problem, since the income is now just about what we get from Purdue, I don’t have so much figuring or book work to do. We do have a few little items trickling in, but what comes in now won’t be hard to take care of. Had a thank-you note from Edna. She spent some time in Memphis with Betty Joe, but came back to Indiana today. She said it was much warmer there, but she thought for her own good she should come back and try to find some work. Since she has no special training, except as secretary in our office, she may have a hard time finding something. She said in Memphis her big trouble was her age. I do hope she finds something she likes. We had been paying her for working on records, so she really has not been without a pay check for very long.

We went to see Dick Van Dyke in Fitzwilly, which we did enjoy. There is a new movie house close to us and they have opened with Walt Disney’s Jungle Book. We didn’t think we would particularly care to see it, but may go just to see what it is like.

I trust you had an enjoyable visit with John. We haven’t heard from him since his return. It has been so cold here, we were wondering how he got home from the airport, or if he left his car there. We got the slides back and as soon as we get some prints made will send them. The pictures were all good, but Bonnie doesn’t look too happy in one. John gave me a record of Balinese music and the opera Parsifal. I am listening to the latter now.

One of these days I will get Bonnie’s coat sent back, but I had such a rush before Christmas I didn’t try to send it. Also since you said it wasn’t warm enough for real cold weather, I didn’t think there was any hurry. We received a calendar from Mac & Louise today. Those pictures of southeast Asia makes the cold today seem even worse.

We have given the entire contents of our office to Project Concern and have put the building on the market. There is a local committee in the Kentland area backing Project Concern and it is their job to get the equipment sent where Dr. Turpin wants it. We have asked that they get it out as soon as possible.

Love Mother

Over

Saw the enclosed in Chicago Tribune

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/04/15/project-concern/

38th Wedding Anniversary

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

May 24, 1967

Dear David and Bonnie:

Last weekend we went to Centerville and had a very enjoyable visit with Louise and Mac. We also visited with Grandpa and Grandma. We both think it is remarkable the way Bonnie’s grandparents continue to be so well and active. We enjoyed a steamboat dinner and now Dad is trying to figure how he can make a steamboat. Knowing your Dad, you know he will get something produced in time. Today I attended a luncheon at the Union Building and a Layman’s meeting in Loeb’s Theatre. After the Layman’s meeting I came home, but saw Rev. McClure and a few other people in the lobby before leaving. This week Dad has been attending meetings and I have two more to attend (he has been going to dinner meetings) so we won’t get much done in the way of packing. We plan to go to Kentland Friday evening. He wants Dr. Logan to do some work on his teeth, and he plans to have office hours on Saturday. We plan to go to Danville and meet John, Lea and Bob at about 6:30 for a smorgasbord dinner, then on to John’s to spend the night. We plan to come back home Sunday evening.

Tomorrow is our 38^th wedding anniversary and this afternoon when Dad came home I started to get something out of the refrigerator and saw a green sack with a decorator bow on it (I don’t know where he got the bow – but the sack was definitely not for gift wrapping) and of course, I knew it was for me. It was a pair of opera glasses. When we go to programs at the Music Hall and I take the binoculars along he thinks they are too clumsy to handle on such occasions – hence the gift. I had gotten a gift for him, so got it out and gave it to him. It was a book about building fences and gates. There is a spot at 118 Juniper Court where I thought he could put a fence – hence the book. We were there this afternoon and after inspecting what Mr. Walker has in that particular spot, rather think my book will not be needed. We do hope you get home this summer to see the new house and lot. The woods back of the house is getting so thick now and the patio back of the house looks like a good place to spend a lazy afternoon, and no lawn to mow back of the house. Dad is going to sell the riding mower, because we only have a lawn in front and there isn’t much side yard. When we get the new addition on, there will be less. We should be hearing from the contractor with all those pretty figures. I said if the living room was larger, we wouldn’t do anything to the house, but Dad says we need another bathroom. The only bathroom in the house is rather tiny and I agree with him, we need another if we ever have company.

Last night John called us about meeting them in Danville and he was wondering if you had definitely decided to come home. He says he would rather you would come to Indiana first, because Lea and Bob are planning to go to California and you will get to see them before they leave if you come here first. Also he was wondering if you knew anything about getting accommodations. Besides being hard to get, the going rate is rather high. Floyd and Ruth want to go and they were talking about the rate being more than $20 a day for a room. Give a thought about the suggestion to come to Indiana first.

