July 12, 1993 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:
I came in from weeding my vegetable garden about an hour ago and took a long hot bath and then rested - I hope I get this in the mail in time to go out today. I can't believe all the weeds - I really need to do that each morning instead of waiting until they get the upper hand. My tomatoes and squash look so good - I have lots of little tomatoes on the vines but they won't be ready for another month - I am already harvesting the squash!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RICKY THIS FRIDAY - the big 14th!!! I really enjoyed having Ricky and his friend Chad Devere with me last week for their tennis camp - they were just wonderful in every way and I hope they had a good time. They had activities for them at BYU in the evening but I couldn't interest them in going. They came home each afternoon just worn out so I know they played tennis all day - they went to Seven Peaks one afternoon for a swimming party and they enjoyed that.
I forgot to tell about Brett's piano recital in my last letter. I went up for it and I was SO glad I did. He played about 8 different pieces all from memory - he is a "REAL MAESTRO" and the best thing about his playing is that he thoroughly enjoys it - in fact, Claire had to make him stop. It was fun to be with their family - Claire's parents were also there - and it worked out great because I got home before dark. I'm not comfortable going very many places at night by myself.
I had such a fun time on Saturday night. Ann got tickets for her family and for me for the Sundance Theatre production of "Guys and Dolls". We had had an unusually hot day in the valley on Saturday but I decided to take my Winter coat anyway and I was really glad I did. I went to the Woolleys for dinner early in the afternoon and then we went to Sundance early and it was simply wonderful. They wanted to show Aldara around Sundance - I guess she is a real Robert Redford fan. Susanna was my pal for the evening and she helped me walk up to the theatre and back and I love her for it. My friends, Malcolm & Marian Jeppsen, were also there and seated right in front of us so I had a good visit with them too. I LOVED the show and thought it was very well done - I just love live entertainment. It got very, very cold before the show was over but it was an absolutely gorgeous evening.
The big news for this letter is that Bob is going to undertake putting in a bathtub at the cabin. I was thrilled to have a message on my phone asking me to check the want ads for a "Claw footed tub", preferably one about 4 1/2 feet long. When I talked to Bob I told him I would check but I just knew that would be an impossibility - first of all, I had never heard of one that short and secondly, I knew they would be very expensive if we could find one. The very next evening I had a call from Claire saying they had found one in Sandy - I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!! They had to come for Brett that next day anyway so they said they would pick up the tub and then store it in my garage until Bob could get away to take it to the cabin. When they came, they had it in their van and Bob had decided to take it home with him and clean it up before taking it to the cabin. I believe the plan is for John and Bob to go to the cabin this weekend and work on it. The very fact that they found one indicates to me that PaPa is helping them and they will find a way to install it. I'll help anyway I can.
I talked to Patrice on Saturday morning and they are doing fine. She and the children had just come home from the Farmer's Market and they had bought some okra - my mouth watered!!! She said they had also found some bing cherries from Washington. Their family had been camping over the Fourth of July weekend - she said they went to a place where their church was having a campout also - West of Little Rock at Lake Sylvia. She said it was "AWFULLY HOT" and little Timothy found a chigger bed right soon after they got there - I can relate to that!!!
I'm anxious to hear how Jeannie & Barji enjoyed their week at Young Women's Church camp. I'll bet they had a good time but were happy to get home to a hot shower. Ann, Susanna, Jessie, and Aldara left this morning to go to their camp and I KNOW they will be happy to get home to a hot shower - it will be a fun experience for Aldara - she is a very lovely girl. Jean will care for Ann's younger children this week as Ann did for Jean last week.
The Mellor Reunion was Saturday and it was the best one I have ever been to but I have decided to never go again unless some of you can go with me. I'm not threatening you but it just isn't fun to go by myself. The Mellor sisters all get in a huddle - Ramona called and asked if she could go with me and I told her I wasn't planning to stay very long and she said she wouldn't either. We got there soon after 10 o'clock and I didn't get home until 3:30. I told Carol Ann goodbye four times and finally she said, "Haven't you gone home yet?" and I said "I'm still waiting for Ramona". I found her in the bathroom where she was visiting with some of her cousins. Carl Mellor does a wonderful job in organizing everything and furnishing the meat, drink, rolls and dessert - he had fried chicken this year and it was delicious.
Edna Gregerson was there - she is the author of "The Mellors Through the Years" and they had just had it "re-printed". She has breast cancer and doesn't look one bit well. When I talked to Patrice I asked her if they would like one for their birthdays and she assured me they really would so when I first got to the reunion I bought one for them. WELL - during the business meeting they explained how someone had mortgaged their home for the $16,000 necessary for the first printing and how the Gregersons had personally financed this second printing and it would be the last time it would be available. They have added a few things to it - Roy Delbert Mellor I's picture is in the front and Granny Mellor's picture is also in the front because she helped a lot. The didn't' ask any families for updates - I would like to have added to John to our family and given them a new picture - I guess many families would have liked to do that. I BOUGHT EACH ONE OF YOU A BOOK - they were $50 each which is really a lot for them but maybe someday you will be happy you have one. I will give them to you and then just send cards for your birthdays for a year - okay??? Ron will be the first one to not get a gift but he said he didn't' care - his birthday is next Friday. Everyone at the reunion was buying lots of books and there were at least one hundred people there.
This Edna Gregerson is much younger than I thought - she lives in St. George and looks like she is in her sixties. She is a real genealogy worker and has traced back the Mellor line to the first family in Russia and their name was spelled, Meleur, and she said they left Russia at a time when all the Royalty was being executed. I came home from the reunion with the feeling that if you think you are royalty, then you aren't - Ha!!!
Carol was very upset at the reunion and had printouts from the family history center - they have so many things wrong on the Mellor genealogy - she is supposed to have been dead since 1949. They don't have Daddy's death listed but I guess they wouldn't unless someone sends that information in.
On the other side of the family ---- I had a phone call from my brother Don last week telling me that his son Bert has finally married. I believe Bert is about 37 years old and according to Don has a gorgeous home in the nicest part of Bountiful but he doesn't do anything with his yard because he likes to spend his time fishing. Don is hoping his new wife will like yard work. I told him I thought that was wonderful and he said, "She is Mexican, has been divorced twice and has three children but she is really sweet". They were married in Las Vegas and Don & Cheryl will have an open house for them and they want all of you to go to it.
With all this fuss about families I decided to join the Family History class in church and forget about the Mellor line and concentrate on the Forrest and Rhodes lines. I think they are just as royal as the Mellor clan and if I don't pursue their genealogy who will???
This is the kind of letter I would write if I were writing it just for my journal so keep that in mind. I don't care if you don't read it or don't like it - Ha!!!
I love each one of you so very much - PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Let me know how I can help you.