1975

Dear friends,

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Oh - I bet you thought we can cross Verla off our list - she's not going to get her cards done this year. I read "Family Circus" in yesterday's paper and had second thoughts again. So, if you I don't like Christmas letters, just throw this away. I like getting them!

For the very first time, I tried making lefse and fatigmann last week. Guess our trip to Norway this past summer has inspired me. Yes, Vince and I and my sister & her husband, Sharon and Dalen, visited the 'land of our ancestors' the first two weeks in August. We had a really good time - the scenery was beautiful and the weather agreeable as well. We didn't know of any living relatives but we tramped a few cemeteries and found some stones with family names. We even found a couple of farms we believe to be old homesteads. We stayed in mission hotels, a Baptist school and even a private home and met some nice people. Vince's ability to speak some Norwegian stood us in good stead. Now we are starting our 'vacation savings fund' over - I've always thought it would be fun to visit Hawaii, but now I'd like to go back to Norway; or maybe to England and Germany to visit the ancestral homes of the other side of my family. Oh, well - I'm dreaming!

For several years I was able to tell you about the increases to our family - now it has started to decrease. Dawn graduated from High School in May - attended Luther College summer session, and then in Aug. moved to Cedar Falls, Ia., where she is enrolled in the University of Northern Iowa; she is aiming to be a kindergarten teacher - thoroughly loves those little 5-year-olds. She is enjoying college life. With the two summers she went to Luther, plus credits from exams, etc. she will be a second semester sophomore when she starts again in January. She plans to work this coming summer, but will still finish college in three years. It saves her money, she says.

Mark is a senior in High School, active in chorus, band, Cross Country. He is not sure where he will go to college, and has been getting publicity from a lot of them. He likes music, but he also likes math and computers, and I guess what he decides to do will affect where he decides to go.

Arik is in sixth grade and nearing 12 years. He started in band this year, and on the drums at that! Practicing gets a little noisy, especially since his bedroom is off our kitchen. His morning paper route keeps him in spending money, besides saving for a motorcycle. (Like father - like son. Oh, Vince sold his Harley and bought a new Yamaha, somewhat smaller than the Harley. He just got it before it got cold so he hasn't ridden it much).

Jene is 9 1/2 and in fourth grade. She started piano this year and so far likes it. She even practices without being reminded. Girl Scouts and church choir are her extracurricular activities.

There has been some sadness this year - Vince's good friend from dental school being killed in an airplane accident last February in Florida; my cousin's (who lived in Golden Valley, Mn.) death from cancer just last month.

Our parents are all well - Vince's folks will be here Christmas Eve. Lillie's hip has not healed properly and she is still in a wheelchair. We will be going up to my folks the day after Christmas for the weekend.

Peggy, our Anguillan daughter, is in Puerto Rico, in training to be a radio missionary. She is happy in her new work. I wish we were close enough to hear a broadcast - I'm just assuming that sooner or later her bell-like singing voice will be going out on radio waves. I can almost hear her. . .
"Go tell it on the mountains,
Over the hills and everywhere.
Go tell it on the mountains,
That Jesus Christ is born!"
Again, Merry Christmas!

Vince, Verla, Dawn, Mark, Arik and Jené

1974

Dear friend,

The disappointment I feel when I open a card without some note of news from the sender prods me to again dig out my typewriter and set down this discourse.

Looking back over our oversized calendar, this has been a year of much activity - I hope some of it meaningful. There have been several highlights:

In January, our family (we took the kids out of school) spent 2 weeks in southern Texas, basking in the sun, running on the beach, a trip across the border to Mexico and visiting old (of long standing) friends from when Vince was stationed in Harlingen. That was fun!

May was interesting - we helped Vince's folks celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary by having a small open house here for their friends and relatives. (Things have been up and down for them thru-out the year. They moved in November from the Retirement Center to the Eastern Star Retirement Home. Lillie fell about a week ago and broke her leg, so right now she is in the hospital.)

