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Mark’s New Job

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Kentland, Indiana, March 19, 1962

Dear David:

I am sending the picture of Becky I promised. I think it is the cutest one I have taken of her. The last bunch didn’t turn out as well. When they were here over the week-end of the 11^th I took several, but none as cute of this one. Mark has taken a new job with Beck Oil Co. He was very unhappy with his situation at APECO. In the first place they didn’t give him the job he was promised and from the accounts he gave us of the place no one seemed to know what was going on. He gave them a two weeks notice, which they told him they didn’t need – he quit that day – and started to look for something else. The job he now has was one he secured thru the placement bureau. I do hope this one turns out better than the last. He called us Saturday to tell us he had secured the new job, and he seemed very happy about it.

At last it looks like spring is here. The sun is shining and I think all traces of snow are gone. Dad keeps looking at the lawn and says he thinks it will need to be raked. Aren’t you glad you can’t help? Dad had the mowing equipment ready to roll. I thought he was going to use the roller last Thurs., but he said conditions weren’t right.

Last night my S.S. Class had a party at the church. Rev. Fields is having Lenten services every Sunday night. Our class met a t6 and had dinner, then we went up to the service, then back to the basement for recreation. It helped the size of the congregation to have our class attend. The attendance isn’t too good at the Sunday night meetings. Yesterday Rev. Fields started an adult class in membership training, for membership in the church Palm Sunday. Three were from my class. I think more will join before the training is over. I have heard some rumors of dissatisfaction over Rev. Fields, but I think he is doing more than some of the grumblers know about. There was a large crowd at the MYF last night. They met in the MYF room, since our class was using the basement. Some of the girls were in the kitchen putting pizzas in the oven when we were getting ready to eat. They were having their refreshments during the church hour, so they didn’t attend the Lenten service. Rev. Fields works with both MYF groups. He records his sermon every Sunday morning and takes the record to a shut-in every week, which takes more than an hour for every one of those visits. We received a letter about the progress of the parsonage. To date $21,264.00 has been pledged and $4,398.75 has been deposited in the bank. According to the letter the present amount pledged will not take care of the carrying charges and the study to be built on, but I think the extra will come in time. Some people who wouldn’t pledge will pay as time goes on, and of course, some of those who did pledge won’t pay, but I think it will be taken care of.

I haven’t been out yet this morning, so must get going, to pick up the mail, etc. Dad had to go on a baby case early this morning, so I don’t know whether he is back in the office yet. We gave our plans to a contractor for the office, but haven’t heard from him yet. Of course, nothing could be done yet because of the weather, but I hope he gets to work on the office soon. I am anxious to get the thing done and get it over with. I know we are going to have a mess and inconvenience while the work is going on, but that can’t be helped.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/06/marks-new-job/

Building Projects

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
Kentland, Indiana, March 12, 1962

Dear David:

We are still enjoying (?) unusual March weather, or maybe I should say usual. I think most of the population around here is ready for spring. Mark and Shirley and Becky came for the week-end. They certainly will be glad to see warm, sunny weather. I told them I thought Becky looked a little pale, but why shouldn’t she. She hasn’t been out in the sunshine for such a long time. She was feeling pretty good, but had a little cold. They still have her on a fat free diet because of her bowel condition. I mashed potatoes for her with just a little skimmed milk. Made some plain Jello and had skimmed milk for her to drink. She could have some broiled steak, which she seemed to enjoy and some unseasoned lima beans. I suppose if they could never feed her anything else, she would think her diet was good. They haven’t been giving her any eggs or orange juice. She did have some cereal for her breakfast. It doesn’t seem to slow her down any and she put on a good show for us. Mark and Shirley both were getting over severe colds. I wanted them to leave Becky here. Mark said they would talk it over and maybe some other time. They didn’t make any date as to when they will be coming back. However, they have decided it is too much to go to both places for a week-end and after this they will go one place one week-end and the other the next time they make a trip this way. Mark is learning how to do the book work (Just in case I need help along that line). He isn’t too happy with his new job. He is going to try to get something else thru the placement bureau of Northwestern. I wanted them to come for Easter so you could see Becky, but no promise.

