Forwarded to Mrs. Jane S.
Davidson, c/o B. M. Turnbow, Tabiona, Utah
July 2,
1953
Dear Mother,
The children are eating breakfast, and I have just been
typing a letter for Harold, so thought I could start one to you before I
quit. We have been up so late every
night lately, and up so early every morning, yet the day in between goes so
fast that we just can’t account for them.
From last Thursday until now we have been busy on the peas. We have over 50 lbs. frozen in the locker,
and have had plenty to eat, but it has been a big job. The children have been good to help, and yet
we are all tired out. The heat has been
terriffic. This morning however it is
cooler, and cloudy. We are all just worn
out from the heat. The bedrooms are so
hot at night no one wants to go to bed.
The baby surely sleeps good tho, and surprising as it is, he keeps a
cover on all night. He slept last night
from 7 until 6 this morning. He is just
as solid as he can be. I am still
nursing him but he gets cereal and milk, and sometimes a little vegetable.
Harold’s hand has flaired up again. Last week it seemed completely better, and
then we started the peas, and he was home Friday and Satruday helping, and
Sunday it started swelling. He has had
several ex-rays, but they show nothing.
As long as he kept it in a sling the swelling went. Harold said that yesterday the Dr. described
it as proud flesh under the skin. And
the treatment, soaking in hot water. He
is able to go to the medical unit twice a day at work and soak it, and he does
it often while he is home. And we are
trying to see that he doesn’t use it any more than is necessary. He has had quite a few problems lately that
have kept him up till late.
Alice is getting to be quite a stinker. She wants something, and she just screams
until the children give it to her to get her to stop screaming. Two days ago I just splashed cold water in
her face while she was in one of her screams, and it seems to have toned her
down considerably. She was down to one
nipple, and it was big and flabby, and last Sat. she bit it in two. I offered her the baby’s nipple, and she
would have none of it. So since Sat. she
has been going without a bottle. I hope
it is the end of it for her, although these past few days has been quite an
ordeal, especially giving her every little thing she happens to want. It is primary today at 9:30 so I had better
stop and get my own breakfast, and get them off. Alvin is back from camp, and is hard at work
on his collections. He only has 2 more
days, and he has barely started. He has
3 people who hasn’t paid him for 3 months, and they keep telling him to come
back. Harold says if he doesn’t get them
this week, that he is going out and get it.
Well, It is afternoon already, and Alice is asleep, the
baby is laying in his buggy beside me, Laura is outside playing, and the four
oldest have gone swimming. The house is
cool and quiet. The heat outside is
almost unbearable tho. There are storm
clouds in the sky, and the heat just seems to press down on us. This morning while the little ones were at
Primary Alvin and I cleaned out the frig, and about half of the kitchen
cupboards. We did half of them last
week, and now they are all done. I’ve
got quite a stiff neck from fixing peas, but a little rest is all I need. I promised my self I would make myself a
dress this week, and so I am going to make this letter short, and get started
on it again.
Laura had a nice birthday Sunday, and she surely was
proud of her card and her dime. She
displayed it to everyone. I paid $4.00
for a dress for her. It is an embossed
cotton, and won’t need ironing. I also
got her pants, sox, and a pair of pajamas.
She has been wearing those heavy ones until Sunday, and they are pretty
near gone.
I hear Alice waking up, and things are beginning to pop
again.
I am feeling much better the last two weeks than I have
since the baby was born. It seems as tho
it takes me 3 or 4 months to come any where near back to normal. I told you I had a green discharge sometimes
even before you left, and I didn’t go see the Dr. until 2 weeks ago, and he
found an infection, that was quickly stopped with some sulfa salve. He also gave me some Iron capsules. They cost 7¢ each, and he gave me about 75 of
them. I take 3 a day, and it seems to
help, also it makes me so that I am not quite so hungry. I have gained weight again like I did after
Alice. I weigh 150 again, and I only
weighed 154 when Harold was born. I
shouldn’t have put off going to the Dr. as long as I did.
