September 26, 1982
Billings, Montana 59103

Dearest Roy, Bob, Claire & Michael, Rick, Jean, Ricky & Barbara Jean and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie and Russell,

We just come home from Helena where we went yesterday for their Stake Conference - it was really a super conference with Rex Pinegar as their General Authority - Daddy spoke and really did a good job. We met a friend of the folks from Brigham City - Brother Freeman - his grandparents are good friends of Grandmother and Grandpa Forrest and he is a friend of Dees. It was fun to visit with him and he caught me up on the news from Brigham City - I couldn't believe it when he told me all the peaches were frozen this year - how sad!!!

The big family news this week is about Jeannie - she is in University Hospital threatening to have her baby too soon - she has been there all week and they have taken tests of the baby and feel that the lungs aren't developed enough to be born yet - let's all remember her in our prayers. When I think of all she goes through to have her children it is really courageous for her to have had more than one. The Weinerts are having some exciting things happen in their family and since Bob, Claire and Roy probably don't know about them I'll try to explain it so when I make reference to it in other letters they will know what I'm talking about. They have had their basement finished into an apartment so that Rick's Mom, her sister and her husband can live with them while they are having their home built in Farmington. Rick went to Wisconsin on Friday to drive a U-Haul with all their things to move them to Layton and he is supposed to be home tonight sometime - that is such a tremendous job that we will be relieved when he is home safe and sound. Rick took care of Ricky and Barji last week while Jeannie was in the hospital and then when he left for Wisconsin on Friday he took them to the Woolleys. This has been an interesting weekend for the Woolleys too - Ron got tickets for his family for the first home BYU game so Ron's parents, his Aunt and Uncle, his Grandmother and his sister are also at Ann and Ron's home. When I found out about all this I called to ask Ann how she was getting along and she said, "Mother, I have five children under the age of three for the weekend plus six houseguests and I have to give the Relief Society lesson in church Sunday, how do you think I'm getting along???" We all know Ann and can appreciate her saying this - I just wish I could help in some way. It's really kinda' ironical that when I'm needed so much at home I find myself spending hours riding in a car over very desolate looking country - this is where I'm supposed to be or I would be crazy with worry. Please know that we love you for helping each other out and in a few years you'll look back on this and laugh - we hope you can all laugh about it now. HANG IN THERE!!

I hope you tore up and burned my letter from last week - I can't believe I let something like that get to me so bad - I think the Lord knew I needed something good to happen because this last week has been busy but really wonderful. We had a new Missionary Couple come into the home last Monday - we were expecting them and Daddy had assigned them to go to Wolfpoint, on an Indian Reservation. When I met the lady, she said - you're a friend of my sister, Mildred Warner from Phoenix. I was so surprised but then I looked really good at her and they look a lot alike - we had the most wonderful evening talking about their family and the Dibbles and a lot of our Phoenix friends. She is really a classy looking lady - I can't imagine how she will do in Wolfpoint - ugh!!! Patsy and her husband have four children and they live in California but they also have a Summer home in Glenwood, Utah close by Millie and Glens. Deon isn't married yet but Ben and his new wife have a summer Residence in Austria and all the Dibble children and their families spend a lot of time there - I guess Ben's new wife was quite wealthy. Isn't it funny to think back twenty years and see all the changes - these people's name is Moon and they're from Southern Utah - school teachers.

Wednesday we went to the airport to pick up a new missionary - we were impressed with him right from the very beginning. His name is Elder Madsen and he is from California and when I was talking to him I found that his Aunt was one of my very best Alpha Chi friends at Utah State and I used to date his Uncle - his mother's name was Lundahl and I spent many nights at his grandparents home while I was going to school in Logan. He was also a good friend of Rick Cobbs at BYU and brought us a letter from Rick - he reminds us a lot of Rick. Daddy wants to bring him into the home as soon as possible - he can type and is an accounting major. After our experience with the Elder who couldn't talk this was like day and night - Elder Madsen is as Daddy says, "A notch above average" - quite a big notch!!!!

Thursday was transfer day and we started feeding Elders at 10 a.m. and didn't ever stop - this was only our second transfer and I wasn't prepared for what was happening - they started coming into the kitchen with some of the office staff and the staff would say "sister Mellor, surely you can't let them go away hungry" - we used up all our bread so we started frying hamburgers and dishing up ice cream. This with all the preparation for a formal dinner at 5 that night. We had three Elders going home and also two couples and one of the Elders' parents had come from California to pick their son up so we had invited them for dinner - we ended up with 23 for dinner - we served brisket, a rice casserole, acorn squash, bar-b-q sauce and gravy, green salad, hot rolls, brownies and ice cream. After the dinner we have a two hour "going home" meeting so we were worn out.