Lea and Bob were here for dinner Saturday, but went home early in the afternoon. They had spent Friday night with Lea’s folks at Ade.

You received another dividend check from GM for $2.00 which I will deposit to your account. You know John bought some Rexall stock when he was home last summer. He has been receiving dividends from them right along (not very high rate, but at least something), but today he received a right – he gets to buy one share – he has 75/100 fractional interest in one share. I have to mail the card back ordering the share to be bought.

I went to a meeting at the hospital at noon – regular monthly meeting of the Ex Comm of the Auxiliary – and the road is in terrible condition – as are all the streets and highways around here. We can hardly get to the office for the mud. The snow is about gone from around here, but we are having rain and some snow mixed in with it today, so we will have mud for a while. We finally got rid of the ice on our driveway (without having David chip it off).

Julie was in church yesterday: I asked her if she had seen you recently. I also happened to see Nancy Holley about two weeks ago.

Dad is still building things in the house. I think it will be some time before he needs to work in the yard – however if we knew we weren’t going to have another freeze, it would be a good time to roll the yard. He has the lawn mower all fixed I think. He has finished all the shelves and is ready to start building the cabinet around the washing machine. We want to begin work on the office as soon as possible, but that can’t be started until we have warmer weather. I am getting anxious to get this place (I am at office now) done over. The linoleum in the waiting room had cracked too much that it will have to be taken off. I am afraid when we get started we will find a lot of things to be done. Aren’t you glad you won’t be here? I know it will be a mess for a while, but it will be worth it.

I haven’t seen Mrs. Myers since the day I took her to the hospital and then took her out to the house, but last week, I had a round of bowel infection. I was sick all night Wed. nite and stayed in bed all Thurs., so didn’t circulate around too much for a day or so.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/05/building-projects/

Clean Up Kentland

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]
March 4, 1962

Dear David:

I was glad to read the last paragraph of your last letter. If you had one date, you can surely have another.

We are still having some wintry weather. I talked to Mark this morning – Shirley and Becky have been sick, but I think they are both better now – and he said it was snowing in Chicago. It rained a little here today. We still have snow on the ground and ice on our driveway. I was just thinking today, if you had been home, we probably would have insisted that you try to chop some of the ice off the driveway, but since you aren’t here, it will just have to stay, after all these weeks, until the sun can melt it off.

I attended Bible Study class tonight – the last in this series, because next Sunday, Sunday Evening Lenten Services will begin. I attended a reception for the Charles Morgans – their Golden Wedding anniversary – at the church. I think all their family was present, except Bill Starks and his family and since they live in Minneapolis I suppose it was too far to come.

Yesterday afternoon I took Mrs. Myers with me to the hospital just to get her out of the hotel for an afternoon. After I had checked stock we came back to Kentland and I brought her out here. We visited and enjoyed a soda, then at about 4:15 I took her back home. She seemed to enjoy getting away from the hotel for a little while. As she says, the view isn’t very interesting from the lobby.

Sharon Stonecipher is to be married Tuesday evening. An invitation to the wedding bulletin this morning. They will be married on the Morgan’s wedding anniversary date – also Harold and France’s wedding date.

Dad spent last night in the hospital. He didn’t get home until about one o’clock this afternoon and just had a call to go back. He is taking care of the emergency duty for Dr. Kresler this evening. He said there was an accident case he took care of – he was there on a baby case – last night. Three men who had been drinking had an accident and all of them had a broken bone or two. He put casts on two of the, but the third one may have to have surgery. He was pretty tired this afternoon, so while I attended the reception, he slept.

Have you had a chance to look at a financial section lately – International S. closed at 37 Friday. Dad says, “let us sell,” but I don’t want to sell that one. It pays such good dividends. Your National Homes enjoyed a brief upswing, but the last time I looked at it, it was down again, but I think without a doubt, it will go up during the building season.

I put $100 in the bank for you Friday. I received your bank balance and you didn’t need any just now, but I thought I would put it there for when you will need it.

We received a letter from Lea this week. She wanted some pills, but didn’t say anything about when they would be coming over. Mark and Shirley and Becky plan to come down next week-end. They had originally planned to come this week-end, but Mark had to work on Sat.

