1971 Roberta's Letter -Nov.9

 

Nov. 9, 1971

Dear Family,

Hi!  I'm now at work -- can't hardly beat a job like this!!

Shelley & I made it back to school fine about 4:30 Sunday night.  Cincinnati didn't have near the snow we had.  Or maybe it already melted by the time we got here.

I had Aunt Mary's carbon copy waiting for me when I got back to school.

Pat made it back last night.  Guess she got here in time for her classes yesterday.  After supper we went over to her car & got the COLOR T.V.!!  Gee -- we're living in class now!!  Would you like to hear what we watched last night?  First there was the news, then Lucille Ball, Doris Day, My Three Sons, and "Arnie".  Um -- maybe there was something between the news & Lucile Ball. I really can't remember as all this time I had my American Lit book OPEN!!

I think tonight if the T.V. is on, I'm going to have to force myself to go to the study room.  As I've got the "traditional" Criminal Law test tomorrow.  (Vocationional Interest test) It's pretty bad when you have to let a machine tell you what to do.

The more I think about it, the more I don't want to go to school next term -- that is full time.  But I would like to take two evening courses.  I'm going to go & talk to the evening school people either this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon.

I'm almost positive sure I could get a job (full-time).  Especially since I'm willing to lower myself to be a waitress (HA, HA!)  Or as Lucy Hildbrant said --I could take care of "old ladies".

I don't think I'll be coming home this weekend.  Of course by Friday it may be a different story.

Next Monday is the day that Gloria (from J. & Dub) & some others are coming down to the Paul Dixon show & then make a day of it.  I wrote them last night & said they better count me OUT!  Now -- how about that??

It is a nasty old day out today -- raining & cold.  The weather sure did change in less than a week!!

Hello to Grandma -- How do you like my room?  I bet "it" feels different now -- being kept neat for a change!!

If you're (anyone) over at Americare do tell Mrs. Matthews & Lucy Hildbrant hello for me.

I better close --

Love in Christ,

Bert

P.S. I did talk to my advisor yesterday -- now I've even got less faith in this school than before!

1979 Catherine's Letter -June 19

Tuesday, June 19, 1979

Dear Mother, Dad, and Roberta & Mary,

Hi!  I guess the capital letters have the jumps today.  We were glad to get your letter yesterday and to talk to Mom & Dad on Saturday and hear about Mary Virginia's progress.

I am going to try to make our reservations for Christmas when we go to the airport on Thursday.  Our tentative plans are to leave Portland on Dec. 15 and spend the first week in Ohio, then fly to Boston on the 23rd and return to Portland on the 30th.  I'm very sorry that we can't spend Christmas in Ohio but we feel like we are somewhat obligated to spend Christmas with Gerry's family since we have never spent a holiday with them.  If we could only figure out some way to be in two places at once.  Also it would mean that our longest flight would be the return one which is when we gain the most time.  Will that work in OK with whatever plans you have?

We got a 19" color TV yesterday.  It is a Zenith and is really a change from our small black & white.  We gave up on that one that Chambers had.  It is still tied up with the insurance company, would have had no warranty plus we would have had to go to Eugene to pick it up.  We are really enjoying the movies on HBO.  It costs $10 per month but we figure it would a minimum of $10 if we were to go to one movie a month in Bend plus the fact that we hate to drive that far.  It is also nice not to have the movies cut up by commercials.  They show the same movie several times during a month on different days and at different times so you can watch it when it is most convenient.

I was supposed to go to court this week because of this one tenant who hadn't paid their rent.  However the tenant came up with the money so the judge said we'd have to take the money and give them 30-day notice to move if we wanted them out.  I had already given them the 30-day notice on June 6th so now we'll see if they are out of the apartment by July 6th or if we'll have to go back to court.  At any rate I am becoming more familiar with the necessary legal processes involved.

Hope Mary Virginia continues to improve and is home soon.

Love,

Catherine, Gerry

& Wendy

1957 Catherine, Roberta on Uncle Al Show -Mar.8

Does Roberta look like she's having fun?  Possibly the girl next to Roberta is Judy McElwee, and the girl next to Catherine might be Sharon (?) Cornelius.  My recollection is that we went with someone else from New Vienna while Mom & Dad were in NYC for the toy show.  The Uncle Al Show was a children's television program which originated in Cincinnati. "Uncle" Al Lewis, the host, died at his retirement home near Hillsboro, in 2009 at the age of 84.

