Tag Archives: Indiana

L.B.J. Ranch

Letter transcription:

10-11-65

Dear David & Bonnie –

John, Lea & Bob, Mark, Shirley, Becky & Kirk were here for the weekend. Kirk is talking – saying nearly everything – even tho some of his words come out a little hard. Seems he can’t say sc. He was holding a screw (I presume from his truck). We asked him what he had and he said “grew.” Of course that got a big laugh from everyone. I hope he is still as cute by Christmas time as he is now. Becky is quite interested in Kindergarten and talks so fast I can hardly understand everything she says. John said he would meet you at the airport. I will come along if possible.

[page 2] I mailed you a letter from Stonewall, Texas. They told us at a little store that Stonewall and not Johnson City was the hometown of L.B.J. After seeing Stonewall, we thought Lady B. should begin her campaign there. She considered it nothing more than a dump and could certainly do with a little clean-up of its own. We drove down the road that led to L.B.J. Ranch and were told if he was there we would not be allowed to continue. We knew he was at the Ranch – had heard it on the news but we drown down Texas Highway 1, and at a certain point there was a road closed

[page 3] sign and a parked car, so we turned around and went back to the highway we had left.

We attended a ball game in the astrodome. We have friends living in Beaumont, Texas, we visited. Also stopped to see the Georges. They are completely remodeling a house they bought for the lot. Nell and their daughter Merry are doing much of the work and it looked like they would still be working on it for some time. All in all our vacation was grand while it lasted. Dr. K. is leaving for the rest of October this week – so Dad says

[page 4] we won’t be able to attend the medical convention this month. Stacie is attending a small college in Va. I was told it has an enrollment of 300 and she is enrolled as a freshman. Evidently she didn’t get along too well in Greencastle last year.

I hope you aren’t doing too much – what with your Emerson position – but who am I to worry about people working too much, since I live with that sort of thing all the time.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/16/l-b-j-ranch/

Home Again

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Oct. 4 – 1965

Dear David & Bonnie –

Here is a check which was opened by your Dad. He didn’t look at the name, I thought you might be able to use it.

Dad came home from Rotary and has been going thru junk mail and magazines which accumulated while we were away. He is in the living room half way watching the program – or the coverage of the Pope’s visit. I have watched it in part. I wanted to see the Michelangelo statue at the world’s fair which was shown during the Pope’s visit to World’s Fair Vatican Pavilion, but as usual our T.V. wasn’t behaving too well. We didn’t go to Rome on our trip so didn’t get to see it there. That should be a good excuse for us to visit Rome.

I have been so busy trying to catch up with desk work today. I haven’t made much contact with anyone. I did call Mrs. Myers, I promised her I would stop and see her tomorrow. We bought Becky a doll in Disneyland and the Indiana with a drum-like the one he has worn out – for Kirk – and I want to take that doll for Mrs. M. to see. It is for Becky’s birthday and the Indiana is for Kirk’s.

While in Champaign John took us to see Cat Balleau. That was very funny and if you get a chance and haven’t seen it do go. Also the scenery in Lord Jim is beautiful – and although the movie has changed the story it is worth seeing. If you haven’t read Lord Jim it won’t bother you. The pictures which we took in Cambodia are the same as some of the background used in the picture. That is something else – the locus of Lord Jim is Indonesia. The Georges saw Lord Jim and when we told them we were in Cambodia when the picture was being made, they said that explained a few things. Nell said she knew that couldn’t have been made in Bali but there was a funeral scene just like some of the pictures we have and like they also have.

Our vacation was really wonderful. We stopped in San Francisco (Sebastapol), Los Angeles, Reno, Odessa, Tex., and Beaumont, Tex. for visits and really enjoyed seeing friends and relatives, and we felt they were all glad to see us. Everyone insisted that we come to the west coast (except Juanita) to retire (now). Juanita said they were going to Laredo, Texas, to retire.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/15/home-again/

Yellowstone

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Letter transcription:

Sept. 7 – Waiting at Yellowstone for Old Faithful to erupt.

Dear David & Bonnie – We spent last night at Sunset Motel in Cody and drove here this a.m. We plan to drive on to Livingston, Montana, to spend tonight, then go to Glacier Int. Park next day. The scenery out this way is very grand, then we drive though some of the towns and see such heaps of junk and lack of zoning (So much for philosophy). We are wearing heavy clothes because the weather is quite nippy. We were bundled up Sunday night when we attend the passion play at Spearfish S.D. Dad even wore a pr. of wool sox. After putting on several layers of sweaters and our car coats, we took blankets along and wrapped ourselves so we kept warm. We were warned when we bought tickets to dress as for a ball game. We saw all kinds of blankets and other warm wrappings. Since we are going on to another Nat’l Park I decided I needed wool slacks so bought a pair in Cody this morning. Also found a sweater to match the skirt I bought at Loebs—the cranberry red. I have yarn to knit one, but bought one to use until I get the other one made—

