Johnson - Burkhalter Wedding

Wedding Date Set

Family Photos, circa 1985 (Part 2)

Mark Johnson, Patty Johnson

Nate Johnson

Stan Burkhalter, Anna Burkhalter

Marian Burkhalter, Jacque Burkhalter, Elisabeth Burkhalter

Too Bad I Don't Remember the Trip...

Trip Expenses July - Aug 1976

Tacoma - Phoenix

Char, Stan, Jac, Anna, & Eliz

(there are actually 12 pages)

(don't you wish you had these gas prices?)

I could send Marian C.O.D. for you.

1981 - Monday

Hi Dad & Mom -

Happy Memorial Day...or is Memorial Day supposed to be happy. Not with this rain, it ain't. We went swimming, indoors, of course. Anna & Elisabeth showed off their new skills to Stan & Marian spent the hour trying to climb whatever "tree" was handy. Mostly me.

Anna is in seventh heaven because a new boy moved in down the street. He even called her today. Twelve more years of this will drive me crazy.

I'm writing to ask you to measure the diameter of your blue coat, and also the back length.

Or I should say, I need to know what diameter you want the new one since you're so skinny now and also the back length you prefer - I know you want it longer. Maybe you'll get it by father's day.

I presume Minne & Bill are back. Ah envy. Do you miss Benson, Dad? I could send Marian C.O.D. for you. Hell, I'd even prepay the freight. And she is housebroken now too. Just say the word...

Only 12 more dys, huh, Ma... Anna's counting, too - I'm surprised that she's sick of school already. Are you having a party?

What time on the 18th are you getting back from Alaska? I've been looking at our summer plans - will you take the girls Aug 3-7 and the weekend on either end? We're going to a workshop at Cal-Poly in San Luis Obispo. Depending on our monetary situation, we'de like to see San Francisco on the way down and LA on the way back. What I was wondering at the beginning of this paragraph is - do you maybe want to plan the Ocan trip the week of the 19th? We have the Burkhalter reunion the 25-26, so we could go straight from the ocean to California, which wouldn't be too restful, among other things. Other things being trying to pack stuff for three different "trips" all in one. On the other hand, you just might like more than a day or 2 to "rest up" and water all your weeds before you go again. Whatever.

Stan's on jury duty again this week. Hates it because of the detailed lesson plans he has to make up. He wrote about a dozen work sheets last night.

We went to a play Saturday nite - Ladyhouse Blues. Do you know when it was written? It was set in the 20's. We wondered because a lot of the jokes wouldn't have been meant as such if it was written back then (world coming to an end, last war stuff)

Le me know your measurements ma

See you soon

Jacque

Hi to Mark - I wrote you a lovely letter, but I lost it - unless Stan mailed it for me, which I doubt.

Fabric sample for the jacket:

Your Great White Hope Shall Live On

Your the greatest, specialist and best grandpa

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

(I miss you)

Stan Burkhalter - 1980

According to the moon, this weekend is when you're supposed to plant everything.

Thursday (1971?)

Hi Momma!

Happy Mother's Day.

I'm a little slow. Sorry this is (will be) late. I wish we could come down and see you - we haven't been down for M. Day for a few years - but you know we love you. We're having Stan & Jen down for dinner (and Barb and Steve & Sue) and they need a lot of attention.

If you already have a wallet thingy for your trip or you don't want one, I can exchange it very easily. It's not exactly something you can use two of. The store where I bought it has lots of neat stuff so you can trade it in on something good.

We've been hoeing and raking in our garden for 3 hours this evening! It's almost ready to plant. According to the moon, this weekend is when you're supposed to plant everything.

Student teaching is going great. I do everything now. I plan out the whole week and by Friday I usually only have Wednesday's stuff done. This week I still haven't done stuff planned for Monday and Tuesday! Oh well. Minaya or whatever.

