July 6, 1966

3326 N. Winstel

Telephone 325-2019

Dear Family,

I don’t know who get the good copy this time, as none of you have written. Marta I guess, as she called us. Mary Ann was visiting the Wilsons and the way Marta talked they were having a ball. Bob was out of school. David came up on the week end and they went places and saw things.

We returned from the White Mountains yesterday. We spent several days at our old stomping grounds on the Blue River. For once Mother got her fill of trout. She caught as many as I did also. I have pics to prove this and will send them along when they are developed. We missed the Stobbes, who had camped in the same spot with us. The old stone stile is still there- the one that Julie was just able to crawl over. In spite of the fact that you are supposed to pay now to camp there, (we didn’t, because we couldn’t find anyone to pay), the camp is not as well cared for, as it was, over grown with wild clover-loaded with bees. I got stung when I put my hand on one.

Lloyd, we thought of you every night as we enjoyed those air-mattresses you lent us. It was the first time Mother has been able to rest comfortably on an air mattress. They are just a little wide for our Ugly American. That and the fact that they were snapped together probably contributed to Mother’s comfort. They could not slip out from under her.

We are beginning to like our little Ugly American. We climbed the Coronado trail, dropped off into the blue and climbed back out, without a bit of trouble. We almost traded it back in on a V8 Chevie, but after thinking it over and Mother praying for guidance, we decided to stay with the Rambler. We wanted more power, but I guess the Rambler has power enough for the Old Folks. It does what we ask it and seems to have plenty of power for our needs.

David, I talked to Sue’s mother the other day-Sue is away on a tow week jaunt, (or was). She says you are a stinker because you have not written or called. I do think they deserve better treatment- to say nothing of your own mother.

Hey! You “Wild West” McKays, what is the news? Note our telephone number at the top of the page. Call us collect if there is anything to report.

I suppose everybody is a flutter at the Stobbe home as it is only a few days until you leave. It is too bad you don’t have time to go fishing with us. Mother has already planned a fishing trip two years from now.

When we dropped off the mountains yesterday it was like jumping into an oven. We would have stayed longer in the mountains, but there was a slight B.O. problem and Mother was just about to give me her ultimatum; “sleep on the ground or bathe in that cold mountain stream”. It was 105 here yesterday, but they say rain is coming and it will be cooler, Ha!

Vaya Con Dios.

Dad

May 20, 1966

Dear Family,

Marion, they can thank you for this decker. Thanks for sending your Aunt’s letter along. I just put a new ribbon in this typewriter so you will get a nice fresh, legible copy. We were glad to hear that you may get a chance to work four hours every morning. You are up at daybreak anyway, so it shouldn’t work a hardship on you. You should almost be back home before the kids get up. It looks like the only one who will suffer is Bob- no one to make his breakfast. Here is your chance to break Mimi in.

David has returned to San Diego. He left Tuesday and was taken to the plane by his girl friend, Sue Johnson. We met her and both of us think she is very nice. They don’t appear to be very serious, but I hope when he does decide to make a home, he will come back to Sue. She seems to be a very homey girl, talented too. She tried out for a part in the Little Theater and got it. I don’t know the name of the play, but David said it was good.

The change in David is remarkable, for such a short time. We got along fine this trip. I guess it was because pressure was off both of us. Maybe the fact that he seems to be smarter than the old man has something to do with it. He scored 125 in the GCT test, which was 11 better than I ever made.

It was funny to see him get his gear together when he left here. A year ago he would not have know how many shirts socks etc, he had, or whether he had any. This time he hunted down every sock-even ferreted a pair out of my drawer. He looked very sharp in his blues when he left. He does not start classes until sometime in June and has promised to send each of you his address. Needless to say, he will not get a copy of this decker.

Mother continues her swim therapy and it does indeed seem to be helping her. We have been watching Sam Sneed every Saturday and he too seems to be helping her. She buckles on her harness and when we go to the golf course once or twice a week she really makes me hustle to keep ahead of her. Last time we were out she beat me by one stroke and has pushed me close every time. The distance between holes on this par three are not very great, she does not have to swing so hard to make the green.

Marta, Que Pasa que pasa? I am still waiting for that Texaco Bill. Rina, give me Frank’s address in Guam and I will write to him there, if you still think there is time. If you have time give Brother Bickmore a call and ask him what happened to our records- where he sent them. They have not arrived here.

Vaya Con Dios,

Dad

The Relief Society Widower

THE RELIEF SOCIETY WIDOWER

I have to leave my dear wife said

We have a meeting to-day

There are leftovers in the ice box

I am sure you will mange someway

I have to leave my dear wife said

Sister Wilson is very ill

The beans are boiling on the stove

Please don’t let them spill

I have to leave my dear wife said

There is a meeting at the stake

I may be late in getting home

I hope you’ll stay awake.