Also in May, Peggy graduated from Luther College. We had another Open House to honor her, and such a crew of friends and faculty that came to wish her well. Right now she is back at home in Anguilla, but anticipates coming back sometime.

In July, we went to Windom for a weekend for my class reunion - the 25th (could it be?) I really enjoyed that - seeing some classmates I hadn't seen for years and years. Another week was spent at Windom during July, helping Mom with the chores while Dad was in the hospital for a short stay. It was kind of fun again - feeding the hogs, the chickens, the sheep, etc. You can take the girl off the farm but you never quite get the farm out of the girl.

Vince had his usual trips - dental meetings, etc. He spent a week in N. Minn. in June, catching the big ones, mostly northerns. And the Labor Day weekend in Canada trying for more. He spent this past Friday and Saturday at the university of Minnesota attending a dental short course. Really good, he said.

An exciting and rewarding experience was ours in September when we were the host family for two visiting Japanese Christians, a venture of the Iowa District of the ALC. Our communication was painstakingly slow as we understood no Japanese, and they spoke little English. The night one of them asked to be shown the conveniences of my "kitchen room and my basement" was a real event. To explain the workings of our appliances, particularly the water softener, was as educational for me as for them.

The kids have been involved and busy - Dawn, a senior and Mark, a junior especially so. Mark was a member of the State Champion Cross Country team, and was thrilled. Both of them had parts in the Sr. High Drama Dept. production of Fiddler on the Roof and after 8 or 10 weeks of rehearsals, the entire cast did a terrific job. Dawn was one of the daughters, and Mark played the tailor.

Arik is in fifth grade and Jené in third and each busy in their own activities. Arik spent a night in the hospital after a hard bump on the head, but no dire consequences. Jené just keeps bubbling around, teasing everyone and earning their displeasure more often than not.

So we come again to the Advent season with its busy preparations. It's good I know that Christmas will come whether or not I get my cookies baked, my gifts wrapped or my cards sent. My, (and everyone's) preparedness comes from opening the heart's door to the Christ knocking there, whether it be the Christ born in the manger or the Christ wearing the victory crown coming to be with us forever.

Merry Christmas!

Vince, Verla, Dawn, Mark, Arik & Jené

1972

Hey there!

Life has been full and exciting since I last sat down to compose such an epistle as this. With the sounds of tires spinning in the cold snow, Christmas carols from the radio or the stereo, Rudolph or the Grinch sounding forth from the TV and children's voices: "You know what I want, Mom?" or "I only want this, Mom," we move rapidly on towards that day of all days when our Savior and Lord was born. As we celebrate His birth again this year, may we each receive Him anew each day, and as we anxiously await His second coming, may we each day be prepared for its glory and its finality.

As we watch our children grow and mature, I'm not sure if they are keeping us young or helping us age - a little of both, I presume. Dawn is a sophomore, a cheerleader, in the band and in the chorus, in Youth Choir and Hi League at Church. She was confirmed last May. The boys are beginning to call at the door, but she still tells her dad he is her favorite.

Mark is a freshman, in band and chorus, Jr. Hi League and Confirmation Choir. He will be confirmed in the spring (I suppose). He went out for Cross Country, and will for Track - likes football and basketball but is too small, I guess. He has a morning paper route which makes him early to bed and early to rise, and a man of his own means.

Arik is in third grade, in Cub Scouts, and Children's Choir. He is taking piano lessons - likes to play but hates to practice.

Jené is in first grade, and likes school. She now reads me her bedtime stories.

There have been some changes and some additions around here. Vince has moved his dental office uptown where he is renting space. He has a nice 2-chair office and likes it. In nice weather, he rides his motorcycle (now has a Harley Davidson) or his bicycle. Now that it is colder he walks and carries his noon lunch with him.

