We have been from ocean to ocean

Linda, Jan, Dale, with cousins Kerry Dee Andreasen
and David Hilbig at the beach

1190 Elgin Ave.
Salt Lake City, Utah
September 5, 1963

Dear Perry & Family,

It was wonderful to get so many letters and cards in the mail. It made me feel very important. And then there came a little box on Monday with a card and a pair of hose. Thank you Linda and all of you. Sounds like Gene and the girls were going to get something real interesting at Pasadena, but as for the beach, Dale doesn't inherit his love for the water from me.

Jan may have been more interested in go-carts and dogs
than practicing his guitar

I am so glad Jan got his guitar. I wish we could listen in some time. That was a cute little Grandma picture Harriet sent. Well Grandpa bought me a pretty cake, and then June and Kerry Dee brought one, so I suspect we have had more than our share of sweets.

The weather is a little cooler now and it is really enjoyable. Last Saturday night Hope and Grant phoned "Happy Birthday" and Hope said, "Mother and Dad, how would you like to go to New York with us when we go to get Nelson?" Of course Elmer and I have never aspired to such a trip, and we could hardly come down to earth for several days. They really mean to go if everything goes well and will see some of the interesting historic places along the way. They told us it wouldn't cost us a thing and that they wanted us to go while we could enjoy it. Just imagine it! It will be the first part of October. So Linda, those hose are just what I need, and I am going to get myself new garments, and I will have to ask advice on what clothing (dresses) to take.

June thinks her work as clerk (full-time) is the hardest job she has ever had. I hope she can stay with it. Kerry is getting so tall. We got a notice of Dick and Betty's new boy. We are picking plenty of tomatoes from our own little patch for table use and have quite a few Delicious and Jonathan apples. I have put up a lot of the summer apples. Last night Floyd came and fixed our hot water tap and brought some sweet corn on the cob, a small watermelon and a dozen pints of carrots. We keep eating. Surely would be nice if you could come this way again for a day or two. Love to all, Mother & Dad

PS. Perry, Ruth Goodrich plans to write, sometime, stories for children--some of them true--that happened in her lifetime. Thought you might be interested.

October 30, 1963

Dear Perry and all,

It may not be a line to say "hello" as I can't follow the line, but I hope you can make it out anyway. We had a wonderful trip. Now we have been from ocean to ocean. Grant and Hope had some friends in Washington DC and they took us around so we got to see a lot.

Then we went to New York. They got a taxi to take us around. We sat on the dock and saw the ship come in. Then when we got Nelson, we went to the Niagara Falls, the Hill Cumorah, Sacred Grove and to Carthage Jail. They have it just as it was at the death of the prophet Joseph and Hyrum. The well is the same. A young man who was born just two miles from the jail told us his father was so bitter he would not let his mother join the church. I asked him how he came to join. He said he joined while in the service. His father is 45 now but has that old persecuting blood in him. His boy that talked with us could surely see the truth.  So I thought of the old adage, "Truth crushed to earth will rise again." I also thought of Gene and of her parents being converts.

Linda and Marian, isn't it nice to have parents that know the truth and then take and lead you in the right. Well, I could not read this so if you can get one word of it, you can do better than I can. I just go across the paper feeling the way to make the words. But I was so anxious to write to you. Your mother is back from the store. I will let her take over so you can enjoy it better. Love to all, Father (Grandpa)

Dear Folks,

This is October 31 and we are expecting some "trick or treaters" tonight, so I have been to the store. Do the children have that custom down there? Your father (grandfather) has told you a few of the high points of our trip. The weather was unusually good for this time of year--no storms at all and all the trees, shrubs and groves were in all their colors, and it seemed all the roadsides were lined with beautiful woods. It seemed to me that Nebraska was one vast plain. Of course a lot of the time we traveled after dark.

Harriet Lea

We thought we would like to get some little thing for each of the grandchildren but left it mostly up to Hope to do this buying as Dad and I have handicaps. I would like to see Harriet Lea's face when she puts on that little wristlet. We looked at several antique shops but prices were out of this world. Nelson is surely a fine boy, and he has done a lot of thinking and is more mature, and he is really a good-looking fellow. It is a little late to get into school, and I believe he wants to get a job.

