I realized no one was probably going to be able to read my scanned letter I posted yesterday. I didn't have time to type it so I posted it anyway. Well, I asked my friend if she could read what it said and the answer was pretty much no. So now I have typed it.
First I would like to say though, I hate it that kids can no longer read cursive!! I first asked Arden to read Aunt Marion's letter. She gave out a moan. I thought it was because she didn't want to read it. Turned out it the moan was because she can barely read cursive--I had to read the letter to her myself.
Then I decided today I would try and have Cokie to read it me so I could type faster.
Me: "Cokie will you read this to me?
Cokie: "Whoa this is good!!"
Me: "Her writing is beautiful isn't it?"
Cokie: "Yes, but I can't read cursive writing that good. I can only read cruddy cursive writing. "
Cokie did try and read it to me, but in the end it was easier to do it myself!
I guess that means Cokie has cruddy cursive writing skills. Again, the schools don't hardly teach it, so why would she have good (or at least not cruddy) cursive writing skills?
My Mom and all her 4 sisters had beautiful handwriting--all different, but beautiful. When I was a kid I would get the mail and knew instantly which Aunt it was from just by their handwriting.
I didn't type or scan the first page of my Aunt's letter. I didn't figure you wanted to read about my Mom's birthday gift or taking their Daddy a bucket of ice cream. : - ) Actually, you can see the date the letter was written on the back of the letter Cokie is reading. The letter below was dated June 9,1988 just in case someone wants to investigate the French Lick, Indian town fire! But, before your read Aunt Marion's letter (the scan copy on my post below) I did find this on the web:
ESTIMATE OF FRENCH LICK FIRE DAMAGE IS $1 MILLION
Post Tribune January 9, 1988
Investigators attempted Friday to determine the cause of a fire that caused an estimated $1 million in damage to a theater and other buildings in downtown French Lick. Fire Chief Barry Wininger said damage from the Thursday night blaze that destroyed the Springs Valley Theater could reach that amount. Also damaged were a graphics firm and a shoe store, according to dispatcher Ruby Copeland of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Keven Glass of French Lick was treated at the scene for bruises and scrapes after an air conditioner apparently exploded and blew him about 25 feet across a parking lot. …
And what follows is the letter from my Aunt Marion to my Mom, much of which describes damage done by that fire. But the first part of the letter is what is really intriguing. Aunt Marion describes how God protected her friend Shirley Haymaker (and her store) from the fire.
This is Sunday a. m. I'm under the hair dryer. I plan to go to SS and church although it's only 3 above.
Violet called last night. She had just been to see Shirley Haymaker. We thought the deal had gone through about the building but it hadn't. She hadn't signed the papers yet. She had no insurance at all on the contents but here's the beautiful part. Shirley had stayed late to work on Thursday night. Her husband who is at least 20 years older than she is, stayed with her. A little after 9:00 she said she had a strong feeling to pack up her things and get them out of that building just as fast she could. She found a big box and started filling it. She didn't pack things. She just threw them in the box. The box was so heavy that she couldn't lift it. She could just drag it over to the door. When she opened the door there stood a young lady, "I'll help you carry that to your car," and she did. Shirley didn't know her. She said young people starting coming from all over to help her clean her shop. By then they smelled smoke. She cleaned out her shop completely even her commercial sewing machine and her smaller machine. A truck came and loaded her stuff and took it to her home.
I really do believe some of the people, at least, who came to help her were angels. She believes so strong in angels and the Lord. She is even growing a 3rd set of teeth that the Lord is giving her. That in itself is a story. They are about ready to start popping through. You know how a baby's gums look? You can see the teeth but they are still under the skin. That is the way Shirley looks. She had to quit wearing her dentures about Easter last year. She had a big sign in her store saying that the Lord was giving her a 3rd set of teeth. Now that takes faith. She is a beautiful Christian.
Curtis and I went to town yesterday to see what downtown French Lick looked liked after the fire. The theater and the store next to it are completely gone. It burned 7 business places and 6 apartments. It started about 10:00 Thursday night in the theater. No one seems to know how it started. It burned out the insides of the stores down to the old Star store and up to the Marelyn Fentasco General Store. It's a restaurant and gift shop. Shirley Haymaker had just bought the store next to the theater. She had an alteration shop and gift shop in it. When the fire started, a fellow went up to the apartment above the theater and brought 3 children down from it. There were fire trucks there from 7 different towns. The townspeople of French Lick had raised money and did a half million dollars worth of work there last summer. The street had new brick surface and it all looked so nice. What used to be the drug store was a new shoe store. That was two doors from the theater. Shirley's place was between.
I have been doing some sewing for myself this week, but today I have no fire in the backroom. Love, Sister
Aunt Marion's daughter, Joy Jean and my youngest sister, Becki.
Joy Jean and her husband. They drove to Indiana from California, sold their car here, and then left to tour Europe! I am in back on the left with my sister, Charly and my brother.
I loved Joy Jean's shag!! Carol Brady had nothing on Joy Jean!
