Tag Archives: Garnett Janssen

Grandmother Clubs

Letter transcription:

June 18, 1964

Dear David & Bonnie:

Yours received several days ago. I have sent on several pieces of mail and some packages. You didn’t sign your stock certificates correctly, so Jim sent something for you to sign. He talked to me over the phone and I thought he said he had your address and was going to send it directly to you, but it came here, so I forwarded it.

We are entertaining bridge club Sunday evening. We are going to stay home for dinner – we usually go to the Nu-Joy, but I decided I could do it by myself. I have everything practically ready and am going to serve the kind of dinner that won’t take too much last minute preparation.

I have been cleaning what used to be your room – now I just call it the extra room – and have found a place to get rid of all those books which had been stored there since we have lived here. There is a little library at Lake Village and they have a Book Mobile and said (Mrs. Arbuckle) they would be glad to have anything, so I am taking everything I want to give away and she said if they couldn’t use something, they would give it to someone else. I have the back end of the blue Cadillac about as full as it will hold of books and magazines. It is surprising how much one can get rid of when one decides to just throw away. I just wonder why we kept all those text books, etc., so long. Well now I have a lot of empty shelves and I suppose when John gets home he will fill those shelves with his things. Maybe it is a good thing I got busy.

Dad has been spraying today and trimming and taking bebe shots at the neighbor’s dog. There is a dog with the trailer next door and their dog can get to be quite a nuisance. Dad kept talking about doing something about it. One day Garnette was here and said he knew where Dad could get a good bebe gun very cheap, so now we have one. It, I think, is going to help keep the stray dogs out of our evergreens, etc.

According to John’s calculation he should be home a month from today. The last letter we had gave us that information. I think he intends to spend a little time coming home – about ten days, so that will be his vacation I suppose.

Florence Puetz was in the office recently and was a little concerned about Jim being in Tokyo or close to Tokyo. She was wondering if where he is stationed the earth quake did any damage, or if he had to help in the stricken areas. You know, he went to Japan just recently.

Mrs. M. called me one evening this week and was quite happy to have had a letter from you.

I gave a program for one of the Grandmother clubs this afternoon (about Bali). The women all seemed quite interested. Dad decided we needed an automatic projector, so we bought one from Sears. It is quite good, but a little heavier than I like to carry. We are to give a program next Tuesday evening for the Goodland Lyons club. Janssens bought the one we had (Bell and Howell Projector, that is). We keep getting calls all the time for more programs. I have to go to Morocco the 24^th and give one for W.S.C.S. We went to Brook last Saturday night and gave the Bali program for the Hospital employees. Several said the program wasn’t long enough, but Dad insists on keeping them not too long. We intend to review the Aegean Sea program tonight ourselves for giving Tuesday. The new slide boxes hold 40 instead of 30, so I have had to transfer all the slides. The new projector is my Father’s Day gift to Dad. I hope you don’t forget to send Dad a card.

J. Janssen came two days this week and cleaned and waxed floors. He seems to like to make the money and it gives me a lift. He is to come Saturday and wash windows, and do any little thing that needs to be done.

Hope you have found employment by this time. I read in the W. Street Journal about the public transportation difficulties in Boston. I hope they won’t effect you.

Love Mother

Your letter was posted June 13 and we received it the 14^th.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/26/grandmother-clubs/