I have to leave my dear wife said

We are having a Bazaar

I know it is inconvenient

But I just must have the car

I sustain my wife in her R.S. work

It is a worthy and blessed cause

The good it does and the help it gives

Is in obedience of God’s laws.

ENVOI (Censored by Mother)

I have become an epicure during the years

Of beans, fried, refried and neat

I have eaten so many frijoles

That you can call me Frijole Pete

Mother's Day May 8, 1966

3625 E Flower

Apartment C

Tucson, Arizona

Mother’s Day May 8, 1966

Dear Family,

I can well imagine that you were thinking of Mother today and would have sent some sort of message, had you known our address. Anyway she had one chick with her. David, who is here on leave and I, took her out to lunch.

Our trip from L.A. was quite uneventful. We left L.A. late and stayed the night in Yuma. We picked one of the first Motels we saw after entering Yuma, called the PIKE. We lucked out. The rooms were nice and it had a nice pool. Best of all as far as Mother was concerned, was that it had galloping beds. The bed was equipped with a gadget called “Magic Fingers”. You put a quarter in the slot and the bed massaged your back. We tried it out and it was very effective. After our massage we went in the pool. When we prepared to go to sleep we were all set for a good relaxing massage. I put a coin in the slot and -----nothing! It was either of some other denomination or one of these new phony quarters. Anyway it would not work and I was in the dog house. What a “wailing and gnashing of teeth”. She hardly spoke to me until we reached Tucson.

Summer rates have set in here and we found a very nice one bed room Apartment, w/swimming pool. Mother thinks that swimming in the pool not only has a therapeutic effect on her back, but is a reducing agent also. I’ll have to check the latter out. It seems to me that every time she gets out of the pool she is starving.

It was a wonderful experience going to church to-day. We felt like we had indeed come home. The speaker didn’t just say; “The McKays are back with us!” He said; “Our very dear friends…..” If the people were not glad to see us, they put on a very good act.

Stobbes, many people asked about you and hoped that you would come back to Tucson 1^st Ward. We went by your old home yesterday. The people there appear to have kept it up well. The corner lot is up for sale. It should be a good investment.

Our phone is in, 325-2019. We are on a two party line and the other party is a woman who talks just as long as ALL my daughters. We tried to call Marta last night. When I finally got the phone here, Marta was talking there. I waited thinking Marta’s phone would be free and ours was tied up again. So I got disgusted and woke her up early this morning.

The Sunday before we left L.A. we had a re-union of all the family in that area as a sort of house warming at Lloyd’s house. Carol roasted a turkey on a turning spit over a charcoal fire. I poo-pooed the very idea and told her it would never cook. Well, again I had to eat my word, because it was delicious. They have a very nice home indeed. The people they bought it from were some sort of “Kookie” artists and the color scheme played Yankee Doodle. They had to re-paint the entire interior and just about have it finished. We had “Home Evening” there and I guess it was the real Mother’s Day. Mark who is shaping up into quite a boy gave the closing prayer. You would hardly know it was the same boy.

Mother says to tell you that she thought of all of you to-day and sends her love to each and every one of you.

Vaya Con Dios,

Dad

WRITTERS GET GOOD, CLEAR, LEGIBLE COPIES

March 22, 1966

Dear Family,

I hope this letter writes “30” to our Hawaiian correspondence. We still have not made any kind of a settlement with the insurance Co. We will return to the mainland even though the case is not settled, but we hope it will be.

Believe it or not, but David put up the bond for this week’s letter. We received a letter from him yesterday. He has been in the Hospital for two weeks with a virus infection on his leg. He is back to duty, but lost the Company. The rest of his address is the same just change the 060 to 102.

It sounds like he enjoyed the Hospital stay- ate, slept and played chess. You really lose out though, when you are in some sort of a training period and have to fall behind the group in which you started. He may have to start from scratch again.

We are in a dither as to whether or not we will go by boat or fly. We seem to have acquired more junk and will have to ship some if we fly, or leave it for the Stobbes to bring. They too are in a dither but think they will be returning to the mainland sometime July-don’t know just when or if. Frank was offered a better job in the FAA at the L.A. Hqrs. He was all set to take it when he learned that the job entailed 50% travel time. They prayed for guidance and decided that the children need him home more than 50% of the time, (not to mention his wife). He has a tentative offer with a firm here in Honolulu and if this jells he may quit the FAA altogether, otherwise they will return to the mainland in July.