I had a letter from Jennette, and she said that most of
her garden was froze last week. The
weather is so strange. We can have it so
hot for a week, then two or 3 days when we almost have to put on a fire.
Bob and Mary Louise Carlson came to see us about 4 weeks
ago. We didn’t know they were coming,
and we had a lovely 2 days with them.
Mary Louise sent me a box of a dozen bottles of baby vitimans
yesterday. It will surely help out. Their baby is a fatty, and so cute. Harold and Bob went fishing one day, while we
took the children to the part, and museum.
The other day, we took them to Colorado Springs, and had a wonderful
relaxing day.
I must stop now, I have stopped a dozen times in the last
half hour to do something or other. I am
inclosing a check. It was just
forgetfulness that I haven’t done it before.
We are planning on a picnic with the Runyans and Bohn’s up Boulder
canyon for the 4th. We are
going to have breakfast, and lunch and come home early in the afternoon. That way we will miss the worst of the
crowd. Take care of yourself Mother, and
be careful in this heat.
Lovingly,
Laura
From: 18153 Lermay St.,
Reseda, Calif
Forwarded to: Mrs. Jane Davidson, c/o B. M. Turnbow,
Tabiona, Utah
July
5, 1953
We
are out of ink
My Darling Mother
Sorry I have been so slow. I didn’t realize it has been so long since I
wrote last. Royce has painted our house
so that it will be clean to sell. We
called Bishop Heninger to come & look at it so it can be listed.
Royce & I decided nearly a month ago to write Lois
and tell her not to send the girls but I’ve put off writing to her too. I’ve finally written now. It would just mean 2 more for Royce to
tend. We have plenty of help here
anyway.
Sis Mordue, our Relief Society Pres. told me not to worry
that they will help me and we have done it for other girls in the Ward.
Royce plans to take vacation time then too.
Royce’s Aunt Mit has asked me to come to her house from
the hospital until I am back on my feet.
She said she’d take the girls too so we have all sorts of offers of help
so you musn’t worry over us.
We had really wanted one of Lois girls to come so someone
would be with our girls & had hoped to make a vacation for them but now
that we are moving & will have to sell our place I am afraid we will have
to stay pretty close to home. Someone
should be here all the time. So Royce
decided on taking some vacation time regardless. We would like to have you come but we are
wondering if you can take the trip. I
would worry over you traveling alone. It
would be different if you had someone to bring you.
Also It will be our hottest time of the year and as you
know we are not too well shaded. In fact
hardly at all. I wouldn’t want you to
come and make yourself sick. I’d like
you to enjoy it. I don’t think there
will be too much to do. The children are
pretty good workers if someone is supervising them all the time. And as I say we’ve just painted & cleaned
and I think things stay cleaner here.
You’ll have to let us know if you can stand it.
Don’t feel you have to come because we can get
along. We’ve a lot of wonderful friends
but if you think it won’t be too hard on you, we would like to have you.
I’ve nearly everything ready except a bed and chest of
drawers. We’ve been trying to pick them
up second hand but haven’t succeeded yet.
The Relief Society Sisters gave me a shower and gave me a
high chair. It’s one of those that fold
down into a table & chair. Also gave
me a satin quilt. Have to stop God bless
you
Love Pearl
[Added to the envelope with
Pearl’s letter of July 5, 1953 so
probably around July 7, 1953]
Dear Mother;
I’ll just add a note to Pearls letter before sending it
on.
We arrived home o.k. without any trouble and were all
ready to drop into bed. We did go out
for a little while to see the fireworks.
Went to the Dr. yesterday and John’s head healed beautifully. He said to watch Janet. Her head is still swollen there and she
complained of it hurting yesterday so I had him look at it. He said if she continues to complain to bring
her in.
