Scooter must not have lasted long

October 26, 1965

Dear Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Tom,

I'm going to cause a snowstorm or something by answering your letter right away.  Got Gary's card yesterday.  Thank you for his birthday present.  He hasn't decided what to use it for yet.

No, Bill never sent any snapshots.  As I told you on the phone, I haven't had a letter from him since last May before Memorial Day.

I'll bet you're really enjoying not having any night classes.

I never found a Perquacky game.  I look up at Raley's every time I go up there.  I thought sure they would have one now that they have all their Christmas stuff out -- but no such luck.

Was that Mrs. Jason Preston that substituted?

I got a card saying I would receive 12 issues of Redbook as a gift from you so maybe I'll get it this time.  Sure hope so.

Oh, this Mary.  The other day she had eaten her cereal but left the milk in the bowl.  I told her to drink it up.  She says, "The milk doesn't taste good.  It tastes like wet carrots."  Almost every morning she has some wild dream to tell about.  I'm sure she makes it all up as she goes along.  But she is so serious and her eyes get so big.

We have two dogs now.  A stray came around.  Gary thought he looked so funny he decided to keep him.  He is part poodle, I guess.  Any way he is gray with curly hair.  Some of it hangs over his eyes and you can hardly see them.  I think he's cute and he's so friendly.  Spotty is pretty jealous yet, though.  At first he wouldn't let Scooter eat.  I'd give them each a dish. Spotty would take a bite out of one, then run to the other and growl at Scooter if he so much as moved toward either dish.

I went on a sewing spree last week.  Made new pajamas for the kids and a nightgown for me.  Plus 5 hand puppets for the school carnival.

The kids have had quite a cough the last week or so.  But it is finally letting up.

I got myself elected treasurer of the auxiliary.  I sure was surprised.

October 27, 1965

Didn't get this finished yesterday.

Gary's Mom called last night.  Gary's Uncle Oscar passed away yesterday morning.  If you remember at the shower at Wynot, he was the one who acted as master of ceremonies.  He was sick about a week.  Mom wasn't even sure what the trouble was.

Since you don't have anything to do these days I thought you might enjoy this thing.

Guess I'll close and get this mailed.

Love, 
Gary, Greta, Dale and Mary

I do not recall hearing about a dog named Scooter.  Hope everything worked out for him.

Absolutely a mean mama!

November 6, 1964

Dear Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Tom,

I guess I better get busy and write a letter or I'll be getting a collect phone call.

Thanks for sending the Wayne Heralds.  I really enjoyed them as usual.

We've had some rain over the weekend.  Really soaked things up good.

No, you hadn't written that Merle was coming.  Goodness, last time I saw them Willy was just a baby.  Or did we see them when Nancy was a baby?

How does Tom like college?  Do they work him pretty hard?

Is there any news about his hearing?

Well, Gary's folks won't be coming out.  Yesterday Gary's mother had her hip operated on.  I told you that she had been having lots of trouble with her leg.  Her doctor finally told her to go to a bone specialist.  The specialist told her that it was either surgery or soon she wouldn't be walking at all.  She couldn't see being an invalid so she had the operation.  Gary's dad called last night and said that she came through it real good.  What they did was cut off the ball of the hip joint and put in a steel ball.  Then they dug out the socket.  The doctors said that she had apparently had this trouble since birth - a shallow hip socket or something like that.  Anyway she'll be in a cast for three weeks.  Sure hope this takes care of her trouble.

Hope you enjoyed your visit in Fremont.  I've been meaning to write to her, but never get it done.  The way time is flying it will probably be Christmas before I get it written.

I'm so mad.  You know those place mats I was making for Aunt Ramona?  Well after I got them hemmed, corners mitered, etc. I find that they mean to have you work on the side with just one loop. I could just scream.  So now I'm making a border on the sides.  But it sure makes me mad.

I think Dale will enjoy the Lego bricks most. He's been wanting some of them.  We got a Christmas catalog from Sears.  I looked at it and put it out of sight.  I just couldn't see listening to "I want this and this, and this."  Am I a mean old mama?  I hear enough of that from what he sees on TV.  Mary isn't too bad yet.  Guess she doesn't see anything she wants.

Gary can use socks and T-shirts for Christmas.  He wears size 12 socks.  Or maybe a sport shirt.

Gary is done with his part time job at Monroe.  Now maybe he can finish up at our other house and get it sold.

We're all just fine.  The kids are just as ornery as ever.  Right at the moment I can't think of any clever things they've said.  They're always coming up with something though.

We found a Lutheran church a little over a mile from here.  It is pretty new.  Just six years old, about 200 members, and a LCA church.  I like them real well.  The people are real nice and friendly.

Guess I better get to work.  I've got some bread ready to put in the pans.  Also some of that inevitable ironing.

Love,
Gary, Greta, Dale and Mary

Thank you for Gary's birthday present.  He hasn't bought anything yet.

What size of shirt and socks does Bill wear?  Don't know what I'll get him for Xmas.  But would like to know his size.

I got a Candy Land game for Dale for Xmas.  Did a little early shopping last night.

I am guessing the letter Mom is needing to write is to Dora.  Also, yes it is very mean to hide catalogs from kids.  Actually, I used catalogs to keep mine quiet for a bit while they studied them.

The photo is of Grandpa and Grandma Bowder, shallow hip socket and all.  I think they made a very handsome couple.

That's why it snowed!

"December 27, 1994:  Dale and Mary's grandmother -- Effie Bowder was buried today.
December 29, 1994:  I have the "galloping flu" -- didn' t eat anything all day.
December 30, 1994:  Feeling better -- Howard was sick in evening -- had chills.
December 31, 1994:  Snowed -- about 4 or 5 inches.  Howard didn't go after the mail today."

From what I understand, it would take a lot for Grandpa not to go get the mail.  He picked it up for other people to help them out, so it was kind of a big deal.  So, either the snow or the sickness made it so he didn't go.  I would like to think he was taking care of himself.

I am glad Grandma said something about Grandma Bowder.  I always have trouble remembering when it was that she died.  Now I know.  I wish I had a good photo of her to post right now.

Instead, here's a photo of Grandma and Grandpa when they were most definitely not sick.