The boys are each sleeping in what used to be an operatory downstairs. The waiting room will be a den - we are waiting for carpenters to put in a door. Dawn now has her own room and enjoys the solitude away from a noisy little "sis." Jené also has her own room with its purple shag rug and lilac walls. Those are the changes - now for the additions:

Ebony came to live with us last January. Sometimes she's man's best friend and sometimes man's worst nuisance. I'11 be glad when she gets over chewing - boots, mittens, stocking caps, pencils, ballpoint pens, magazine racks, woodwork, you name it. The kids have enjoyed her, especially Mark.

Last May, my sister Pam got married so we have a new brother-in-law, Bob Bergan. She still works at Luther, he is employed by Western Electric.

And when school started this fall, Peggy came to live with us. She is Jene's roommate, a junior at Luther and from Anguilla (the island we were at in 1969).

Another addition - to our church - a new pastor, Paul Christensen, a man of unending energy. He'll probably shake First Lutheran down to its very foundations.

My parents for the most part are quite well, I was home for a couple of days in the middle of a week a couple of weeks ago - without any of the children along. What a visit we had!

Vince's folks had to give up their apartment last summer and are now living at the Aase Haugen Home, about five miles outside of Decorah. Some days they are fairly content out there, some days not.

1967

Mark and Dawn (Mom supervised) made their gifts to their homeroom teachers tonight. The hardest part was trying to ignore all the help they were getting from Arik and Jené. Saturday morning we made and decorated cookies. This year I had three decorators - will it be all four by next year? One of these nights will be giftwrapping and then I think the tree will go up over the weekend. We don't dare put it up too early. And so the tasks get done and the days go by. Christmas will soon be here. Have we hurried and scurried too much? Are we too tired to appreciate Christmas? Did we miss its real significance? I pray not.

I suppose we notice most that another year has passed by looking at our children. Dawn is ten and in the fifth grade. She thoroughly enjoys school. With church choir, piano lessons and girl scouts, she is kept busy enough. Oh yes, she started on the flute this year. The fifth and sixth grade band had their first concert last week, and it was surprisingly good. The director is very informal and kept making funny remarks in his announcements. He must make band fun for the kids.

Mark is eight and in fourth grade. He started taking piano lessons this fall and is coming right along. He is in Cub Scouts too, so is on the go. He hates to miss school - the other week when he was sick during the night and knew he wouldn't be feeling well the next day, said, "I wish tomorrow was Saturday." It wasn't!

Arik is three and started church school this fall. His class meets on Wednesday morning because of space problems on Sunday morning. He is an active, energetic, teasing little boy who loves to go get a haircut because the barber gives him a Tootsie Roll, and to go to the bank with Daddy because the teller gives him a sucker. And he never forgets! He keeps the whole house in a dither most of the time till we get to the point where we look forward to bedtime, his bedtime.

And then there is the baby - no, not a baby any longer. She is a year and a half, and is beginning to talk in sentences, at least to mimic our sentences. Jené has progressed in the past year from crawling to walking, to climbing and running. She is more often on top of the table than she is walking on the floor. She loves books and sits on the davenport for long times looking at them; lately it is has been the Christmas catalog with its pretty doll babies. Her sweet smile at times, and her quick "Don't" at other times show us she is developing her own independency - it doesn't take long!

I suppose if you would look at Vince and me you could see the passage of time, too; Vince with his balding pate and me with my strands of gray!

Vince has taken two fishing trips to Canada - one last spring with his brother Spence and one this fall with three other Decorah fellows. Fishing was real good both times, so they all had a delightful time. We also went to the State Dental Convention in May at Des Moines, and to the ten-year reunion of Vince's class at Lake Okoboji in August. Mom came down and stayed with the kids while we were in Des Moines. And for the reunion we took Mark, Arik, and Dawn with us and left Jené with Mom.

