Tag Archives: genealogy

Oregon Coast

[Postmark September 12, 1965, Astoria, Oregon]

Dear David & Bonnie we have found a perfect place to spend a rest day. Our room overlooks a bay and it is a beautiful sight. Tomorrow we start down the coast of Oregon, then will go to Reno, Nev. and then to San Francisco. Last stop for visits on the coast will be L.A., then we will start back east. Dad is watching a ball game on T.V. and I am writing, a good way to loaf. Did you remember Becky’s birthday Sept. 10? Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/11/oregon-coast/

Black Hills Passion Play

1 Reply

[Postmark September 9, 1965 Spokane Washington]

Dear D. & B. We have traveled a few miles since seeing the Play. I am under a dryer in Spokane Wash at present. Forgot to bring my dryer along. We will see Grand Coulee Dame today, then head for Oregon coast, then down to San Francisco & L.A. before starting back to Indiana. We are really seeing the U.S.A. and I must say we have some very beautiful sights. Took a picture of Romaine’s “little” house when in Des Moines. Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/10/black-hills-passion-play/

Should Have Known Better

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Letter transcription:

Dear B & D:

After you left, I noticed the garage door was open, so I went to close it and found these screws, so thought you might like to have them when you put your bed together. Also found the knife which I will return to Sears tomorrow.

After resting a while I started the washing of sheets, etc., and before coming to the office was about half through.

I was wondering what to mail these screws in, when I found the box from the calendar which you received from LeBeau.

When I came to the office, Arvella said someone was going to “catch it”—and he did. A patient had taken a cast off because it was too hot. Dad put a tension bandage on and dismissed him. I told Arvella this was

[page 2] the wrong day for him to have done that—and she replied any day would have been the wrong day for such a thing. I heard Dad tell him he was an adult and should have known better than do what he did. I sure will be glad when we get started on vacation. I will be glad to get away for a month.

Good luck in finding an apartment.

Love Mother

8-16-65

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/08/should-have-known-better/

Exploding Coke Bottles

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

July 20, 1965

Dear Bonnie & David

I hope Bonnie has overcome her indisposition of Sunday evening—also that David didn’t sustain any extensive damage from the exploding coke bottles. Same thing happened to a woman here in Kentland yesterday. Here is a page from a Sears Catalogue. I suppose you would have to place a sheet of plywood on the frame for a support for the foam rubber. What

[page 2] Dad has been thinking about would be how low your bed would be unless you had something the width of the springs to bring it up—but that is something for you to figure out.

Last Friday night we had one of those electrical storms that really tears things apart. I didn’t hear a thing—since that was the day we (Norma & I) had returned from School of Mission and I was tired enough to sleep thru anything—since the storm didn’t awaken me. Dad said when the lightning struck the light pole

[page 3] on the corner it really came thru on the intercom. Our telephone was put out of order and also elec. sec’y, but both have been repaired.

I taped the lectures on Acts at School of Mission. I have borrowed Rev. Watson’s recorder and have made one copy and working on another. When some people learned what I was doing, they wanted copies. I told anyone wanting one to pay for the tape and I would make a copy. I am getting to be somewhat of a mechanic (not really). I really enjoyed my week at Greencastle.

[page 4] We are deep in plans for our trip west. We have all the books and maps we need. I will be glad to get Dad away again. The county at present just had 4 M.D.’s. The Dr. from Morocco is in Mercy Hospital (in Chicago area) (psychiatric case).

We missed seeing the pictures Lord Him when it played in the loop in Chicago. It has been in Indpls. But tonight is the last night. We have missed it again it seems. Dad says maybe it will be on T.V. sometime, but we should find it somewhere in our travels.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/06/exploding-coke-bottles/

Thirty-sixth Wedding Anniversary

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

May 25, 1965

Dear David and Bonnie:

Your card and letter arrived today, our anniversary. We didn’t do much about a celebration, but decided to eat at the Colonial Inn this evening. I have been having a little struggle with a bug in my right tonsil. Last week one day I am sure I would have been in bed for a day or so, had I not taken some pretty strong medicine. I thought I was over it, but Sunday the symptoms appeared again, so I started taking Achrocidin again and this afternoon, thought I should have a siesta and got too sleepy to read, so took a nap from which I was awakened by the door bell. John had sent us a mum plant for our anniversary. Dad gave me a new radio and one day last week said my present for him had arrived. I told him what I had for him was in the closet, but you know Dad. He had ordered a new lawnmower and that was what he was talking about. He kept talking about how easy it is to operate the new one, but at noon I told him he was wasting his time, not that he was serious about it at any time (that is, for me to run the new machine).