As I mentioned before I am attending the Annual Conference – not in its entirety, but just selected meetings. Since we are going to Kentland Friday evening I won’t be able to attend Sat. and Sun. I noticed on the program that there will be an ordination service at the closing service Sunday, but I presume (know) there are those every year. They keep talking about the preacher shortage – it makes me think of the talk about the Dr. shortage. I saw Mary Portteus yesterday, a delegate from the Raub church. I said something about staying healthy – and she said she had to, there was no place to go. I also told her what Dad tells anyone who laments his leaving Kentland – to enroll in Purdue and he will take care of them. I am to attend a luncheon for Christian Social Concerns today. Dorothy Nicholson (they live just back of us) is having a coffee

[page 2] for me this morning for me to meet some of the people who live on her street. If I can get away in time, I will attend a session – Bible Study by the Bishop, at 11:15.

The weather here has finally turned to spring. Yesterday was the warmest day (according to the news) since one day last Sept.

Do you want me to save any of the books I am about to give away? I have not had time to sort them yet, but I rather think the ones I want to get rid of, you wouldn’t want. Let me know.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/04/05/38th-wedding-anniversary/

Office Hours

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

April 13, 1967
12 Sharon Drive
West Lafayette, Indiana 47906

Dear David and Bonnie:

The enclosed came and I should have forwarded it, but thought it might be a statement for the Bible Dictionary which was received in Kentland and which I gave away. You know your Dad has definite ideas about people (firms, etc.) sending you something whether you want it or not and I didn’t think I wanted to pay the postage to send that book back. Well I suppose they figure they will get enough people to pay for them that they can afford to send them out and lose one or two. If they do send an inquiry I may pay for it. I think it was $6.75.

Mac and Louise appeared at the District Meetings and were a great success from all the reports I have had. I heard them at Fowler. They spent the night here before going to Fowler. We invited the minister of Trinity Church and his wife out that evening and went over to Morris Bryant and feasted at the smorgasbord. We came back to the house and had a nice visit. We are supposed to go to Centerville the 20^th of May to visit. The Trinity minister here was in Lebanon several years and knows Floyd and Ruth quite well. He also knows Clarence and his wife told me they attended a picnic at St. Peters one time and met quite a few of the Yegerlehners. We feel we know them.

We are still talking about the house down the street. It is on Juniper Court – just about two blocks from here. It is small, but we plan to add on a room or two. The lot is quite interesting. The back of the house overlooks a wooded ravine. There isn’t much front yard, so there wouldn’t be much grass to mow – just enough to look right in front of the house. There are dogwood trees around the patio – remember how we tried to get dogwood trees to grow in Kentland. We finally succeeded in getting one to live. There is even an outdoor fireplace on the patio. It is quite secluded, so we could even entertain there if we wanted to. The square footage isn’t enough in the existing house to afford 3 bedrooms, but the original builders put three in it. One measures 9½ x 9½. I was measuring the roll away cots which we have in one bedroom here and in that small bedroom there wouldn’t be enough room for a baby bed and the roll aways. I think we will probably take out some partitions and make two good bedrooms on that side of the house. We are contemplating building on an addition which will include a generous size bedroom for our own use (convert the existing garage into a family room) and a garage. We will get possession June 15^th, then we will have two houses. I just hope the Colonel will let us out of the lease which we signed for this place. If he doesn’t we will have two houses to use. Dad intends to do a lot of the work on the remodeling himself, so he will have plenty of time if we have to keep this place until Mar. 1 ’68.

Dad is planning to go to Kentland the 15^th and 22^nd to have office hours. We are trying to get someone to come in and take the office, but if someone doesn’t show up pretty soon, he says he is going to close the place out. He is too well satisfied with his hours here and doesn’t like the idea of being tied to that place. However, so far the girls have made enough to make expenses. They, of course, would like see the office stay. However, they said they wouldn’t work for another like the one we had. He must have given them a bad time. I plan to go to Kentland also Saturday and will see Mrs. M. The last time I was there – Apr. 6^th, she seemed to feel good and had been to the foot doctor in Watseka the day before.

I tried to get you registered, but was told you cannot register now until after May 15^th. We got in the last day ourselves – a week or so ago. We almost didn’t make it. We had been quite busy with moving and it didn’t occur to us we had to register. One day a woman called and said she would send someone out, but we managed to get to the court house and take care of it ourselves. I went yesterday and tried to get cards for you and Bonnie, but was told you would have to wait now. Doesn’t make sense, but the woman who talked to me said she would mail the cards you have to sign which you will return to her.

Dad is making a headboard for our beds – since the one in Kentland was built in, we couldn’t bring it along. I bought a new dressing table and chest of

[page 2] drawers, but couldn’t find a headboard to match.