I got a real good midterm evaluation. I guess I told you that, I got 4 outstandings and 6 strongs. Now all I need is a job.

Write sometime, okay?

Hope to see you soon. Drag daddy up for a Sunday drive - everything is blooming and beautiful.

lotsa love,

Jacque

(and Stanley)

Friday Photo: I Hated My Haircut Then...

...and I hate it now too...

Stan Burkhalter, Anna Burkhalter

Marian Burkhalter Sanchez, Jacque Johnson Burkhalter, Elisabeth Burkhalter Rossen

Elisabeth, Marian, Anna

1985

I'm sorry my kids are such slobs.

Monday

Hi -

Just heard another horror story - Mari left her clothes on the floor, made Grandma slip and break "10 plates and a bigger plate that meat goes on...or maybe nine. They all busted but one." Oh, God, is that a true story?? Also heard that after Marian got yelled at she hid her clothes under the sink. For the 100th time, I'm sorry my kids are such slobs.

Thank you from Stan for the hair dryer. It's just perfect. And thank you for the potatoes and zuchinni. Froze all the Z today for zoup. Tomorrow I can 40 lbs of beans. And thank you for the sewing machine belt. Poor Elisabeth is so patient.

Here's the zuchunni zoup. Nah, never mind. I'll put it on a recipe card.

Wasn't Sunday at Jill's lovely? The river was perfect. The girls were asleep before the end of Jill's driveway.