Our Conference is this week and I am planning to go for one day. The Fields will be going to Knox from here and as far as we know Rev. McClure from LaPorte is coming here. There was a reception following church Sunday for the Fields. Several of the organizations in the church gave them farewell gifts. They were quite overwhelmed.

There have been several showers today and it looks like we could get more. The streets are a mess, what with raw dirt piled all around. We have to park either in front of the library or back of the Christian Church. Dad is still parking by the office, but the street in front of the office isn’t being used now. Right now, I think it is pretty slick.

Again, happy anniversary.

Love Mother

(over)

At present my S.S. class is studying Laymon’s Luke’s Portrait of Christ. We will follow that with the new W.S.C.S. study book Acts—Then and Now. I have read the book through and now I am reading Acts in the Interpreters’. I have the book of Acts and three volumes of the dictionary on my reading table. I haven’t had time for a day or two to study, but hope to get something done this evening. Your grades sound very good. I would like to see some of your exam papers.

When you come home we will exchange the belt for Bonnie. I bought those things at Ayres in Lafayette.

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/05/thirty-sixth-wedding-anniversary/

Must Get Busy

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

May 14-1965

Dear David and Bonnie:

Since you have a wedding anniversary coming this month, we have remembered it with a few practical items which I mailed today. If there is anything that does not fit, we will exchange when you come home.

Dad is attending a meeting at the Hospital tonight, and I am trying to do a few things around the house—since I was gone Mon., Wed., & Thurs. Right now I am glancing at all the things that have been left here in the work area—projector, screen, newspapers, etc. After I finish this I will try to persuade myself

[page 2] to do some cleaning. Last night when I finally came back home at 10 p.m. I was a little weary. I had given a program in Remington in the afternoon and one at Mt. Zion last night. Edna went with me to Mt. Z. That is the church her brother Roy & family attended and where she used to attend when she lived in that area. She ran the projector while I narrated. We showed some pictures from Bali, Bangkok and Cambodia. It was a mother & daughter dinner and since that is the church where Wanda Spurlock’s mother attends Wanda and two of her children were there. I didn’t know until last night that she and the Corbin children are cousins. Wanda’s mother and

[page 3] Bill Corbin are sister and brother. I was told recently that young Bill Corbin is going with Levauche Tanquary. I saw the Tanquarys at a dinner not long ago and Levauche is a very nice looking young lady.

I have my new radio tuned in on an FM station (Zenith) in Chicago. There is little advertizing and usually good music. This new radio brings in the Chicago stations. The old one couldn’t get beyond Kankakee.

John called me on Mother’s Day. He will be home June 13 to see you, then he will leave for Arizona the 14^th. He has a grant from the U. of I. and is going to Flagstaff to do his work.

[page 4] As much as I would like to stall more on this work, I must get busy. I am going to be co-hostess to a group of young people Sunday (church business). Instead of making calls on people regarding the church, we are having several people act as hosts and invite people in to hear someone explain the program of the church, etc. Jack Smith is to come here to speak Sunday. Sharon Howe is to assist me (and Dad, if he is home).

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/04/must-get-busy/

The Town’s Sewers

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Letter transcription:

April 28, 1965

Dear David and Bonnie:

This has been a busy week so far and I have one more day of going to do. Conference at Lafayette tomorrow (Woman’s Society). I am planning to go with Joan Fields, since there are only two of us going from here. I gave a program at Rensselaer for the Presbyterian Woman’s Society today. I used slides from Hong Kong and Bali. Also took along some articles which had been purchased in H.K. The slide projector worked fine—it has been giving us some trouble—until I was almost thru, so since I had been going for an hour, decided to call it enough. We always tell people we do not charge for our programs, but the President gave me a check and said she thought I should have at least that much ($10.00) for my trip. That makes $48.80 we have received besides gifts—pair of gloves, floral arrangement, etc., etc. I think we will take that amount and put it into a new screen—one that is larger than the one we have.

Your stocks are as follows: GM 108 5/8 Sperry 14 Echlin 13 and I am not sure what Bankers is worth now—probably 5 or 6. Those quotes are as of 4-27-65.