Dad has finished three sets of shelves for me and is working on a set over the new washing machine. Since he had to go to the hospital Saturday night, he didn’t get [to] do any work on it as he had planned.

We are trying to figure out the changes we plan to make on the office this spring. Since we have to do some repairing, like a new linoleum in the waiting room, we decided to make the waiting room larger and also the room where Edna works. I don’t look forward to the mess we will be in during the repair period, but it should be worth the effort when it is finished.

– Monday morning – snowing lightly and the temperature is a little below 20, so we are still going to have some winter weather. I think everyone around here is getting tired of winter weather. I certainly will be glad to see the grass again, even if it does mean getting it cut.

I am working on a committee to “Clean Up Kentland.” We haven’t done much yet but talk, but hope to have a clean up drive in April, with all organizations in town helping. We are going to try and get people not to throw things down, but put waste paper in the trash cans stationed around over town. I hope we can accomplish something. I am tired of looking at all the trash we have on our streets and side walks.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/04/clean-up-kentland/

Musical Advice

3 Replies

Letter transcription:

February 26, 1962

Dear David:

I’ll try to answer some of your questions, but you must understand that I am not the ultimate authority in matters of this sort. (1) I remember reading some reviews of Walter’s last recordings of the Beethoven symphonies (two or three years ago) to the effect that the interpretations were rather too mellow and leisurely for Beethoven. Walter, who died recently, was of course a very old man when he made these recordings and that, it was implied in the review, had something to do with it. I’m sure Toscanini’s recordings have more snap and vigor. He seemed to be able to extract everything there was in a piece of music and get it out where people could hear it, and his sense of what you might call dramatic pacing was wonderful. The trouble with the Toscanini recordings is of course that because of their dates they are acoustically obsolete. But if you don’t have Hi-fi equipment anyway I suppose that doesn’t make too much difference. If you are really interested in records, you can often read reviews of recent recordings in such magazines as the New Yorker, the Sat. Review, The Atlantic, Harper’s, etc. (I wouldn’t trust the recording reviews in Time and Newsweek.) Of course reviewers often don’t agree among themselves not only when it’s a matter of records, but in all other fields of the arts as well. So it comes down to the fact that you have to choose what you like. (2) I’ve noticed a tendency on the part of the RCA Victor people to spread the music as thin as possible. Whereas some other recording company may put a symphony or a concerto on one side of a record, for some reason it takes RCA two sides. (It’s not because the other companies are cutting the music or playing it faster or anything like that). (3) Aaron Copland is O.K. You may find some of his things pretty rough going if you’re not accustomed to modern music, but I think you would like some of his ballet music: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Billy the Kid, El Salon Mexico. As far as modern music is concerned, I think you should try to get used to it; it is immensely enjoyable after you get to know it. The trick is just to listen to a piece of music enough times so that it begins to sound familiar. This may take 10 or 15 times, but in the end it will be worth it. Start with the Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps) by Igor Stravinsky. Stravinsky has probably conducted it himself on records (I forget whether RCA or Columbia). Le Sacre incidentally is hardly “modern” music, since it was composed about 50 years ago, but to many people it would still sound rather queer. If you will pardon my putting it this way, I think Orff is orfull – boring, trivial, and repetitions. As for Saint-Saens: if all of his music just vanished from the world tomorrow, I don’t think anybody would notice much, and even fewer people would care.

The Tewa and Hopi still live close together. That’s a rather complicated situation, and I must say, the way your sociology book has of describing it sounds rather amateurish. If you have to take a social science, why mess around with sociology. Take anthropology.

If you have any further questions on music or records, I will try to answer them. For a start in “modern” music, try Stravinsky, Bartok, Hindemeth (sp?), Berg, Webbern, Schoenberg. You should actually work up to these with Ravel and Debussy.

John

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/03/musical-advice/

Golden Anniversary

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]

Kentland, Indiana
February 19, 1962

Dear David: In your last letter you mentioned having a sore throat, but that you were taking some antibiotic. I hope you were able to get rid of it. I heard there was a lot of Flu in Bloomington. Sara told me that one day the temperature got up into the 70’s, but fell drastically the next. We are still having all kinds of winter weather. The Statons celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary yesterday and when I was ready to go we were having a freezing drizzle. I waited a while, but it wasn’t much better. The reception was held in the Pythion building. In spite of the weather, there was a large crowd.

