Dale gets engaged

January 6, 1969

Dear Mother & Dad,

Well, the christmas holidays are over for another year and it's back to work again. We enjoyed talking to you on Christmas. We would like to have had you down, but with so much flu going around, I guess it's best you were there. Did it pass you by? We all took our turns here. It was also quite rainy and cold up through Christmas. It really froze the citrus. So I guess this wasn't the best year for traveling. But we would still like for you to plan on it for another year.

The weather has been very beautiful and warm here for the last week. And New Year's Day was really lovely. It was really a great day for a parade and game. Jan and Dale went over and saw the parade, but I've never felt like bucking the crowds. Maybe I will some time though. Gene and I took her mother in later to see the floats. They had them on display in a park. No question but what they are really fabulous--so many flowers and so many different ideas.

Hope, Grant and Nelson standing

We made a call to Hope and Grant during the holidays. The kids talked me into it as a Christmas present. It was good to hear their voices. They talk about coming to Utah for a visit when Nelson comes home. Grant is still having health problems and wants to see a doctor there.

How are both of you feeling? It's just possible we may come up there for spring vacation again. That's about when Marian is expecting her baby so that would seem like a good time to come. We'll have to see how things work out.

Sunday a Sister Lambert came up and talked to me. She said she knew you two real well from back in the Uintah Basin. It was her husband who had the Lambert's store in Roosevelt. Do you remember? She is visiting with her son and his family here. They are members of our ward and have a very fine family. She said she is going to call and talk to you when she gets back. I believe she lives in Salt Lake.

Well, keep yourselves well and be careful. Be sure to avoid falls. I know I keep repeating that, but falling seems to be the biggest peril of people your age. We hope to see you before too long. Love, Perry

January 18, 1969

Dear Linda,

I sure hope this gets to you on your birthday because we almost forgot! I'm sending a dollar to you 'cause that's all I've got, but Jan, Dad, Mom and Renee are all helping out too, so maybe you can get something really nice, ok?

So you're a big kid now, 22, huh? That's pretty old I hope you know. Have you got arthritis yet?

We've got to rush this to the postoffice so we can special delivery it. See you in the spring maybe! Love, Harriet

Dear Linda and Eric,

Happy birthday to both of you! I guess this is a little bit late for Eric's birthday, but I wasn't sure when it was.

For the past week or so, all Mom's been dreaming about are babies!

I just realized that you're 22 now! That seems awfully old! Do you have any gray hairs yet? And Eric's even older. By the time I'm married, you guys will have grandchildren! Do you need any "momma" dresses yet? I'm all out of space now, so I guess I'd better say "goodbye," Love, Renee

January 20, 1969 (Monday)

Dear Perry,

I can't find any other kind of notepaper, so this is it. We were glad to get your letter, and yesterday we were really surprised when your married girls and their husbands, and Dale came to see us. They really, I think, came to learn about Grant and Hope and Nelson. Dale really gave us a surprise when he announced his engagement. But, you know, I think if he has found the one he wants, and she has, it is a good thing. Dale seemed pleased to tell us. And the girls are happy, so we were all happy.

Grant is in the hospital (University). So far they haven't been able to diagnose his trouble. He has had no energy--so weak--and yet he has eaten his meals and some in between, but it doesn't seem to do him any good. He is so thin and weak. They made tests for several things. Now today, I think, it is for thyroid.

(Tuesday) We don't know too much about Grant. Hope stayed a few days down with June last week, and June reports she even had a few good laughs (out loud). I suppose she needs more laughs. Well, about Grant. They are having him take a 72-hour fast. We are hoping that some one will phone us about the results of this test. Nelson looks good--a little thin, and glad to be out of Vietnam. He has to go to Texas for five months unless he can get a change on account of his father's health problems.

You said, "Don't fall." That is my greatest fear. I am so mindful of it that sometimes I think it would be good to use a cane. Thelma has improved so much and that is all she uses is a cane. It is dark and rainy here and the wind blows. It makes me want to get a good book and forget the gloomy weather.

We have a new president. I hope he won't have more problems than he can handle. But they have all voted "more money" for themselves so I suppose that will help. Our Mormon people got quite a bit of publicity at the inaugural, didn't they?

