2020

December 2, 2020

CHRISTMAS LETTER - 2020

I hope the year of the Covid 19 finds you all healthy and wise. Verla and l have been very fortunate in that we have not contracted the disease or other serious illnesses. Thank God for all His blessings this past year. The independent housing facility that we live in, shut down Mar. 9th for visitors, and restricted many privileges for us so that has been a bummer. The praise band at the local church that I played bass with also shut down so the band has not played a service and we have not attended church services since then. We have worshiped online at Concordia San Antonio where Dawn and Bob worship.

Our family increased by one in March when Lily Boyd was born to Andrew and Samantha Boyd of San Antonio TX. Dawn and Bob were very happy with the new addition as were we.

We were able to make many trips to Decorah to our apartment this past year so we were very thankful for that. We were able to see many old friends such as Norma W. and Karen B. old neighbors of ours when we lived in Decorah. Verla quilted and I read a lot as we enjoyed our old haunts. Mark, our son and his daughter Roslyn joined us in July for a few days at Decorah about Nordic Fest time so that was a lot of fun.

Verla continues her passion of quilting by making and designing quilts for Lutheran World Relief and zooming with her buddies down at Zion Lutheran every Wed. morning for a few hours. Since Covid 19, they have not been willing to meet at church in fear of catching the dreaded disease.

Vince has been busy writing his third paper on the Eucharist. He has had an interest in the subject of Holy Communion for many years and the last paper is about the meaning of the words of institution and how they may be interpreted. So a literature review of two theologians who described the views of the patristic fathers up to the age of the reformers in Europe in the 1400 to 1500's was assessed and summarized in a paper to compile the views of learned people for two thousand years. It isn't exhaustive but is a snapshot view of what Christians have thought and recorded for many years. If any of you are interested I can send you an e-mail copy of what I found. It is entitled: THE EUCHARIST: IGNATIUS TO ZWINGLI.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year,

Vince and Verla

2019

December 9, 2019

Dear Mark and Junel and Roslyn;

Here it is the last of November and it is about time to start thinking about what happened to us this last year. At our age the days seem to melt into one another so it is a little more difficult to sort some of the events apart. But I suppose that I need to take a stab at it.

As starters at the beginning of the year we were notified that Gordon had died, (Verla's brother), so we went to Brighton CO on January 3rd for his funeral on the 4th and then spent a few days at Erie, CO with Steve and Kathy Williams before heading back to Iowa City. Steve is my nephew and it is always nice to get together with them and talk about old times.

Dawn and Bob always come to visit us on our birthdays so they came up for Verla's birthday on April 28th and mine on the 6th of September so we got to see them and visit and find out what is happening with their family which is growing. It appears that we will have a new great grandchild early next year as Samantha and Andrew are awaiting a new arrival.

On July 3rd we had a momentous occurrence happen as we decided to leave our home of 42 years and move to independent living at Legacy Retirement Complex in east Iowa City, IA. Thankfully our children had pity on us old goofers and came to help us get rid of a 42 year old collection of stuff. UFFDA! ! ! Without their help I don't know how it would have come about. We seem to be settled in now and think that it was the right thing to do. Even though we are still in relatively good health it seemed too much to take care of the old place on 2 acres of land.

What's not to like if the meals are prepared and they clean the place two times a month. Leaves us more time to do what we want to do and not what we have to do. It's like being on vacation the year around. What's wrong with that?

Verla still sews quilt tops for the needy at our local church and I still play bass guitar in the Praise Band at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Still ride my e-bike occasionally and try to exercise and stay limber. We still attend concerts by Orchestra Iowa and some concerts at Hancher and also some dinner theater at Circa 21 in Moline IL.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May God continue to bless you all this coming year so that you may be a witness to all who need the Lord.

[NOTE: Underneath this in Dad's handwriting was the following: Love you all – Have a great Christmas and New Year. Mom and Dad]

2018

Dear Mark, Junel and Roslyn,

With some music on the FM for background and the sun shining in the window at 4333 Pine Ridge Trail I will try to remember some of the highlights of the year for Verla and me.

She usually writes this letter and is so good at it that I feel that my attempt to take her place will end in total failure so if you will bear with me I will try to utter a few thoughts.

Last Christmas we spent in San Antonio, TX with Dawn and her family, and Heather and Andrew with their families. Except both of us being ill on Dec. 24, 25, and 26 the time spent there was most enjoyable. Heather and Andrew had two young boys that kept things lively. Their weather in Dec. and Jan. is usually a bit more tolerable that what we are used to in Iowa.

