Tucson Sept 12, 1967

Dear Family,

I think the Millennium must not be too far in the offing, because I was paid to go fishing last
week end. Mother and I went to Rocky Point last Friday and returned Sunday evening. Our Office has a client who is on a diet of fish and claims that the commercial fisherman dip the fish in preservative solution to which she is allergic. We stayed in the best Motel in the place, (Ugh) and I hired a boat to take me out. It was a small open boat and I was glad Lloyd was not with me because it pitched like a bucking bronco and he would have been seasick for sure. We, (the Mexican boys and I), caught about a hundred pounds of Mackerel, which did not cost the client much more that tow dollars a pound.

We have received three letters at our new address, from Bill, Marion, and Rina. And to you Bill, I
want to make one statement, “No quiero decir que Vd des Embustero, pero, Vd. Esta estrechando la verdad”. That old story of not knowing where to write has long white whiskers. We do plan to get up there for Conference as long as you have the family room completed we will leave our trailer at home. How is the road between Ducheane and Price? According to the map I have it as still unpaved. Tell Fran not to be too miffed about us not going your way last spring. We would have gone if it had not been for Mother’s knee. By-the-way, her knee seems much better and did not bother her nearly as much on this Mexican trip. We were glad to hear that Lloyd is walking, but not surprised to hear that he is such a good baby. How could he miss with a name like that?

Marion, thanks for your invitation to move to some place like Napa, but I don’t think I could take
it there during the winter. We will look that area over next spring though. Your temperatures as
announced over TV sound mighty inviting right now. We talked to Marta and Bob the other day and they said it had been miserable there. Bob said he even had to quit school one day because the smog was so bad they could not study. You don’t say a word about the most important subject in my recent letters,
although, I am glad you enjoyed the outing with the LDS girls. Thanks for the report on David. It makes mother feel good to hear that he is putting on a little weight.

Rina, we were sorry to hear that your Church Picnic washed out and that school conditions are
not so good. There is always a fly in the ointment, and you can’t always have everything just the way you want it. We were also sorry to hear that Lane has impetigo? But things like that can be expected in the tropics. I remember I had it once in Venezuela. Yes we were very glad to get back in the 5th Ward and we were greeted like returned prodigals. The Bishop even took me out to play Golf. We are paying $75.00 a month for this apartment, $25.00 more that the other one, but the comfort and contentment of your Mother is more than worth it. I will take some pictures as soon as she gets the drapes up. I am trying to hold her down as much as I can so that she does not do too much at once.

Betty, called the other day, she wanted some of her childhood pictures to enter in some church
contest. She is very active with the girls in Mutual.

Rina, we enclose some pictures of our Oregon trip and would like you to return them to Marta.

Vaya con dios

Dad

Tucson, June 1, 1967

Dear Family,

The Stobbe’s address sounds like it should be written with a background of Tom-toms. It

is 118 So. Ocean Drive, Finegayn, Agana, GUAM 96910. It looks like they are going to like

Guam very much. They were given the “red carpet” treatment when they arrived. The Relief

Society Teachers visited them the next day and the children have found a lot of children their

age to play with. They have PX and Commissary privileges. If Frank is happy in his work I

would not be surprised if they signed over for another “hitch”. By-the-way Rina, thanks for the

Fathers Day present. You did not say a word about it in the letter but I gather it must be mine as

Mother does not wear tie clasps—as yet. Anyway, thanks a lot. We found an extra shirt in that

bundle of my shirts you sent from Hawaii. It was a size 15. Did you include one of Franks by

mistake? If you did he has lost a shirt (white) because it fits me fine, (I am on a reducing kick

again.

We also received a letter from David. The “latrine” rumors have that poor kid in a dither.

He thinks now that he won’t be going to ‘Diego after all and that he will have five more weeks of

school. Stay in that school as long as you can boy, this looks like it will be a long war.

We called Marion on her birthday, 30th and found that she too had been in dither

Mother’s Day as their car was totaled in an accident. She was not hurt, thanks to our Heavenly

Father. She is preparing to take the church girls to a girl’s camp. I think it is a MIA activity.

Marta, Mother received her unmentionables, but we were sorry and surprised to learn,

when we opened the pk., that you did not include a tiny clandestine note telling us how you and

the family are getting along. I am wondering why you have not received our gas bills. I had the

address changed to the Hemlock Address. Do you suppose the Post Office has not transferred

them? Did you get the package mother sent?