Our vacation was a real "mom-vacation." We spent two weeks in July at a cottage on Gull Lake near Brainerd. Mark and Dawn went swimming every day and thoroughly enjoyed the convenience of the lake. We got so we ate only two meals a day, one of which was breakfast usually prepared by Vince. Mark and Dawn usually did dishes once a day, so I really felt like I was a lady of Leisure. Oh yes, my Mom had Arik and Jene for those two weeks, and she was the one in need of a vacation by the time we came back to pick them up.

Vince's folks haven't felt too good through the past year and we've tried to be as much help to them as possible. It must be difficult to grow old and have to admit that we can't do as much as we once did and would still like to do.

(Forgive the typographical errors - I'm going to have to take this old typewriter in for repairs. It keeps using the wrong keys.)

It is our prayer that we may realize anew that it is the Christ whose birth we celebrate now who will come again to take us to be with Him eternally.

1965

Hi!

It is Christmas letter time again - I'm later at it this year - deer hunting season is over. Vince went out one day but it was so foggy that he couldn't see a thing so he came home early. The rest of his deer hunting spent lying around the house with flu. His hunting this fall has been minimal - very few pheasants (we're told) and he's been after squirrels only once or twice.

This has been a busy year (aren't they all?) and these last few weeks seem especially so. Vince has finished the Bethel teacher trainee course, and in November the first unit was offered to the congregation. Vince was one of the teachers teaching this unit, which finished this past Wednesday. He is also teaching the next unit which will start in January. He finds that he puts almost as much time in preparation for teaching each hour as he did on his lessons himself. But it is worth it - I hear from members of his class that he is a good teacher. I find it hard to find enough "quiet" hours in the week to get the reading and memorizing done. There are so many things I put aside to do while Arik is napping that his nap times just don't reach to everything.

Now I don't want you to get the idea that Arik is a bad boy. It's just that he is a typical 21-month old boy who loves to climb, loves to play with the vacuum cleaner, loves to help with the dishes, with the baking, and most anything else he can get his fingers into. But he has such an endearing smile when scolded for doing something he shouldn't be doing; and he really feels like he is being such a big help. He even looks like a Dennis the Menace - I can't keep his "rooster tail" down, no matter how many times a day I comb his hair.

Mark and Dawn are busy in school. Dawn is in third grade this year and Mark is in second. Dawn is in Brownies and will be starting piano lessons after the first of the year. We've just gotten a second-hand piano, and Dawn is practicing at it when I come down to make breakfast in the mornings. (Every time I sit down to play, Arik is there to help me, and to sing along. His favorite songs are Jesus Loves Me, Away in a Manger, and Brahm's Lullaby.)

The week of Iowa's heat wave this summer past we were vacationing at a cottage on Spirit Lake. Every time we got too hot for comfort, we took a dip in the lake. The kids especially enjoyed it, swimming morning, noon and night. They really practiced what they'd learned in their swimming lessons. The week following the three kids went to visit Grandpa and Grandma Blakey on the farm while Vince and I spent our time in Madison, Wisc., attending a session for Bethel Teacher Trainees. It was a concentrated week of many hours of classes taught by Pastor Swiggum, mostly on teaching principles. It was an interesting, beneficial, and enjoyable week.

Arik spent ten days on Grandpa's farm later this fall. He really has a ball as do Grandpa and Grandma. He loves to be outdoors and follow Grandpa around - helping feed the cattle, pigs, and chickens. I was busily doing my fall housecleaning while he was gone, and what I didn't get done then still isn't done.

We have taken our usual trips throughout the year - the state dental meeting in Des Moines in May, the Iowa City homecoming in October and Vince's fishing trip (unproductive) to Canada in late September. Vince's folks so willingly come over and stay with the kids when we take these jaunts.

Vince did some work in his dental operatories this spring. He has a new reclining chair, new cabinets, and new unit in one operatory. The other one was left pretty much the same, except for the new tile on the floor, and a fresh paint job on the walls and woodwork. He feels he is pretty well equipped now to do dentistry efficiently and effectively.