love,

Jacque

I ARE LONESOME IN THIS BIG UGLY CITY

ITS FIVE THIRTY


HIYA MOMMA I'M AT WORK AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IVE GOTTEN TO SIT DOWN SINCE TWELVE THIRTY. I SURE HOPE THIS LETTER GETS TO YOY CAUSE YOU SAID IT WOULD TAKE FOR DAYS AND ITS THE FOURTEENTH TODAY RIGHT? WELL YES. I HATE MY JOB PER USUAL BUT ITS OKAY. I DECIDED THAT I WILL LIKE STANLEY STEAMER ALL SUMMER AND THEN I WILL GET THINGS DONE. SEE, IF I GO OUT IN SEATTLE I WONT BE HOME AND I WILL BE INEFFICIENT. AS IT IS, I GET A LOT DONE WITH STEAMER OUT ON LUMMI ISLAND PLAYING WITH THE FISHIES AND THE INDIANS. YESTERDAY I WENT TO THE STORE TWICE AND MADE TWO BATCHES OF CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE COOKIES THINGIES AND FIRED OOPS FRIED A CHICKEN (IT TOOK AN HOUR SO I WOULD BE SURE IT WAS DONE) AND GAVE SARA A BATH AND CLEANED MY ROOM AND DID THE DISHES TWICE AND WENT FOR A WALK AND WROTE A THANKYOU NOTE TO MRS BURKHALTER. HOW ARE MARIE AND FRANK AND YOUR NECK? SAY HELLO TO THEM AND CONGRADULATIONS OR WHATEVER. I HOPE YOUR NECK DOESNT BOTHER YOU TOO MUCH. HELLO AUNT MARIE HOW ARE YOU? HELLO UNCLE FRANK HOW ARE YOU? WHY DONT YOU TWO COME UP AND SEE ME SOMETIME? ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE SICK I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU HOWEVER I WOULD RATHER YOU WERE WELL EVEN IF THAT MEANT I COULDN'T SEE YOU. HMM. I WORK IN THE EMERGENCY COMPOUNDING THE RED TAPE THAT SURROUNDS COUNTY INSTITUTIONS. I CIRCLE THINGS, CHECK THINGS, X THINGS, TYPE THINGS, ADMIT PEOPLE THINGS AND THE LIKE. AND I MAKE LISTS. THAT PART I LIKE SINCE IM A LISTMAKER FROM WAY BACK. NOW I WILL GIVE YOUA LIST OF WHAT PRESENTS MINNE WANTS FROM BIGMOMMA: SOMETHING LEATHER, NO FURTHER COMMENT. THATS WHAT SHE SAID. SHE DOESNT WANT A SWEATHER I GUESS. I WAS THINKING IF YOU COULDN'T GET A BLUE SWEATER YOU COULD GET A GRAY AND WHITE SWEATER. THAT MIGHT BE NICE. I RUNNED OUT OF THINGS TO SAY. DONT LET AND FOREIGNERS PINCH YOU. ONLY UNCLE FRANK. BRING YAKKY LOTS OF GOODIES. I BET IF YOU SENT THEM IN THE MAIL THAY WOULD GET HERE. MARC SAID HE WOULD DRIVE ME TO TACOMA TO GET THE CAR ON HIS MOTERCYCLE. MINNE AND MARC BOUGHT A RED 1961 VOLKWAGON, AND A HOUSE. YESTERDAY THEY BOUGHT FTHE CAR FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS. THEY GET IT TODAY MINNE IS ALL EXCITED. NOW THEY WILL HAVE TO GET INSURANCE. THEY PUT A DOWNPAYMENT ON A FARM HOUSE (NOT THE ONE THE ORIGINALLY WANTED_THIS ONE IS MORE RUN DOWN) THIS SUNDY THEY WILL GO TO POULSBO TO SEE IT AND STUFF. MARC IS GOING TO SUMMERSCHOOL. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN MY GRADES YET. SARA GOT SEVEN NEW PAIRS OF TRAINING PANTIES AND SHE WET ALL OF THEM IN ONE DAY AND RAN AROUND NAKED HALF THE DAY. SHE HASNT QUITE GOT THE HANG OF IT YET_AND I DONT THINK SHE WANTS TO: SHE KEEPS BRINGING US DIAPERS TO PUT ON HER. SHE DOESNT LIKE THE PANTS CUZ WHEN SHE WETS IT RUNS DOWN HER LEGS INSTEAD OF REMAINING WARMING UNSIDE HER DIAPER. TOUGH LUCK KID. THERE WAS A MISTAKE LAST SUMMER ABOUT MY RETIREMENT BENEFITS AND I MIGHT BE GETTING ABOUT FIFTY MORE DOLLARS. YIPPEE. WHEN I WENT TO THE STORE IT WAS VERY SAD BECAUSE I HAD NO MONEY AND I WANTED TO SPEND SOME. I MOSTLY WANTED TO BUY SOME MATERIAL TO SEW. I STARTED TO KNOT ON MY SWEATER OF LAST SUMMER AGAIN. IM UP TO THE ARMPITS. GOODIE I WILL BE RICH SOMEDAY. JUST YOU WAIT THEN YOU CAN GO TO EUROPE EVERY SUMMER ON YAKKYS MONEY JUST LIKE YAKKY IS GOING TO SCHOOL EVERY WINTER ON MOMMAS MONEY. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL INTERNIN THE WORLD GOT MARRIED LAST WEEK. WOE IS ME.


THIS IS PARAGRAPH TWO. I TAKE CARE OF THE BLOOD BANK HERE. THATS FUN I TAKE THE BLOOD TO THE OPORTATING ROOM OR WHAT EVER AND I CALL THE BLOOD BANK FOR BLOOD AND STUFF. THATS IN MY SPARE TIME...BUT I DONT HAVE ANY. I HAVE TO EAT LUNCH WITH THE GIRL WHO STINKS BECAUSE I DONT KNOW ANYONE AND BEING MY USUAL OUTGOING SELF I DONT TALK TO ANYONE. THIS YEAR THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE MY AGE -- EVERYONE EXCEPT THE GIRL WHO STINKS AND THE SUPERVISOR -- BUT IM NOT MUCH LIKE ANY OF THEM AO I DONT SAY MUCH. THEY HAVE NO REVERENCE FOR THEIR PATIENTS. ALL THEY DO IS SIT AROUND AND SMOKE AND SAY ROTTEN THINGS AND TAKE HOUR AND A HALF LUNCH BREAKS WHILE I WATCH THEIR DESK. I THINK THE TAKE ME FOR A DOPE BECAUSE I DONT TALK. THEYLL GET THEIRS BOY. HO HO HO