We went to Indianapolis Sunday after church and spent the day with Mark and family. David got acquainted with us. The last few times we had been with him he wouldn’t let me touch him. We went out to see Shirley’s parent’s new home. They have a very nice new home a few miles north of where they used to live. A huge lake and dam is going into the area of Traders Point. David is going to have crooked teeth. I just hope his permanent teeth are better. If not, he will have to wear braces. Mark and Shirley are looking for something to buy before fall. Virginia Zell Gale lives not far from the apartment complex where Mark lives and since the Gales are going to build a new home, Mark and Shirley are considering the house the Gales now have. There is also an apartment complex which they may buy into. It is a cooperative affair and very reasonable. We are supposed to go back Sunday and take the old TV set. Dad has been wanting a color set, so when we got to a place where we can get cable TV the new set had to come. The old one is still good, so we have told them they can have it. The children wanted to know if the set we are giving them is color. – sorry about that.

This neighborhood should make us feel young. There are children in every house, I am sure, but ours. There are no alleys, so all the back yards come together and so do all the children. Easter Sunday when Mark and Shirley were here Becky and Kirk wanted to do something in the afternoon and I told them to go find someone to play with. They did without any trouble. In fact I think they would have stayed and they could have because Becky was having spring vacation, but Grandpa said we had too much to do and he was right. They will probably he here sometime this summer for a visit while their parents take a vacation. They said something about vacation last Sunday, but didn’t follow it up, so I have no idea when Mark will get off. We won’t be going any place, except to places close, this summer, since Dad won’t get his months vacation until after Mar. 1, 1968.

Love Mother

P.S. The Janssens have been transferred to La Porte – Garnette is to be store manager there. They will move late in May. They were here and had lunch with us Sat. (over)

About Ins. We will pay the premium on your Bankers life policy this year – we will send you some information about the difference in Ins. policies. I think you have been talking about Term insurance which isn’t the same as the policy you have with Bankers.

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/04/01/office-hours/

Less Than A Month

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

Monday Apr. 3, 1967

Dear David and Bonnie:

I am enclosing the tax form for you to report your intangibles. You do not have to report your earnings in Indiana for 1966, because you did not earn enough. I have paid your local taxes (in Kentland) which amounted to $13.08 for the first half of the year. Don’t bother to send us the money, we will count that toward an anniversary gift and if you don’t get anything else, that will be it.

The young MD left our office. He was there less than a month, but made enough to buy a second car for his family and pay off some debts he had. We know what he took in since Edna kept account of it (that was part of her job for him). He has quite a sizeable accounts receivable for one month and he said when he collected all he has out on the books he will pay us our 2%. He had paid one month’s rent $100.00 plus a portion on the insurance. He told Bob Batton ne knew he was leaving a gold mine, but that wasn’t what he wanted. He got his job back at I.U. (and I don’t think much of the student’s chances for good health care – and Bob Batton shares my opinion). He said he knew he wouldn’t make much at I.U., but that in three years he would be “top dog.” If we had good looking for someone as opposite as possible from your Dad we couldn’t have found one. Bob Batton told me that he told Kathy to find a good MD in Bloomington and not go to the Health Center. Now the Health Center at Purdue is just the opposite. Dad knows the Dr. who heads this Health Center and he is building up a very reputable place for the students. It seems at I.U. that anyone who comes in for health care is goldbricking. It is just the opposite here. If someone comes in, they need medical attention and they get it. Dad has had one very serious case, a young man with mono and encephalitis. He was so ill, he was unconscious several days, but is now on the mend. I used to think I.U. was the school, and it may be as far as courses offered, but they are still in the woods in one department. I know I.U. and Purdue and two different kinds of schools, but never thought Dad would wind up here, and liking it. He says he would hate to go back to Kentland. He is so glad to get away from the telephone and I am glad to get away from it. Last night the bridge club came here and the telephone rang once – it was for Bill Ross.

Bob Batton III is going to be married in August, so we learned last night. One of the Vinyard boys is going to marry Ginny Thompson. He is going to Purdue and she took a beauty course and is running a shop in Kentland. She intends to commute. Do you get the Kentland paper? If you do I am probably wasting my time telling you all this.

We are corresponding with an MD from Brazil, Indiana, who is presently working with a drug firm in Pa. He said he was definitely interested in Kentland. We sent him a copy of the contract we had with Dr. H., but haven’t had time to hear from him. Dad and I went back to Kentland last Tuesday and he had office hours in the afternoon. He went back Saturday and saw people all day. I stayed here, because I was getting ready for bridge club last night. Dad has promised to go back the 22^nd, but not every week.