Mother’s knee is getting worse and worse. We had to give up golf. We saw the Doctor

yesterday. He gave me a thorough examination and said my arteries are not hardening as of

yet. They ex-rayed Mother up down and sideways. She has to go back on the 19th, when they

might know what is the matter with her. If it is bursitis as mother thinks, or maybe they can inject

the knee with cortisone, (painful as it is) to alleviate this condition. He told her yesterday to keep

off her feet as much as possible. This is a big laugh. It is like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

You all know your Mother. I try to get her to stay in bed in the mornings, but NO! She struggles

out of bed to make breakfast, with the excuses that I will make too much mess in the kitchen.

When did you mail that exercise board Rina? We realize that it will come by slow boat, but if

you mailed it from Hawaii it should be getting here soon.

We would give up this trip, (we may have to het, if Mother gets worse) but this may be

the last opportunity we have of taking a long one. If this Middle East thing breaks and it looks

almost impossible now, that it will not, gas will either be rationed or so costly that we cannot

afford the trip. We have been reading a book by Cleon Skauson called Prophesies and Modern

Times. You would almost think to read some of the prophesies, that Ezekiel, Isaiah and some of

the other Biblical prophets had picked one of our morning papers, they describe the now

conditions of Israel so closely.

Lloyd, Marta sent us the map with projected itinerary. I will write you under separate

cover listing the things we have so there won’t be a duplication of too much stuff.

Still nothing from the “chilly” McKays. We had better hear from you by the 20th “or else”.

What are the plans for this summer? Are you going back to the timber Bill?

Dad

WRITTERS GET GOOD COPIES

P.S. Just heard that your Aunt Ruth’s husband’s Virgil Smith, is very ill in the Hospital.

We would appreciate it very much if you would remember him in your prayers.

D.

PPS. We had a formal family night with the Jespersons last night.

D.

Mt. Whitney, July 23, 1967

Dear Family,

There has been a change of plans. We stayed for an entire week at Loon Lake in

Oregon and even then the girls did not want to leave. They had made friends with other girls

their age and were having a lot of fun. We finally broke away last Monday and drove down the

Oregon coast. The girls kept pestering to let them wade in the surf so I stopped at a place

called Gold Beach and the girls ran along the beach and gathered shells. We stopped that night

in a State Park at Crescent City (Jedekiah Red Woods). This is the only place we have been

gypped. They charged us three dollars to stay the night and the camp was no nicer than Loon

Lake.

We had planned to go on down the coast to San Francisco, but it was here that Roberta

started to get ill. Probably due to playing in the cold sea water she came down with a sore

throat and fever. We decided to get her home by the shortest route. We drove south on 101 to

Arcata and turned toward Redding on 299. What a road! Mountainous, narrow and twisty. We

stopped at the first place we found to camp. Here we were adopted by a couple puppies

someone had abandoned. The girls fed them and they slept under our trailer, growling and

barking at everything that moved-mostly chipmunks. The next day we drove on to Tahoe. This

long drive almost killed Mother. We stayed one day to wash a few clothes, but she still was not

rested when we hit the road Friday. She was in a lot of pain and I had to stop frequently to let

her exercise her leg. We barely reached Bishop Friday night and camped in a State Park off

395. This place was jumping all night. We did not get much sleep and found the next morning

that two people were bedded down in our camp site. They had not awakened before we left so

we don’t know what they looked like.

It was hot in the valley. We decided yesterday that we would find some camp and if it

was nice, lay over the week end. We only drove about 60 miles and turned off 395 at Lone Pine

and climbed to a camp at the foot of Mt. Whitney. It is a very pretty camp alongside a swift

running stream in which you can see the trout, but who refuse all offerings. I have not talked to

anyone yet who has caught one. It is here that climbers jump off to climb Mt. Whitney. We saw

a team of Mexican climbers as we drove in yesterday. We also saw a few Hippies, but they

were leaving. We are just resting, trying to store up enough energy for the drive across the

desert. I don’t think we will even go to see Bob and Marta, even though we have a package of

clothes for them from the Rices. It is according to how Mother feels when we reach San

Bernadino.

Rina, we found your letter waiting at Betty’s. We were very sorry to hear that Julie is ill

and wish there was something we could do. Congratulations Scot on your ninth birthday. We

will save our present until we see you again.

We have heard nothing about David since we left Tucson. Betty said that she had not

heard from him either so it may be that he has been transferred. We should find a letter waiting

at home.

Marion we were indeed sorry that we did not get to see you. But it was just too much

extra driving for Mother to take. We may see you next year if the treatment the Doctor is going

to give her is effective, otherwise you will just have to come see us.