NOW THAT I HAVE VENTED MY EMOTIONS I SHALL AGAIN BE MY CHEERY SELF. SOON IT WILL BE TIME TO GO HOME AND I AM GLAD. IN THREE HOURS I WILL BE IN BED. THE ELEVATORS DONT WORK VERY GOOD HERE AND I AM AFRAID OF THEM  so i walk UP THE STAIRS. TWIICE TO THE TENTH FLOOR TONIGHT. DUMB KIDS -- THATS THE PEADIATRICS FLOOR. I LIKE IT THE BEST.


I THINK I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLE SPACED THE LINES BECAUSE IT IS RATHER HARD TO READ. MAYBE I WILL DOUBLE SPACE THE WORDS IN STEAD, A  L  R  I  G  H  T   N  O  W   T  H  I  S   I  S   B  E  T  T  E  R  . NO ITS NOT. FIND SOME CUTE BOY AND SEND HIM HOME TO ME. I ARE LONESOME IN THIS BIG UGLY CITY. ID RATHER BE IN THE WOODS OF THE OCEAN IN BELLINGHAM AND SURROUNDING AREAS. TOUGH LUCK. SEND A POSTCARD IN YOU HAVE TIME. I HAVE TO GO TAKE CARE OF MY BLOOD NOW. LOVE TO ALL --- YAKKY

Friday Photo: The First Apartment

On Back:

Jacque & Stan in their new apartment

Sept. 1969

Bellingham

"Gigantic pile of steaming chicken shit"

Hi Mom and Dad -

It's countdown 'til spring break! And we have enough "things to do during vaction" to last a whole month. Typical.

We have a gigantic pile of steaming chicken shit and sawdust in our front yard. One of Stan's track kids asked him if he would like a truckload - "Of course!" We didn't know that their truck was a very large dump truck FULL!!! Aren't you jealous, Dad?

Good stuff, too - it's ready to go on the garden now.

Elisabeth hasn't worn her 20 dollar shoes since you gave her those 99 cent slippers!

We'll be down either Saturday afternoon or evening or Sunday morning for Easter. Whenever. Let me know if it makes any difference.

Come visit us if you're bored during your vacation (ha ha). We'll be hangin' around shoveling you know what! (Very editorial "we" - good old "Let's" will have the shovel."

Anna wants to write...

Once about a time there was orange blue yellow green red grey black already. We ate our soup and took a nap. One green painted and one grey and one blue painted their roses. Red red look at me. Blue blue paint our foots. Grey paint your tummy. Green green paint your face. That's all the story.

A real thriller, huh?

Thanks again for all the nice things.

Love Jacque

And the thank you note from yours truly (another thriller, to use my mother's words)...

Boots!

Factory!

Digger!

Slippers!

Shirt!

Chair...

Teddy Bear! And Elisabthe's Teddy Bear!

Thank you

I been playing with the factory.

We have a new babysitter. I love her cuz I like her.

Can I put it in the envelope now?

I don't want to say the rest of it.

We went to the park and slided and swinged.

Love,

And more great fun from the Burkhalter household...

This is last month's I forgot to mail.

Say:

Grandpa first, now Grandma.

Now mailman. There was a mailman. He put the letter in the mailbox and she got it. That's what the mailman says (does). The mailman put it in funny Grandma & Grandpa's mailbox and she got it and brought it into the house and says "Oh, here it is!"

Thank you. I'm gonna say "thank you" for the fuzzy sleeper and they're gonna say "welcome".

Let's talk on the telephone. In'a say thank you for Elisabeth's white shirt.

