Tag Archives: John F. Kennedy

Mackinac Bridge

Letter transcription:

[Memorial Hall I.U. – Handwritten by David]
Thurs. July 19, 1962

Dear David –

I went to Lafayette yesterday and while in the hospital had a chance to see Dr. Ferguson. He wants me to continue therapy two more weeks – or until I have normal motion with my right arm. I am to go again tomorrow. I think I had too much therapy yesterday – my arm is a little sore today.

I asked Rev. Fields about the book you wrote about but he didn’t know anything about it. He was to give me a list of books he does know about. He is at camp this week and I didn’t get the list from him. While the Fields are away this week the painting is being done.

Well, what do you think about the defeat of the little Kennedy boy’s legislation? If he can learn from anything I think it is time for him to take a hint. I think the Dri strike in Canada possibly had some effect on the way the voting went.

While Mark, Shirley & Becky were here Bob & Lea stopped for a little while on Saturday. Sunday afternoon Virginia (Zell) Gale and her family came. I don’t know when Mark’s will be back. We couldn’t figure out a date while they were

[page 2] here. Shirley is going to visit her family for a week after she quits work August 1. She will stop here for a little while. We are planning to go to Chicago September 1 for a week’s vacation. We thought we would go up and see the Mackinac bridge one day. I hope you plan to be home all the time when you get back from summer school, until you return to school in September. We are counting on leaving you here to look after things while we are away. And of course you have to be here to help me during Arvella’s vacation.

The work on the building is at a standstill. Mr. K. says the windows haven’t come and that he can’t do anything more until he gets them.

Dad has been so very busy, I will be glad when he can get away for a vacation. Dr. Brady is gone from Morocco and the people in Morocco have no hopes of getting another Dr. That just makes more work on Dad all the time.

Marge Cheek had to have an emergency operation Monday evening. Appendicitis and complications. I was at the hospital Tuesday but didn’t try to see her because she wasn’t able to have company.

I have to write to John and do a few other things today – I will be traveling tomorrow so won’t get much done at home.

Love Mother

Mackinac bridge (Image by Jeffness Wikipedia Creative Commons license)

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/10/21/mackinac-bridge/

Out of the Office

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

[Kentland to Wright Quad 513 – in David’s handwriting]
February 10, 1961

Dear David:

Yours received and $10 added to your bank account. We received a letter from John yesterday. He said they are in the rainy season and from his description, it really rains there.

I finally got the Chev. garage repairman to work on my car. I am waiting for it now. It is 11:10 and he was supposed to have it here around 10. At any rate it will be like new when I do get it and clean again.

Mark, Shirley and Becky are coming this evening. Mark called two evenings ago. They (he and Shirley) had had the flu, but so far Becky was OK. I do hope she doesn’t get sick. Mark has decided not to quit his job after all. They have a baby sitter and Shirley is going back to work the middle of this month.

Dad has been out of the office so much this week – most of the day Wednesday – he had to go to Hammond to confer about a court case he will have to testify in. One day he had to go to Fowler to appear in court. He wasn’t gone too long that day. Today he has to go to the hospital for a staff meeting at 12:30. He hasn’t been around here for lunch much this week. This month the baby cases are few, but next month I think there are about 15 due.

We were listening to the news (as usual) and thought we might hear some comments on the President’s answer as to whether he have a missile gap. You will remember that during the campaign he was positive on the subject but now it seems he is waiting to hear from his investigating committee. We have heard two prominent republicans commenting. They said essentially what we were thinking. Now that he is in the driver’s seat it doesn’t sound so good to be telling the world we aren’t in top place, or that we are second rate.

Our weather is warm enough today to do some window washing, but I have an appointment at Doris’s this afternoon, so the windows will have to wait.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/17/out-of-the-office/

City Gas

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

[to Wright 513 – handwritten by David]
Kentland, Indiana
146 W. Graham Street
January 31, 1961

Dear David:

We are enjoying a little warmer weather. If we didn’t still have snow on the ground we might think it is spring.

I worked on statements last night and this morning. I thought about running the total up on the adding machine, but didn’t have you here to do it, so just didn’t take the time.

We now are using city gas. The plumbers and Public Service men came Saturday and made the change over. Our furnace had to be turned off about two hours, but the house didn’t get too chilly. Dad goes out and looks at the meter once in a while and says the needle travels awfully fast. Walter Small and John came yesterday and took the tank away. John is home for between semester vacation.

Pres. Kennedy was on Dave Garraway’s program this morning. We listened to his State of the Union message yesterday. Did you? The commentators pointed out the striking difference between his message and the one Ike gave recently. The Democrats applauded, but the Republicans say he has painted a picture that isn’t quite true. I will agree with him on his view on physical fitness.

There is a meeting tonight at the Church for members of the finance committee and others to discuss what our church is going to do about the Capital Funds drive. R. Zell came out last night and talked to us about getting the ball rolling for a new parsonage. I found the program for Jan. 1. Here it is in case you still want it.

Have some book work to do, so must get at it.
Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/09/15/city-gas/

Birthday Greetings to a Grand Person

2 Replies

September 19, 1962 envelope

: Card exterior

: Card interior

: September 19, 1962 envelope

© 2016 copyright owned Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/08/14/birthday-greetings-to-a-grand-person/

Bing & Bob

1 Reply

July 27, 1962 envelope

Letter transcription:

July 27, 1962, p. 1

Kentland, July 27, 62
8 PM Friday

Dear David

I enjoyed your nice newsy letter. I have had a rather busy week as Harold has been away. He and his family last Sunday drove up into Wisconsin to join Dr. & Mrs. Logan at their cottage, and will return Sunday.