May the meaning of Christmas be deeper, and its hopes brighter is our prayer for you this year.

Joyously,

Vince, Verla, Dawn, Mark and Arik

1962

December 9, 1962

Hi!

We are echoing the words of so many, "Where has this year gone?" As I write this Vince is out hunting - hoping to get a couple of pheasants. Next weekend he is going to try for a deer, being lucky enough to get one of the 10,000 deer licenses that are issued in Iowa. We've had a couple of pheasant dinners this fall, plus a few squirrel dinners, and quite a bit of trout through the summer. Vince likes to excuse his many hunting or fishing excursions with, "I've got to furnish meat for the table." (It all tastes good!)

As the weather finally turns cold, we remember with pleasure our vacation trip to Texas last February. Leaving Iowa in a blizzard (it took us 2 1/2 days to get to the Missouri Border) and coming back to Decorah in a blizzard, the week we spent in Harlingen with temperatures every day of 88 and 90 was really a treat. The kids even played in the Gulf of Mexico; and Vince got one of the worst sunburns he can remember, on an afternoon fishing trip. We enjoyed so much seeing quite a few of those we knew when Vince was stationed there, and especially enjoyed the hospitality of the Daniel family - Pastor, Margaret, Becca & Dave.

Another memorable week was spent along with a family from Decorah at a cabin on the Mississippi near Cass Lake and Bemidji, Minnesota, the middle part of August. It was a poor time of the year for fishing, though the men tried early and late every day; but it was really relaxing for the womenfolk to have nothing to do but see that the meals were made and the children watched. Our schedule was so different - breakfast at ten in the morning, dinner or lunch at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and supper about 9:30 or 10 in the evening. But even that was fun!

The rest of the year has been spent in busyness in home, church and community. Vince has been Chairman of the Board of Trustees at church, and so has been real concerned with the business end of the church. Starting this fall, I'm principal of the Primary Dept. of Sunday School. We have 12 teachers, 12 substitutes and about 100 students in our department. Next, Sunday we are giving our Christmas presentation as a part of the second morning worship service. I hope it sounds better than it did at practice today.

About once a month or so, we try to get up to Windom, Minnesota, to see Grandma & Grandpa Blakey. The kids really have fun on the farm. Mark was out helping Grandma pick eggs one day. How was he to know he wasn't supposed to drop them in the basket. And then to climb the elevator into the hay loft - that is really an adventure. And if Grandpa wonders where the corn disappears to - Mark has been feeding the pigs. They're hungry! Poor Grandpa - he has to keep an eye on them - these city kids just aren't used to things on a farm!

Vince and I went to the State Dental Convention in Des Moines, the Dental District Meeting in Dubuque, Homecoming at Iowa City; we also spent a weekend in Des Moines in November with Art & Marge Cahalan, an exciting weekend considering Mark needed three stitches in his upper lip - he fell against the door. Now we are planning, weather permitting, to attend the Midwinter Meeting in Chicago in February. We really appreciate living in the same town as Grandpa and Grandma Williams, and their willingness to stay with the kids on these weekends. Needless to say, the kids really enjoy it - Grandpa always has some licorice in a pocket.

Why mamas get gray? On July 4, Mark fell out of the car as I was turning into our driveway - luckily he had sense enough to grab hold of the arm rest and hang on till I got the car stopped. And I really aged on August 27. Dawn had her 5th birthday on August 26, and the next day tripped gaily off to kindergarten. She enjoys it so much. Mark started Sunday School in September so he too says he "is getting big." They have their Christmas program next Sunday afternoon, so we have been learning the little songs and finger plays that they will be using. Dawn found out today that she will be an angel and is quite thrilled. Mark will be in the little "choir."

May Christ, the light of the World, whose birth we are remembering fill you with His joy and peace now and throughout the year to come.

Sincerely,