Willard said he would come for you this week end. He intended to go fishing around there
sometime during the summer so I guess he will do it then and bring you home at
the same time.
Helen isn’t well and has been sick since the fourth upset
stomach and headache like she always gets.
She will see the Dr. this week.
Pat & Jesse are fine also the children, they came over Sunday.
Tell Jennette if she’s serious about going to work to
come ahead and bring the three little ones.
Helen says she could stay in the apartment. I could take care of Richard for her. I don’t know what she would work at unless
it’s at the telephone Co. while others have their vacations. Don’t know whether it would pay or not she
would lose her garden. Anyway that would
be something to consider.
Hope all is well with you and that you’re enjoying your
visit. Tell Burnell & Jennette hello
and the children, wish we were rich and could help out. Hope the puddle jumper is running again so
they’ll have some transportation.
Love from us all.
Mary [Davidson]
P.S. It’s awfully hot here. Bishop’s meeting is here tonight so will have
to get busy.
July
14, 1953
Dear Mother,
Just a note, because I am so tired I can hardly push the
keys. I guess Harold & I got about 2
hours sleep last night. We had a very
sick baby. In fact I've never seen one
so sick. He is much better tonight tho,
and has gone to sleep. Sunday morning he
was asleep, but as we started to eat lunch he woke up, and we brought him down
stairs & put him in the buggy. He
sat there watching us, but he looked like he was going back to sleep. Harold picked him up, and after a few minutes
he realized he had a fever. I gave him a
quarter of an aspirin, and in an hour he looked ok again. Then toward evening the fever came back, and
Bro. Jones and Harold administered to him after church. He woke up once Sun. night, a thing he hasn't done for at least 2 months. Monday he
seemed ok, but I could tell he was a little warm. We broke our thermometer, so I borrowed one
from Delores, and it was about 100 degrees.
I wasn't worried, but yet he had no sign of a cold, and acted like he
might have had a stomach ache. We took
him in to see Dr. Jackson after Harold came from work, and he felt so good I
felt rather foolish taking him in. But
the Dr. was rather worried. He all of a
sudden seemed very sick, and yet the only thing he could find was a slight
inflamation of the right ear, and a swelling in the gland in the neck. He gave him some pennicilin, and insisted we
bring him back today. After bed time last
night he started getting hotter and hotter.
He would sleep for a few minutes then be awake again. By midnight he was so hot I could hardly
stand to hold him. It was almost as tho
his ittle neck burned my arm. It was 105
degrees, and stayed that way for 4 or 5 hours.
I called the Dr. after 12, and he told me to increase the asperin, and
to bath him. But even using luke warm
water it felt so cold against his skin we had to stop. He would just scream when we put it near him. The fever seemed to wear itself out by 6:30
this morning, and it hasn't come back altho he has been very restless, and has
slept but little today. But he is
sleeping now, and I am just waiting to put Alice and Laura to bed so I can go
to bed myself. Yesterday was our Ward
conference. I mean Sunday. I seem to have lost a day. Harold was kept busy the whole day. Sister Carwin was put in as Relief Society
President. She had a baby in
January. I don’t know whether you know
her or not. Sister Cunningham is her
first counslor, and Amanda Willits her second counslor.
The baby is awake again, and I will stop. I must get all of them in to bed. Take care of yourself, and write soon.
We went up the canyon on the 4th, and Ken and
Joyce and family came in on us on the 5th and Monday the 6th
we went up to Estes Park, and over trail ridge and back to Granby and
home. Maybe the baby caught cold then I
don’t know.
Lovingly, [Laura]
[Harold concludes the letter
in pen]
7/16/53
Dear Mother,
Laura didn’t even take time to sign her letter. We are all well again. Little Harold was a pretty sick boy. Doc. Jackson was afraid for a while that it
was meningitis but it didn’t develop and now the little fellow is as well as
ever. My hand too finally cleared up so
that puts us all on the feeling fine list.