Your comments about the Road to Hong Kong took be back twenty or more years. You know Bob & Bing made a series of “Road” pictures away back when, and we didn’t miss a one. An early one, I think, the Road to Zanzibar, had an incident I have never forgotten. A black tribe of some sort had captured Bing & Bob, and had a huge kettle boiling over a fire, and the boys stood petrified, and one of the tribe turned to Bob and said “Don’t worry, we won’t cook you today, we are going to put you in the deep freeze for the Fall festival, but we are going to serve him (Bing) on our blue plate special tomorrow.” And of course they were forever chasing Dorothy Lamour.

I haven’t read Around the World with Auntie Mame, and would like to. You could bring it with you when you come home. That article about Maurice Chevalier was in a magazine that a guest gave me to read, and he took it away with him. It was one of those movie magazines, but I don’t remember what one.

You know, if Kennedy keeps up his present rating, I don’t believe he will get a second term. I hear nothing but critical comment about him. Of course not from Harold, but he has quit bragging about him.

I’m glad you are having an opportunity to read your Interpreter’s Bible, and make use of it in your work also. I think that’s wonderful. It surely would be absorbing reading.

No doubt it is cool enough to suit you. The Lafayette paper this evening said that it was 48 there this morning at sic o’clock. I know I had to arise and close my window in the night, and get another blanket.

I am wondering if you went on your trip to Tell City. Somebody is knocking on my door, and I think I have a caller, so will say by for now. Don’t work too hard

Love
Grandma

[Disclaimer: The views of Ruth Myers are not necessarily my own. My task as a historian is to present documents in their true and unedited form.]

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/08/13/bing-bob/

Your Daddy Says Not So

1 Reply

July 17, 1962 envelope

July 17, 1962, p. 1

Letter transcription:

Kentland, July 17

David Dear

Your Grammaw has not willfully neglected writing to you, but last week’s heat together with the terrific humidity brought on a bad case of stupidity, also a slight attack of asthma to which I have recently been subject, making breathing, and exertion, difficult. At first I thought I was having a heart attack, but your daddy says not so, it is a mild asthma. I have always enjoyed hot weather, when others were uncomfortable, I felt fine, and I still love the hot summer time, but last week was a rough combination. Today, for a change, it is quite cool with a brilliant sun.

I do so enjoy hearing about all your work and other activities. Geography was always one of my great burdens in school. I always just barely passed, and sometimes not even that. I simply cannot locate other countries. To this day, I cannot tell you in what direction from here a given country is located. Way back in grade school, I used to get an F in geography. F meant “Fair,” but I would get an E plus (excellent) in reading, spelling and grammar, and once in a while a G (good in history) but always an F in geography and sometimes a scolding about it. I don’t believe I would have even got the F except for my efforts in other subjects.

I am so glad that good books are coming out in paperbacks although the few times I am in the drug store, which is the only place I know of in Kentland to buy them, I never seem to find anything worthwhile. I am so glad you are going to finish your set of the Interpreter’s. They are so wonderful.

I just finished reading an article in the July Red Book “The Nixon Family Under Fire Again.” I am almost sorry he is going to place himself in position to suffer the ignominy of another defeat. He doesn’t deserve it, and I just cannot see why some people feel as they do about him.

I also read an article in July McCall’s about William Holden, you remember “Father O’Banion” in Satan Never Sleeps. The reason I mention it, it said that he is strongly Conservative Republican. Now I admire him more than ever. If I were young enough, like Joyce, I’d gladly wear a Goldwater sweatshirt.

Your Chevalier record reminds me of another article I read last week, which was about him. Imagine, he is 72 and still has everything. It seem incredible that he could be my age. Still dancing and singing, and still the gay dog.

I miss Ike too, even Harry. Ike is going to be in Indiana I think it is this week. I wish I could see him.

Your trip to Tell City sounds like fun, and I think you have

July 17, 1962, p. 2

[page 2] a “break” coming. It sounds to me as if you are working hard, and then being a soda jerk also, yet. No doubt you are as anxious as I am as to what they are going to do today with “Medicare.” Phooey! The senate finance committee disposed of the withholding tax on dividends and I read where Kennedy had brought all his powers to bear on it, and left nothing undone to try to get it through, but how thankful I am he failed.

I must close so this will go in the afternoon mail, and get busy with a bite of dinner, or I won’t be though by 5:30. I have not seen your mother but once since she was in the hospital. She stopped in for a minute one morning, and said she was going to Lafayette for therapy. I do hope it is all worth while and that she will be more comfortable.

Lovingly,
Grandma Ruth

[Disclaimer: The views of Ruth Myers are not necessarily my own. My task as a historian is to present documents in their true and unedited form.]

The Inauguration

2 Replies

January 17, 1961 envelope

Letter transcription:

January 17, 1961

Dear David

Thank you for the interesting cards and the map you marked for me. I am indeed glad to see some of the things you see every day. They all look most wonderful, and I know you [are] enjoying your interesting life there.

You know, David, I don’t believe I can watch the inauguration. I suppose I will have to accept facts, along with everybody, but I still find it hard to do.

I am happy for dear old Ike, that is he will be relieved of a heavy burden, which I should think is becoming too heavy for his years, but I am thankful we have had him for eight years.

It is nice you can be home again for a while.

Sincerely,

Ruth Myers

Report From Washington

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

November 15, 1960

November 15

Dear David,

Since we have to take what comfort we can find, I thought you might appreciate the enclosed clipping from last Saturday’s Chicago Tribune “Report from Washington.”

I saw your mother this morning and she is pleased with your progress at I. U.

With best regards to you
Most sincerely
Ruth Myers