Dad had to attend a meeting at the Town Hall for a decision on the new sewer system. I am tired and about ready to go to bed, but thought I had better get this off to you first. Our town is being torn up and the digging machine is in front of the office now and it looks like they are digging deep enough to bury our office and we are hoping it doesn’t slide of its foundation and go down. All the streets in town that are being torn up will, of course, have to be repaved. In some places quicksand has been struck and that always makes much more work because of the fill. Dad had a good idea, he thought it would be a good place to throw all the old junk automobiles around here. We may not have to be torn up out here at the house. They tell us the sewer system that was installed when we built will be sufficient and I that is correct. When I see all those mountains of dirt around town where the digging has been done, I am ready to settle for what we have. Dad will have the answer when he comes home, I hope. That is why he is attending the meeting—it just concerns this part of town.

Dad finally got the chests of drawers remade for Shirley and Best Way is shipping them to Roselle. I called Shirley this evening to tell her that the shipment has been started. It usually takes a week for something to reach them from here. Both of the children had to talk to me. Becky talks so fast I can hardly understand here. Kirk is talking more. I was afraid they would be sick after they were here Easter, but evidently their big day didn’t hurt them. Crazy Foam was a part of their Easter gift and they had a great time playing with it. There were two cans, but Mark wouldn’t let them take any home with them. Becky got rid of one can that day.

Finally I am having something done with our couches. Mr. Schuh is remaking two to look alike and the old one that has been in the living room for years is going to be moved out to the family room. Maybe some day I will chuck it and get a new couch with a decent built in bed. Dad got the unit in our bedroom finished and a desk unit for my office. If I thought you wouldn’t need that old desk in your bedroom some day, I think I would get rid of it. It does come in handy at times. John used it when he spent Easter vacation at home. He had some work to do. He showed me the paper he read at the Linguistics meeting he attended in Chicago several weeks ago. Of course, there wasn’t much about it that meant much to me because it was about the Javanese language.

Last weekend we went to Indianapolis to attend a BlueCross-Blue Shield meeting. On Sunday morning I had planned to go to church with Jim, but he was ill and called up to tell me he wouldn’t be around to get me, so I started to attend the Broadway Methodist and saw two women who had been at the dinner the night before who were headed for a church on the north side and went with them. It was a Church of Christ—and when I was telling Bob Fields about my experience, he said he had heard it called the Acapella Church of Christ, because they have no organ or piano. They evidently do not believe in having a musical instrument in their church, but the song leader used a tuning fork or a pitch pipe, or something—and both Bob and I agreed that was a musical instrument. I think the next time I will just quietly go get a taxi and go to Broadway. You would have a hard time leading the singing, I am afraid, the way that song leader did Sunday (unless of course, your singing voice has changed).

Love Mother

P.S. Mrs. Floyd (Louise) Hoover passed away Sun. a.m. She has had a long history of health problems, but her death was caused by chicken-pox and pneumonia.

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/02/the-towns-sewers/

The Minister’s Raise

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Letter transcription:

April 7, 1965

Dear David and Bonnie:

We have been looking for that letter. At last spring has arrived, and we hope to stay. Two weeks ago the ground was covered with snow, but Dad got the lawnmower ready just in case and after rolling the yard today thinks it will be ready for mowing next Thurs. That is going to make a long summer.

The town is being torn up for the new sewer system and I suppose it will be a year or more before we recover from the torn up streets—that is, get the repairing all taken care of. The digger is at present travelling down North Second Street and from the rate of progress being made, we figure they will either be in front of the Church Easter Sunday or maybe in front of the office. At least the town is catching up with the times a little. We have been giving programs again. We are to go to Indianapolis tomorrow to give a program for Uncle Jim and Aunt Thelma—I think it is their S.S. class. Since Indianapolis is on Eastern Time and we are on Central Time, we will have to leave here by 2:30 to get to Jim’s by 5:30. If I have to go alone, I will spend the night with them, but Dad is planning to go with me. He has surgery scheduled for Friday AM, so we plan to come back Friday night. Of course, we gain an hour coming back.

