1980 Family Letter -June 6

Friday --

June 6, 1980

Dearest Family --

This letter is long overdue but our trip to Chicago was a little longer than originally planned as we didn't come home until Tuesday.  We did enjoy our visit with Serena.  Since she had asked for Monday off and they had said we could have the apartment until Tuesday noon we took advantage of both.  Dad went out to Des Plains to make a call and was shocked when he opened the trunk to find his sample case and attache case gone -- someone had punched the lock on the trunk and took off with both some time while it had been parked over the weekend.  I would have liked to see the look on the face of the person when they found all the toys.

We had many good meals at various types of restaurants -- Peruvian, Chinese, English pub (Sherlock's Home), Jonathan's Seafood (one of a group called Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago).

Mary Virginia has so many things going that she again stayed home.  She had promised to help with Vacation Bible School -- she and Cherie Cooper have the older nursery age class -- about six or seven 2-4 years old.  She is also helping with the singing and puppet shows.

Mary Virginia said that we missed seeing the Goodings when they stopped briefly last Sunday -- we were sorry about that but may be able to get together another time.

Paul Hiestand passed away Monday morning and the funeral was Wednesday.  Grandma and Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill went to the funeral.  He had lingered for so long -- the doctor had recommended having a pacemaker put in last December which just prolonged his life and they regretted for it prolonged the suffering.

Uncle Bill and Marianne played golf with Joe Hiestand and Everett Penn and also on their own several times -- Wilmington Elks which they didn't like the course, Hillsboro Elks where they did and also Snow Hill which they played the most.  Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill played bridge with Mary & Joe Hiestand.

Marianne and the boys are leaving this afternoon -- plan to go to Newark to see John and Carol, then meet Larry at the Columbus airport and will leave for Lancaster early tomorrow.  Larry has been at Champaign, Ill. on Reserves Training for a week.

The Hortons are staying over as Grandma is planning on having some surgery the first of next week -- she found a lump (4th one) on her breast and plans to have it removed.  We wanted to give up our trip to Arizona and did try to reach Roberta Wed. night but Mary insists that we go ahead as she says Grandma will think Dr. Hale has told us something that she doesn't know and we are staying for that reason.  So we are just waiting to see how things work out.  The Hortons are planning to stay til Grandma is able to take care of herself -- which may be a few days or a few weeks.  Dad is to go over today and make arrangement with Dr. Hale so we will know more then about the date of surgery but don't know how involved it may be.  We just will have to wait and see -- we feel we should be here but don't want to upset G'ma. 

Catherine just called this AM and MV and I got to talk to her and then she called back later when Marianne was here -- in fact is talking to her now.  Glad that they were able to chat as they haven't really talked for so long.  Marianne picked four quarts of strawberries yesteray and hopefully John & Carol will get one -- we hoped to pick more today but have had rain and not sure how wet the patch is to get them any more.  The crop is much better than last year and I hope to get some more frozen to enjoy later.

We've enjoyed getting to know Robert Reed and Wesley -- they both talk so plain and are quite a pair.  Wish they were able to get together with our Wendy too.  We are surely looking forward to seeing her as well as her parents and renewing acquaintances there.  I'm sure its difficult for her to imagine a real person like her grandmother on the phone so early in the morning.

Do hope that things work for the best for our trip to Arizona and if we aren't able to go next week we will plan on another time.

lLove to all, etc. . . .]