Friday, they called Daddy from the missionary department to tell him they wee sending us a new missionary and he would be at the airport at 8 that night. Elder Arendt (really) is from Salt Lake and was sent to the German mission and was so discouraged because he couldn't learn the German language so they sent him to our mission. He is really a sweet young man and we're thrilled to have him. When I first saw his name I though Oh No, not Arendt - do you all remember "No Arendts Allowed" in Phoenix? I haven't had the heart to ask him if he has relatives there. Daddy oriented him yesterday and then we left for Helena and he left to go to Columbia Falls - really, the prettiest part of our Mission.

Friday, our Missionary Home Family asked Daddy if they could put up some of those mirror tiles in the living room by the big baby grand piano - we both thought about it and decided that would really add so Daddy said yes. When we came home tonight we found they had it all done - Johnny said they worked all day long yesterday until they got it finished. I have seen those and haven't liked them in some places but they really look good here - they cover up a stark white wall that didn't add a thing. The Elders here are so sweet you wouldn't believe them - they do everything they possibly can to please and do what's right. Daddy told them there wouldn't be any more diets and they were so apologetic - they had no idea they had done anything wrong.

Johnny went to his High School homecoming and football game on Friday night - he was so disappointed because they lost the game by 1 point - quite like BYU did. He went to the dance after the game and said he had a good time. He is doing so good - brought home a trig test with an A+ on it. He says the teachers are better than they are in Little Rock. Hr brings a lot of friends home and we're happy about that.

We just had a phone call from Gene and Sandy Jones - they are such sweet friends. Sandy is going to have another baby in January - she said they were so surprised, they though they had their family. Sheree is living in Dessert Towers and going to BYU and working at the Book Store on campus. Gene and Daddy had fun comparing things that happen to Mission Presidents. I told Sandy that my biggest problem is going to be not having really close friends and she said that was a common complaint among Mission President's wives - people really treat you differently for some reason. One of Chere's friends (boy) in Little rock has had the missionary lessons and is going to be baptized - she's excited about that - his last name is "Wilder". Bob and Claire have you met the Prue couple who have just come to the Little rock Mission - they are in their early forties and their children are grown - the Moons told us about them because they were in the MTC together and they said they were really outstanding missionaries.

We picked and pulled up all our tomatoes last Friday because we were afraid it might freeze while we were away this weekend (it didn't). Daddy hung the vines with the tomatoes upside down in the shed out in the back and then we have put a lot of the green ones in the pantry - I hope they will ripen because we have yet to have a good tomatoes from our garden.

We had a sweet letter from the Doxey's and also the Mel Mannings telling us they had never eaten such good food as was served at our going away open house - others have said the same thing. Do you all have to Bisquick Impossible Lasagna recipe? Our cook made it for dinner tonight and there was some left for us - it's delicious and really easy to make.

I'm not going to offer any help anymore - Daddy laughs at that when he reads my letters. We surely do love each one of you so very much. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YU DO!!!!!

P.s. I forgot to tell you about Roy's car - he called last Sunday night to tell us he had bought a 1975 Rabbit -bright orange with a sun roof. We're so thrilled for him and hope it will be a good replacement for his faithful Toyota - he said it has about 60,000 miles on it. Johnny keeps saying, "I can't imagine Roy in an orange car"- we think it's great!!!!

I also forgot to tell you about what daddy and I bought each other for our 35th anniversary. We went to the Charles Russell Art Museum in Helena Saturday and bought a print of his - it's called "The Indian Hunters Return" and it is beautiful - it isn't even an autographed print so you know it isn't anything special but we love it. It reminds us of the Crow Indian Reservation in the winter - we'll hang it in the Mission Home until our mission is over. They don't have any really nice pictures in the home - I told you about the one we bought in Wyoming. They have some little dinky pictures on the wall and we took then off and on the back they have the price #.98 from Sears.

Enough for now - sure do love you and wish we could help you in some way!!!

2nd P.S.

Jeannie, we loved your long and wonderful letter. We surely don't think Rick should have any guilt feelings about being released as Elder's Quorum President - he has done that for a long time and has done an excellent job - those jobs should be passed around. I didn't know that Ricky was going to pre-school - where does he go and how many days - we laughed about him finger painting with chocolate pudding that's where I drew the line when I taught pre-school. It's really supposed to be good for them but what a mess!!!! We're thrilled about your new home and we agree the location is absolutely perfect.

Annie, we're so happy you were able to get the boat to run - Daddy is proud of Ron - he thought he was the only one who would be able to get it put back together. We hope you will use it often now - is it fun to go out on Utah Lake? It's fun to think of little Russell riding in it too - wish you would send us a picture of him. We can just imagine how much Ron's parents are enjoying him - he is definitely a "Woolley".

Bob and Claire - we haven't heard from you for awhile. We have noticed in the weather news that you have had nice weather and that's great. Chris writes and tells me about the church - I guess Bud Bailey Society. It is so funny that Marilyn is such a giver and from what Jeannie says, her sister-in-law in Layton is just the opposite.

Roy - I still haven't written to Patrice but will this week. I think we get to stay in town this week so maybe I'll get caught up a little on things. We got our pictures back that we took while you were here and they are good - we enjoyed your visit so much. Surely hope you have been able to get your car in good shape so it's safe!!!

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