Mary Line

The touch of a typewriter

Alice, Texas

March 28, 1967

My dear Bob and Charlotte and family:

First, I want to thank you for the lovely daffodils. They arrived in excellent shape and were beautiful until East Sunday when they did look a little on the droopy side. Mr. Mullen, Helen, Pique and I left a week ago Tuesday for Hot Springs, Arkansas where the Mullen clan gathered for a reunion on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday and East Sunday. All four of the boys, their respective spouses and all children were present, plus Clancy's boy friend from Seattle who attends Gonzaga, and Pique and me as extras. There were twenty nine in all, and a splendid time was had by each and every one. The flowers arrived the day after I left, but Jack and his family were just leaving and they brought them to Hot Springs. Isn't it a wonder that they kept so well, traveling so far? Anyway, accept my sincere thanks. We all enjoyed them. 

Helen made the trip by car both up and back, and needless to say at the moment is down with the count. On top of sheer exhaustion, she has contracted a bad sinus infection. She just doesn't have any stamina. As long as she keeps her regular routine, things go fairly well, but anything out of the ordinary is that much more than she can take.

We had a letter from Frenchy Mullen, the Captain in the Navy whom Mame reared, Jim Mullen's younger son, today telling us that Mame has moved into a one bedroom apartment out in her old neighborhood, and for the first time since December 23, 1965, is on her own. Early this year a pace maker was connected to her heart because of her heart condition, and Frencie says it has been very successful to date. Bob, if you have the time to drop her a line. Her address is 2928 North 83rd, Omaha, Apartment 240. It is just down the stree from where she used to live - the first block north of Maple Street. They are new apartments, so she should be quite happy.

I had a letter from Mary Line when I got back from Arkansas. She said they have had a bad winter with lots of snow and ice. Sounds from the weather report today that the midwest is in for more bad weather by tomorrow too. We have had quite a bit of cold but no rain and only one four inch snow which lasted a day. Today it is 90 and yesterday the mercury climbed to 94. Hot in anybody's language.

Charlotte, I did enjoy your Birthday card and note. You have paid the loan in full and I am only too glad to have been able to give you an assist when you needed it. I am glad, too, that you are enjoying the little car so much.

We are still not completely furnished in our new offices. The drapes are in the process of being made, and my desk as yet, has not showed up. At home Helen has new drapes for the front room and dining room, and new wall paper for the dining room. She put for new carpet in mid December. Pat made the drapes and picked out the wall paper - so you can imagine that they will be quite elegant because he spares no expense for anyone!

Pique still remembers Pat. She was very fond of him when they had her and when she sees him she always cries a little, then runs in circles like she is trying to get his entire attention! After all, we have had her six years last December and she will be eight the 25th of May.

I bought myself a new fishing reel the other day, and Ambassadeur 6000 - a real keen one but as yet haven't quite mastered the art of casting with it. I have a spinning reel, a Garcia Mitchell 300 which I like very much too. Fishing is a really great sport - I am only sorry I didn't take it up much earlier in life.

The last two times I have been over to Padre Island, fishing in the Gulf of Mexico I have been really quite fortunate catching fish. They haven't been very large, but until the new Ambassadeur reel my gear has been too light to catch anything of any size. However, if I even just catch a minnow I am happy.

My typewriter sounds like it is just about to conk out - it works fine for a little while, then sort of "flutters" instead of acting normal. Mr. Mullen just spent $40 on it. Someone has been fooling with it, and I have been raising hell about it - the touch on a typewriter is about as personal as the point of a pen in my book. And there is absolutely no reason for someone fooling with it or even using it. I have issues that ultimatum - we will see what happens!

I must get to other duties, so will bring this to a close for now. Again thanks for the lovely daffodils. Keep up your good record of writing - your letters are certainly enjoyed and appreciated.

Much, much love to each and every one of you. Hope all the family - children and grandchildren are getting along fine too. As usual, my sincere love to Margaret.

Most sincerely, Jean

P.S. Bob, what has transpired as to the N.P. RR and other or others merging? I've been watching the Wall Street Journal but haven't seen anything recently. 

Thank you for the lovely daffodils

Ohio Blizzard, 1978

Sidney, Ohio

7 February 1978

My dear Bob & Charlotte,

Thank you so very much for the Lowell Thomas book. It is most interesting, of course, and very readable. Greenville, about thirty miles from here has always claimed him. He has relatives living there. Since receiving the book I saw him on TV on the Merv Griffin show talking about it. Hugh Downs was also on the same program. He is another Ohio product. He is from Lima. However, his mother was from Sidney and I knew her when she was young. I never knew him.

We don't know anything here but the weather. The first few weeks in Jan. we had snow and cold. We had finally accumulated 24 inches on the ground.

Before it melted the blizzard struck in all its force on Jan 26. The wind was 75 miles an hour. The snow drifted to 12 feet or so. The governor sent in the Ohio Guard some 150-160 strong, three helicopters and heavy equipment from Wright Patterson Air Field. The snow drifted over the roads as fast as they could clear them. It took days for the 800 miles in the county could be cleared. They worked on I-95 first, of course. As of today most of the roads have just one lane.

This county was one of the worst hit in the state. So Sidney was made the headquarters of all this activity. The Guard was housed in the high school and the helicopters landed there. They worked around the clock rescuing people.

With all this we were lucky in Sidney as we had electricity, gas and telephone. Thousands in this area were without any of these for several days. For four days there was no hope of any relief. We just hibernated. Fortunately, I had enough food and was warm. Finally, a boy came along and dug me out. I still have one door that I can't open. My car is in a snow bank and I wouldn't drive it if it wasn't. There is a sheet of ice under all this some two to three inches thick. It is very slippery as the temperature at tnight has been zero or below and there has been no melting in spite of sunshine the last few days. So there is no immediate hope of any relief. It has been quite an experience that I wouldn't care to repeat.

We had no mail or news papers for four days. The local radio stattion did a superb job. They broadcast 24 hours a day and were much help to the Guard about rescue work.

The Red Cross set up shelters in the Presbyterian Church and the Eagles Lodge here. In the church we housed 97 one night and 110 the next. We also fed them. I don't have figures on the Eagles, but at Anna (8 miles north) over 100 were housed in the high school for several days. It is a very small town but it rallied to the problem. There are many tales to be told of this storm.

The Sidney Daily News and the Dayton Journal Hearld both published blizzard extras to be kept as history of the storm.

My love to you both. I think of you often.

Always

Mary

(Mary Line was aunt to Robert Johnson)