Church is still a busy job, but it is enjoyable too. At work we are still undecided as to what the
Republican administration is going to do with the Bureau of Reclamation. We had planned on getting a new home but have
decided to wait until we know whats up.
I’m not worried but do feel that I would want to move back to Utah
(Maybe not Salt Lake) if we had to start again - We must quit for now. Good Luck and may the Lord bless you.
With Love
Harold
July
21, 1953
Dear Mother,
The baby is better.
By Thursday of last week he was well again, but he gave us quite a
scare. When we went up over Trail Ridge
on the 6th of July with Ken and Joyce & family I had just a pair
of nylon rompers on him, altho I had a blanket handy. It was so hot in the vally, and when we went
up high it still wasn’t cold until we got right up on top. After he had been sweating all the time, and
then taking him up there, I guess I wasn’t careful enough to see that he didn't take cold. The nylon rompers don’t
absorb any of the persperation, and he undoubtedly was cold. Then when we got over to Granby Ken and Joyce
left us to go back to Salt Lake, and Harold said he wanted to fish for an
hour. That was at 5:P.M. None of us had had anything to eat since
11:A.M. But Harold went fishing. He
fished until 7:30 P.M. and by the time we got into Grandby from the river it
was near 8 or maybe after. He stopped to
buy us a hamburger, and while he was gone Alice got her finger pinched in the
window, and started screaming, and that made little Harold scream. It was half an hour before we got him
stopped. The children all finally
dropped off to sleep, and we got home about 10:30 P.M. The baby didn't get sick until the following
Sunday, but the infection must have started then. Did I tell you that it was an infection in
his ear, and a gland in his neck. On
Monday night his fever was 105 for hours, but wore itself out by 6:30 A.M. He was cross for a day or two, but is his own
sweet self again. He has been such a
good baby. I have been completely worn
out since he was sick. I just can’t seem
to get feeling good no matter now much rest I get.
Harold’s vacation started last Saturday, and yet he
hasn’t been home since except for meals, and sometimes not for meals. This morning he did stay home tho because the
toilet was broken, and he had to fix it.
Yesterday morning he spent at the office, and the afternoon at the stake
farm, and the evening at the Stake House in meeting with Pres. Drury. Tonight at 6:P.M. he left to go to Grand
Junction to go fishing with Bob, He expects to be back Friday afternoon. He has to be home then because he promised
Mary Norris he would put in a strip of cement for her Friday evening. I don’t know what he has planned for the rest
of his vacation. I know he needs to get
away and have a rest. But what he
doesn’t seem to understand is that I too need a rest. For the past two months I have felt that I
have been on the verge of loosing my mind.
I can hear you say “Laura don’t talk that way.” and I am not writing
this to cause you to worry, but rather to loosen the pent up feelings and
emotions within me. I must find release
from the nightmarish feelings within me by putting them on paper and trying to
annalyse them. Whenever Harold has any
time off he uses it to go fishing. There
is no other means of recreation or relaxation for him. Anything else just does not exist for
him. He knows too that he doesn’t want
any of the children around when he is fishing.
If they are, he has to watch them, and can’t concentrate on this
fishing. (By the way the day we went to
Granby Alvin and Louis followed him up the river, and came back with him wet up
to their necks. They had to take off
their clothes and put a jacket on with another one around their legs.) In Estes Park he fished 3 or 4 times a week,
and still wasn’t content. Sometimes I
wonder why he ever got married at all.
If he had a fishing pole and a stream that is all he would need. Since he won’t have any of the children
around when he is fishing, some years ago I made such a fuss about holidays, and
the family spending them together, that he has been very good in spending them
with us at the park, or riding or picnicing in the mountains, but every minute
of it I feel he is doing it because he feels it his duty to do so rather than
for any love of association with me and the children. Every stream he passes he lets us know
whether it would be good fishing or bad.
