July 13, 1992 Orem, Utah
Dearest John; Roy, Patrice, Emily & Timothy; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; and Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, LeeAnna & Jimmy:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON THURSDAY RICKY - we're SO proud of you and hope you have a wonderful day!!!
It seems like Monday morning is a natural time to do some yard work - it was especially good this morning because we have had several days of rainy weather and the weeds were easy to pull out. It was actually too cool this morning to be out without a sweater and I believe that's unusual for July. Our yard is looking so pretty - I fertilized the grass about a week ago and then with the rain it is really green and the flowers are all in bloom. I have learned a lesson about buying plants - I have those inca marigold plants in the front and the back and the ones in the back are so much more healthy - I bought those at Diamonds in Springville that is well known as a reliable nursery - I bought the ones in front at Wal-Mart and I won't do that again.
I want to tell you about the Mellor reunion on Saturday but I don't want anyone to feel guilty about not going - that is NOT why I am going to write about it. We do the things we can do and don't worry about the things we can't do - next year or the next maybe the ones who went this year won't be able to go and others will fill in for them. I REALLY wanted to go this year for Daddy - he was supposed to be in charge of it - Carl Mellor who is the President said that Daddy called him in March and told him he wouldn't be here for the reunion (I didn't know that).
Bob had planned to go to the cabin with his children but he called on Friday and said he had decided to go to the reunion too and wanted to meet Ann & I so we could all go together. We met at the service station by UVCC about 6:15 Saturday morning and we were at the Fayette Spring by 7:30 just in time for their breakfast. We didn't know very many people there (we were the only ones there from the Roy D. side). I was SO hungry and the food was a real old fashioned breakfast - bacon, sausage, hot cakes, eggs, hash browns, cantaloupe and orange juice. Ann had brought LeeAnna & Jimmy and Bob had all four of their children and they were all SO good - they ate and then played around the spring while we ate and visited.
After breakfast we went to the Fayette cemetery and every other headstone there was a Mellor - there was even one Jesse L. Mellor, who died in the late 1800's. Then we all went to the church in Fayette and started a tour of the city (?) - Carl grew up in Fayette and his mother still lives there so he knows all about everything there. Ann & I had been on the tour before but I learned so much more this time and this was the first time for Bob and he enjoyed it. I took some pictures of old family homes and will send them to you if they turn our. Daddy's great grandmother was from a polygamy family and I took a picture of that home - it's vacant but still standing.
Then we went back to the church for the business meeting. Carl had asked Bob to give a tribute to his Daddy during this meeting and I was SO proud of Bob - he told about Daddy's work ethics and how they had been instilled in his children - he said Daddy preferred a push lawn mower and hand clippers to a power mower and weed eaters. It is surprising how many people who really knew Daddy have mentioned his strong work ethic in their letters to me since his death.
After the meeting we had a delicious potluck dinner - Carl had furnished the meat, rolls and drink and everyone else brought other things. I had admired this huge delicious looking pasta salad but it was all gone by the time I got to the food - Bob - I didn't know you had brought that until Ann told me. Ann said that Bob had called Smiths and told them he needed a pasta salad to feed 20 and then he picked it up. It kinda' made me feel bad because I had taken food for you but yours was so much better than mine that I ended up bringing a lot of mine home - I'm going to learn one of these days what people like to eat!!!
Bob left for the cabin right after the dinner - he took ALL of the children. They had a wonderful time riding the four wheelers and Bob said the cabin was in pretty good shape after he got all the flies and cobwebs vacuumed up. He couldn't stay very long because he had to teach a Sunday School class - they spent the night and then came home early Sunday morning. Little Katie was homesick for her Mother and Bob found her with Claire's picture and she was crying - Bob held her for a little while and she said something like this "you're not the mother". When I talked to him last night he said they were all REALLY happy to have Claire home and they had all missed her.
The Weinerts came down last evening and they went with the Woolleys to meet with Jessie & Barji and they all had dinner together up on the campus. They came over here after for a little while last night and of course, I LOVED THAT!!! They are never able to stay very long and after they leave I always wish I had spent more time with the children. They watched Murder, She Wrote and the adults visited.
I loved your phone call last week Patrice and also your letter. I can't believe your tornado alarm would go off like that (the fire station is right by their home and when the alarm went off they all awakened in the middle of the night and went to their "safe place" but it was kind of a false alarm). We miss you!!!
John has been in St. George this weekend - I have seen him for a total of two minutes so I don't know what they were going to do there. I imagine the weather probably wasn't too good for camping or bike riding - he is REALLY BUSY at work!!