The McGraws will be here Wednesday evening. They have five speaking engagements in Indiana this week. They will come here from Terre Haute and go to Fowler from here. I plan to attend the Fowler meeting. We have the four poster bed all ready for them with a good thick foam rubber mattress. Ihope they like a firm bed. It is firm.

The David Hamiltons bought our home in Kentland. There is no accounting for some people’s tastes. They papered one bedroom wall. We were out there last Tuesday for a short while and Carolyn’s parents – the Jim Berrys came while we were there. When her dad heard they had papered one room, he said they had lowered the price of the house $5,000. Her mother told him to keep still, it wasn’t his house. We are looking around now for a place to buy. Dad thinks it is too risky to live in a rented house, because the Colonel might come back – he was here at Purdue at one time – or he might decide to sell. There is a house not far from here that will be for sale July 1^st. One of the Doctors at Purdue is from the East Coast and is going back. Dad is going to inquire about his house. We like the location a little better than this location. This house is fairly nice, but lacks many features our house in Kentland had – such as central air conditioning – and adequate storage space.

When it is time for your son to be born (which may turn out to be a daughter) and Bonnie has to wait two or three weeks, you let me know how you figured out when your child will be born.

Love Mother

(over)

P.S. One of the committees for Dad’s farewell party made a scrapbook with pictures of babies he had delivered out of the more than 1,500, the book contains about 150. Even getting that many pictures together was no small task.

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/03/31/less-than-a-month/

Tax Forms and Summer Plans

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

Mar. 14, 1966

Dear David & Bonnie,

I am sending you a form you will have to send in by Apr. 15 for your intangible tax. It is not paid by stamps, as in the past. I suppose too many people weren’t buying stamps, so now a form comes with state income form you will have to pay on 4GM (103½) 65 Echlin (15½) & 30 Sperry (22). The numbers 103½, 15½ & 22 were the prices as of Dec. 31, 1965, the ones you will have to use. You don’t have to pay on Bankers Life.

Mrs. Myers has been in the hospital since last Friday. She called Dad at about 12:45 (noon) and he stopped to see her on his way to the office. She was coughing and when I saw her that evening—we attended a medical meeting at the hospital—she seemed a little asthmatic. I went to see her today and she was much better. I took her an azalea plant which seemed to please her very much. Dad said she could come home later on this week. She didn’t get her Chicago Tribune yesterday so I am sending her the one we got.

I took the office of Christian Social Relations for Conference. I won’t get to attend all of School of Mission, but the President Elect said it wouldn’t

[page 2] be necessary. I will have to conduct some clinics, but can get them over in two days. If I get back home Tues. evening that should give me time to finish getting us ready to leave for Switzerland on the 16^th.

The stereo is just about adjusted. We think a new turntable will take care of the situation. I listened to several Beethoven records this evening.

Marjory Harris had surgery on her back (removal of a disc) and the bunions taken off her feet. I took her some things for her dinner this afternoon. She can’t be on her feet very long. If she does, her feet swell and turn purple, so she has to sit most of the time. I had cooked a chicken with carrots & celery (one of Dad’s favorite dishes) this morning – so this afternoon I took some chicken, carrots & celery, and a cheese cake to her. She said her appetite wasn’t very good but called me this evening and said she had eaten and evidently with more appetite than usual.

It is midnight and I should be in bed, but for some reason I couldn’t sleep, so thought I had just as well get up and write a letter.

We are still studying German

[page 3] and have quite a few expression. At least we will know how to ask for the men’s room & the ladies’ room and a room with twin beds.

The high school is putting on South Pacific and we promised Levanche Tanquary we would go. She has a part and is assistant director. It is going to be given April 28, 29, 30. I have to go to Indianapolis Apr. 26 to be installed as Conference Officer, C.S.R. Virginia Zell Gale lives in Indianapolis now so Norma & I plan to go together. Since I am not on the Ex. Comm. Yet I won’t have to go on the 25^th for Ex. Comm. meeting.

The Township of Jefferson is going to have a united fund drive this month & Marge Janssen & I will have to solicit this neighborhood, but that shouldn’t be too large a job.

I am beginning to get sleepy, so will go back to bed.

I wrote to Louise & Mac but haven’t heard from them. I thought we might possibly see them while traveling. Evidently they are not interested in going to Petra. I wish they would go with us. I wrote that Petra is a photographer’s paradise. I thought that might be an inducement to Bonnie’s Dad.

I heard yesterday the Lynch Ford Sales is going out of business. I wish someone would buy that place and

[page 4] clean it. It is really a junk yard now. My car is in the body shop getting some paint. One place had rusted through and several places had rust spots. Dad is driving the new Buick and I am driving the leased car until my car is ready.