Beirut and Jerusalem

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

Sunday March 8, 1964

Dear David: This morning we took a trip to see River Jordan and Dead Sea. We saw some bathers but were not tempted. We did put our fingers in and tasted. Dad said he thought it was safe because no germ could live in that water. We have had a tour of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. We didn’t try to make contact with Research School because we didn’t think it was necessary. We were well satisfied with our tours. The only thing we didn’t care for was the sales pressure. Our guide took us into some shops but we weren’t in the market for their high priced merchandise. Last night I went into a shop next to hotel and found prices much more reasonable. Our guide had told me he would take me to the shops where the prices were right. I think he gets a kick back so the prices were right as far as he was concerned. Buying a wood carving in Bali spoiled me. The prices there were so small and as far as I can see the carving is much better than what we have seen here. The big deal here is the carvings are made from olive wood. We had the same problem in Beirut. Our guide tried to influence us to buy – of all things – oriental rugs – just $170.00 for a small one. We just walked out of the place and said we were not in the market for a rug. We felt like we were not very welcome in Beirut – and they claim to be about 60% Christian. We were glad to leave there. We did enjoy seeing ancient Roman ruins at Baalbek and we did have a nice view from our hotel room – harbor and mountains. We have met a couple here who are from Rhode Island. They have been to Egypt and have given us a few tips, so we will know what to expect when we get there. We had a letter from Garnette Janssen and he said the house was getting pretty dusty – said he and Mark weren’t very good housekeepers. Are you still planning to meet us in Chicago Mar. 29? If you are I wish you would plan to stop at home and run the sweeper and dust cloth. I hate to think of going back home if it is covered with dust. That is something I should have thought about before we left, but if you are going that way I am sure you can take care of that for me. I am wondering if you have made any plans yet for the coming summer? I know you were wanting to find something to do. Also I am wondering if you have been successful in getting into Boston School. We didn’t go to church this a.m. but plan to go this evening. There are Baptist, Anglican, Catholic (Greek, Roman, etc.) and Nazerene but not any Methodist (in Middle East). We saw one notice which read service at 5:30 in Arabic. We will have to make some more inquiries. That might prove to be interesting. We attended church in Hong Kong & singing was in Chinese.

Love Mother

Uncle Floyd’s friend from Amman is coming to see us tomorrow.

Mother’s Day 1963

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Monday the 13^th (May 1963)

Dear David:

Your Mother’s Day gift received Saturday afternoon. I listened to two records Sunday morning before I went to Sunday school, then in the afternoon I listened to the rest of the opera. I think the music is just beautiful. According to the information with the album that opera is considered the composer’s best. Thanks, you couldn’t have given me anything I enjoyed more. Dad had the Goodland florist make me a corsage. One orchid with three pink rose buds. I just should have some place to wear it, since I just had a chance to show it off once. Mark and his family remembered me with a card and I doubt that brother John even knew it was Mother’s day. I think he has probably forgotten most of the things like that. I still haven’t had an answer from my letters asking him to let me know if he is going to be home and when. I finally gave the girls their vacation dates. One is to be gone June 9 thru 23. The other August 18 thru 31. Edna had a dental appointment this past week and was told she should have her teeth pulled. She plan[s] to have that done while she is on vacation. Not a very pleasant thing to look forward to for vacation. Dad has been having some teeth trouble. He is going to see Dr. Logan tonight. I talked to Geo. Dye last week and he said he knew you were planning to be home this summer and he plans to let you take the Sunday school class. He said Rev. Fields was going to write you about it. Rev. Fields has been having some very informative sermons about John Wesley. I think most of the congregation have been impressed. Of course, there is always the element that can’t be pleased. I have a meeting to attend at the hospital today. I went out last Wednesday and Dr. Gery burned the wart off my little finger. Left quite a hole. It is looking better, but is not entirely healed yet. Week before last, Garnett Janssen’s brother passed away and last week Marge’s father passed away. We attended Mr. Cobb’s funeral yesterday. Dad set out the tuberous begonias and then the weather turned cold. We were fooled by that very warm weather the early part of last week. It is supposed to get into the 70’s today, so maybe the little cold spell hasn’t hurt them. I had to have a new tire put on the car. I just got the car back from the garage and the window in the front door dropped down into the door and I had to have that taken care of. The body man at the garage told me I should have the spots touched up with paint, so one day this week I am going to have that taken care of. I am also going to get a new cover put on the front seat, so my car should take on a new look (for you to wear off this summer). Finally got the new typewriter. I am using it here at home. We kept the old typewriter so when it is necessary to use two typewriters at the office we will have the old one.

Love Mother