Monday, October 13, 2014

1984 Family Letter -Oct.14

Sunday -             
October 14, 1984
Dearest Family-

Dad is taking a nap, Joe and Barbara Dailey who are visiting are watching the football game on TV so thought I'd try to get a letter started since we haven't been too good at writing lately and others are doing extremely well.

Joe and Barbara arrived Friday early afternoon - luckily I had worked that morning but didn't need to go back in the afternoon.  Mary Virginia stopped by with a girl friend that evening just as we were ready to go visit Grandma so was glad to get to visit with her - the first we had seen her in quite awhile.  She is looking real good - it really shows in her hips.  Roberta, I think she is trying to meet your deadline of Thanksgiving.  I don't know what the incentive was but it sure must have been a good one.

We went to an auction yesterday morning at a private home near Lake Cowan - the house and car went for less than I thought but the personal items which took forever to sell were mixed.  I wished that I had bid on a pressure cooker that looked like new that went for $3.  Joe bought a sturdy typing table and Dad a bookcase which were both reasonable.  The '73 Cadillac which needed quite a few things done to it - radiator and battery to name a few went for $1300 - the house for $36,000.  The worst part of it is the fact that you can't get out when the weather gets bad.  It is at the end of a private road.

We saw a little of the Wilmington College Homecoming Parade and then went to Duffs' - first time we had been there in years but Joe said that he likes smorgasbords.  We did have plenty to eat and then went to see Wilmington play Bluffton College in football.  It was a beautiful afternoon and we sat on the sunny side so got some sunburn.  Wilmington College does have new bleachers which we hadn't seen.  Went out to see the beaver pond behind Auburn Methodist Church but no sign of life there at all - no people or beavers - water level was down about 2 or 2½ so perhaps they have deserted the place - at least there was no sign of life there.

We had planned to go to Kings Island either yesterday or today but called and found that they had closed it til Thanksgiving when they open for Winterfest.  Mary Virginia was selling tickets at the game so did get to see her again - looked over Hermann Court while at the college too.

This morning Joe and Barbara went to the Catholic Church in New Vienna and then came to the Methodist Church.  Joe remembers so much about being here the last time was 17 years ago and said he and Tom went to mass there and then to our church.  They plan to leave here tomorrow though Hoe is trying to talk Barbara into staying until Tuesday.  The mornings are so foggy so hard to encourage them that way.

Real sorry we missed your calls Catherine, Wendy and Roberta but glad to have you leave a message on the recorder - thanks to Serena's still having it there.  We will miss it and may replace it when she wants it back.  We did get to talk to Wendy and Catherine early for them (6:20 AM) Saturday.  We had a message to call Serena when we got back from Michigan and glad to hear she is in her apartment and getting settled.  Her new address is Apt.610, 9xx West Winona, Chicago, IL 60640 and her phone number is 312-334-5569.  We couldn't believe that we had 23 calls on record though some people hadn't left a message & a couple of people had called twice trying to reach us.

Before I forget to tell you, Linda Hughes Wilson passed away a week ago.  She was 43 and leaves two little girls.  It is sad for she was so talented.  She and her husband lived in Williamstown, Ky below Cincinnati I believe.  Laura and John were at church this morning but I just spoke to her very briefly.  I suppose all the family including Weegie got here for the funeral.

We had a nice letter from John this past week, and he wanted us to thank each of you for remembering his birthday.  Since Park National Bank bought the Fairfield Nat. Bank in Lancaster he may be driving down there a day or two a week to develop some trust business there.  He has mixed feelings about that - and I imagine even more so when the weather is not too good.  I can't think of anyone we know there but perhaps someone will come to mind - especially since Dad knows many of the commissioners now.  We can almost count the days he has left going to the courthouse for the Mondays and Thursdays.  The last social fling and business for the commissioners too is in Columbus the 2nd week of December.  If D.M. Fife weren't the illustrious president of the state group, Dad would probably not go at all.  (D.M. is one of the Clinton Co. Com.)

Ruth Shoemaker is moving to Prairie View Apartments in Wilmington as soon as there is a vacancy as the doctor wants here to be someplace there are no steps and she will have running water.  It is hard to believe she lived out by the Colliers all those years without that convenience.  Dad says the Colliers told him this morning it would be this coming week or next.  I think she will enjoy it there.

Serena, Luther Warren was married there or at the church Sept. 30.  Luther is the grandfather of friends of hers.  He is 93 and married a woman 78 and it really gives the residents there something to talk about.  Dad told some of them that they were just jealous which stirred them up even more.

Joe and Barbara were so excited that they could get to see their favorite team the Washington Redskins play the Dallas Cowboys on TV this afternoon.  It turned out really pretty but don't think they could be dragged away til its too late to do much.

Your Mother has done well in covering activities.  Yes, we got along fine with the Goodings on our trip into Ontario, including the 300 mils of train ride from S. St. Marie, Canada...it was 8º above zero there.  The trees were gorgeous and the civilization of Mackinac Island looked even better.  The Grand Hotel there was very grand (it will be 100 years old in 1987) with a four poster canopy bed AND modern plumbing.  There are no cars on the island.

The Hortons are now in Mexico . . . next week will be in a private home in Mexico City and we hope that they really do enjoy it, and not have any experiences like John did.

Betty Thompson is retiring from the bank at the end of 1984, so then it will be all new faces here in N.V.  Tom Brumley is now selling monuments in Wilmington (the old Miller's Bakery location) for his son-in-law, Lee Carey . . . so no job is really secure.  That's one plus for the law business in having such a wide spectre of clients . . . we are not getting all the "boilerplate" on memory in the computer which will make it easier.  The rubber ball business at Wells remains bright, but imports have hurt the other items.  Phyllis and her husband have gone to California for two weeks to visit his brother there.  Think this is their first trip west of Ohio.

Grandma is getting ready to host her Sunday School class for their annual meeting.  She has been an avid follower of the TV political debates tho we will all be glad when the election is past tense.

Roberta, ask us if she should start saving her $ for your goal?  We had 1 of your pizzas for suppers.  How was Russellville?

Love, Mother & Dad

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