I don’t believe he ever sees the beauty of nature around him except in a
stream. I don’t believe he has ever
notice the beauty of a sunset unless the children or I pointed it out to
him. In Denver each summer the post puts
on a summer operetta like Sat Lake used to at Nibly Park. He took me once, because it was my birthday,
and he asked me where I would like to go.
Every summer there is a concert series at the Red Rocks theatre, which
included a variety of things, Music, and ballet. Every summer there is an Opera at Central
City. It doesn’t enter his head that I
might like to go to some of these. There
is a colored light demonstration nightly from the middle of the lake in City
Park, and it wasn’t until last summer that we ever saw them, and then because
the children insisted that we stay. I
know I am being petty, but I also know that my soul is starving for some of the
cultural things of this life.
My body is worn out from the continual round of cleaning,
washing, meals, babies etc. I don’t
believe I would care, or be so tired if I had a diversion occasionally. What a pity that the stream and a fishing
pole don’t hold the enchantment for me that it does for Harold. He will be home
Friday, and then the week-end will as always be so busy we won’t see him, and I
haven’t complained when I know that he is doing the job that has been given
him. Monday is always a big day for me
with washing etc. But I have decided
that Tuesday Morning I will take Betty and Jane and go on a vacation for 3
days. I have always wanted to see the
Mount Rushmore Memorial in South Dakota, and the Black Hills., and the
wonderful caves over there. It is about
a 6 hour drive. And tho I have never
driven that far alone before I am going.
I’ve got to get away for a few days or loose my sanity. This past week when I have been so completely
tired Harold has insisted that I wean the baby.
However I don’t know yet whether I will wean him, or take him with
me. Jane & Betty and I could easily
take care of him, altho we wouldn’t be able to leave the car very much because
he is so heavy. He weighs 18 lbs. and is
quite a load even to hold while we go to church. I know he would be better off at home, and I
believe Harold will take good care of him and the others. I haven’t told Harold yet of my plans, and he
withdrew the last of the money in the bank today so that he could go to Grand
Junction, and leave me with some food in the house, so I had to send a letter
to the Bank in Salt Lake. I have $30.00
in our account there, and I am going to use it to go on. Goodness knows I shouldn’t. There are so many other places it should go,
but that has always been my way of thinking.
I shouldn’t spend anything foolishly, yet Harold can pay 17 dollars for
a fishing pole, and another $8.00 this week for a reel. And goodness knows how
much for hooks and line and bate etc.
Plus boots, & jacket etc.
I just hope I wont think of all the reasons why I shouldn't take such a trip, and then back out on it. Betty & Jane and I all need new shoes,
and I am going to get them if I have to charge them before we go. That is just another reason why I should
forget the whole thing and stay home, but this time I can’t. We’ll go even if we have to wear our old
shoes.
Well, to finish off with something more pleasant. I did have a happy birthday. Louis gave me a pair of ear rings with pink
stones in them. He bought them with
money he had saved. The other 3 children
had saved $19.00 and wanted to buy me some dishes. When Harold saw what they wanted to do he put
in another $17.00 and got me a 63 piece set of china. It is really lovely. It is something I don’t want to use unless we
have company. We were down to just
enough plates to go around, and I guess I will have to buy some every day
plates, because these are too lovely to use for every day. Harold had asked me for a date on my birthday
2 weeks before, but the night before he was up till 1:A.M. so we went to bed
early. We are both pretty well worn
out. I started this letter at 9:P.M. and
it is now 10 minutes to 11: P.M. so I guess I had better get to bed. Maybe you can write and tell me if I am a
little off the beam on this vacation business.
Maybe I am looking at it all wrong.
Your
loving daughter,
Laura
[Pencil margin note:] If you
want to show this letter to Mother Carlson, you can. I haven’t written to her since the baby was
born.