Floyd said to us last night, "Well how does it seem to be the most traveled couple in the whole family?" We really have traveled quite a distance. The Mississippi, the Susquehanna, and the Platte rivers were all larger than I had imagined. And the Niagara Falls are tremendously larger. Grant likes to tease me about the Dry Gulch in Roosevelt and it being named in an irrigation company. So every big stream we came to, he would say, "Would that fill the Dry Gulch?" or something like it.

Last Monday we went to Arthur Eiscombe's funeral in Orem in the chapel where Genevieve and Lorin go. There were a lot of one-time Basin people there.

We have had a little rain lately and a frost but it is lovely again today and it feels good to have the heat on in the house. I wish we could see what the boys and girls are doing and how school is going. Elmer said to tell you his eyes feel better but the sight is not much better yet. His next appointment is in December with his eye specialist. We hope for his sight recovery.

This letter arrangement is quite a jumble, but I will send it anyway. We have missed the mailman, so Elmer will take it up to the highway. Love to all, Mother

December 6, 1963

Dear Perry & All,

We received your letter Perry, and Gene's card and Harriet's letter. It is so good to hear from all of you once in awhile. Now that Grandpa doesn't get out much, nor I, we do watch for the mailman and the newspaper. Elmer listens to the radio quite a bit. The television is hard on his eyes. He got out this morning to clear the walks of snow as we got some last night--not so much--but it is blowing and it is cold.

Floyd and Sharon have their first baby--a boy. That pleases Floyd, and he is sure happy. It was born Sunday morning, and it was Don Mangum's birthday also. They took us up to Little Cottonwood Canyon Saturday afternoon to see the vaults in the granite mountainside. My, that is a wonderful feat. They have their own electricity and water. Elmer said, "Well, we are not so different from the Nephites." A good place for genealogical records.

We had an enjoyable time on Thanksgiving Day at Floyd's and Sharon's. I was glad they asked June and Kerry Dee too. Perry, we were really impressed with your letter about Columbus. June read it too. He really had a spiritual attitude so he could be guided by the spirit of the Lord, and it was important enough to be mentioned in the Book of Mormon. I hope you can get your book as you desire by the New Year.

We listened to a man talk in our Sacrament Meeting on why he left the Catholic Church, and he was studying to be a priest. It was very good. He said 95% of the people in Ireland are Catholics. I wish the Kennedys could hear the gospel. Maybe President will now, in the spirit world. We heard the service for him here in Salt Lake in the Madeline Cathedral, and they had it interpreted in English, but the service in Washington was so meaningless--all that mumbling. Did you read the funeral service in the church section by Brother Brown. That was really a wonderful talk I thought.

I don't suppose we will be doing much for Christmas, but as long as we can be well and hear some Christmas music and eat a good dinner, I think we are wonderfully blessed. I am glad if you could use the apples. I almost wish we had sent more. We can't eat many, and I have a lot of applesauce, so I am glad you used them.

Elmer has kept talking, so I have made a lot of mistakes. He is going to the store with one of our neighbors to get a few groceries as we asked Floyd to supper tonight. Our neighbors are very thoughtful of us. We will likely write again and send a card for Christmas. Love to you all, Mother & Dad

Jan and Tippy

December 10, 1963

Dear Perry, Gene & All,

There are a thousand things I would like to ask about all of you. I wanted so much to get some little thing for you folks, but it has been so difficult to get up or down to the stores--bad weather or something--that I just couldn't make it. I always like to remember some little thing for Renee's birthday, but I have failed there too.

The girls and boys have been so good about sending us cards and little notes all fall that we really do owe them a debt of gratitude. We hope the whole family enjoys a beautiful Christmas. I'll bet Jan can play the accompaniment to a lot of Christmas songs, and your family could really have a concert. With love to all, Mother & Dad

PS. Tell Gene's mother we often think of her and give her out best wishes too.