We saw Old Faithful give a spectacular performance and then drove to Livingston Montana where we will spend the night. Tomorrow we will drive to Glacier International Park then on to Grand Coulee Dam, then over to the coast and down. I called John last night. He was getting ready to paint the inside of his house. He had purchased a garbage disposal & dishwasher. The last time

[page 2] we saw John he had just purchased his bedroom furniture and kitchen table, stove & refrigerator. We plan to stop there on our way home to see his place. Will drop you a card once in a while.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/09/yellowstone/

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/

Mary Poppins and Lord Jim

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Aug. 3-1965

Dear David & Bonnie—

Last week (Sat.) I went to Lafayette to take the leased car to the Cadillac garage, and while I waited went to Loebs and bought some shirts for Dad. The shirts were on sale so I can’t return them, so sent the two which didn’t fit to you. I hope you like them—since they require no ironing and also hope you can wear them.

I went to Champaign last week to see Lord Jim. Spent the night with Lea & Bob and came home Wed. PM. Lord Jim is coming here but I don’t know when—probably while we are away. I took Mrs. Myers to see Mary Poppins Sunday afternoon, then brought her out here for dinner. I took her home a little after 8. She really enjoyed being “out in the country”—she said the air smelled so fresh. We had had some rain so it did seem more refreshing than she has been used to—what with so much dust

[page 2] this summer.

I worked for Edna yesterday a.m. She is going to the Risk Dental Clinic for new dentures. The ones Dr. L. made for her have never been satisfactory, so she (after some persuasion on my part) decided to try Risk. She has to go back Wed., so will have to work for her again tomorrow. I am trying to get a few things done—like disposing of accumulated items of no value—however, I won’t throw anything away I think you may want.

The United Church Women of Kentland elected me to the office of Secretary and I have a few chores in that office to take care of before we leave on vacation.

I also have to take the Cadillac back to Lafayette Friday for further repairs—so I won’t get any sorting done that day.

See you the 13^th.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/07/mary-poppins-and-lord-jim/

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

Mother’s Day 1965

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

Sunday May 9, 1965

Dear David and Bonnie:

This afternoon John called me instead of sending me something for Mother’s Day. I told him you would be home June 13, so he is planning to be here to see you then he is going to Arizona for the summer (Jun. 14). Thanks for your card and letter. I talked to Mrs. Myers and she was quite happy to get your card. I had intended to take her to a store in Kentland Friday, but she wasn’t feeling up to leaving her apartment, so I have promised to try and find something for her in Lafayette Wednesday. I think the trip to Lafayette would be almost too much for her now. She still goes to Watseka to the Dr. to have her feet taken care of, but that is only 17 miles.

Dad gave me a new radio with stereo speakers, for Mother’s Day. The old radios we have around here aren’t much force and the last time John was home we couldn’t listen to the Saturday broadcast of the Met. John made some remark about not having a decent radio on the place. I knew Dad was going to get one for me, so I didn’t get one myself. The opera is over now, but I will have it for other listening and the opera next fall.

We went to the NuJoy for dinner today. There was a large crowd, but luckily we were waited on soon after we were seated and served quickly. Since it was a special day we didn’t know whether we would have to wait a long time and Dad had had a rough night at the hospital and would have settled for a bowl of cereal, but we had planned to go out and took a chance on not having to wait an hour or so to be served.

John had received a letter from a Ford Foundation friend who has recently had to leave Indonesia. He sent John a copy of the petition which was signed asking the Foundation to leave Malang and according to John it is quite insulting. After all the work that they have done there, they seem to be getting no thanks. I was going to write Oka again, but John says there probably would be no use in sending a letter, because he probably would not receive it. John had word from an Indonesian who wanted John to help him, but says he doesn’t see how he can, since their letters aren’t received. John has written to him and he has written to John without either receiving anything. This friend who wrote to John from Switzerland apprized John of his friend’s desires. I sent Oka a package by air, which he did receive. I am wondering if he will get the package which was sent by sea. Since that takes about 3 months, by the time it arrives it may not be delivered.

Tomorrow I am to go to Battle Ground for a meeting. Wed. I am to go to Lafayette to give a program. Thursday afternoon I am scheduled to give a program in Remington in the afternoon and one at Mt. Zion in the evening. One evening this week we are to attend a dinner for hospital employees. Looks like the coming week is going to be a busy one. When you come home, I promise there will be no meetings—and especially since you will only be home for a few days. I see by the IU calendar of events that your summer school begins June 21—that is counseling the 21 and classes 23.

John Janssen helped me Saturday. He washed all the windows and spray painted the bamboo shades (for east windows) green. When Dad hung them last Thurs., we decided they would last one more season with a coat of paint. Don’t you miss all these little chores?

Love Mother

The Town’s Sewers

1 Reply

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.