[Mailed with Laura’s letter
of July 21, 1953, postmarked July 22, 1953]
June 5, 1953
Dear Grandma
How are you I am fine and so are the rest of us
We got out of school the 4th
I got 3 A on my
report card my next teachers
name will be
Mrs Remley and we get new
desks and
chairs Alvin made me a purse
it is green
with tan laceing and it has a
red snap
Betty made a clay doll in
school and we
are all fine I hope you can
read my over
letter something was wrong
with the
pen
Lovingly
Jane Carlson
[note from Laura] I found
this letter in this stamped envelope. It
surely got way-laid
July
23rd 53
My Dear Laura,
I just got your letter and am glad Baby Harold is better,
but sorry that you are feeling so bad and down hearted. Maybe Harold was feeling the same way as you
are and glad to take off, feeling that the children are secure with you, but
you just can’t leave them as he has done.
They are your care and his, but he doesn’t see things as you do, and at
times it takes all your strength and courage to endure. You have been upset with the Baby being sick
and maybe other things not going the way you want. Things will straighten out but you will have
to pull yourself together and let things go slow for our bodies can’t stand all
the strain that sometimes we are called on to endure. But we must call upon the Lord and He will
give us strength. There is always an
evil power trying to upset us, and will if we let it, like David of old
Testament times when he said, ( Why art thou cast down O My Soul, and why art
thou disquited within me. I shall praise
the Lord who is the Health of my countenance and my God.) So you see we have
always got to be on the look out for the evil one and put ourselves in our
Heavenly Father’s care. I know you are
thankful that the little fellow is well again.
Don’t leave him Laura. Why don’t
you come home, in the bus, I know it would be hard in this hot weather. Jennette just came in while I am writing
this. She would just love for you to
come and stay with her. I hope ;you will
be feeling better before you get this. Merrill came with Jennette. He is in the Tabiona Band and they play in
the Parade tomorrow. They go back
tomorrow, after the Parade. May the Lord
Bless you and Harold so that you will Love and Sympathize with one another, and
help one another all you can to live lives of respect and helpfulness one
towards another. Don’t do anything rash,
just try to keep your mind calm and Thankful for Blessings. It will be too bad if Harold’s Fishing trips
will be a curse to you all, instead of pleasure for him. He ought to take some of the children with
him when he goes and give you a little relief from some of the cares of being
with them all the time. May the Lord
strengthen you Laura
Lots
of Love, Mother.
I won’t let Mother Carlson
read the letter. She gets upset too
easily
.
Aug.
10, 1953
Dear Mother,
Your letter came today, and I’m sorry you had to worry
about me. But I have been worried for a
long time, but I am sure the worst is over.
After you called last Friday night Harold gave me a blessing. I guess I had kind of lost faith in
myself. The blessing he gave me set me
back on the right track. The medicine
the Dr. gave me has helped too. I’ve
been taking it since last Tuesday, nearly a week.
The headaches I get are not real headaches, but I get so
tense I bite my teeth & my jaws get sore & cause my head to ache. It is just a tightening of the muscles &
nerves. It seems as tho when I did take
time to sit down to read or rest I was accusing myself for not doing something
that should be done, which of course is poor thinking, because there is always
something to be done. And like Helen
told me over the phone I've got to learn to sit down and relax & forget the
work sometimes.
I am going to try to go to Relief Society work meeting
tomorrow. They are having a social in
the afternoon for Mary Haslam & the out going officers. They asked me to take the Theology lesson
again, but I’m not going to. It would
mean 2 Sunday afternoons a month besides the lesson, and those 2 Sundays Harold
is gone too, and the children are left to themselves.
I am conciously trying to do everything to get feeling
completely well again. No Mother, you
don’t need to come. But you don’t know
how thankful I am that you were praying for me.
And it was so good to hear your voice.
You just sounded so much like yourself.
I know that I must not loose faith, and I know too that I can’t do all
that I want to do, or that is apparent to be done. I guess there come a time in everyone’s life
when they find out that they can’t do everything. I've got to remember that if a thing can’t
get done today it can wait till tomorrow.