Yesterday there were several accidents near Kentland. Dad was in the hospital all morning taking care of patients from the accidents. Last night there was another one and since I had intended to go to the hospital to check stock this morning, I went along last night. The roads were slick. The highways are in terrible condition from all the ice and snow we have had this winter. 16 is one continuous series of holes. I hope the highway dept. gets busy in our area as soon as possible.

The Jr. MYF is going to have a chili supper Saturday night (tournament time) to raise some money. I gave Mary Dye the chili receipt I had saved from the last MYF supper. Mary is going to be in charge of the supper. There are only 12 members in that MYF group.

I went to the church last night to a Bible study class. Several weeks ago Rev. Fields started a class and used The Unfolding Drama of the Bible. We had finished that one last week. He said if the class wanted to continue he was willing. At first there was a large group – 35 or more, but it has dwindled down to about 1/5 of that. There was 7 present last night besides Rev. Fields. We are not using a book now, but following an outline made by our teacher. A few people have learned that we have a good Bible teacher. Of course, a lot of our congregation aren’t interested.

We watched a program on TV last week that we thought very interesting. Mrs. Kennedy gave a tour of the White House. I do think they are doing a fine thing in trying to restore pieces that were in the White House years ago. Mrs. Kennedy has a committee working on the project and if they are only in the WH four years, her committee should be able to accomplish a lot. She told one thing which I thought had been a good idea – they got a law passed that thinks cannot be sold from the WH, as has been done in the past. So many of the pieces they are reclaiming now, which they think should belong to the WH were sold by different past presidents.

Dad got the shelves built in the work area and our bedroom. He still has to build shelves over the new washing machine and a cabinet around it. He thought he should get the lawn mower ready to roll, so worked on that Saturday night. He will be rolling the lawn at the first opportunity. Geo. V. asked me recently what kind of tree I would like to have. He is getting himself some magnolia trees, so I think I will tell him to bring one to us.

Let me know when to put $ in the bank for you. Did you know your National Homes has gone up. It had a bid last Friday of $10.50, which makes your stock worth $100 more than you paid for it. I don’t think you should sell just yet. Wait and give it a chance to climb some more. The new bucket shop is in operation. Dad visited it last Thursday. We haven’t been able to buy anything this year – that is on the market, since we bought 50 shares of bank stock. I think we are going to pick up a note at the bank for an individual here in town, so that will take all our ready cash in the near future. We will also need some money to do the remodeling on the office, as soon as weather permits.

Love Mother

Jeptha B. and Eva J. (Stockledger) Staton celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on February 21, 1962. Read the newspaper article here.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/01/golden-anniversary/

New Washing Machine

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – handwritten by David]

Dear David:

First, John’s address is
Dr. John Yegerlehner
FKIP
Djalan Semarang
Malang (Djatim)
Indonesia

Second, you may order the two volumes and I will put the $15.00 in addition to the $130 tomorrow (bank is closed today for Lincoln’s birthday).

I am listening to our new washing machine which was installed last Saturday. It seems to make a lot of noise, but I suppose I will get used to it. This is just the fourth load of clothes I have washed. Since it is a combination, it has a lot of cycles to go thru before the clothes are ready to take out. One of the items being washed now is the white table cloth which you put on the MYF alter. I had noticed it was pretty dirty, so after the Bible study class last night, I took it off and brought it home.

I attended a hospital auxiliary committee meeting at the hospital today. It started with a luncheon at 12:30 and it was almost 3 o’clock when I returned home. While there I visited a few minutes with Mrs. Donaldson. Her baby stillborn. She is getting along very well and seemed quite adjusted to the situation. I took her a little gift and she had received so many flowers. Our S.S. class decided to give them some money since the expenses of a funeral is something not very many young people have included in a budget. She said everyone had been so nice to them and said so many people had brought food (to the house, of course) they had to deep freeze some of it. She was sewing on Kleenex holders, so was doing what she could to keep herself occupied.

