Tag Archives: Mark A. Yegerlehner

The Funeral

Letter transcription:

9-1-64

Dear David & Bonnie –

The past week has been rather full. Mark & Shirley left Kirk with us Monday. He got quite attached to John and John to him. Friday night Aunt Ruth called and told us Uncle Earl had passed away. Floyd came Sat. a.m. and went over to be with Aunt Ruth. Tye & Romaine couldn’t get there until Sat. evening. They drove. Sunday Steve brought Aunt Ruth here and in the afternoon we drove to Wilmington. Friday afternoon Shirley & Mark came back to get Kirk and he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to have anything to do with them. Shirley said she thought he was mad at them for leaving him. Lea & Bob came the same day, so we had a family reunion for a little while. Lea & Bob stayed but M. & S. took Kirk and went to get Becky. They are coming back today. John just left to go to Champaign with his car loaded. He bought about

[page 2] $200.00 worth of household goods, and took most of his things on this trip.

Yesterday we attended the funeral. Dad & John went to Wilmington Mon. a.m. So many of the Clay City relatives were there, Clarence, Clara, Ralph, Kenneth, Mary Lois, Duane & Joan and a number of Mutchler relatives. Since I had been with Aunt Ruth the better part of one week (Aug. 18 to 21) and had gone over Sunday afternoon, John & I came back home shortly after the funeral was over. Some of the relatives didn’t arrive until just before the funeral so they stayed longer. Ruth & Floyd stopped here on their way home at about 7:30 and they said they were the last to leave. Tye & Romaine were gong to stay in Wilmington a day or two.

I have to give a program at Williamsport tonight and as of this minute haven’t decided what I will give and before Mark & his family get here I think I had better get my program ready. M. & S. are going to be here until Thurs. then they are going back home (to mow lawn, etc.). Mark has a new job with All American Ins. & Casualty in Park Ridge – which will be closer home than his present job.

Love Mother

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/01/09/the-funeral/

Uncle Earl is Ill

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Letter transcription:

8-10-64

Dear David and Bonnie:

Glad to receive yours, posted the 6^th. We will send the picnick basket to you and you send the jacket back to us. I don’t remember of having sent a package on to you that came from Hong Kong, but if you received one, it has to be Dad’s coat – the one we have been looking for, for months, in fact the one we were hoping would come in time for Dad to wear to the wedding. John stopped in H.K. and had some clothes made at the same tailor shop and asked about Dad’s suit coat and was told it had been mailed in May. I was just wondering last week if we would ever receive it. Aunt Ruth just called, and from Silver Cross Hospital in Joilet. Uncle Earl is very ill and since he reacts unfavorable to sedation, it has been hard to find something to make him sleep. Aunt Ruth said they couldn’t tell what his trouble was, whether a kidney stone, or what. Just wish we were close enough to help out a little. We did stop there two weeks ago when we went to see Mark. I am glad we did. I will get another print for you to send to David Watson. Dad said (in his usual RSY manner) where did Doctor McGraw get her information about the tablets? He hasn’t had any such information so didn’t think you needed to be too concerned. Will let you know if any such information comes and you should know how much come thru this office all the time – besides the drug salesmen keep Dad posted on all the new drugs, etc.

[page 2] John is in Bloomington, Indiana today. He went to Urbana last week and in addition to attending a meeting, was able to secure an apartment. His lease begins Sept. 1. All furnished, except for linens, curtains, and such. John had to go to Lafayette one day last week to have his VW serviced and while he waited he went shopping. He bought me an opera – Mozart’s Seraglio. He said that was a commission for his broker. – I have been working for Arvella today – she had to see a throat specialist in Lafayette and she just returned, so I am back at home. John is going to register so he can vote against you know who. He thinks about as much of him as you do. The more I see him (his picture) on TV and in the papers the more I dislike him. I think he is about the worst thing the R party has had for a long, long time. When we were watching the convention on TV, Dad said he thought he acted like he was mad about something. John has his opinions about him from having lived in Arizona three years. He says he represents a group of people who are not concerned about the welfare of anyone but their own small group. I rather think he won’t win anything in the fall. I hope that isn’t just wishful thinking. My new Interpreters Bible and Dictionary came. I ordered from Bookshelf and it cost me about $103.00 including postage for the 16 volumes. I ran into a little difficulty Sunday. Two who have had too much fundamental teaching were questioning the book we are studying. The mother (who goes to Remington church and

