Love, Dad

Monticello, Minnesota 

Tuesday, November 12, 1957

Dear Elmer, 

I am going to send you a few lines and will write as I think along. I am getting so that the fingers on the left hand are beginning to line-up a little better than they did a while ago so I can peck away today. 

Yesterday, the 11th of November, it was just three months since I had a little touch of something. It was on August 11th that my right side went on kind of a strike, it was hard to talk or eat and my right hand and right foot did not want to go the same way that I wanted them to go. I felt this coming on for several months but did not know enough to lay up or did not take time, so after takeing it easy for a while I am now nearly better. I think that worry causes things like this so today I have decided to let worry go where it wants. 

Now the wheather for this time of year is very good and we have not had any snow here to speak of and not very cold yet but I am certain it will come as it has never failed so far. 

The day you called me I had just gotten back from the lake cottage and some of the water pipes there had frozen and all the sistem system had to be drained. It should have been done but was put off till almost to late. I wass not at the lake cottage but very little this summer but your mother was out more or less. Do you remember Mr. Clark from the auto dealership? He helped your mother and Aunt Ida with lake house chores this summer. Aunt Ida is about the same as usual and intends to stay at the lake cottage unless it gets real cold and much snow this winter. 

I received the Old Spice you mailed me for my birthday. I still had some left-over from that the children sent me last Christmas. I must say that little Kenneth is a fine writer and have letters from Judy and see they are gaining knowledge. How long before Judy can play like Liberache? I am not doing any playing these days as my fingers on my left hand don’t cowperate cooperate most days. 

Now, I am useing the "Hoffman" T.V. We put the Admiral up-stairs in the guest room and I will say that the Admiral has been used a lot and is still going good. I can manage the Hoffman but it has been moved around and not in the best of adjustment but it gives plenty of entertainment. Your mother has the 17" Zenith in her room and it has been given a new antenna. With the three sets you and Peggy will have enough sets to fill every room in your house. I still have the old violin and also have a very good mandolin as I will never use them again so I have already shipped those to you in Oregon in proper boxes. Kenneth can use the violin for the Christmas recital. 

I tried to get this letter off withoutt thinking of so many things but it seems that so much comes into ones mind that one cannot write about it all, there is always something that turns-up to interrupt ones thoughts and when I think of all you's all out there in Oregon I just forget what to say. 

I have been at home this fall more than ever and any time I can ever recall and one reason is your mother has been very very busy with company or one thing or another. She gets my meals and brings me scotch but I don't see much of her only now and then as she has been with the company of Mr. Clark most days. 

Now I will try to get back on the subject I intended to write about as the fingers in my left hand are acheing now. I am glad to hear that your financial advisor business is good, Elmer. It is worth while when you are gaining even though it is hard work. I think I mentioned to you some time ago we have some little money saved up that you could use to help you allong more. I intended to save it for house repairs but since it is no good to me any longer it will go all to you and Peggy and the kids. 

About the year 1950 there began a farily fairly good income in your mother's business and it was steady until 1955 and there are stock options she invested with Aunt Ida. I never did much of anything in the way of labor, just some little tinkering here and there and tried to help your mother to my ability but she never allowed me to help.

Your mother never thought I was good at the business aspect or let alone anything else. The balanse balance that has been put into the bank is about $5,000.00 and it is all yours. I have not made a will but you keep this and it may answer just as good. 

Your mother has recently withdrawn $1,000.00 for herself as I do not know the intention but there has been a new auto bought and I think the Dodge was traded in. She had bought a new dress too. This is a matter I had nothing to do with and one I don't want to get mixed up in. I know Elmer this is not something you would had advised your mother to do because the Dodge was in tip top shape. 

I told your mother to call you for your financial advise but I don't know wheather or not she did and I have no way of finding out because I did not ask her before I shot her. She was watching the news as she does in her favorite brown chair. She did not notice me when I walked in her room until the very last moment she turned my direction and saw that I had pointed the gun at her face. I smiled and pulled the trigger. I had to use my right hand and luckily my first shot struck her square in the face and that bullet sent her into eternity. I cleaned with a wet rag the blood and brains as best I could and not much splattered on the 17" Zenith so that is good. Her new dress is ruined so that will need to be thrown-out. The news broadcast on the TV was about the Pan Am airline flight that crashed on Friday the 8^th on the way to Honolulu and killed all 44 people. Elmer, did you see that on the news? What a tragedy. 

Love, Dad