Dad finished shelves on the west wall and the east wall of the family room. He is now planning how he is going to build a cabinet around the washing machine. Also he is going to build in a tier of shelves in our bedroom. After those projects I can’t think of anything else I want built in, but it should be getting about time for him to be getting the lawnmower ready for spring. He is going to have one big job when he starts on this lawn, since he quit cutting too soon last fall.

A bunch of letters from Doubleday & Company, inc. came to you from Los Angeles. Since it isn’t first class mail I opened one and it is an (so it says) an important message to friends and supporters of Richard M. Nixon. – well I will enclose one. I just took a second glance and find it is a book selling campaign. I think it isn’t included in your budget and you wouldn’t have time to read it anyway.

Have you done anything about looking for summer work. You have not mentioned anything in your letters.

The medical meeting is at the Nu-Joy this Wednesday. By the way, I sent that card to Mr. Halleck after the last meeting and I received a letter from him acknowledging my card, so cards are read by politicians. He assured me he is not in favor of the bill I wrote about (King-Anderson).

It is getting to be time for me to go to the office, so must get this ready to mail.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/30/new-washing-machine/

No Mon, No Fun, Your Son

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Postmark Feb. 8, 1962 Wright 533 – Handwritten by David]

Thanks for sending the paper.

Dear David:

When I dropped in to visit Mrs. Myers and she showed me your letter I was about to disown you because we hadn’t heard from you since you had returned to school and I remember you promised to write weekly. I was reminded of the little “joke” I had once heard – it goes like this – A young man was in college and having such a good time he didn’t have time to write until he ran out of money and this is what he wrote – Dear Dad: No mon, no fun, Your Son. The reply was: Dear Son: How sad, too bad, Your Dad. But since we have received a nice long letter and you made the Dean’s list, we won’t have to resort to such measures. We have marked off May 2^nd and plan to visit Bloominton that day and attend the Ceremonies. You know we used to do that when John was in school. Mark and Shirley and Becky were here Sunday (I was showing Mark how to do the book work) and they were quite pleased that you had made the Dean’s list.

Becky was cut as a bug Sunday. Mark and I were back here at my desk trying to get something done and she kept wanting me to hold her. Usually she doesn’t want to be held, but Sunday she just wouldn’t leave us alone. Finally Shirley put her to bed for a nap. They came down at just about 12 o’clock and we went out to the Nu-Joy for dinner. They stayed for supper and we had a few thinks I had on hands, like ham, eggs, etc. I don’t think anyone was really too hungry, because we all had such a huge dinner.

I have been so busy this week, it seem like I have been on a tread mill. Monday I attended a meeting in Lafayette that last from 10 AM until 3 PM. Monday night there was a Bd. of Education meeting at the church and since I am Chairman of that Commission I thought I had better attend. I think things are not going so well in the MYF on Sun. mornings. Rev. Fields told us that the MYF’ers are thinking about going back into the worship service with the rest of the S.S. in the Sanctuary. I really think it is due to their leader not being equal to his job. Rev. Fields has intimated to me that the young people do not care for him. Incidentally Rev. Fields did have a bone broken in his ankle, and Dad put a walking cast on his leg yesterday. Now that I have mentioned it, you didn’t know about his fall. One day when Joan drove for me to go to Lafayette to get an x-ray treatment, he fell on the back step at the parsonage and Dad thought he had sprained his ankle. He kept walking on it and how he could do that is more than I can figure. Tuesday night there was a meeting at the Church for the solicitors for the parsonage fund to report on their work. The week before Dad and I both attended the meeting to get our assignments. We took 8 names and of course, I did the soliciting. Out of about 120 names 76 cards were returned this week with the result of $14,700.00 pledged. We need 23,000.00, but since all the contacts haven’t been made we feel sure the balance will be met. Twenty-five persons at least have been working on the project and at least 65 families have made pledges in spite of the fact that Nev. did a lot of talking against it. Some of the workers thought she influence some people against it, but I don’t think she did too much damage (except showed a few people what she really is) since we have accomplished what we have so far. The WSCS is going to do something on the project, since we have about $2,000 in the bank. We gave $1,000 before Christmas to get the think going and pledged $1,500 for the next three years ($500 a year). Ours, I am sorry to say was the only one that large. Rus A. had hoped to get several $1,000, but so far the only one next to ours is $750. Dad said with our initial $1,000 and the additional $1,5000 making more than a tenth of what they need, he thought they should be able to raise the rest.