In July, Mark and Roslyn came to Decorah to see and participate in the annual Nordic Fest at the end of the month. Roslyn and Verla marched in the Parade of Flags that opened the Fest. Sharon, Verla's sister, and Verla each modeled a bunad, (folk costume) that she had acquired when she was in Norway years ago, to be in the Bunad Show in Decorah. Roslyn modeled a child's costume with Grandma and Sharon and of course they were all stunning to behold. Arik and Stacie and their three girls, Kaelyn, Amaya, and Lauren also decided to attend Nordic Fest this year. This was their 1st time at Nordic Fest and they said they had a blast and want to do it again next year. All that Norse food and music and dancing in the streets were really fun for them. They even danced a turn or two with Grandpa Vince on the street to a polka. They also explored all the haunts that Arik was used to when he was a kid growing up there.

Then in Sept. Vince celebrated his 85th birthday, so Arik, Dawn and Bob, and John and Jene all were so kind as to come for a long weekend and help him realize that he is now considered one of the older old. A term we learned at a Senior College Course on "Mild Cognitive Decline and Dementia" which we just finished a week ago. If you are up there in age you need to know what they are talking about when they refer to you in a specific category. Before that I thought I was just getting older. So now Verla and I are at the peak of oldness. Verla continues her love of quilting with her Wed. group at Zion Luth. and I still play bass guitar in the praise band at Our Redeemer Luth. which give us much fun and camaraderie.

In closing, Verla and I wish to give thanks to our gracious God and Savior for the many years that He has given us together and we wish all of you a Very Blessed Christmas and A Happy New Year.

Blessings,

V & V

Verla and Vince

2015

December 10, 2015

Dear Mark and Junel,

May you have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! It is difficult to know where to start - so many who are on my Christmas Card list are also on my e-mail list. So what I write here, you may have already read.

But a review:

We drove to northern Pennsylvania the end of May to see grandson Andrew and to meet his bride, Samantha; and of course to see the rest of the Boyd family. We won't be driving east to visit Dawn and Bob any more - they have moved to San Antonio, TX and live quite close to Heather and Xav. We plan to drive down to see them over the holidays.

In June, we flew to Reno (Carson City) to visit Mark and family. He and Roslyn were in the show, Beauty and the Beast. Roslyn was the little cup with a chip. She's a budding actress. It was fun to see that.

Arik and his family came here in March (their spring break) for a visit. It is so much fun to see those 3 granddaughters “growing up.”

BrandiAnne graduated from the community college in Mason City in May, so we were up there to see her graduation. She is now enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa.

And we have been to Traer a few times - in October for J.T.'s confirmation where we heard the best confirmation sermon ever. The Archbishop spoke directly to the “kids” and he had them listening!

We were up there again for Thanksgiving and J.T.'s birthday, right on the day!

And of course, several times to Decorah: Nordic Fest, etc.

We've barely just begun to think about starting to go through files and drawers to see what should be given away or trashed or whatever. It was about August 1989 when we got a computer and printer and I wrote my weekly-or-so letter to the kids, sending each of them a copy. I found files of those copies I had made for me, too, the other day. I've started reading through them - wow! I think they go through 1998. Uffda! So that must have been when we started using e-mail.

Something I have done is made a computer file of the letters I wrote from Norway the semester Vince spent there doing research. My sister Sharon had shared them with others but asked for them back and saved them for me. And just the other day, I found the diary I kept the summer the family spent on Anguilla, where Vince did some dentistry. There was no dentist on the island. Maybe I should publish?

Anyway, have a blessed Christmas!

2013

December 18, 2013

Another year has gone by and it's been a good one! We are both in good health, just a little slower, just sit a little more, just nap a little more.

Vince has officially re-retired. He has gone in one day a week as an adjunct professor for about 15 years but decided now was the time to quit. There seems to be enough jobs around here to keep him busy.

We still keep our apartment in Decorah (we go north for the summer) though we did move. An apartment across the way from ours became available so we took that one. It is a 2 bedroom so we now have room for guests. Come see us.

There have been a few trips this year. The most memorable one was to celebrate Vince's 80th birthday. We gathered the whole family for a week in July at a light house keeper's cottage that has been restored and is rented out by the Calvert County, MD, Museum. It is right on Chesapeake Bay - the light house is still in operation, but not the keeper's cottage. It can be divided in half, so 2 unrelated families can use or it can be opened up. It holds 14; we were 19, but lucky for us, Dawn lives about 20 minutes from there so they drove down each day. The times to have everyone free to get together are not very often, so it is extra special when it happens.