[page 3] thinks one has to believe literally every word – which proves she hasn’t read too extensively on the matter – ) had a fit – in the words of her son when they took the study book home for her to read. My class members, Pat and Keith Alberts, were a little upset about the reaction of his mother and I think she has had some influence on their thinking. The sad part is, it is such a good book and has a message so timely, but I think she has bogged down because she has been impressed about the parts she doesn’t agree with and can’t see what the book is trying to say. However, I haven’t detected the same feeling from any of the rest of the class. If I thought you would have time to read the book, I would send you a copy. Genesis, Beginnings of the Biblical Drama by Charles F. Kraft. Fields are on vacation this week and next and the minister from Raub, Rev. Rahn was in our pulpit Sunday. I think the Raub people are very lucky to have him, and when he gets his degree, they won’t be able to keep him very long I am sure. He sounds like the kind who will make progress. From what Marge tells me, he is not a fundamentalist. I stopped to see Mrs. Myers and she had received your gift. She was quite pleased. It was thru her letter that I learned you plan to come home for Christmas. We are going to keep Kirk the last week in August. He is quite a character. I am sure we will have a lot of fun with him. Time is getting away from me, so I had better wind this up and get to the P.O. Excuse fancy writing paper.

Love Mother

To read more about the presidential election of 1964 and Barry Goldwater, click here.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/01/06/uncle-earl-is-ill/

Heat Wave

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Letter transcription:

Monday August 3, 1964

Dear David & Bonnie:

Long time, no letter. There is a package here for you and since it was large and light of weight and not very securily wrapped I looked in to see if I should send it on – it is a picknic basket. Do you want it sent on? If you do I will send it. John has gone to Urbana today on business. He had to make a trip over last Thursday. We had planned to go to Chicago. Dad got the baby-case out of the way (he has a little time now until the next one scheduled) so we (Dad and I) went and stopped at Aunt Ruth’s. Romaine and her children were there (Tye had to make a trip to Chicago on business, so we missed seeing him). We had a nice visit with them, then went on to Mark’s. Becky came home with us and Friday evening Mark and Shirley stopped for her as they were going to Wards. She seemed to have a very nice time and yesterday when they stopped on their way back home she didn’t want to go with them, but wanted to say here. It has been very hot here – in fact I think we have set some kind of record again. You know the Midwest is always having some kind of first in weather. Mr. Harris told me this morning that every window fan and air conditioner they have has been sold. I think from the way he talked every dealer has sold out. I talked to Mrs. Myers one day last week and she was having a bad time with the heat. She said it was the first time it had bothered her. She told me she had tried to buy a window fan and couldn’t get one. The weather forecast is for cooler this evening. I hope so for all the people who do not have air conditioners. We are going to give a program for the Nurse Association at the Hospital tonight and I think it will be a rather warm evening. The air conditioner at our office wasn’t functioning properly and the repair man from Sears was working on it this morning. Dad told me at noon if he didn’t get it fixed he was going to cancel out the afternoon appointments. He hasn’t come home, so I presume it has been put in order. I decided to buy myself the Interpreter’s Bible and Dictionary. The dictionary came today, but I haven’t had time to look it over. I brought back 23 Genesis study books and have distributed all but two. I am in a dilemma. I still have 3 families. I just didn’t bring enough copies back with me. However, I know some of those books will not be opened. – Yesterday afternoon Dad had a telephone call from one of his Commanding Officers (in South Pacific). He was stopping at Tri-Way so Dad asked him to stop and see us. He told us how much he thought of Dad and what a morale booster he had been during the war. Mark and Shirley and children came just as he was leaving so he got a chance to see them. Of course John was here too, so he got to see all of us but you and Bonnie. Please excuse lack of paragraphs, but I got so used to writing this way to John, I hope you don’t mind. Last week (Sat. to be exact) John helped me and we sent out the statements. Isn’t such a bad job when there is some help. He even used my old typewriter. He has his work spread out all over your room. He is doing some work on Indonesian language (I think). His work at U of I will be in Linguistics and with graduate students. He may try to find something in housing on this trip. At present he will be staying at Bob & Lea’s. He asked me if I knew what Bob taught. I replied, “Business English.” He said, “He teaches people how to write junk mail.” I suppose it needs to be well written because once in a while someone will read it. My afternoon is getting away from me, so must bring this to a halt. I want to stop and see Mrs. M. before I go to the office.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/01/05/heat-wave/

John’s Homecoming

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Letter transcription:

July 27 1964

Dear David & Bonnie:

I have read the enclosed. It couldn’t be forwarded, so I thought I would see what it was all about – I don’t do that to letters, but since this was a circular type of thing I didn’t want to spend postage on it if was not something you would want. Since it is from New York, you probably don’t want it. I am deep in the heart of getting things caught up, since my week off (which I enjoyed very much).