Vaya Con Dios,

Dad

3819 E. Farr, Tucson 85716 August 2, 1967

Dear Family,

We left Bob and Marta’s Friday morning and drove to Yuma. They were having a heat

wave in L.A. and we felt it more there than we do in Tucson. We stayed Friday night in Yuma,

leaving there about 5 A.M. It must have been a hundred at that hour.

Your prayers for our safety on the highway were very effective. We drove 4,000 miles

without incident- then the morning after we arrived, the car would not start. The ignition switch

was burned out.

I took Mother to the Doctor Monday and he prescribed physical Therapy. This will be

continued for at least a half hour each day for two weeks. Mother says they hook her up to

a “big old “machine, attaching elements to each side of her knee. I think it diatherpy. She says

that it seems to be doing her some good.

That rest Mother had at Mt. Whitney seemed to have done her a lot of good. She still did

not want to travel any further that Marta’s when we left the camp. We were very pleased to see

how Bob and Marta have fixed up their home. They now have wall to wall carpeting throughout

the house. It made us want to take off our shoes. I think Marta would have a lot less work if she

would initiate that old Japanese custom. We ate peaches off the trees in their back yard.

We called Lloyd and Carol and learned that they had stayed several days at Marion’s

and that she is going to take Mark for a couple of weeks when she returns from the church

outing. They also saw David. What is the matter Swabbie? We expected to find a letter from

you at Betty’s.

Rina we found an old letter waiting us here, (5 June). You should never have sent us

that brochure on Guam, Mother keeps looking at and saying how nice it would be to go there.

(she will be alone if she goes).

Now that you know we are home I expect letters from all of you, especially you Bill and

David.

Vaya Con Dios,

Dad

June 10th. 1967

Dear “Smoggys”,
Con favor de Dios we will leave here ten days from today. Mother has a Hospital
appointment on the 19th about her knee. We hope she can obtain relief, but relief or not she
says she will “grin and bear it” as it should hurt not more traveling than staying home. It will be
impossible to keep her from working, but we should try to save her as many steps as possible
without drawing attention. If we try to make her sit down it will just make her mad.
Now we have the trailer loaded. Here are the things in it.
Axe, Shovel, hammer
Dishes for six
Two boxes of food, (we cannot have too much of that), including a good supply of jerky,
some pinole.
Stove, lantern and supplies for same
1 cot, two tables, a card table and the one you know.
Three chairs. (we acquired a camp rocker without webbing. I was trying to reseat it with
some of that rubber tubing and I pulled so hard that I broke the chair.
If any of your friends have a good sized Dutch oven, try to borrow it.
We received a letter from Betty. She says that the girls can hardly wait. There was one
bit of bad news though. Robin, who is so very good in camp and who would be such a good
baby sitter, is in difficulties and may not go with us. Betty said that her grades had dropped off
and unless she got them back up before the end of the School term, she would have to go to
Summer school. She has just turned teen-------------.
We want to know just when you are leaving L.A. The reason we are going early is
because we are going to take it mighty easy on the road. Probably spend a day or two at
Boulder Dam. Then too Mother wants to visit a day or so with Betty before we go on.
Your itinerary looks good. There seems to be good camping places along that route so
that we won’t have to drive more that 150-200 miles or less on any day.
Break down and write. We would like your comments and itinerary between L.A. and
Tahoe.
Mother and I went to the Temple Wednesday and did Ordinance work for all the
Grandparents on the Mckay McGinnis side. Mother forgot to get the baptismal certificate date,
but the ordinance work was done on 1 June. Also for Verna, my oldest sister who is dead.
When you are ready to go the Temple we will do all the sealings at one time. If you don’t have
time to write, the telephone number is 326-0665
All Our Love,
Dad

