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

April 6, 1967

Dear Family,

Shortly before we left Hawaii, a job opportunity opened for Frank. This job would give him a higher rating- a 13 and would put him back in the maintenance field, but as supervisor. The job was in Guam. It would be good future wise, as there are many slots for jobs of that type in the Mainland very few slots in the field in which he now serves. Then just before we left Frank heard that his immediate boss in Hawaii was going to Washington and he felt that he had a very good chance of being named to fill that slot. A couple of days before we left he told me that he had seen the list of applicants for the Guam job, that it contained people who were already 13s, so he did not see how he could possibly get it. The upshot was, that they sent in a man for the Hawaii job and Frank was given the Guam job. Dios Dispone. They are leaving Hawaii on May 26^th.

Buena Suerte Stobbes, Vaya Con Dios. What are you going to do with your family of cats? I am sure Lane will want to take them along. Tell him that I am very sorry that someone clobbered him with a bat. Would you please tell the ward clerk to expedite the transfer of our records to Tucson 1^st. We want to get a new Temple Recommend and I don’t think we can get it without our records. Tell Julie we would like to read some of those letters she has been writing.

Marta, Candy’s Birthday party sounded like it was fun. Was the new pup a birthday present.? As long as it is a police dog you might call him “Fus”. I concede that you now have a place to keep a dog and that it will be relaxing for Bob to train him. An untrained police dog is as worthless as the fleas in his ears. I wish you had been able to get a dog like the Rice girl’s Queenie, but I’ll agree they are few and far between. Thanks a lot for sending along my check. I have changed the address here so you won’t have to bother about it for awhile. When we leave this address I will ask you to take care of it again or maybe I will bother Lloyd next time.

Que paso Lloyd, con mi encargo? I took Mother to the Doctor this week. He did not give her much consolation about her leg. In fact things are worse than before. He gave her some new medicine for her heart and she has had a constant headache ever since she began to take it.

It seems to me that it is about time we heard from some member of the Rice Family. It seems that we never hear a weather report, but that we hear of bad weather in the Sierra Nevadas. Are you ever going to have any summer?

I am afraid that Mother is beginning to loose her itchy feet. When I suggest we go some place, like the White Mountains fishing, she demurs. Unless she feels better I am afraid she might chicken out on that Oregon trip.

Mother joins me in sending all our love.

Dad

April 11, 1967

Dear Family,

Well, we booked for Space Available yesterday. We were informed that we should get a flight out within from four to five days, which should get us in to Travis on the week end. That should make it about right for us as we should get to see David, if he is not on duty. If you are David, trade with someone.

The big news is that Marta has been quite ill and to top everything off they are moving to a new house they recently purchased. We received a letter from her Saturday. She says she is much better and is able to help with the move. They are moving on the 19^th but she did not give me the new address. Maybe our prayers helped. Even the children were remembering her in their evening prayers.

We finally got a few sunny days at the beach. Mother was able to wet down her bikini and acquired a most resplendent sun burn. She has been sleeping on her tummy for the past few nights. The Stobbes came out and joined us at our beach cottage last Friday and Saturday. The children had a ball, digging for crabs.

I would like all of you to start thinking about the 1968 family reunion. We will hold in some National Forrest, where the kids can run wild, but I would like know when you think you can get away so that we can coordinate our plans. I know a year is a long time, but if we don’t start thinking about it now we will never prepare for it. So send along your ideas!

Lloyd, Marta says that she has not been unable to contact you by phone lately. We hope every one is well, especially Jon. (I hope you get mad enough to spit) I will call you from San Francisco to determine when will be the best time for you to meet us at the airport. If it is possible for you to get our car we might take a trip to that airport where we got lost in the fog.

Marion, if you learn of anyone that is going to the Oakland Temple about the time we will be there try to get us a ride with them. We would sure like to go through it. It will be closed when we go through there this summer. There is nothing else new here, Con Favor de Dios, we will see some of you soon.

All our Love,

Dad

April 25, 1967

3819 E. Farr Place

Tucson 85716

Dear Family,

The above address is the “sus Casa” the telephone number is 326-0665. We were reluctant to move into this house as it put us in a Ward we did not want to be in. The house is owned by Brother Jesperson and he would almost give it to us rent free so that we could be close to them. He completely renovated the house. Installed a new bath, (shower) and bought new dressers etc. We just did not have the courage to tell him no. Mother as usual when something like this happens, had almost worked herself sick, but she does have the place looking somewhat like a home and has unpacked some of her “chivas” that have been in storage. We will stay here until we go on our trip with Lloyd in June, so you all have an address and there is no excuse for not writing. This house would not be too bad except for the neighbors on both sides. One of them, a Mormon is semi-retired and spends a lot of his time looking for bottles in the desert. His house looks like a tribe of drunken Indians lived there . Bottles, bottles, bottles. Bottles piled high in the patio, bottles on the roof, bottles in the driveway and bottles in the windows. I would not be surprised if he had bottles in his bed. On the other side is a Mexican Family. We had scarcely unpacked our suitcases when the little Mexican Girl came to the door to borrow a piece of soap. I imagine it was just to check us out. We must have looked pretty poor as she has not been back since.