This evening Delores asked me to come over & watch
television for half an hour, so after the children were in bed I went over, but
a good part of the time I kept thinking I should be home writing to you, or
fixing a dress to wear to Relief Society tomorrow. You see, I’ve got to teach myself all over
again to relax. I have steadily gained
weight again like I did after Alice was born, & weigh as much now as when
Harold Danny was born. I’m not going to
try to loose any tho till I get feeling better, except stop eating sweets.
Harold is at Bishop’s meeting tonight but they have been
getting thru about 10:30 lately.
Harold knew I wasn't feeling well, & when he came in
at night he wouldn't talk to me for fear of disturbing me, & he would let
me lay in bed in the morning getting up himself without letting me know he was
up, and we would go for days without even talking except at supper, & there
is no chance to talk then. But the past
few days he has been trying to spend more time at home. Sat. we all went to a drive in & left the
3 little ones home. Yesterday I was very
tired, & didn't want to go to church, but went in the evening. It was Alice’s birthday. We got a load of Sand for her Sat. & the
children bought her some little trinkets, & balloons. She was surely happy. Yes I made birthday cakes for all 3 &
decorated them.
Betty got a Bicycle.
Harold found a used one for $11 & he painted it.
Louis got a croquet set.
For their birthday we went to the park & had supper. The first time this year.
It is 10:30 & I must get to bed. I had no intention of staying up so
late. Thank you Mother for your letters,
and now good night.
Lovingly,
Laura
Harold came home last night
after bishop meeting & said he had to take another week off because of a
ceiling on annual leave built up & he wants to take me & the baby &
Alice to Salt Lake in Sept.
Denver
8/10/83
P.S. I did not
tell Laura I was writing.
Dearest Mother
It was good to talk with you the other night on the
phone. And your call back was just what
Laura needed. We had a long talk after
you called and Laura felt 100% better.
Since then things have been fine.
Laura does become extremely tired by night time but she has held up her
spirits and that is 90% of the battle.
It’s hard to figure out just what the trouble has
been. It seemed that Laura she
was getting more tired every day. Then
when my vacation came up and I took two days to go fishing it must have been
the straw that broke the camels back. My
staying home with the children while she and the two older girls drove up to
South Dakota didn't help very much at all.
She returned home as depressed as ever.
I talked her into going to see the Doctor and later called him and
talked over the problem with him. He
said Laura was not at all in a bad way physically but that her nerves were shot
and we were going to have to snap her out of it. That gave me the idea of calling you and
having you visit us. It would have been
fine if you could come. But when you couldn't your calling was the next best thing.
I also promised the Doctor I would spend more time with my family even
if I had to let some of the Church work go for a while. Then when I talked to Laura and promised her
that we would take the rest of our recreation together it made all the
difference in the world in her. She has
been tired buy happy from that moment.
I am sure we can work things out if I do my part and I
promise to do my part with all my heart.
My wife and children mean everything to me so it won’t be difficult for
me to show it. I will try to do as you
suggested and not criticize Laura on the way she handles the children. She has a tremendous job with seven of them
and so little to do it with but if I help all I can with the help of the Lord
we will make it.
The children are all well and I am sure that within a
week Laura will be tops again too. I
will send you the money for your phone call on payday Thursday. Love Harold
[Postcard 236-B - Double Spirals on Iron Mountain Highway to
Mt. Rushmore Memorial, Black Hills, So. Dak.
There are several Pig Tail Bridges in the Black Hills. They are constructed for the purpose of
reaching higher or lower elevation in a mountainous area.]
To: Jane S. Davidson, 3112 So
7th East, Salt Lake City, UTAH [Postmarked
Aug 12, 1953]
Betty, Jane & mother
went to the Black
Hills on vacation.
they bought, the
rest of us children
a souvenier from
there. Sure hope
your feeling good
Alvin
