July 29, 1984 Billing, Montana

Dearest Johnny; Roy; Bob, Claire, Michael & Laura; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean & Mary Ann; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell & LeeAnna,

This has been a busy week and today is going to be a busy day - it's about 11:30 a.m. and Daddy and I have to speak in the Billings Second Ward this afternoon. Daddy just came upstairs and said we would have to leave at noon so I have about thirty minutes to at least start my letter.

Claire - thanks so much for your wonderful letter and that adorable pictures of the children Michael really looks like Bob in that one!!!! Your trip to Houston sounded great and we know your folks love to be with their grandchildren. That's good that Laura has had the chicken pox and she had a light case - now you have that over with for your family (for awhile). We can imagine little Michael in the ocean - I'll bet that was a real treat when it's so hot!!! We loved seeing the samples of the wall paper for your kitchen - will you wallpaper by yourself? We're anxious to see your home AND YOU ALL!!

Annie - we loved talking to you while we were in Butte. (Ann had called the Mission Home and they called us to say she wanted to talk to us that day.) It wasn't an emergency and we were relieved when we finally got her - she and Ron are trying to confirm a date for them to come to Billings and she wanted to check with us. We couldn't get them for several hours and come to find out they were helping with the Primary parade in their ward. I don't know how many of you remember that Ann got that started when she was Primary President several years ago and they ended up on their lawn to have popsicles - now it has become too big to do that so they end up at a park. Ann - we're worried that you are not taking care of yourself (she had an acute attack of tendonitis in one of her knees last week and had to go to the emergency room of the hospital and then when she got treatment she hobbled around on a pair of crutches carrying LeeAnna because she and Ron were in charge of their ward outings). We laughed when she told us how Ron called the Doctor - he said, "Doctor, I have this thirty-five year old jogger who has a swollen knee, can I bring her in?" PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!!!

Johnny - we loved talking to you too. We have tried to call you so many times and most of the time no one answers but once in awhile we get Grant and he always tells us, "You're most likely to get John here if you call late". We really love to rend your composition - you are doing so well and we're so proud of you. You haven't mentioned your Religion Class very much - are you doing well in that too? We think you have made a wise decision to not take Chemistry in the Fall (he called to see what we thought about having him take a general study class in place of Chemistry because he has to take that anyway and he really had a rough schedule lined up). College is so different from High School and we're glad you have found that out!!!

Roy - are you still alive??? We are hoping you like your new hospital and things are working out the way you want them to. Each time we go through some of the parks here we talk about how much you would enjoy them and how you would love to take pictures. We went through Glacier again last week and it was absolutely gorgeous - the wild flowers were prettier than we have ever seen them - the pass is really scary though and I'm always happy when we are over it. We went to the Many Glacier area this time (we have never been there) and it was just breathtaking - they have a Swiss style motel there and we might stay there sometime. In the paper when we got home there was an article about a woman being mauled by a bear in the Many Glacier camping area so it is very primitive.

Jennie - we are worried about Rick's Mom and called the other night to see how she is. We got your baby sitter but we talked to Ricky & Barji and they sounded so cute - we have really missed them and also Mary Ann since they left. We surely hope Dorothy isn't suffering!

We are back from church now - Daddy gave a really good talk (mine was just mediocre!). Do any of you remember Shirley & Parl Larsen from Phoenix - Parl was your Little League baseball coach Bob. Their daughter is in the ward where we spoke and she and her husband are always so nice to us. Parl was a dentist in Phoenix and Shirley was P.T.A. President for a long time - I guess Shirley isn't in very good heath now.

Last week just as we were leaving the house to go mail your letters we received a phone call from Merle Wright (from Brigham City). She was in the hospital with her husband who had had a scare with his heart pacer. After we mailed the letters we stopped by to see him and to invite Merle to come stay in the Mission Home (we already had Dorothy & Dan & Carol here).

When we got back to the house the phone was ringing and I hurried to answer it and it was a Doctor from one of the hospitals here in Billings. He said there had been a terrible accident in Livingston and a woman had been flown by helicopter to the hospital, and her husband was on his way by car. He said the woman was a Mormon and even though he didn't belong to our church he knew where to call to get someone to come to be with the husband when he got there because his wife was going to die. Daddy hurried and called the Bishop of our Ward to see if he would go with him so the two of them went to wait for the husband. Daddy said it was the saddest thing he had ever experienced. This family, Roger & Judith Johnson from Logan, Utah had been traveling in their big van and they and 14 children. The mother, Judith, had just unhooked her seat belt so she could feed their three month old baby and the father dozed at the wheel and the van went down into a burrow pit and then rolled two or three times. The father's glasses didn't even come off and one of the children had a bruised kidney but the Mother was killed (Daddy watched as her husband told the doctor to unplug the life supporting system.) The father told Daddy he was really careful to always have everyone wear their seat belt and then this happened. I prepared to have them come stay at the Mission Home but the father wanted to go back to Livingston to be with his children who were being cared for at the High School there until their relatives could get there. He was a veterinarian in Logan.

Dorothy & Dan & Carol loved Yellowstone and they got back her about 11 p.m. on Friday and then they left Saturday afternoon - they went to Winnipeg, Canada on their way home. Merle Wright stayed here until Sunday morning and then she went back to Dunmore and Elder Wright had to get a new heart pacer and is doing fine now.

We went to Lewistown last Sunday where we spoke and then we went on to Great Falls. In Lewistown, the Branch President had a big dinner for us along with the other members of the Branch Presidency and they live in a huge home they are restoring - it was fun. He sells cook ware in the Summer while he isn't teaching and I bought a stainless steel frying pan for the Mission Home - we really needed one!!! From Great Falls we went to Kalispell and their black cherries are ripe but they aren't nearly as good as the ones Jean & Rick brought to us. Then we went to Missoula and then on to Butte. When we talked to the Office Staff while we were in Butte, they told us the Mission Home had been "egged" again and they had had two bomb threats. Daddy had them call the police but we were nervous so we came home and then drove back to Bozeman on Friday morning (we had planned to spend the night there on Thursday). Yesterday we went to Cody and tomorrow we go to Casper and points throughout that part of Wyoming and then on to Miles City - tonight we have our meeting her in Billings! We can really tell the difference when we don't meet with our missionaries once a month - it is SO tiring but it is worth it. Daddy has had problems with a few of the Elders and they need these frequent visits.

We received a PUBLIC NOTICE the other day. It kinda' scared me - it remained me of a notice we received one time when one of you forgot about a traffic ticket you had received!!!! This notice was to inform us of a proposed park to be built in Lehi. It is really going to be nice if it goes through as it is planned. I guess this public notice was necessary because it involves Utah Lake and all waterways like that are controlled by the Corps. of Engineers. They are going to build a golf course, a marina and condominiums on the north end of Utah Lake and will be quite close to the property Don & I own. It will not be right across the street from our property but it will be the very next piece of property (does that make sense?). The best thing about it is that Oral & Mamie Hansen own property that will be right on the golf course and I'm sure will increase the value of theirs a lot. It will be interesting to see what comes of it. It looks to me like it will take quite a few years to develop but it is a natural.

We are really loving our Mission - you just can't imagine the experiences we are having a we appreciate this so very much. I complain to you sometimes and I really feel bad about that because I have no rights to complain. Daddy is going to let me use the Lady Missionaries who are serving in Billings to help with food preparations, laundry, etc. and that will take a big load off. We love each one of you so very much - PLEASE BE REALLY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - let us know how we can help you - we really miss you!!!!



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