Dad got one set of shelves built in the work area for me – on the west wall. We have taken out the old washing machine and dryer (temporarily they are stored in the garage) and as soon as the new combination comes and we get it installed, Dad is going to build a cabinet around on the wall above it, so when not in use, will look just like another cabinet. He at present is working on shelves to be built on the east wall, just under and south of the wall safe. I said I wanted to get rid of this desk, because I want to get a new unit to use back here, but Dad thought you might want to keep this desk, so I won’t do anything about it at present.

Next Thursday we are going to have the annual smorgasbord at the Church and I am ticket chairman, so have a few tickets to get distributed today. I sold tickets amounting to $31 yesterday, but have to sell many more than that to make the thing a success. I am not going to do much more selling myself, but put them out for others to sell for me.

I had to have the car worked on again and they couldn’t get it finished the day I took it in, so drove a Buick for an evening and morning. I have my car back not and had a wash job done and it looks pretty good again.

Love Mother

(over)
Keep up those good grades, and don’t forget to write, Rec’d a long letter from John yesterday & he described a Muslim wedding he had attended. Let me know when to deposit for you again. I have love track.

Calcified Tendinitis

4 Replies

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – Handwritten by David]
October 24, 1961

Dear David:

I had an appointment with Dr. Ferguson yesterday. He said I had injured a tendon in my right arm and he called my injury “calcified tendinitis.” I am taking x-ray treatments – have to go to the Home Hospital in Lafayette every other day this week for 3 ½ minutes of x-ray. So far the hospital here isn’t equipped to give x-ray treatments. I am also taking cortisone (35₵ a tablet). We had some samples. Since we had intended to take a vacation this week and next the appointment book didn’t have much in it and Dad hasn’t been very busy so far this week. Dede went to the hospital last Fri., but nothing happened so Dad sent her back home and so far she is feeling fine and as far as I know hasn’t given any indication of being ready to have her baby. Since I am having to take these treatments, it wouldn’t have been much of a vacation for me this week.

We received word today that Mr. Shirk passed away. He and Sarah had been in Florida on vacation. He had a heart attack last week, but the last word we had was that he was so much improved that he was about ready to start back home.

I hope you received your gloves. Julie talked to me after Sunday school and said you wanted me to send you some. Arvella gave me the same message and I sent you a package last Monday.

The way my arms still feels, it looks like I am going to have to try to find a cleaning woman. Dr. Ferguson told me not to try to wash windows or do any painting.

We had shelved our vacations plans for the time being. I don’t know what we will do about Edna. She was to take hers when we take ours. She has moved and is living across the street from the office.

Dad has been working on Mark’s record player and thinks he might get it fixed.

Love Mother

Newspaper article published on Chafee Shirk’s death can be found here.

Vacation Plans

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – Handwritten by David]
Kentland
10-19-61

Dear David,

We bought 50 shares of National Homes B – (an over the counter stock) at 8 ½. With the comm. the total was $434.25. You had 400 so as of today you have a part of your Christmas gift. I think you will realize something from this stock. It doesn’t pay a cash dividend but stock, which we consider better than cash. In the long run I think it amounts to more.

Dad is working on Mark’s record player, but so far he hasn’t been able to do it much good.

I made a trip to Valparaiso yesterday. The weather was beautiful and I enjoyed seeing the Valpo campus. I drove – went by way of 16 and then thru Rensselaer. The strain on my arm must have been too much – I had difficulty in getting to sleep

[page 2] last night because of the pain. I read until 2 p.m. Finally with the aid of the heating pad I got quieted down and was sleeping beautifully when at 9 a.m. Rev. Fields called me. If he hadn’t disturbed me I might have slept all morning. We are having a typical Indiana fall day with rain and much lower temperature. I went to the office this morning and took a diathermy treatment on my arm.

We (several different organizations) are getting ready for a UNICEF drive (instead of trick and treat) – Oct. 30. I am getting the thing organized but hope we are always on vacation when the 30^th rolls around. Dede hasn’t had her baby yet. According to the schedule she was due the 6^th. Another one is past due. I hope they cooperate. We plan (if they have their babies) to go to Indpls. Monday to the convention.

