Saturday, July 13, 2013

The house is getting emptier and quieter


August 6, 1968

Dear Mother,

Enjoyed the visit with you in your new apartment Sunday. It's a very nice looking place. Hope you can be content with it and comfortable. Got a letter from Flossie yesterday asking all about the wedding. She says she has been trying to phone you but can't reach you--wonders where you are. You'll have to call her. I wrote her this morning and told her you had moved again.

Eric, Linda, Marian & Warren, March 1968
Brigham Young University
Mother, can you come out here Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning by bus? I'll pick you up here in Claremont. I want to take you to the BYU Leadership lectures which start on Thursday at noon. It will last for three days and is only $5.00 apiece for the whole 3-day sessions. I know you will enjoy listening to these great BYU leaders and professors speak on these different subjects because you don't read as much as you used to. I don't want to go alone. It's nicer to be with someone, so please plan to come and go with me.

Both Renee and Harriet Lea will be going to girls camp Saturday for a week. The house is getting emptier and quieter all the time. So I must keep busy so I won't be lonesome. Please plan to come, Mother. I will enjoy your company so much and get to visit some more with you too. Ok? Let me know. Call me if you can't or just come out and call me from Mr. Bentley's Market in Claremont and I'll come and pick you up, ok? Love, Gene

August 23, 1968

Dear Mother and Dad,

I've been intending to write to you for some time, but delay leads to neglect. I'm doing a little recreation "baby tending" these last two weeks, and right now it is rather quiet so I'll make the most of the opportunity. [The Pomona School District had a youth recreation program where Perry sometimes worked.]

Dale just got in early this morning. It was good to see him. He is so cheerful and he really likes the "Y." Now he wants to go on a mission after the next semester. He has really grown up a lot emotionally this last year.

Mother, Dale says you have been having trouble with arthritis. Is it really causing you much pain? I surely hope and pray that it isn't serious. Last week I did something to my back. It was one of those things where I went to stand up and suddenly I couldn't. It was very painful. I went to the doctor and after giving me some pills, which didn't help--in fact, they made me sick--he sent me to a physical therapist. He used a machine to massage my back and it was wonderful. Afterwards, I felt like a new man. Then he gave me some exercises to do and now I feel very good. It is the first time anyone has ever given me any real help. Before, I have always just suffered it out and tried to do the things on my own that made my back feel better.

We are going to put Renee on the plane tomorrow to fly to Salt Lake. Marian and Warren will pick her up at the airport. Then Renee will go help Marian for awhile. She has been real sick, but when she called up the other day, she said she was feeling a lot better. Then we will be leaving here on the 29th or 30th to come up and see all of you. We will see you on your birthday, Mother, so reserve that day for us. We will have to leave again on Monday because I have to be back at work Tuesday night.

Perry, Leora, Gene, Linda, Eric, Shirley & Guy Hartman
We are surely looking forward to seeing you. We hope the weather is good. Dale said they were snowed in for a few hours at Cedar City until the snow plow cleared the roads. Can you imagine that? Snow in August!

We feel like a small family now with Linda and Marian gone and Dale at college. The receptions were very lovely. We will tell you about them when we see you. We also have some nice pictures. We surely wish you could have been here. We did consider flying you down here, but we didn't see how we could do it for both of them [a wedding in June and another in July] and the length of time between the two was too much for you to wait here with all the confusion of preparation.

Linda and Eric especially would liked to have had you present. Eric surely does like you and he and we surely appreciate the fine spiritual experience he and Linda had when Dad gave them the special blessings. Maybe we can fly you down here for Christmas. How would you like Christmas in warm California?

I guess the rest of the unsaid things can wait until we get there. But I do want you to know how I appreciate you and the privilege of growing up in a home full of love and such an abundance of unselfishness. When Harriet and Renee were away at camp, they each wrote us the sweetest letters expressing their appreciation to us. I was very touched and it made me realize how I have neglected to express to my parents how much I love them.

Until we see you in person, Perry

October 9, 1968 (Wednesday)

Dear Mother and Dad,

Just want you to know how much I appreciate all that you do for us. I truly had an enjoyable visit and stay at your home for the conference weekend. It is always so rewarding to come to Salt Lake and stay with you and share the sweet spirit of the Gospel. You two are such a sweet inspiration to all of us. Your grandchildren of this family all draw from your wonderful example of a happy married life and sweet compatibility--also many happy memories of their childhood days living near you. I am so grateful for all of this and more.

I found all of my children there, Linda and Eric, Marian and Warren, and Dale, very well and happy and busy with all of their activities at BYU. Perry and the children here at home are all well and happy too. I had a very pleasant trip home. Perry is so pleased to know you are both so well. Our thoughts and prayers are with you always. Love, Gene

Warren, Marian, Leona, Elmer & Linda in Salt Lake City
October 30, 1968

Dear Perry, Gene & Family,

How are you all? I wonder if you are having a dark and rainy day as we are here? I suppose this will end in all of the beautiful trees and bushes being stripped of their beauty, and they will stand stark and bare. The leaves have been so colorful and pretty, and the wind has been bringing them down gently. It makes one sad to see the trees so bare. The little children might not enjoy the Halloween costums unless it clears up tomorrow, which isn't likely.

Talking of Halloween, Wilda's little girl, about 3 years old, when they passed a home on the way down here that didn't have any Halloween decorations or pictures in the window said, "The poor kids." Made us all laugh. She is a cute little thing.

Floyd called to say that he has been put in as a counselor in the bishopric out here. He has been the president of the seventies quorum. The ward has been divided into two wards, and he was quite excited. He said, "I hope my mother knows some of the good things about me and not all the bad." Pa said, "Well, I am sure she will know about you today." [Floyd, Gene & Alan are 3 of Genevieve's sons.] Gene is the bishop in his ward. Floyd and Alan are 2nd counselors in their wards. So Genevieve will feel proud and Lorin too.

We got a good letter from Hope yesterday. She sold one picture for $46 and can sell more when she gets them finished. She said they had a good letter from Nelson.

Love, Dad & Mother

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