We never did learn how the Thanksgiving Day with the Indian boys and girls turned out. Did they and you folks enjoy it? Hope is here this morning, so she will add a line or two. Mother

Dear Perry, Gene and family,

It's quite hard trying to hold the steady nerves on so many fronts. It was so good to talk to you on the phone. Your voice had so much steady reassurance that it calmed us both. I will surely let you know soon what the verdict is about Grant's illness. Love, Hope, Grant & Nelson

January 20, 1969

Dear Mom, Dad and family,

Thank you very much for the letters and money. I haven't decided what to spend it on, but I'll probably buy some material as my wearable dresses are getting pretty scarce. The mailman delivered the letter to the box Sunday, but I didn't find it until this morning. It certainly was thoughtful of all of you to write such nice letters.

I've really had a busy weekend. We decided to celebrate my birthday Saturday, so I made myself a cherry pie. Marian and Warren came over at 7:00 pm, and we went to Heaps and Eric treated us all to a huge pizza. (I put in an order for pizza on my birthday months ago.) Then Eric gave me a quarter and let me pick out three songs on the jukebox.

When Marian and Warren came over, they surprised me with a strawberry pie and some material, zipper, etc. for a dress. They also brought their games, so we came back to the apartment after the pizza and played Pit for awhile. When we got hungry again, we put 22 candles in the whipped cream in the strawberry pie and then Eric bugged me so much about hurrying to blow them out that I forgot to make a wish. Oh well, things are going so well, I don't know what I'd have wished for anyway. We ate most of that pie then played some more games and ate the cherry pie. At midnight, Marian and Warren went home. It was lots of fun.

Crazy how time flies! Dale and Linda seated in our
fancy transportation and Marian standing.

Sunday we planned to go to Salt Lake, so Marian and Warren came over at 2:00 pm, picked us up, and, as prearranged, we picked Dale up at the Cannon Center. We had a nice visit with Dale driving into Salt Lake, heard his plans, and were careful not to sound negative or preachy. We stopped at Grandma's and Grandpa's and visited for awhile. Then Nelson came in with a couple of friends and we visited some more and then we followed him out to the hospital and visited Uncle Grant and Aunt Hope. It was nice to see them although Uncle Grant doesn't look very well.

We told them about Dale's engagement. We also told Grandma and Grandpa, and Grandpa was pretty surprised but got used to the idea after awhile and gave Dale a short but healthy little sermon about the seriousness of marriage and how he couldn't go into it with the idea in the back of his mind that if things didn't work out he could always send her packing back to her folks.

Dale will take sermonizing off Grandpa and I could tell he was digesting what he heard. All in all we had a real good visit and the only thing that made the day less than perfect was the heavy rain that made driving around the point of the mountain a little tense.

I guess I won't be going to school this spring semester as I've gotten another temporary job that may last quite some time in the admissions office at BYU, and with a baby looming on the horizon, the money will certainly come in handy. Speaking of money, Dad, Eric and I are filing a joint return as we need the income tax return to pay my doctor. I've made approximately $3,000 in 1968, so I don't think you'll be able to claim me as a dependent.

I'm doing real well and am healthy but famished all the time but holding my weight at 115 pounds as Dr. Peterson told me he was glad I could look a dish of food straight in the face again. [This is a reference to the severe nausea that I experienced the first three months of my first pregnancy.] Eric feels much more positive about little "X" now that he's getting regular meals, a clean house, and a happy countenance out of me again. Everything seems to be going very well for us all. Little "X" is getting even with me for starving him/her the first 3 months by kicking the dickens out of me now.

It will be great to see all you guys at spring vacation. I'm really looking forward to it. Jan, we enjoyed your letter with the blue meanies all over the envelope, and I'm happy to hear you plan to come here next fall. I think you'll really enjoy yourself. No, Harriet, I don't have arthritis yet. No, Renee, I don't have any grey hairs yet--very funny!

Speaking of baby dreams, last night Eric and I both dreamed I had twin boys--wouldn't that be a hoot? We compared dreams and they were exactly the same up to the point where I left the hospital. Than Eric dreamed I dropped the babies, and he said he was real mad at me. Sometimes I don't think he has very much confidence in me.

Well, guess this letter is long enough to have put you all to sleep. Love and all that, Linda