Betty, Don Ho, who we went to see on Mother’s Birthday, will be playing in Lake Tahoe soon. We also note that Bob’s boss, (Harrah) is expected here to join cavalcade of old time cars in a tour of the Islands.

Marta, I suppose we will hear from you to-day. Our letters usually cross each other. We have decided that if we go by boat, we will ride a train from S.F. to L. A. It seems to me that the train Depot is closer to El Monte than the Air Port. Then too, if everyone is tied up we can catch a bus to El Monte.

Last Saturday we celebrated Lane’s Birthday by going to the zoo and then for a swim at Waikiki beach. It was windier and cooler than on our side of the Island. We had a picnic lunch at a beach park and the children of course had a ball. It was rather strange to see so many white skinned “Hoalies”. The place was loaded with tourists.

The weather is getting warm again and we have been “hitting the beach” almost every day. Mother has acquired a tan but got a good sunburn in the process. She seems to be feeling a lot better but still has to take pain killer almost every day.

Vaya Con Dios

Dad Writers get good copies!

This is a picture of Loyd McKay down in Mexico when he was still single, dressed as a "Caballero" (Mexican Cowboy) note the sombrero, sarape, and gun belt.

March 13, 1966

Dear Family,
Marion, it was very nice to hear from you. Especially to receive such a nice long, (legible) letter. You get the rest of the family out of the dog house and I decided to write a decker even though we have not heard from any of them.
We received a long (for him) letter from David since my last decker. He was in the Hospital with a boil. He did not say where, so you can use your own imagination. He says he is getting along fine and only thing he does not like about the training is the frequent inspections. He goes to church on base, which is quarantined right now for the flu.
Our Attorney is finally meeting with the Insurance Co. lawyers, attempting to make a settlement of Mother’s case. We met with him Thursday and he was not very optimistic about the whole thing. He wants to take the case to court if they will not settle for what he calls a reasonable amount. He agrees that we should return to the mainland. We don’t go along with him on this court business. Mother’s medical bills have almost reached $800.00, for which they are hounding us. The Insurance Co will not pay these bills until the case is settled. Court cases here take from two to three years and as we don’t intend to live that long with these unpaid bills hanging over our head, we will settle for almost anything, as long as those bills are paid.
Bob W/I wrote to Tucson for my auto registration and they sent the plate here. I will send it on to you together with the registration slip. Please put the slip in the registration holder over the visor. I can imagine the look on some Cop’s face if he should ever radio Phoenix for the address of the owner of Rambler, Ariz lic Jen 475 and they answered, 645 Pauku Kailua Oahu Hawaii. That is the way it is registered.
I called Army Transportation yesterday and they said they would not know about space on the Patrick until two days before she sailed. That would be 2 April. They said that they had been getting some people out space available, but I don’t have too many hopes that we will get aboard. I am sure that something will happen to keep us from getting a boat ride.
Little Lane has been quite ill. He had an infection in one ear. They had to puncture his ear drum. Puss and blood have been flowing freely for two days. It has evidently relieved the pain because he is back to his own good natured self again.
Keep your fingers crossed that we might settle this case to our advantage and pray a little prayer for us.
Vaya Con Dios
Dad

PS WRITERS GET GOOD COPIES!
PS to Lloyd What time should we arrive in LA to suit you?

Kailua, Oahu Hawaii Makalii 361

1-21-66


My dear son, Carol & Mark,
We were glad to receive your letter and I am going to answer right away.
You dint say a word about your brother but we call a week ago and he must be in U.S. payroll by now. At least he expected to be. Marta promise to write more of it.
About your birth, here it is (as I remember it). It was on Halloween day about 4 am Rocky Mountain Time, on a clear and very cold morning since we were at Los Varas (to the Ranches) on Estacion Babicora (to the Railroad co.) which is high in the Chihuahua Sierra Madre, about 600 miles south of El Paso Texas, in the year of our Lord 1934. You had a normal babyhood, with all the regular colics, colds, and a case of pneumonia that almost took your life and which I beliebe to this day was spared for the prayer of the L.D.S. friends. We were not even familiar with the Church at that time. You have had measles, whooping cough, chicken pox, mumps, bruises, scratches, arms out of place, foot cut etc. etc. mostly ear infections. But even with all that aches and pain you were a quite docile and obedient son. In your adolescent years you were more of a problem most of it your quick temper, and some stubbornness, but never lazy or disrespectful, in fact you were very much a gentleman. No I am not paying you compliments or building you up. It is nothing but the truth.
That is all the information I can give you.
I will add that you are the best son a mother can wish.
Yes I am much better and if all goes well we should be back there in April but can’t be sure. We like our apartment, the first night here we blow a fuse and went to bed in the dark but we are getting more familiar now. We had a rain and hail storm yesterday but today is sunny and warm.
I do wish you guys the best on house hunting and since your 1st anniversary is picking in the horizon also may it be a happy one.
We will let you know near the time of our return.
May our Lord keep all of you in good health and happy looking ahead for the big event coming. I do hope is a girl. May our Lord bless you.