John was on the train and we headed for Kentland via Lafayette as soon as possible. We stopped at the VW place and he bought a new car and drove the rest of the way home by himself. I took him to Morocco the next day to get his car license and renew his driver’s license. The Motor Co. loaned him a license plate so he could drive the car home. He is working on some of his papers and using the tape recorder. He brought several tapes home with him. He has one he made of a Javanese street singer and little boy. He said man and boy were passing his house one day singing and playing drum and he asked then in so he could record. We have listened to it once. He is going to the U of I next Monday to see Prof. and take care of any business at hand. He plans to stay with Bob and Lea. He is also going to look for a place to live (apt or house). We plan to go to Mark’s one day this week and hope Dad can take Thurs. off so he can go with us. (Dad plans to go if Sandy Puetz Smith has her baby before Thurs). John was quite impressed with Kirk. He thinks he is very bright. He said Kirk would start to crawl over him and he would say, “Kirk, I am going to give you a bath and put you to bed” – and that would send him away, (for the time being). John asked me if I had heard of the Soaky bath. They give the children bubble baths which have been dubbed Soaky. They both like the soaky baths and never object to having one. Mark told he last Sunday they went to the beach and that the children loved playing in the water. John said to get Kirk excited, all one has to say is “Let’s go to the beach.” Probably like the excitement over Grandpa’s little dog. Kirk is going to stay here while M. & S. vacate.

I have launched my class on the study of Genesis by Charles F. Kraft. I was so sorry I didn’t know what a good teacher we would have last week. I would have taken our tape recorder along and gotten his entire series of lectures on tape to use in my class. However, I think I have been able to generate a little enthusiasm by my description of the lectures. I talked to Rev. Marrs a time or two. He said he doesn’t believe in the Virgin Birth and from the way he lectured I know he believes in the theory of evolution.

John and I just hung the bamboo drape on the west bedroom window. I didn’t think to ask Dad to do that little chore yesterday and this afternoon after the sun got around John decided upon my suggestion that it would be a good idea. You will begin to think I have hidden talents. First I write and tell you I took all the old wax off the linoleum and now I tell you we hung a drape. Just necessities. I am not interested in a full career of that kind. John has some pictures (slides) that belong to the Georges (the people who have been working with him the past 2 yrs.) which were taken in Bali and Java. Some of the scenes are from places where we had been and we are going to have some duplicate slides made for ourselves. They were they during a special festival last December.

I have a desk full of work staring me in the face, so must get this finished and get to work.

Love Mother

P.S. Have promised to loan Legend of Virgin Conception to a friend to read.

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/01/04/johns-homecoming/

Beautiful Eyes

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

7-7-64

Dear David and Bonnie:

Tues. evening. We had a hard rain today so the lawn will be in shape for mowing in a day or so. Dad finished the fence so the little dogs next door can’t come over so easily. If they do they will get a bebe or two. When Mark was here for the 4^th he said Dad was pulling “an Uncle Mutch.” At least we haven’t been bothered since he gave three of four of them a pelting last Friday evening.

While Mark & Shirley were here Shirley and I took the children to see Mrs. Myers. Mrs. M. said Kirk has beautiful eyes – in fact she said he is a beautiful child. Of course, his grandmother agreed. You remember the little dog in a basket the girls gave Dad for Christmas? The children discovered it on this visit and Shirley wouldn’t let them have it, but would wind it up and let them watch it. Kirk would get so excited he would act like he would explode. We found it a nice interlude to amuse them. Kirk doesn’t say much but he certainly can communicate without words. Becky seems to have much more fun with him. They play together very well now – and get into trouble together. If M. & S. take a vacation – they weren’t sure because of some unforeseen financial stress – had to buy a new refrigerator – they are going to leave Kirk here. I think we will be able to get along with him if he stays with us.

If John’s plans go according to schedule he should be on his way to Hong Kong

[page 2] at this time since it is Thursday there, and that is departure day.

We are going to the Hospital Administrator’s home this evening to show them some pictures. Mrs. Wahler seems quite interested. We have selected 480 pictures from the whole trip so we are giving a selected round the world program. We watched an 80 hr. trip which Chicago Tribune sponsored. We saw it Sunday evening. A travel agent Harvey Olson (the one L. Kresler works for) and a photographer and another man made the trip. We saw some familiar sights.

Dad had to leave home at 5 a.m. for a baby case. He also has some surgery scheduled so I have no idea when he will be home. Probably not for lunch.