Other trips: twice to Mankato, for 'family reunions' - once the usual end of June and the second in July when brother Gordon was there from Denver.

A trip to the Maryland area in the spring to see Heather receive her promotion to Lt. Commander- yes, she still is in the Navy and stationed at Fort Belvoir Army Hospital.

We went to Hayward, Wl for a visit with a colleague at his cabin on the lake. He says we can use it anytime.

Oh, and to Carson City to visit 6 year old Roslyn and while we were there we watched Mark play the part of Javert in Les Miz at their Community College.

We have also had visitors: Dawn and Bob from Maryland, Sharon, Jessica and boys from Mpls. and Duluth, Karlene and Ed Krisker from Minnesota seeking Roe family info--our 4x great grandfathers were brothers; Pam and Tom with Sharon and Dalen, Steve and Kathy from Denver. Not all at the same time, you understand.

Vince plays once or twice a month in the praise band at Our Redeemer. He bought himself an acoustic bass guitar last fall. I keep busy with LWR quilting and Bible study.

As to the grandchildren: I already mentioned Heather; her brother, Andrew lives in Richmond VA and has a job using computers (we call him when we need help) - they are Dawn's 'kids.'

And I mentioned Mark's daughter, Roslyn - she is in first grade.

Then Arik's: Kaelyn is 13, in 8th grade; Amaya is 10, soon to be 11 and in 5th grade and Lauren is 8 and in 3rd grade.

Jené's are BrandiAnne who graduated from high school and is first year in the Community College at Mason City; J.T. just had his 16th birthday - now he can drive alone.

We wish for you Christmas blessings as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

[signed] Dad and Mom

2012

December, 2012

It might be possible to copy last year's letter and you wouldn't know the difference. It seems we keep doing the same things year after year. Vince is still the prosthodontics consultant one day a week at the College; I still have Bible Study and LWR Quilting spring and fall. We go to concerts by the Cedar Rapids Symphony (now calling themselves Orchestra Iowa) about once a month, and also Bank bus tours a couple of times a year. We saw the musical Miracle on 34th Street in the Quad Cities earlier and also The Nutcracker last week at the restored Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids. It had been badly damaged in the 2008 flood.

We went out to see Dawn, Bob, and Andrew part of spring break in March, partly to celebrate with Andy his graduation from college and obtaining a good job. I don't know what he does - he's a computer scientist. Way beyond my understanding. We also got to see Heather and Xav - yes, they are back in the states. Heather is stationed at Fort Belvoir, VA so lives only about an hour from her folks. We 'helped' them get settled in their apartment - the shipment from Japan had arrived. Well, I mostly sat up in the loft holding their small dog, to keep the dog from getting stepped on and getting squashed.

And in August we took a short trip to Oregon to see Arik and Stacie, Kaelyn, Amaya and Lauren. My, how they grow up with each passing year.

We didn't make it out to Nevada this year, but we have skyped with Roslyn. She is SO excited because she is in the performance by a children's theater group of The Little Mermaid Jr. They performed for three weekends. Is it like father, like daughter?

We do see the Daubs oftener- sometimes for a cross country meet, or a track and field meet, or even a foot ball game. BrandiAnne is a senior this year, J. T. will be a sophomore, active in football and wrestling.

The Blakey "girls" try to get together in Decorah once a year and we did that in August, too. And we also try to have a family reunion in June and at Christmas time. The one in June has been at Decorah, also - it is sort of central.

We are both well- walk a little slower, sit a little longer, but still manage the upkeep on the house and the yard. I heard a fellow the other day say he belongs to the useta club - I don't know how many usetas one needs to join - he useta ride bike, he useta golf.

Oh yeah, the kids all thought they should come home the last weekend in April. It was a surprise to me! Dawn and Bob come every once in a while, so that was okay. But when Mark walked in, then I knew some planning had been done behind my back. And I got suspicious and asked if Arik was coming, too. Dawn couldn't lie, and said he was - the next day. (He was disappointed that he wasn't a surprise, too). Jene had me faked out because they had been with us the previous weekend (part of the ruse). It was something about a significant milestone in my life. We had a good time - Dawn plans well.

God's blessing be yours as we celebrate the birth of Jesus!