We spent a couple of days with Marta and Bob, trying to help them finish their move. I was not of much use as it was raining and I had a hard time doing anything except breath. Lloyd and Carol were coming over but Mark came down with some ‘bug’ and was running a high fever. Hope you are better Mark. We missed seeing Brian. Lloyd and Carol sent us some precious pictures of “Himself” just before we left Hawaii. How about some late pictures of Lloyd Edward? He must be big enough now to dig potatoes.

The paper last night indicated that it was raining in Hawaii, San Fran, and L.A. and snowing in Lake Tahoe and Utah. At least we have sun here although it takes Mother quite a while to become reconciled to Arizona. She stops speaking to me when we reach Yuma and says nothing pleasant when she does talk. She is getting acclimated again though. We played golf to-day for the first time in months.

Lloyd, while we were in Hawaii, Rina was given an exercise board for holding some sort of “hen” party, (like Tupper ware). Mother used this board and it seems to have done her back a lot of good. We cannot find one here. The only name she could find on the board was “Fun Board” made in Compton California. It is a composition board and about 12” square sitting on a base board about 10” square with ball bearings between the two boards. You stand on it with hands against the wall and twist the body through the turning of the board. I understand Compton is near you. We would appreciate it if you would try to locate this company and ascertain where we can purchase the board. We hope and pray that Mark has recovered.

All our Love,

Dad

March 18, 1967

19049 Schmidt St. (Marta’s) El Monte, CA

Dear Family,

We received a call last Friday morning at 3:00 A.M. alerting us for air shipment at 6:30 A.M. that same morning. Needless to say Mother and I did not sleep after we received the call. As Mother said, it was the usual Army, “Hurry up and Wait”. We did not board the plane until 9:00 A. M.

Travel for G.I’s is not the same as it was in my day. Our flight was on one of the newer United jets-pretty stewardesses, a hot breakfast, movies etc. We saw “Texas Across The River” and I will have to admit I got some laughs. Our seat companion was a 1^st Cav. Div. Staff Sgt. Who had been two years in Viet Nam. His morale was still high, but he could not understand all the “back biting” in this country, the parades, the burning of draft cares etc. Nor could he understand why Hanoi was not bombed. He maintained that this would end the war immediately.

It was cold and drizzly when we arrived in San Francisco and has stayed that way ever since we hit the main land. Marion picked us up at Travis. She is quite the business woman. She has no set hours, but works when she wants to. Bob is working steadily again and is fortunate that his work at this period is inside. He has put their place up for sale and talks of moving to a small town area.

We flew to L.A. yesterday and feel as though we walked half the way. The loading gate of the PSA air lines seams to be miles from the ticket office on one end and the baggage pick-up on the other. A representative of the L.A. Police met us as well as the Wilson Family. I would have gone on to Tucson yesterday, I felt so bad, but Marta and Bob have not quite finished moving and there are little things that Mother and I can do- mostly Mother of course.

Their little house can be fixed up very nice. They have an enormous (for Calif.) back yard with beautiful roses, a very fancy barbeque, (built in), several fruit trees, with an orange tree in fruit and flower.

Marta just returned from registering Candy in school and is very pleased with the new school, which is only two blocks away.

Again, we wish to thank Stobbes for your wonderful hospitality. It was not your fault that the weather was so lousy.

All our Love,

Dad

March 20, 1967

Dear Family,

You can thank Betty and Renee for this decker. We did receive a letter from David, but I wrote him a Special Edition. He will be four more months at T.I. and is trying to decide where to go on leave at that time.

Betty, you Goof! Twenty five minutes from Carson City to Tahoe is just too fast! Especially with that old car! Take it easy, those girls need you. I am impressed that you are impressed with a book about the Mormons, (The Giant Joshua) by Maurine Whipple), even though it is evidently written by a woman I will try to read it as it takes a lot to set you back on your heals. Speaking of books, If Carol has finished “Latter Day Saints Then and Now” I will try to get them to send it on to some of you. Rina got hold of a copy here and read about 100 pages before she had to give it back. She says she can hardly wait until she gets her hands on it again. That book will answer the questions you ask me. Speaking of Carol, I can realize that when that “little bundle of joy is awake, no one could do anything except watch and play with him, but he does sleep a lot……..?

The big news here is that Mother finally got a new bathing suit. The purchase of a new bathing suit started long before we left Tucson. Every time she went shopping for a bathing suit, she would come back with this story; I just could not find a bathing suit to fit me so I bought a new dress, or shoes or something” This went on in California too. I will admit she looks nice in this one. She has lost 10 lbs and believe me, she looks lovely to me. I can still go for that woman.

We have not heard from Marta since we had been there. This is unusual as she is usually our best correspondent. I hope there is nothing wrong Marta.

All our love,

Dad

March 25, 1967

WRITTERS GET GOOD COPIES

Dear Family;

Johnson sure fouled up our weather. It has been raining ever since we left the mainland. We accomplished nothing and should have enough sense by now to stay home. Mother has only worn her new Bikini once. When we were here last year she was in the ocean every day. We plan to go back to the Bellows recreation center on the 2^nd and stay until the 12^th. We could have sun by then. We will then apply for air space available and should be out of here by the first of May. We will call you from Travis Marion. With your promotion and new job you should have no trouble getting off and meeting us (she is now outside sales woman for Sears, or outside representative).

I have heard so many times; “I would write to her or him, but I don’t have the address”, that I am enclosing a list of family addresses. You might APRIL FOOL someone by writing a letter:

McKay Bill P.O. Box 505 Roosevelt, Utah 77m

McKay Lloyd 1841 Bessamer St. Reseda, Cal 91335 213 345-5833

McKay David S.N. Class 6628 R,ETA.,T.I. S.F. 91430 Thru T.I. Locator

Meeker Marion 970 Appian Way, El Sobrante, Cal. 94803 415 CA3-2320

Rice Betty & Bob P.O. Box 7306, South Tahoe, Cal 95705 415 641-8213

Wilson Family 11704 Hemlock, El Monte Cal. 921732 213 442-8213

Stobbe Family 645 Pauka, Kailua, Oahu Hawaii 96736 259-467

You will note that Betty’s address is new, even though she still lives in the same old place. I doubt very much if you could have found it David. Mother and I have a big hassle every time we go. That place is really getting confusing.

Congratulations on the new job Marion, or should I say position? According to the papers, new construction is booming again- at least that is what Johnson says, so Bob should have more work than he can do.

I don’t know how I can possibly drive our old “Ugly American” after driving a high powered Chrysler for these many days. The Stobbes were really fortunate in acquiring that car. It is an older model of course, but has lower mileage than our Rambler. It was really owned by a “little old lady Kahala”. The motor is so quiet that you can hardly hear it, and it does not consume as much gas as their old chevie.

In spite of the rain everyone is well or sniffely. Mother’s knee is not much better, but we are hoping it will improve somewhat with sunny weather, if.

How is Brian Jon, (maybe I can make you angry enough to bawl me out –by letter). I look his pictures over every now and then and wish I could see him. I hope I can see him when we go through L.A. although we only intend to stay long enough to pick up our car and hit the Highway. We will fly into L.A. any way we come and will keep you posted as to the date. We still have not heard from Marta.

Nothing else new here,

All our Love,

Dad

February 23, 1967

Dear Family,

Believe it or not, David went bond for this letter and a very nice letter it was son. Keep up the good work! My only advice to you, (this is seconded by Frank), is to stay in that school just as long as possible. The tedium of Treasure Island with San Francisco across the bay, is not nearly as bad as bad as the mosquito infested jungle.

The only news here is that the days are getting nice and we are able to sun tan in the back yard. It is a little early to go swimming for us, although the natives can be seen any day, wheeling surf boards toward the ocean. Then too Mother needs a new bathing suit and Rina, who has taken her in hand dietically speaking, has given her an ultimatum; “No bathing suit until you have lost eight lbs.” She has about four lbs to go and these seem to be the worst.

Every one is well here, or was until this morning when Julie came down with a cold, (she was running through the sprinkler in the back yard). Lane seems to be doing all right. He is his own sweet self again, however he was ill for so long that he has become somewhat “Mimamado”. I have no trouble getting him to stay with me on Relief Society days, when he does not hear the car leave. He knows the sound of the Stobbe cars and when one is started he heads for the door. The other day he was in the bath when his father started out. He ran out of the house and down the street, yelling at the top of his voice, strip naked!

The mail just arrived. We had expected mail after the President’s day holiday and nothing. To tell the truth we are not too perturbed, having talked to most of you recently. We have had no word from the Wild West McKays though and with all the bad weather they have had in that area we can’t help worry about them. How about getting off the dime Bill and scribble a few lines during some rest period in school. We would like to hear about Lloyd Edward, to say nothing of the twins, Steve and Debbie. Is Steve playing ball? Scot is trying out for a team here.

Mother joins me in sending,

All our Love,

Dad