We received a magazine from Malacca today. It is all about the school and I suppose Bonnie knows what I am referring to. I presume they are not too upset over the situation. We heard the Foundations had to leave Indonesia. John was afraid of that, from all the news he had received from his friends still there. All the news we get about invasion attempts seems to indicate they haven’t been successful. (Indonesia into Malaysia)

For about two weeks I was having a little battle with a flu bug. I finally got over it, but the day we had quarterly conference here (which was held at 2 PM following a carry-in dinner) I came home after church and after a light lunch, went to bed for the rest of the afternoon. Dad had been up all night at the hospital and didn’t feel like going, so we gave in to our feelings and stayed home. The Finance Committee and Pastoral Relations Committee didn’t quite get together before the meeting and have things worked out like it is the custom to do and the minister wasn’t offered a raise and I am told that amounts to asking him not to return. At a Board Meeting this last Monday evening (Dad and I went to the Hospital to give a program for the Nurse Association) the raise was brought up and a vote was taken, 10 for and six against. Joan was in our office and told Dad she wasn’t sure they would be back. She indicated they weren’t sure, so I don’t know where the matter, or rather how it stands at present. Since I am not on any of the committees I had nothing to do with it one way or another. There are a lot of opinions on the matter. One group wants a change and another group thinks we could do a lot worse. I was with a group of women Tuesday and after hearing their tale of woe about the minister they have, I think we could do worse. Well, come June we will know. I have been going to the Presbyterian Church on Thurs. mornings to attend a Lenten series prepared and presented by Rev. Watson. I have been recording the lessons and will have to use at some future time if I need them. In appreciation we are going to have the Watsons come to dinner one evening. I had promised Joan we would have them come some evening for Rock Cornish Hens and Wild Rice, so I think we will have them come the same evening. I used the tapes in my S.S. class and several of my members liked Rev. Watson’s lessons. They seemed to think he was

[page 2] easy to listen to. Today was the last session and several of the Presbyterian ladies told me they think he is extra special and they know they won’t be able to keep him. I agreed with them. He hasn’t been out of Seminary very long and I imagine after a year or two more here he will be invited to a larger church.

John is coming home next Thursday for Easter vacation. Mark and Shirley and the children are coming for the day, Easter, that is. Aunt Ruth may come if she doesn’t go to Des Moines. I haven’t heard from Lea, but I told John to call her and invite them to come. We will probably stop at Floyd’s tomorrow for a minute or two and will ask them to come also. Wish you could be here, but I know that isn’t practical, but will expect to see you several times this coming summer.

Dad is finishing the job of separating the chest of drawers he took out of our bedroom. He is fixing it for Shirley to use in her bedroom. She thought it would be better in two small chests than in the one large one.

I have several letters to answer. Had a letter from my little friend in Kyoto today. I had sent her a Christmas card and she thanked me for that and wants us to come back to Kyoto. We plan to go in 1966, and I am sure we will stay at the hotel where she works. We are going to the west coast in Sept. Had a letter from a friend of Dad’s who lives in Reno and he wants us to stop there for a visit with him and his family. Aileen wrote from L.A. that she has made arrangements for a place for us to stay when we visit her. Also had a letter from friends in Hong Kong one day last week. They had been living in a house which belonged to a minister from United Church of Christ (Duane’s church). Seems United minister was away on furlough. He must have returned, because the Bylers said they were in an apt. building and their apt. is on the 17^th floor. They also said with a view like that who needs trees, (or for that matter grass).

Love Mother

Worst Winter Storm

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

February 26, 1965

Dear David and Bonnie:

We have just had (according to the weather men) one of the worst storms in 20 years. It even kept Dad home all day yesterday. Our driveway was filled, and the drifts were almost as high as the trees by the hedge in front. We could see the tips. The wind blew for about 24 hours and hard. The inside of the garage floor was covered with snow and we even had snow drifts inside. I had one flash bulb, so took one picture of the west end of the garage. Even our cars were covered with snow from that driving wind blowing the snow in around the garage door. Dad just called me from the drug store and thought I shouldn’t try to get my car out today. We had one path made to his side of the garage so he could get out this morning, and that one path made a mountain of snow by the street. I am content to stay at home, since the temperature is just about 5 above this morning. We have mountains of snow in the yard. The trees on the west side, the small ones on the inside were completely covered – just see the tips. Dad went out yesterday afternoon and took several pictures. The way the wind swirled around the house we had snow on the south windows – like a window decorator had been at work making snow scenes for Christmas.

Today is Mark’s birthday and I couldn’t get out yesterday to send him a card, so called him last night. He said he would rather forget about birthdays – since he is 32. He thinks he is getting old, from the way he talks. They are all fine, except for the usual bumps and bruises the children get. Shirley has a part time job working in the library in Hoffman Estates. I think she really wanted something like that, and I am glad she got the job. She was talking about it the last time they were here and was afraid she wouldn’t be hired because they have two small children. It seems they are reluctant to hire a person with small children.

