Vacation

We just had a wonderful couple of days with the whole family. Mike and Belinda drove down to see us, but also enjoy a few days with the family, and some relaxation .

They came in Sat. afternoon. We had supper together and then they went out to Beaver Lake and stayed in one of Kim's cottages. Sunday we went to church and Mike graciously sang a special (had to twist his arm some) "My Redeemer is faithful and True" and it was just beautiful.

Monday Ev. and Gt. came to Rogers with their trailer and crafts and began to set up for the big fall War Eagle craft show which is this week. That evening we all went out to Famous Dave's and had just a wonderful night out together. The food was great and we stayed and chatted for about 2 hours.

They came and went each day, but stayed an hour or so each time. All went well and dad enjoyed it, and did really good. They had time to drive out to Roaring River--see some of the changing leaves--watch the many deer that get fed out by their cottage--play 18 holes of golf-- and go 4 wheeling with Rich and Cindy in Mark Twain Forest. They had a blast. Come again. Maybe the kids would also enjoy 4 wheeling.

Bertha and Marie

Way back in 1935 I went to school, in the third grade, with a very sweet girl ( a little Shirley Temple), by the name of Marie Visser. Her mother was a widow, living on a farm 1 1/4 north of Maurice, on Hwy. 75, with her 5 children. She had another sister, Bertha and 3 brothers.

One night ,after school, we visited Marie and stayed overnight. We were playing in the corn crib (most of us girls had playhouses in one of the cribs after the corn was out.) It was so funny-here came Ivan chasing Bertha with a pail of water. It turned out, it wasn't so funny. The hay stack was on fire. The fire truck came, saved all the buildings but lost the hay stack. In those day we still mixed baking soda in the water to fight the blaze.

The Visser's moved to Orange City a few years latter and I lost contact with them. While in College I met Bertha working in the GOLDEN RULE store. World War 11 was on, Bertha had a boyfriend in Germany. She was always so pleasant, and while working she'd be singing the top song of the day "Mares Eat Oats and Does Eat Oaks and Little Lambs Eat Ivy." Well, her boyfriend got killed. She became the Tulip Queen for the year and latter married a Van Gelder.

Marie married a Rowenhorst and lived on a home farm just out side of OC. I latter saw her in Meza, Az. while visiting Lois and Pete. Never saw her or talked to her otherwise in all that time.

Bertha past away at 88, in May. I, just on impulse, sent Marie a sympathy card and wrote a letter with it about old memories. GUESS WHAT? I got a telephone call yesterday and it was Marie. She appreciated that letter so and we just talked for a long time about old times. Since May she lost her great grandchild of, 8 mons. and she has had a lot of trouble and operations in regards to her gull bladder. She's fine now again.

Just that one telephone call made my day and days to come.