July 17, 1961
Dear Folks
I’ll be you think I have forgotten you. I haven’t but things have been so busy and I
just can’t seem to get going. I wrote to
David but that is just about the only letter I have written in a long
time. Bruce spent four days in the
hospital but we still haven’t found out the result of his tests. He is feeling fine and really is enjoying his
work in neurology. He isn’t too busy and
it seems so good to have him home and not wrapped up in medicine so much he
can’t talk of anything else. He is also
getting a job of working as a lab technician at the County Hospital for just a
couple of hours a day. It will just last
until school starts and it will pay the rest so that we will be a big help as
our rent has been increased by $10.00. It went from $35.00 to $45. We have had really hot weather and I
surely appreciate your cooler. I don’t
know what I would do without it. It
makes a difference of 10-15 degrees in our living room and when it is up to 100
degrees and above that makes quite a difference. I put up a case of strawberries and am
getting two lugs of apricots Thursday to make fresh jam. I am trying to get a small supply of food but
it is really hard as we just plain don’t have the room. We are very fortunate this summer as Bruce
has two good jobs and we will be able to save a little and get some of the
things we have gone without. I bought
Jeanne and Jayne some material for a jumper and some for a dress with their
birthday money. I can’t even remember if
I thanked you for it. They were so thrilled to get a letter from you and the
money was really a treat. They really
need a lot of things to start school and their birthday money is ideal and they
love to spend money as much as I do.
Auntie gave them darling little patent leather purses and white gloves
and they think it is great to their money in it. I don’t let them do this for any length of
time as they might lose it, but they are growing up to be sweet young
girls. I took Jayne to the doctor a week
ago for her pre-school examination and it was such fun to take her all by
herself. She is really a sweet little
girl and tries so hard to please. Here
are a couple of pictures I think are just darling. I had them taken just before their fifth
birthday and I think they look just like them.
Jayne’s sweater is red and Jeanne’s is blue. It doesn’t seem possible that they will be
starting school this fall. I never
thought they would be ready but they are as smart and much more mature than
most of the five year olds in the neighborhood.
Jeanne is much more friendly than Jayne and sometimes Jayne feels left
out because she just doesn’t want to play with the same kids Jeanne is playing
with. She is actually easier to get
along with than Jeanne but Jeanne is friendlier. Stacey is the cutest little thing. Auntie says she is a lot like I used to
be. I can’t imagine my being that cute
as she is such fun. She is a little
actress and loves to dance and ham it up.
Her hair is still right blond and she has slimmed down a lot since last
year. Shelley gets more fun all the
time. She is turning herself over from
tummy to back and is really growing up.
Her hair is coming out a lot but she still has quite a bit. Maybe we’ll break down and take some
pictures.
It is now the 21st of July and I am having the
hardest time getting this letter written.
I painted Roark’s bike yesterday and ironed for several hours and today
I have two lugs of apricots to put up, two batches of brownies to make and we
are going up to the Nevilles for an open house for Joe and Evelyn. That’s what the brownies are for. I just can’t seem to get all there is to do
finished. No, I am not pregnant but I’m
surely slow. Brett will be 4 soon and
the first day of Winter Primary comes on his birthday and he is so
thrilled. He is still our wild indian
and quite hard to handle. He is getting
tall and slimmer but is still built bigger than Roark. Roark is still our skinny little boy, much
smaller than most kids his age. It
doesn’t bother him as he can hold his own in ball, croquet and especially
checkers. He is on a rock collecting
binge now and he can hardly sleep he has so much stuff on his bunk. A neighbor is a geology major and he tells
him what these rocks are and it is an education for us all. I must get rolling on my apricots and I have
some clothes to hang out etc, etc.
We love you and I will try to write more. I have been trying to keep David posted. Maxine is pregnant and quite sick and Bob
didn’t pass the Wyoming bar, but they are investigating it because others
didn’t pass who are supposed to be the tops in the Wyoming law school. They are very discouraged. The problem is Bob is a poor writer and he
can’t express himself on paper. On 20 of
the 40 questions the examiners just said they couldn’t make it out so they
didn’t try. I really admire them for
trying and for going away and doing it on their own. Bob is on construction now and they have to
live in Wyoming for six months before he should even take the bar and he
thought he had someone pulling strings for him but evidently the big judge
didn’t go along with it. (Bob bought his
license plates in Wyoming as a resident in January which would make it the six
months. It was suggested by another
lawyer.) Even if he had passed he
wouldn’t have been able to practice and would have to take it again in January
so that is what he will do. Problems,
problems, and I feel so fortunate. Oh,
yes when we intern may we use the twin bed I had and that is up to Aunt
Lyda’s. Stacey is still in a crib and by
that time she is 3 ½. I would like to
have her in a bed.
The Russell Tanners who are at the temple with you are
good friends of Mother and Dad Neville.
You still haven’t mentioned the Mitchell’s. Are you well and how are things coming. Dick and Shirley came up a week ago and
brought Shelley a darling little outfit.
Dean and Dot also came up the same day and brought her a little
outfit. It is so nice to have
family. I spent an hour talked to Stella
on the phone and they are all well. I
just can’t go on and on. I have so much
to do I need a little black boy to help me.*
The children are good and they do dishes but unfortunately they can’t
iron nor put up apricots ----- yet.
We love you and do take care of yourselves. How is your throat, Dad. Are you all better now. Please don’t work so hard you get run down.
Love, All of us.
Notes from Shelley, who transcribed this letter.
*Mom's aunt, Auntie used to say this a lot, it is not now politically correct, but it was the 60s and civil rights were just starting.
Lyda Burton is Aunt Maxine’s mother. Dean and Dot Hillare Mom’s brother and
sister-in-law. Dick and Shirley Trump are
Grandpa Trump’s son and daughter-in-law.
Stella Trump is Grandpa Trump’s daughter-in-law. Mom can’t remember who the Mitchell’s are.
Note from Shelley:
Mom made lots of apricot jam. I
remember helping her when we lived in Clearfield.
From Jeanne: Apricot Jam is the first jam I learned to make myself. Before food processors mom used a food grinder that would grind the apricots into a pulp. We liked to do apricots because we didn't have to peel or chop them. Just pit them and grind away. It was slightly mesmerizing to watch the pulp ooze out of the grinder.
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