All my Love,

Mother

November 28, 1969

Dear Family,
We were really “Gozando” the visit of the Wilsons. The Thanksgiving dinner was a big success- the first that Mother had been solely responsible for, for many a year. To-day was cold and blustery. Bob went golfing, (the south course at Randolph). I baby sat while Marta and Mother went shopping. We were sitting around this evening getting ready to make a tape to the Stobbes, (on Bob’s recorder), when the phone rang.---
It was Bill with some terrible news. Little Lloyd was killed to-day in an automobile accident. Bill, Fran and Lloyd were on the way home from Vernal, where they had been shopping, someway their car went out of control and overturned. Lloyd was killed instantly. I was so shook that I don’t know if I got the rest of the message right or not, but as I understood, no one else was injured.
As Bill said, it will leave a big vacuum in that family, as each and every one of them loved him so much. I find it hard to understand, but surely He has a reason for this and maybe someday we will understand—if we live worthily enough to associate with Lloyd in the hereafter.
I would be very glad if you all prayed for that family and would be kind enough to write to them. There is not much we can say, but at least you can let them know that you love them and commiserate with them.
We received a letter from David to-day. He became a “Reluctant Hero” while en-route to Hawaii. It seems that a Sister Ship had electronic trouble and had no one to repair same. They sent David aboard the ship via ‘High-line’. He still sounded a little ‘shook up’ when he wrote, but it was the best letter he has written since he left home. We really enjoyed it- Wilsons also. I can’t blame him for being ‘shook up’ I think I would have rebelled.
David, I went on a picnic to Subic Bay when there was nothing but a few native huts. I understand there is quite an installation there now. Keep writing those long letters. I think you should be happy to be able to read one for a change. We thought of you Thanksgiving, as Mother made two of your favorite dishes. Waldorf salad and LOTS OF WHITE MEAT.
The Wilsons join us in sending their love. They are heading back home to-marrow.
Vaya Con Dios
Dad

January 8, 1966 - Tucson

Dear Family,

We did not go to church to-day. It was 25 below and blowing a gale. Of course this is not cold in Roosevelt, but it is mighty wintery here. We listened to the Mormon choir and I read to Mother from a book the Stobbes sent us, called “Gospel Ideals”, by David O. McKay. We enjoyed it and learned things about the Gospel, at least I did, and that I did not know before. We had already studied my Priesthood and the Sunday School lesson so all and all we learned more than if we had gone to Church.
By-the-way Lloyd, I hope you are studying these new Priesthood lessons thoroughly. I wish that I had had this sort of advice when I was bringing, or getting in the way of Mother, when she was bringing you children up. You should read these lessons to Carol and discuss them with her.
All of you other Priesthood holders should get many good pointers from these lessons even though none of you have, almost teenaged boys.
I hate to tell you of all our plans to go some place. Even though our projected date of moving is months in the future, you all use the excuse, “I didn’t know where to write”. Thank- you Robin, Renee and Roberta. At least you took a chance.
Now hear this! We plan to leave here about the 16th of this month and go to San Francisco. We will pull the trailer and by pass Los Angeles by going through Tehachapi pass to Bakersfield, then to Marion’s, however, if they have nasty weather in San Francisco like they have been having lately we just might skip the whole thing.
We have promised Bob and Marta that we would take care of the girls for a few days beginning the first weekend in February. Bob’s schedule is such that they never have time together. When he goes to bed, Marta and the girls are getting up. Any locking of the bedroom door is immediately resented, manifested by pounding on the door, yells, etc, etc. Then one day Bob had a day off school. They farmed the girls out and were just getting ready to ‘settle down for a long winter nap’, when the McKays (grandpa) came pounding on the door. What a life! I think they are both getting a neurosis and who can blame them! Right now Bob is in the middle of final exams. He has a week between semesters the second week of February.
Right now we plan to go to Hawaii as soon as the Wilsons return from their vacation, but you know us, these plans could change, especially if Hawaii begins having nasty weather also. By the way Rina we have not heard from you since before Christmas. We hope everyone is well and that it isn’t illness in the family that has kept you from writing. You still have time to reach us here with a letter.
Carol, you and Fran take care of our new Grandsons. I am expecting to hear any day that some one has grabbed the Golden Ring and #20 is no longer up for grabs.
All Our Love,
Grandma and Grandpa
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo