Your big long letter was such a treat on Monday. After Joyce called and I could relax more, I sat down and read it several times.
Before I forget it – your Dad’s birthday is next Tuesday. I’m going to leave the gift-sending up to you and if you’ve not written do it. Let my letter go and write him. I’m going to have the youngsters send cards. We don’t know how many more times we can remember his birthday. [He died in 1963]
Oh — spring is here — with snow on the ground. Rather chilly, too.
I’ve got flannelgraph spread out before me in preparation for prayer meeting tonight. I enjoy this, but it becomes more of a chore since I’m always tired now. Feel OK, just the draggy feeling, which goes with all my pregnancies. I feel guilty sleeping 8 and 9 hours a night when you get so little. I thought of you last night and wondered what time you got home from Champaign.
I watched last time you left and was sure I saw you get on the toll road and blink your lights. I could get confused, so many cars and lights. Glad you mentioned it.
My cold is hanging on and so is Danny’s and Jimmy’s. The older ones did not seem to get it.
Made some yeast rolls Monday – they were good this time and I’m nearly proud with all the nice things the children said!!
Time to close – wish you were here to talk to instead of writing. Take care of yourself these busy days. We love you and your name is mentioned umpteen times a day. I’m learning that when you really love a person you never get used to having him gone – it gets worse instead of easier. Hurry up, summer!
The bus has come and gone and breakfast is over. Jimmy has even had his little sit on my lap which is almost routine every morning.
Before I get to rushing around today I want to get a little letter off to you. Saturday was a nice, although a little cold, day. I decided that we would go down to see the Millers in the afternoon. I knew that we have been promising that we would come some afternoon, probably Sunday, and it was almost two months since they had moved, so we took off. Had no trouble finding them and it was like a family reunion. Bill has to come up early tonight for his glasses, so they may all come up here for supper. It is an effort [for them] to do that on a school night.
I’ve been watching that oil gage like a hawk because I can’t understand how that [?] happened. But something is drastically wrong with our oil consumption. All of a sudden just as I got to Elkhart the gage flopped down, so I stopped and bought a quart. But that barely kept the gage where it is supposed to be. And when we got home the thing showed only about a half inch of oil and it took about four or five quarts to fill it. And that all in one week. I noticed that whenever I slowed down it really put out a smoke screen. So yesterday I kept my speed down to about 30 or 35 all the time and the smoke screen was not as bad. The man in the station at Elkhart said he could see no leak and I haven’t either. So is it rings that we need? The floor has rusted out — we can see the ground from the inside — I almost feel that we should look for a trade-in in better condition. Or get moved where one car is all we need.
We had a nice time with Damers yesterday. My admiration of those folks goes up each time I meet them. The youngsters really had a good time and didn’t want to come home. And Becky cried because we had tea!
Sturgis was beaten on Friday night by Greenville. And Dick didn’t get the title because the coach would not let him continue wrestling on Friday and he had to forfeit a match. He had been quite sick and it was too much for him. They were all pretty disappointed, but I think they accepted it as from the Lord. I did not get to talk to any of them.
Dorothy has to have some cupcakes for a school party today and i want to get ready for Millers, besides doing some washing, so I had better sign off. I think I have covered the news. Except to let you know again that we surely do miss you and look forward to seeing you. We thought of you a lot yesterday out at Wheaton. I do wish that telephone calls weren’t as expensive. I love you and I just can’t get used to having you gone so much — howbeit the Lord has given joy and peace just to know that you are busy for Him.
All my love, Nellie
[In honor of my Mom’s 100th birthday on March 23, 2020, I dug out her letters to my dad and started reading. In 1956 my dad took a job teaching at Emmaus Bible School in Oak Park, IL. The college was young and didn’t have funds to pay a regular wage. So there wasn’t money to move the family from Sturgis, Michigan to the Chicago suburbs. So Mom stayed at a drafty farm house with six kids: Dorothy 10, David 9, Margaret 8, Johnny 6, Jimmy 4, and Danny 2. She was pregnant with me.]
Time flies on and my letter writing is neglected. A few interesting things have happened. The weather is one – spring yesterday, and so windy and cold today. The house feels so drafty even though I spent some time stopping up cracks this evening.
I took Margaret to the eye doctor last night. He made quite a thorough examination, it seemed to me. She seems to have a farsightedness that is not too serious – often comes in the first three grades of school and can be corrected. If let go, though, it can develop into more serious trouble. So, $29.50 for glasses. Nothing can do but take their word for it. I watched her testing in reading and identifying things and she did miss a lot. He said that eye trouble follows certain patterns in growing children: the first three grades, the seventh grade, and the last two years of high school.
Sturgis won the game on Wednesday night, and now must win one tonight over Greenville in order to play tomorrow night for the regional title. They are handicapped because Steve Boyle had to leave the game Wednesday night with a bad knee and is out for the season, and two other have the flu. Dick Bunce has been sick, but the Dr. last night said he could wrestle this Saturday for the state championship.
Dave wasn’t there Wed. night to keep prayer meeting rolling according to schedule. They got involved in some business about the Belman house, etc. and it lasted until 8:25 – which makes problems downstairs [where the younger children are]. We managed to keep them reasonably quiet, but it is hard.
Damers asked us to come over for dinner on Sunday. They said that they would like a time when you were home, but that seemed impossible, so they asked us to come. So hurry home and you can come along!
There is one beautiful daffodil now and buds for six more – spring right in the house. I’m surprised how the youngsters enjoy it.
I’m really out of news so I’m going to close now. As usual it seems like a month since you have been home. I’m really looking forward to summer and trust that we’ll have more time together. The camp suggestion sounds good, but I sometimes wonder how effective our help would be. If it is a caretaker they need, our lives are not along that, judging from how we have cared for any place we’ve lived in. I’m glad we can pray and trust the Lord to work it all out for us.
Now, all my love darling. We miss you. The children have been good this week. Danny has a huge goose egg above his left eye. The wind blew the door knob into his head. Jimmy and Danny were like young colts the two days they could play outdoors.
Lovingly, Nellie
Danny has graduated – you are now in Oooooook Park – not Chicago!!
If your cold got any worse, I can’t imagine how you felt by Monday a.m. Thought of you so much.
Here’s the tract with Dean’s address and some clippings from the paper. Ray Smith paid a real tribute to Dick [Bunce, a high school wrestler friend and hero of the kids] on last night’s program. They had the drawing for the regionals last night and I believe Sturgis got Albion for the first game on Wednesday night. Accordig to Ray it was the least favorable drawing.
Jimmy has a cold now — pretty soon we’ll all be talking crooked!! Kids think I sound funny with my cold.
Lots of rain yesterday, but very warm sunshine today and the birds are really swelling today on trees.
Margaret’s appointment for her eyes is Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
Now I’ll close and let Jimmy put this in the box. It was so good to have you home — be nice when summer comes. But the trip takes so much that you better not come until April 6th. The time gets long for all of us, but summer seems closer now.
We’ve had lots of greetings from you last night and today. Which was nice, but as David said at breakfast “That’s not like kissing my own Daddy.” Someone suggested he could kiss Dan Ball and have him deliver it to Daddy! Which brought the giggles.
I’m sending these coupons to you and if you want to pay the full amount, do so immediately. Our 60 days are up in a day or so. I haven’t the money here. If you decide against it, please send in the monthly payment, then bring it home and I’ll continue the payments.
Really enjoyed the meeting last night and Mr. Van Ryn this morning. But I nearly wept at the few last night. Only Danvers (sp?) and us with children – no families.
Mr. Petke asked me to ask you about living at the camp all summer. They need someone to stay on the grounds and work, so badly that he has considered quitting his job and doing it. A big house there.
Just a note today. I started scrubbing pencil marks off the wall and there’s no stopping place, so I’m up to my neck in a job. Wish I had a ladder for the ceiling.
Nothing new around here – the children enjoyed the wrestling match. Dick was on his back once – scared everyone, but he soon pinned the other one down and is still undefeated. He had several degrees of temp. but still went out.
Mr. Reid was good, and a fairly good crowd out since it was prayer meeting night.
Hesper was over yesterday and told me that both of her girls accepted the Lord – at different times – in my Good News Club last year. I hadn’t known of it but it was gracious of the Lord to let me see or know of some definite results.
All for today — I’m like the kids. Seems so long since I’ve seen you! I love you – so much.
This letter is like some my mother writes – all confused as to order.
I promised to take the youngsters to see the wrestling meet tonight at the gym at 4:00. They have been after me to see Dick [Bunce] wrestle all winder. He is still undefeated. I’m sure that I have no interest in going, but will take them.
Duncan Reid is to be at prayer meeting tonight – I think I’ll take the children upstairs for that part of the meeting.
Now I had better get to my washing – a huge one again, but I did get caught up with the ironing yesterday. Winter again this morning. Jimmy is so disappointed as he surely wants to have spring here.
[Thursday 3-1-57?] The mailman came early again today – maybe he has a new schedule? Before I was out to the mailbox he was on his way. So I’ll answer your nice long letter and put it in with what I had already written.
Sweetheart, don’t feel badly about not writing every day. You just aren’t made that way, because when you do write you tell so many details and include so much that I surely don’t feel neglected. And while I do love to get letters, I have learned to wait, and I don’t want you to feel like it is a chore you must do. And sometimes when I don’t get a letter I just pick up the last one you wrote and reread it and am happy again. I do appreciate having so many details of your work and problems because I don’t want these long periods of separation to draw us apart as far as interests are concerned.
Once more about the dog. The first day and a half around here he seemed very friendly and the children petted him. It was only after Fluff stayed indoors for a whole day that he became cross and frustrated. It took us by surprise. As far as using anything like a hammer [???], I doubt that even you could have done that. I’ve decided that a police dog isn’t to be fooled with when cross. We are keeping Fluff on a chain now, and does she feel persecuted. Walks around outside so dejected.
I got the income [tax] forms, and the only deductions they list are contributions, interest, taxes, medical and dental. Child care. Casualty losses, and misc. Evidently there is another form we would have to get if we wanted to figure everything and not take the flat $600 for each member, and with our size family, I doubt if they are necessary. There is an instruction book available and I will try to get a hold of it. I want to get things done so that when you get home we can get this taken care of.
It will be good to see you on the 10th, a week sooner, and I’m not going to tell the children yet so in case you will be speaking they will not be disappointed. We had rather reconciled ourselves to the 22nd, because I was sure that you would try that, if possible. As I wrote before, I love to see you, but more and more I realize how hard it is for you and it keeps you from producing your best at school.
Sunday morning while we were at the breakfast table, Fluff started barking like she was in a frenzy. I was afraid to look, thinking the dog would be back. How we all laughed when we saw Sandy Bogan’s pet raccoon crawling up the inside of the screen door and looking in the window! By the time we got that taken home, we missed the morning meeting [Lord’s Supper, a communion service] and only got to preaching [second service]. In my own mind I’m not persuaded about the effectiveness of taking all the children by myself to the morning meeting. But I made up my mind to do it, and the first morning you are gone, I missed.
My prayer life has sadly suffered. When I started feeling sick, I started neglecting that, and now I must go back and start where I left off. But that is like writing letters: the longer you put it off, the harder it is to write. But I will pray for Bob.
Jimmy is right here wanting to know what I’m going to tell Daddy. He is afraid that I will write that he didn’t eat his noodly soup very well — and he didn’t. I might also mention that he had quite a struggle with some beets and sweet potatoes yesterday!
And last night coming home from church, we had some unhappy youngsters because they giggled too much when Leonard Phillips was preaching and they expected a spanking when they got home. I have kept up that rule, but in the conversations last night in the back seat of the car, I was a bit startled. They blame you that they have to eat such foods as sweet potatoes and get spanked after church, etc. I was sorry to hear that, and while I tried to explain that it was not your fault, but their own, they seem to hold the grudge against you. I’m very sorry about that, especially since you are not here to ‘hold your own.’
The mail just came – a half hour early today, so I’ll have to mail this in town this afternoon. And no letter from you. After talking to you on Friday night I expected one today. Well, I have something to hope for tomorrow.
Mr. Phillips is interesting.
Tuesday That is as far as I got yesterday. Today is a rainy stormy day and the temp is dropping steadily until I suppose it will turn to snow. Spring was nice while it lasted.
Now, for Mr. Phillips again. He has a winsomeness that is winning — but I wonder if some didn’t overlook that because he made several references to the few that were out to the missionary study class the night before. He was there, and was asked to say a few words, though it wasn’t his meeting at all. But the references that he made sounded as though he was personally offended, and still I don’t think that he meant that. Nineteen young people went down to Elkhart to the Youth for Christ meeting and he made reference to the fact that people should stay home and fill the wooden seats instead of running here and there to Elkhart!
His wife told me when we were talking that she hasn’t been going with him, but she guesses that she had to tame him down a little! I think that she was sensitive to the way people might take it. He certainly knows the Word and I did enjoy what he gave, especially his message on John 3:16 in the evening.
[…] I can spend a lot of time trying to scheme ways for you to get home and each time you do, I feel like such a selfish person because I realize anew how much it takes out of you to make the trip. I was laid up two days just making the trip to Kalamazoo! For the last two days I have felt so much better that the whole world looks different.
I don’t know why I’m writing you except that I like to. I have much to do; I am way behind again because I spend too much time on Wed. night preparation and preparation for the missionary meeting last night.
Some startling and sad news came yesterday in the Seminary alumni news. At the conf. they received word that Jim McRoberts had suddenly taken ill and died. For the life of me I can’t remember his wife’s first name and I feel that I should use it when writing, so I hope you can remember it. I wish that we could take some time to drive up to see her in Kalamazoo, but I don’t suppose that is possible, or that it would accomplish much except to show our interest and to know more about circumstances.
Beautiful outside today – some snow on the ground and the sun is shining. A rather cold windy snow yesterday.
Valentines and all the mess are in full progress around here. Margaret diligently got hers already on Monday. Johnny took his this morning. Dorothy has all of hers to do yet. They each have to make an individual decorated box to put them in. I about fainted when I heard that, I was so busy with other things I didn’t see where, when or how I was going to get that worked in. Dorothy’s and David’s are not done yet. I’m hoping that they will show some initiative and do it themselves.
Hesper gave us some corn out of her deep freeze. It is positively delicious. I’m saving some for you – just like out of the garden. The youngsters got so excited when they sniffed the odor of fresh corn! Gave me inspiration to stay out here and to have a garden. I almost talked myself to moving into to town where I could avoid all that heavy work.
Now I must sign off and write letters to Millers and Kreimes to acknowledge money sent.
I love you sweetheart – guess that is about all the Valentine that you will get. Maybe I’ll cook up some caramels for you, but when trying to lose weight that probably isn’t a kindness. But I love you heaps and heaps and it is so good to be looking forward to having you home again.
Again it is Monday morning and as usual I hate to settle down to real work on Monday, so I’m doing things I like to do. Fixed up my Jungle Doctor story for next Wed. night and listened to Back to the Bible. Now I’ll write and will probably be here until Dr. Culbertson’s message. Brought the typewriter to the kitchen. Don’t tell anyone but the desk is piled up like I said I wouldn’t let it get. But Karen is coming tomorrow night to babysit so I’ll have to get cleaned up.
Mrs. Wolcott called me shortly after she got home on Thursday night to tell me about their visit at school. She had lots of nice things to say about the trip. She would like to get there some time when she could visit classes.
Saturday we really worked, did a washing, went to town and the youngsters started to scrub down the bathroom. They did a lot of it, but it was supper time, so I went in to finish, and it took more than I had anticipated. Dressers to move, floor mop up and a little of the walls to finish. I noticed that my back was hurting and didn’t pay too much attention to it until I came out to get supper, and down low I seemed to have spasms of pain. It dawned on me the possibility of miscarriage. I hurriedly flattened myself out on the davenport and let the youngsters take over. I started to chill and didn’t get warmed up until the night sometime. The youngsters can take over in emergency – they got their own supper, took baths and Dorothy helped a lot. I couldn’t eat and in the morning still felt badly – had the most terrible night’s sleep that I ever remember.
But by S.S. time I got dressed and took them in and stayed in the nursery myself. Winnie invited Dorothy and David to their place for dinner and Manns had invited Margaret over. So I fed the little boys, put them to bed and lay down myself. Then Mrs. Wolcott and Mrs. Bunce came over. I just told them I had a back ache, but they wanted to bring out a lamp of some kind and were so concerned that I told them what I was afraid of and why the caution on my part. I wasn’t going to tell folks that I was pregnant because so many are concerned about me staying here now and that would just add to their concern; but sometimes it gets complicated to try to evade the real trouble. They’ll know sooner or later anyhow.
David made another good chocolate cake and Dorothy tried her hand at pies and they came out very good. I guess that I should go to an orchard and try to get a bushel of apples again. I’ve been buying some in the store for their lunches, but they cost so much that way. If you can shop on the way home, vegetables would be the best thing to look for. I have a good supply of shelf goods, but the veg. are really good.
Goodpasters gave me some carrots from the garden and potatoes. Ours are getting low. I bought some smelt Sat. Time for that again.
Judy and Jack have an apartment on Jefferson Street and the chapel is considering a shower for them. They never come to the chapel now, but we would like some way to show an interest in them. Oh me – young people. Someday we will have six or seven, or eight if it is twins after all these years. Think we’ll be able to cope with all the questions and problems that so many young people will bring with them?
I well know that these years of perhaps harder physical work are by for the easiest. Little Danny so busily engaged with a jig saw puzzle and Jimmy sitting here waiting for a turn at the typewriter (to type Vickie a letter — they start early these days) are really a pleasure at this age.
About the music lessons. Dorothy and Margaret take them on alternate weeks. David has not started in again. Mrs. Bunce asked if Gertrude was patient with the youngsters. She said that at the Baptist church she has quite a rep. for her impatience.
Mr. Irvine is quite a person – I guess all Scotchmen are. The youngsters sat up and listened to him and enjoyed it too. A good message and livened up with the Scotch sense of humor and keen way of expressing themselves.
Well, I had better close now. Only five days until you’ll be home. Oh yes, there is a chapel fellowship meeting Saturday night – potluck supper and they gave us a special invitation to come. They are working hard to make it a family affair again – for all the chapel and not the clickish – note the new way of spelling that – way it was started. Wouldn’t that be a good time for you to get with the people to visit with some of them? Potluck supper. I know they would very much appreciate having you there. They seem to sincerely miss you and your influence around here.
Chuck Monroe was laid off work – might remember that in prayer. Barbara expects the last of March and will keep on working until the first of March.
A Living Pencil 