Catherine & Roberta to the left of the girl (who might be Judy McElwee in plaid dress in center of picture) on the Uncle Al Show in 1957.  Uncle Al is holding up a calendar page which reads Friday, March 8.

1973 Catherine's letter -Nov.23

The 1973 oil crisis started in October when several Arab countries proclaimed an oil embargo which lasted until March 1974. The situation in Maine, as in other cold weather states was filled with dire forecasts.

November 23, 1973

Dear Mom, Dad, John and Mary,

Hi!  Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving.  Things have been very hectic here.  Last Friday (the 16th) the new shelving for the library came.  It was put in place of and in addition to what used to be in the lobby.  So the library was closed for 4 days and we moved all the books around.  The fiction are all downstairs now and the non-fiction are on the main floor.  We worked form early in the morning until late moving books and setting fixing up the basement.  And now that they are moved, comes the hardest job – showing people how things are changed.  Several people have expressed approval – it's too bad though that those who don't like it seem so much more willing to talk loudly.

To add to the "hecticness" Bruce & Beth got back from Europe.  We picked them up i Boston last Friday night and they left this morning.  We had a nice Thanksgiving yesterday with just the four of us.  We had an 8# turkey with cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, corn, mincemeat pie, etc.  It came out pretty good considering it was the first turkey I ever cooked.

The oil situation here does not look good.  We keep our thermostat here at home at about 61º.  Only the radiators in the living room are turned on so the rest of the house is cooler.  We will have problems if we get only a potion of last year's allocation for this house as it was vacant last year and the thermostat was set at 55º.  At the library the thermostat went down to 65º when the President first made his announcement.  The board decided that was too cool so it was raised to 68º, now they think that is too cold and they want it raised again.  The alternative is to close down one day a week.  If the oil gets too scarce we may close down for a month or more later in the winter.

We already sold Mohasco – it was Foremost-McKesson we were wondering about.  We'll assume the advice is the same.

We finally decided to get cable TV with your anniversary money.  WE had it installed last week – now we can get 15 stations including several educational and independent ones.  Watched one of the original Charlie Chaplin silent movies the other night hosted by Orson Welles.  Boston stations come in loud and clear.

Write again soon!

Love, Catherine & X

1992 Roberta's Letter to the TODAY show - May 8

Roberta (with Sid's assistance?) writes a letter to the TODAY Show about GHU's 100th Birthday. Transcription follows.

 

3509 W. Vogel

Phoenix, AZ 85051

May 8, 1992

The "TODAY Show"
c/o NBC, New York City
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York

ATTENTION:  Willard Scott

As a regular view of the "Today Show" as seen on NBC affiliate, Channel 12, KPNX, of Phoenix, I am making what is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime request.

My grandmother, Gladys Uible (pronounced U-BL, "U" as in utility) will attain her one hundredth birthday, the BIG One-Oh-Oh, on June 22, 1992.  She is residing in Heartland Nursing Home, Hillsboro, Ohio, but on that important day will be at the home of her son, Harold Uible, in nearby New Vienna, Ohio.

It would be most appreciated by her many relatives and friends in southwestern Ohio and elsewhere, if Weatherman Willard Scott could include her name among those other centenarians to whom he will extend congratulations on June 22nd.  In addition, a photo of Mrs. Uible is enclosed herewith for whatever use your deem appropriate.

Thank you.  The mention of her name and the display of her photo on the "Today Show" will mean much to a "chronologically gifted" lady who has survived 100 years of life in these United States.

If you should need to contact me for any reason concerning this request, I can be reached at [phone numbers no longer relevant].

Very truly yours,

Roberta Uible-King

Castro is still alive, but Franco is still dead

The joke MV referred to in email was actually about Franco - described in Wikipedia here. MV would have been too young to stay up to watch Saturday Night Live back then.

Remember how John used to love to quote Chevy Chase, "I'm Chevy Chase . . . and you're not"?

Back from Costco

Serena just showed me how to get back here. Just to keep everyone up to date, we bought 2 cases of strawberries and one peach pie. I want to go back and read what I have missed out on. We are watching the COURT TV show. Serena and I are going thrifting tomorrow, but might get in a time at the pool earlier. Stay tuned! Roberta