Tucson, June 12, 1967

Hi:-
Received your letter, in fact we received a letter from everyone but David this past week. I am
reluctant to write a “decker” as it will be hard to keep my “good copy to writer” promise.
I do not care for some of your last projected itinerary. For instance you have by-passed
Shasta Lake, which is the place I had picked out to camp the second night from Betty’s. I
enclose a clipping about the fishing in that area which may make you change your mind. Your
map of Oregon is old. It does not show some of the better roads. Here is the way we have
tentatively planned. We can discuss it at Betty’s.
1st Day. Leave Betty’s as early as possible, (Grandma will undoubtedly want to stop at
Carson City to lose her small change) then to Lassen National Monument.
2nd Day. No rush. Leisurely breakfast. Drive to Shasta Lake, where there is dozens of
Camping Sites to choose from. Here we will stay as long as we wish. Grandpa has lost a lot of
his push, especially if the fishing is as good there as the enclosed article indicates.
3rd Day. Day or third camp. Drive north on 99 to Medford, (where I think there is a
commissary), turn off on 62 and camp at Union Creek, 19 miles from Crater lake, but down off
the mountain. It will be too cold for the Baby to camp right at Crater Lake.
4th Day. Early start. Drive up to Crater Lake. Take pictures, then down 138 to Eagle
rock. From here you can do the pushing. If the trout are biting I would just as soon stay here for
the duration.
There is nothing else of note here since I wrote you last. We don’t know what we will do
on our Anniversary.
All Our Love,
Dad

June 19, 1967

Dear “Smog Sniffers”,
Reference our conversation last night, (in the middle of the night”), here is the best I can
do on directions to Betty’s
1. As you come down the mountains and enter the South Lake Tahoe area, turn off
Highway 50 onto 89. You will notice a Super Market on your right just after you
make the turn, I think it is Safeway). Turn right on the second street after you pass
the market.
2. I don’t know the name of this street, but drive down it to the second intersection and
turn left. This should be the street Betty lives on. I don’t know the name of it either,
however Betty’s house should not be more than a block from the intersection. It has
a big vacant lot on one side, (facing you where you should see our tent. A two story
apartment is on the other side.
Now if after receiving these detailed, minute, explicit instructions you cannot find the
place, go back to the Super Market and call 541-2258. Some one will rescue you.
PS If you cannot find the place, I advise you a refresher course at the Police
Academy
PPSS Safeway store – Turn onto 89 to Tahoe City
Go down to 10th &Turn Right
Go 2 blocks & Turn Left on Eloise
Address is 780 Eloise

May 1967

3819 E Farr Pl., Tucson
Dear Family,
I don’t think Mother had such a good Mother’s Day. To begin with I did not get her a
present. I inserted a Promissory Note in her Mother’s Day card as follows-
I will “pop” for a show
When you say let’s go
I will buy you a dinner
Because you are a winner
I will give you a ten
When my pay check comes in.
So far I have paid everything but the show. I think she is a little reluctant about asking
me to take her to a second rate show, knowing my attitude. With her Mother’s Day “ten” she
bought a pair of socks, pardon me, hose, and gadgets for the house, what a present.
Then, by Mother’s Day she had only heard from three of the family. We went to church
and seeing other Mothers with their children and Grandchildren make her bluer still. She
expected phone calls that day especially from Marion and David, but nada! We hardly expected
anything from the Stobbes in as much as Rina had already given her a Mother’s Day present.
Lloyd called the next day and we received a nice long letter from David yesterday, which is the
reason for this decker. It seems he bought his Mother’s Day card two weeks in advance, then
lost it! Anyway David I am sure your letter more than made up to Mother.
David expects to be transferred soon to San Diego, where he will be further schooled
until September, when he will possibly be assigned Sea Duty. Hey Boy! How come you are
broke? When we were in S.F. you had money to loan. Those trips to Nevada must be
expensive, or have you been playing the slots? You should all see the nice, shiny, legible copy
of this letter David is getting. I just cleaned my typefaces and bought a new ribbon. You don’t
know what you are missing by not writing.
Betty, what was the idea of sending Mother that sleazy, slinky, diaphanous, short
connected, mini sided, night gown? You are wrong. My blood pressure will rise.
We are beginning to start to get ready to take off north. As the temperature climbs
Mother becomes more willing to go just anyplace where it is cool and possibly damp. I don’t
know what we are going to do. She hates it here, but just a thirty minute sun bath a day keeps
my chest clear. It is no more than right that we should live half the time where she can be
comfortable.
Que pasa Marion? We do hope that everything is “Bueno” at your house.
We are reading a new book called “A long Hot Summer” published at BYU about the
Mormon “Exodus” from Mexico. You should read it Bill. You will run across many familiar
names.
WRITERS GET GOOD COPIES.
Dad