I am trying to get ready to attend School of Mission in Greencastle and hope I won’t have an infection this year. I am not sure about John’s homecoming date. I want to meet him at airport and can’t very well be in Greencastle and O’Hare at the same time. He may not get home before July 24 and I will be home by then.

We haven’t heard from the McGraws. Have you? We wondered about them and the earthquake in Japan.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/31/beautiful-eyes/

Her Grandmother’s Favorite Granddaughter

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Letter transcription:

7-3-64

Dear David and Bonnie:

This mail has accumulated in the past few days, so thought I had better get it forwarded to you – not that it amounts to much. Mark and Shirley and the children came last night and are going back to Roselle tomorrow. They are both (the children) very tanned and very lively. We have had some rain today, so they have played in the house most of the time. Kirk says Ma-ma (sounds like a mama doll) dog and NO and that is about the extent, so far, of his vocabulary, but he is pretty sharp. He climbs all the time and must be going to climb mountains because nothing seems to discourage him. Becky talks constantly like a recording, but is as cute as ever and still her grandmother’s favorite granddaughter. Last night we showed the wedding pictures and then some pictures of the children. Both children sat very still and seemed to get quite a thrill out of seeing themselves on the screen. John is receiving mail from U. of I. I have talked to the Professor he will be assistant to, over the phone. He wanted to know how he could get in touch with John. John should be beginning his journey home next Wed., which will be Thurs. in Indonesia. I have sent one letter to Hong Kong in care of Miramar Hotel for John. I am about out of paper and it is time for another patient to come in, so must get this in the mail.

Love Mother

©2016 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2016/12/30/her-grandmothers-favorite-granddaughter/

Speaking Program

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Letter transcription:

June 25, 1964

Dear David & Bonnie:

Dad brought the enclosed home (more free samples) so I thought I would get them in the mail – not that Bonnie needs them this soon, but so I won’t forget to send them. I think you can use them in the same dispenser – these tablets are made by a different company, but Dad says they are the same with a different name.

Dad had to go on an emergency call Sunday evening just before time for guests to arrive, but he was home before we had finished eating dinner. Alma came for a little while on her way back to Urbana. She left the pictures she took at the shower and wedding and I sent them in to have duplicates made and got prints instead. Will just have to send them back for more duplicates. The pictures she took of you and Bonnie coming out of the Church is better than the one my camera took. I am having an enlargement made of it and will send you one when it finally comes back from the photo shop.

Mark called Sunday evening and said Kirk was running a temperature and they couldn’t get a Dr. so Dad gave a druggist a Rx over the phone. I called Shirley Monday evening and Kirk had improved. She said she gave him some jello and milk and he tossed it then a little later he found a cucumber and ate it and kept it down, so I decided he must be much better.

All of your stock certificates have come back but Sperry. I sent your Blue Cross policy last week.

Last night I went to Morocco and gave a program for WSCS – my subject, Hong Kong. I wore my silk dress I had made in HK and heard a lot of ohs and ahs. The group all seemed to enjoy the program and looking at my art objects. I also took the extra saree along. I think I could have taken orders if I would have wanted to go into business.

This is one of those Thursdays when the telephone isn’t bothering too much. Dad has finished mowing the lawn and looking for something else to do, or maybe nothing to do.

Father Fallon was found dead in his house by another priest this morning. He (Father F) was just in our office Tuesday evening for a Rx.

Alma is supposed to stop this evening. She said she was having a long weekend, since she doesn’t have classes tomorrow.

Have you heard from Bonnie’s parents? We were just wondering if they got out of Japan before the earthquake. Let us know what you hear from them.

Love Mother

P.S. Sending pills later.

Athens

5 Replies

Letter transcription:

