1979 Family Letter -May 27

[Note: This "p.2" had been connected with a letter from June 6, but in the process of transcribing realized that everything on p.2 had happened the week prior to the letter of June 6.  Evidently the first page of this letter is missing.]

. . . . Tomorrow Mary Virginia and I are going to Pittsburgh with seven others from New Vienna for the GREATER PITTSBURGH NCHARISMATIC CONVENTION I think it is called.  We are to be at Duquesne University for almost a week.  Then I hope to bring Aunt Virginia back home with us.  There are others going from Hillsboro and Wilmington so guess they come from all over - Georgialea Hannah, Doris Martin, Carol Wise, Joanne Rankin, Leanne Burke (MV's friend), and Fay Newsom are the ones from New Vienna.

Heard that Patty Walker was in the hospital to have a couple of lumps removed - her mother postponed her trip to Spain for a week or so as her sister's husband had another heart attack so Mrs. Stegman isn't going.  Jack's sister wanted to go in her place but was afraid she wouldn't get her passport in time.  So guess Va. is going by herself.  Nancy is to meet her in Madrid.

Saw Kenny Hughes while I was visiting at Clinton Memorial Hospital.  He told me that his wife had had a 2nd little girl - Laura told me yesterday that she had had her at home while Kenny went next door to get someone to stay with the first child.  No trouble at all but went to the hospital afterwards and was charged the same as if she had been born there.

Was surprised to see Danny Custis and his wife at our church this morning - they have moved into the Custis house on Rt. 28 where he and his parents used to live.  She sounded like they would be coming back regularly.

Got about a 32-page brochure about ELDERHOSTELS which offer college courses during the summer for older people - found you had to be 60+ but found it interesting reading.  It was advertised in the library with a postcard you could send for more information.  Very reasonable and worth looking into in a couple of years - one spouse has to be 60.  Catherine and Gerry and Wendy, do you know High Country School at Cove Palisades State Park?  Also see that Iowa Central Community College at Fort Dodge has some courses available.  Most of these range from $95 to $115.

Glad to see that United Airlines are back in business, as that is what your Mother's and M.V.'s tickets call for on the 21st of June.  We will be driving to Chicago a day or so before, then meeting back there on Saturday, June 30th.  Serena, can you meet us in Chicago or I could come back to Chicago via Rockford, Ill. if that would be better for you than Chicago.  The plane reservation back to Chicago from Portland gets in around 7 P.M. and have made reservations at the Marriott Motel for Sat. and Sun (the weekend special) which is near the airport.  Then depending on the gas situation we can drive out to Iowa with Serena on Monday or whatever works out best.

Thanks for the bus schedules in and out of Madras - we still may use them especially going back to Portland for think that is an imposition to have you going that far and we won't have as much luggage then.

Monday Morning:  Everybody up and at them at 5:30.  The folks [Jean, MV and others] will have an interesting trip to Pittsburgh.  On the home scene we [Wells people] go to the computer IBM school for two days.

Love,

All the Family