I have figured your intangible tax, which amounts to $4.00 so will buy the stamps and affix to your stocks. That will be your Easter gift. We also figured ours – I got Dad to help me – and it is considerably more.

Dad finished the desk unit and I am using it. It is a table a little lower than the desk for the typewriter and adding machine and has two drawers on the left side. It really adds a lot of room to the desk and makes my work here easier or organize.

Someone called last night for you. Dad answered the telephone and told the person calling that you didn’t live here any more, that you are married and live in Boston. I don’t know who it was since Dad didn’t inquire. I think a number of people were stranded here, because all the highways were closed. We kept the radio going yesterday to get the Rensselaer station as to road conditions. The roads to the hospital were closed all day and the staff that went to work at 11 o’clock Wednesday had to stay on because they couldn’t get away and the 7 o’clock staff couldn’t get there Thurs. AM. We hear according to the weather forecasters the storm is heading your way and by the time you get this you will probably be in the midst of it. We keep telling ourselves we should have gone away this winter, since nothing like this happened while we were away last year. However, I think I wouldn’t want to try to go to Indonesia now and I know we couldn’t go to Cambodia. John had a letter from a friend in Indonesia and he said things are getting worse all the time and the Foundation may have to withdraw. A petition was being circulated against the Foundation and the person responsible for petition had been to this Country on a scholarship. We don’t think much of his gratitude.

Love Mother

P.S. Mrs. M. was quite pleased to receive the Valentine card. I picked up a Sears Catalogue for her Monday and left it at her apt. She was at the beauty parlor getting a permanent. I talked to her over the phone

[page 2] after coming home from the office. She was very glad to get the Sears C. She hadn’t had one before. I think she will use it quite often. Just happened to think of something else – Addie Padgett had been living in the cottage back of us. Lask week I suppose she thought winder was over so she moved back to the country. I just hope she didn’t get sick and need help because she was probably snowbound with the storm. When she moved in over here she talked about buying the house and making it her home. I know Esta would prefer to have her in town.

Do you want me to renew Opera News for you?

The Smorgasbord

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

February 13, 1965

Dear David and Bonnie:

I am enclosing the 1964 instructions for (Federal) preparing income tax returns. We took David as a dependent, so you won’t be able to take him. As far as State taxes are concerned I am sure you don’t have to bother with that because you don’t have to pay the State tax if you do not reside in the State. We also used David as a deduction on our State taxes, but since you are living in Mass. and were not making any income while you were in Indiana I am sure you need not bother with it.

The little piece of thread is the yarn I am using to make myself a dress. I am following instructions and using size 2 or 3 needle and it is going so slow that I am about to change patterns and use a larger needle. The size needle I used to make Bonnie’s dress was #8 and it makes a lot of difference.

John Janssen is here today cleaning and waxing the bedroom and bathroom floors. He washed windows last Tuesday evening while we were still having warm weather. We are having a cold wave again, but without snow, for which I am very thankful.

We have decided to go to the west coast in September and have told Arvella she will either have to take her vacation then, or get someone to work for her. I think she has about decided to take Sept. All I know is that I am not going to work for 2 weeks in the office, unless I have to.

There is a missionary speaker from Korea who is going to be at our Church tomorrow morning for the worship service. In the evening there is to be a fellowship dinner. After the service tomorrow morning my class is going to furnish a coffee. I have been on the telephone for the last hour (more or less) getting help lined up to prepare for the serving.

The smorgasbord was somewhat of a failure this week. All I had been asked to do was bring a casserole (lima beans), which I was glad to do since I wasn’t asked to do anything else. Food had been prepared for 450 and 350 (or near that figure) were there, so food for about 100 had to be disposed of after the dinner was over. I had Cosmopolitan Club yesterday afternoon and told them I was going to speak my piece, like it or not. I told them I thought it is time the Church “grew up” and quit trying to raise the Church budget by giving dinners. Mrs. Chidester said if everyone tithed we wouldn’t have to worry about the budget. I told them that was the answer. Well maybe it was a good thing it flopped this year, because they said there wasn’t going to be another, the main reason being they can’t find anyone who will take charge of it. If as much effort was put into getting people to come to Church as was put into the preparation of the smorgasbord I am sure we would have much better attendance.

It is getting late and since the bank closes at noon, I will have to get this wound up and in the mail.

Love Mother

P.S. David’s razor came back and I sent it to you. Hope it arrived in good condition.