March 15 – 1964

Dear David: Your letter was here when we arrived. I still think you two should graduate normally. I hope I read your letter correctly that we will be invited to Founder’s Day Celebration on the strength (how else) of your grades. If you go to Kentland, remember what Jeannette Batton said about Bonnie staying there if you spend night in Kentland. I wrote you in another letter that you will have to check with Air France as to arrival time. It is supposed to be at 1:40 p.m. We have heard since then that we can go thru customs in Canada if plane makes a stop there – it may. If we could go thru customs there it wouldn’t take us long to get away from O’Hare. We haven’t decided what we will do when we get to Chicago – I doubt that we will spend much time at Mark’s – you know with all that mail waiting for us we will probably be anxious to get home. No appointments until April 1 so that will give Dad a chance to wade thru things. I do hope you can get the house swept and dusted before we get home. I wish we had you with us here – we can’t read any of the signs around here – it’s all Greek to us. We can see the Parthenon from the hotel – but not from our window – our room is on other side but we can see it from lounge. Everything seems very quiet. We took a walk this afternoon and took a picture of American Embassy. It was refreshing to get to Athens today, after almost a week in a country that is nearly 100% (nearly) Muslim. There are 1,000 mosques in Cairo and they are building more all the time. We really had some nice tours there and saw the tomb of King Tut. Also saw all the things that are in the museum that were taken from tomb. We made 3 trips to the museum. That is a popular place – people coming and going all the time. Do you and Bonnie have work in Boston this summer? From your letter I rather thought you sounded like there is where you will spend the summer. Our hotel room is on 9^th floor and we have a very good view of the city and nets in background. We start on cruise tomorrow afternoon but will try to find the beads for you tomorrow a.m. I don’t know what I will be looking for but someone around here surely will. We ate a light breakfast at 6:30 – had a huge breakfast on plane at 9:30 so it is almost 6 p.m. and I think we have waited long enough for food. I think we have both gained – but once we get back home we can lose any extra. This cruise won’t be any help in the weight losing dept. You will have time to get a letter to us when

[page 2] we get to Paris if there is something you need to write about. It is always nice to pick up letters – we had six when we arrived here today – so had lots of news.

Love Mother

Pyramids in Cairo

1 Reply

Letter transcription:

March 10 – 1964

Dear David – Yours of Mar. 4 received today. I was glad to get your letter (naturally) and have the explanation in full about the Ins. In the first place, we increased the insurance because we didn’t think we were carrying enough and at the time we increased it nothing was said about you. I don’t know who got that bright idea, but I have a good idea that Prairie Realty will lose some business when we get back home. We are not at all happy about the way Prairie R. handled things – We think you and Mark did the only thing you could do under the circumstances. When we talked about leasing a Cadillac we discovered our insurance was not as much as a leasing company carries and that was what caused us to increase ours. I hope you can be in Chicago to meet us because we will want to go home. I hope you can meet us if it won’t make you late getting back to Bloomington. According to our plane schedules we are to arrive in Chicago at 1:50 p.m. You will have to check on that. Since it will be the end of your vacation it would probably be some time before you would be home again. In my last letter I asked you to run the sweeper and dust for me. We won’t be bringing much home with us but Mark says there is so much mail for us to go thru it will probably take us a day or so. We came to Cairo yesterday afternoon. We had a tour this a.m. and one this afternoon. We visited museum this a.m. and saw things that were taken from King Tut’s tomb. We did take some pictures. We think we will go back to the museum before we leave. We visited the pyramids and Sphinx this afternoon. We have a very wonderful view of the river Nile and city from our room and porch. After returning from our trip this afternoon we stopped in the coffee shop and had a ginger ale then came to our room. I washed my hair and set it and we have been enjoying the view while my hair dries. We can see pyramids from where we are sitting. I was a party “pooper” this afternoon – I wouldn’t take a ride on a camel. We did take a ride on an elephant in India and that as far as I am concerned was enough. There was a parade just went by. We had read in a newspaper that the King of Jordan is coming here to visit so maybe he was in the car that just passed. We visited with Uncle Floyd’s friend in Jerusalem Monday morning. He lives and works in Amman but he had some business in Jerusalem so we had a chance to see him and his wife about 2 hours. They took us to “The Garden Tomb.” It is a tomb that was discovered by an Englishman in recent years. We bought a book telling all about it. Some people believe it is the real tomb instead of the place that has been claimed by Catholic, Greek & Russians for centuries. We have asked Mark to take the mail home and if he hasn’t – you see that it gets taken out to the house. About the time again as to when we arrive – (on second thought) we will have to go thru customs so it may be late in the afternoon before we will be able to leave the airport. I presume we will go thru customs in Chicago. Our plane ticket says Paris to Chicago. You will just have to use your judgment about what to do. There is a high tower across the river from this hotel. We asked our guide what it was for – (there s a large TV tower we could see form hotel room in Tokyo and the Japanese are very proud of it because it is the tallest TV tower in the world) but this tower serves only for sightseers to go up and look out over the city. There are at least 1,000 mosques in Cairo. I will see what I can do for you

[page 2] when we get to Athens about Wari [worry?] beads. It is getting too dark to write and we are enjoying “the show” too much to go inside.

Love Mother

Beirut and Jerusalem

2 Replies

Letter transcription:

Sunday March 8, 1964

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

Love Mother

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