[page 3] There is a meeting at the high school gym tonight – a Dale Carniege meeting and all Rotary members are supposed to take guests. We have planned to go and have asked Janssens to be our guests. The new land bank building is having open house today also and we are planning to go there before the day is over.

Due to the change in weather Dad isn’t mowing today. This is the first week since you have been away that he hasn’t had to mow. He got the sodding done around the house and I will agree it looks better than the flower bed around there.

We may come to Bloomington but can’t promise anything for sure as of now.

Edna has the Johnson apt. across the street from the office.

[page 4] (Richard & Janet moved) and she thought her brother would get some of her things moved today. Jo Wenger said since Esta wound’t have enough work for her this winter she wanted another job where she would have a steady income.

Love Mother

Severe Infection

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[Wright 533 – Handwritten by David]

Dear David:

A lot has happened around here since I last wrote to you. Sunday evening Mark, Shirley and Becky came. Mark had been having a severe infection (kidney & bladder) and wanted to see Dad. Monday morning early Shirley went back to Chicago and Mark and Becky stayed here. I took Mark to Lafayette Monday morning to the Clinic to see a Specialist. Of course, Becky went along, but was very good. She travels well. Tues. evening Shirley came after work. After we had dinner and she had time to rest from the trip down, they went back to Chicago. Mark was feeling better, but still not first rate. He was supposed to have registered for school last Friday, but called the registrar at NW and was told he could register Wed. I think he could have had another day of rest, but since he felt he had to go back for Wednesday they started for home around 9 o’clock. He had given notice to Home Federal that he was quitting Fri. the 15^th. As it turned out, he was ill and couldn’t work Wed., Thurs., or Fri. of that last week. He called and told his boos he had been ill and asked to have his pay check mailed to him and he refused to send it, so Mark was going to have to make a trip to Home Fed. to pick up his pay check, in addition to going to NW (downtown branch) to register Wednesday. I just hope he felt better by that time. Becky was in the best of health while they were here. She certainly is a good baby. We had quite a time. We became very well acquainted in the two days and she was always ready for me to take her. I just wondered how she would react when her mother came Tuesday evening. She really jumped for joy when Shirley came. We have John’s latest pictures developed and have shown them twice. I finally got around to getting enough holders for the pictures, so we don’t have to stop and re-load the box every time we want to run another set thru the projector. Mark called this noon and is still having difficulty – now he is having diarrhea (from taking so much medicine in the past week) and wasn’t feeling too good. Dad told him to take the pink liquid until he gets things slowed down. He said he just had to push himself to go yesterday. He said by last night he couldn’t make but one class. He doesn’t have another class until Monday night. I am hoping he will be much improved by then. I called Mr. Owings yesterday and he still hasn’t been able to get Benquet for you. He says sometimes it takes weeks to get an order thru. Why don’t you decide on something you can get and get your money to work. John received a dividend check from Rexall today. He bought 25 shares at 49 and it is now 55 or 56. I didn’t look at it today. Dad is building a house for the tools. He is making a pre-fab – that is he is nailing parts of it together in the garage. He is using a material that looks like very thick cardboard, but it is weatherproof. I am going to start on statements today, since I will be away next week (26, 27, 28 & 29) when I should be home working on them. I am going to address them and the envelopes and next Saturday I should be able to fill in the amounts, and get them into the mail for delivery Monday. We have marked off the last week in October and first week in November for our vacation, but haven’t made any plans yet as to where we will go. I will get your deposit into the bank tomorrow. I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. I had just received a notice that my appointment is due and today I broke off a piece of filling while eating some raw carrot. I am washing quilts today and the family room is very hot and humid, but I want to get these things washed and put away. Yes, the car has been reclaimed. It is clean inside and out. I checked on the mileage – as to oil change – after you left and it had about 2,600 miles since the last change in July, so one of the first things was to have the oil changed and a lube job. I think I am going to have to weaken and get a new seat cover for the front seat and new floor pads. If I do that I think it will look almost like a new car again.

Since you have your birthday gift I will just say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Love Mother

9-21-61