Sears pick-up men are to get a combination stereo-radio that was loaned to me while they were trying to get my stereo corrected. I don’t remember if I told you, but my good little radio is at the hospital. The stereo we gave to the hospital had to be brought back for repair and until things got straightened out, my radio went to the hospital. They like it so much I think I won’t get it back, but I will get one just as good.

Dad is giving me a tape recorder to take with us on our trip. It is small enough to fit in my handbag. It is just a little larger than the first transistor radio you had.

I had to use the back of my intangible tax form but with just 3 to list, you will be able to just use the front. I am sending 2, so you can keep a copy.

Love Mother

New Arrival

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

February 11, 1966

Dear David and Bonnie:

Yesterday we took the day off and went to Chicago. First we went to the Loop and visited the office of AAA (foreign travel) and consulted with one of their agents for a while and set up a possible schedule which we will follow from July 16 to Aug 13 or 20. We plan first to go to Switzerland. We also received a letter this morning from cousin Joyce (Fitz-Randolph) who lives in New Jersey, and who has visited the relatives near Bern. She gave us the names of those she has visited and their addresses. She agreed with us that she didn’t want to go on a guided tour when she toured another country. We will go to Petra and also see some of Israel, Damascus, Istanbul and Rome. I hope we can plan to be in Rome at the same time as Dr. Beck. Let us know when he will be there, maybe we can manage it. We would like to be with Louise and Mac if that is possible sometime during our trip and theirs. Since we will be gone in August (and not all of July as originally planned) maybe something can be arranged with them. I know you told me the other evening when I talked to you when Dr. B. plans to be in Rome, but I didn’t write it down, so don’t remember.

We went out to Mark’s and visited with them until about 8:30 (our time) then started back home. The baby is quite a nice looking individual with lots of black hair—something neither Becky nor Kirk had. They are both quite proud of him. So far he has been a very good baby, however he is just one week old now. Mark said he had forgotten how tiny a little baby is. After handling Kirk one would be prone to forget. He is certainly a character. He seems to forget he wanted to name the baby Chalie. He seems very proud to call him David. Shirley’s mother is staying this week. The Wards are planning to go to San Diego to see Dick and his family. He was transferred from Hawaii shortly after Christmas and since they haven’t seen them for more than two years they are quite anxious to pay them a visit. Dick will be going to sea duty off and one for a few weeks, then I think he will be away several months and if they go in February they will get a chance to see him.

Our stereo turned out to be just mono and it is now in the shop being repaired, and if it can’t be repaired will be replaced. Dad hooked up the hold portable Mark left here to the speakers and that is what I am using now when I want to listen. The other set that was sent to the Sears store was purchased for the hospital. After a few weeks Dad said he could see it was hopeless to have a record player in a place like that. No one was responsible for the records and they were being handled like a deck of cards. He decided to take the turntable back and get a tuner and hook it up to the amplifier and speaker. He purchased a new tuner and the turntable is back here. I told Dad that could be the start of a stereo set for you. Now all you will have to get (or rather we will have to get for you) will be amplifier and speakers. How does that sound to you?

The Magic Flute has arrived and I have the old one packed and ready to send back to you. I haven’t been out yet, but as soon as I finish writing this will take both to the P.O. I haven’t done much this week but rest. I haven’t had too much pep and since we wanted to go to Chicago yesterday that took about all the strength I had stored, so today I have been resting. There has been a series of meetings at the church this week with a different missionary every day, but I haven’t been to hear any of them and as far as I know won’t, because I think it is more important for me to recuperate this week, than to go to the meetings. I have kept going all fall and winter with not much energy to spare and all at once things caught us with me, and I decided I had better start taking care of myself.

I sent Bonnie the thyroid which Dad says for her to keep taking. Also sent her a day book and a calendar.

We have the records out and are starting to listen to German and will probably try some French and Italian before July. We are really going to work on this language bit until July and hope we get something substantial before we go.

Love Mother

Taxes for 1964

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Letter transcription:

Jan. 5 – 1965

Dear David & Bonnie –

I have been figuring taxes today. Sat. I went to Lafayette to have Mr. Huth figure the depreciation schedule and he also advised us to take you as a dependant and pay you the difference which will be small in comparison to what it would cost us not to use you. He also said many people handle the same situation that way. I think the best way is for you to each file separately and have Bonnie just take herself. Let us know how your figures come out. If I knew what each of you had earned I could figure it for you—I have the new schedule in front of me.

I found your ear muffs on the front seat of my car. The ones I gave you were from last year—and probably yours.

We received a long letter from Mac & Louise Sat. They sent us some slides—of the graduation which Bonnie’s mother thought had been sent long ago. Also two of scenes in Malacca.