Tucson May 3, 1967

Dear Family,
David gets the original copy. We were glad to hear from you David. Your letter broke
the cob webs in the mail box at our new address. I called Mrs. Lance to get the news of John
and she said to tell you that John made Radioman 3/C, that his sister Kelly? Kitty?, is in Russia
on some sort of Student exchange. She said that Rusty Moser is expected home from Viet Nam
very soon. The Lance Family is moving to Washington for good. She said she hopes to see
you if you go East. We heard that you bought a new Polaroid camera. How about having one of
the boys take your picture when you write next. Marion says you were gaining weight, but
Mother would like to see some concrete evidence of this. Have you any dope about future
orders? Keep us posted.
Mother just about has this house fixed to suit her. She can at least sit down and take a
rest once in a while. Her leg keeps hurting her. We are going to the doctor today. Maybe they
can do something about it. Her back has been bothering her too. The other day I was called by
my old boss to do a job for him in Casas Grandes and she mopped and waxed the floors while I
was gone. This is probably one of the reasons her back is hurting her.
Lloyd, did you find out anything about that exercise board? How about calling the
Chamber of Commerce in Compton. If you will get me an address I will order from here. Mother
insists that it did her a lot of good.
It has been sunny here, but we have had a cold wind. I wore my heaviest suit to church
Sunday. By the way they have a new set up at conference here. They have two morning
sessions dividing the wards. It is easy to get a soft seat. The afternoon session is for everybody
as a lot of people usually do not go.
This place is quite comfortable. I don’t know how it will be in the winter but I am already
shivering. It has no central heating and believe me we won’t go through another winter like we
did in the other house. We also have a hard time getting a bed just right for us. This one,
although just right for me, was too soft for Mother and hurt her back because she sunk in too
much. I solved this by laying some one inch by 12 boards across the center of the bed, (short
ways). Mother now sleeps comfortable, but, when one of us is in bed and the other sits down on
his or her end of the boards, he or she gets tossed. As I am the one in bed first, I am beginning
to feel like a “sputnik”.
We talked to Marta by phone since I wrote last. Lloyd was over the week end after we
were and helped them do the things we would like to have done. She said she was still feeling
pretty good. We hope she has not overdone on getting the home in shape.
Bill, David said you wrote him about building a catamaran to float on Paradise Lake. You
had better take it to the Flamingo Gorge where you can catch some fish.
WRITERS GET GOOD COPIES
All our Love, Dad

May 12, 1967

Dear Family,
Betty went bond for this decker and our face is very red. Two birthdays were celebrated
at the Rice home last month and we forgot both of them. Robin and Renee, we want to make a
public apology for our forgetfulness and promise to try to make it up to you when we see you.
Anyway Congratulations Robin and Renee. It seems like yesterday that we peeked through the
glass at St. Mary’s Hospital at a puckered face infant who is now our teen aged Robin. Stay
with it Robin! It is a hard row to hoe, but if your mother did it, I am sure that you too someday
can show off the babies at the Hospital, among your other duties as a nurse.
Congratulations to Bob on his promotion to Assistant Manager of the Engineering
Department at Harrah’s Club. I never thought I would see the day that he would stand hitched in
a white collar job. What is this bit about him being appointed (or elected) “commodore of the
Flotilla”? Do you now click your heels, salute and say “Aye Aye Sir”? I am very glad that you
have found an activity that you and the whole family can engage in. It is too bad that you don’t
have more nice weather for boating.
Here I went to all the trouble of giving all of you the address of each member of the
family and you throw it in the ash can. David’s address is. David has not telephone. You can
reach him by calling the Locator section of T.I. they leave him a message to call you. His
address or part of it (enough to get him) is Class 6707 SAW, ETA,
T.I. San Francisco 94103.
By the way David, you were doing really good with your letter writing and all of a sudden
you stopped. Is writing to Nevada taking all your time? Carl Uda, the son of friends in Hawaii
has been transferred to T.I. If you have time we would like for you to look him up. His mother is
a good friend of yours. You should find him through Locator. He too is ETA.
The doctor told Mother that her knee trouble was due to poor circulation. He said she
should get as much exercise as she can without overdoing. We have been playing golf at least
twice a week. She does a lot of complaining when she gets on the course about this and that
not being just right, but she managed to clean my clock the first 9 holes. She begins to “poop
up” (as Lane would say) about the 15th hole and I pass her.
The little golf course we now play is now managed by a couple of Mormon boys from
Logan Utah. We were talking to them yesterday about how much a Golf Course was need in
Guadalajara and one of them made plain reservations to go look it over. Maybe we can go
down and help if he decides to build one there.
Lloyd, we called Marta the other evening about things we might have left at her house
and she told us about your efforts to locate one of those exercise boards. I am sure you did
everything possible. I guess they are just not out on the market. Thanks anyway.
I am in a quandary about what to get Mother for Mother’s Day. I have promised I will
take her to a show, for one thing. You all know how much of a concession that is!
Vaya Con Dios,
Dad