Bye,

Anna. Elisabeth too.

And Daddy and Mommy.

Happy Mother's Day! (through the ages)

1950s: Mark to Lottie

1971: Martin to Ruth

1975: Jacque & Family to Lottie

1990s: Jennifer to Lottie

1996

"Marian learned to roll over and over and over"

June 29, 1979 (from postmark)

Tuesday

Hi Dad -

Just talked to Mark yesterday. This Monday, the man sez. Today I will order the lumber. Could you send up 2 thousand? (We'd like to borrow 4T total). I'm not sure if the lumber man wants cash or if he'll send a bill - and if it's cash he's gonna take all of Stan's paycheck - and then some! Also the cabinets should be done by the end of the week, too, and I know he wants cash.

This weekend we got the store room emptied (and Marian's room filled) and spent Saturday at the swap meet. We cleared over $80 - not bad for a bunch of junk! Came home with a fantastic sunburn - my face was swollen 'til today - especially my forehead - I looked kinda freaky.

Stan's putting an Amity kit on the kitchen cupboards today and yesterday. Crazy man - he just woke up yesterday and said he had decided to do it - I didn't even nag or even ask.* Weird. Usually he sneaks out to the garden every chance he gets. Anyways, they look gorgeous. *As a matter of fact, I had a box of cherries ready to can that morning - of course, they're still sitting in the frig.

The varnish finally dried on the picnic table - I'm not about to put another coat on it - it'd be August before we could have a picnic. So far, we've eaten outside every day- even breakfast! (It's usually warmer outside than inside. You know me - I pick the warmest possible spot.)

Marian learned to roll over and over and over - 'til she bangs her head on something and cries. Cute kid. She also eats 3 meals a day now. She's pretty cheap to feed though - lots of applesauce!

Anna and Elisabeth have learned to pick everything! The only good strawberries are in the middle of the bed anymore. And they eat all the snowpeas before I ever get there. And every day Anna pulls a carrot up - "Still just a top with no bottom" she says. She'll have them all pulled up before there are any ready to eat! Dumb me - I couldn't figure out why they wouldn't eat much lunch or diner - I thought they should be real hungry since they're outside all day!

Every day the kids ask when Uncle Mark and Grandpa are coming. They're really looking forward to your visit. Anna keeps checking on when Aunt Marie and Grandma are coming too - I don't think she remembers Marie - but I told her that Marie was bringing new clothes and she can hardly wait! If I don't muzzle her she'll probably greet her at the door with "Where's my new stuff?" No, on second thought, that's something Elisabeth might do - but never Anna.

Well, my test is about over. It's so warm in my testroom today I'm about to fall asleep.

Take care - see you next week - love, Jacque

Marian

Two Owls

I think I should be right too. And good to know my list-making tendancies started at a young age.

DEAR GRANDMA AND GRANDPA I LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR THE COATS I CAN RITE ELISABETH ICAN RIT LOTS OF LOTS OF WORDS OF

Anna

Friday

Hi Mom

The girls coats are beautiful and practical - gauranteed to last at least 2 years - fold up sleeves and long-ish body. Thank you!

I wrapped them up and gave them to the girls right away. Minne was here on Monday and I gave Benson Anna's "straight-jacket" - it looked great on him! (Don't worry it isn't pink) (One from my friend Annie Hill) So anyway - we just couldn't wait another week.

Hope you call soon about Thanksgiving - I should let Jen know. They are coming for Anna's birthday Friday.

Marian has started walking. Woe is me. She refuses to walk from Stan to me or vice versa but she freely walks away from furniture - its like she just forgets that she can't walk yet. Anyway, she goes 2 or 3 steps then falls on her face - a million times a day (at least).

Everybody here is suffering from "greensleeves". We all have colds and I'm the only one in the house that seems to believe in blowing one's nose in a tissue. Gross.

The carpeting was finaly installed in our "attic" today. Whoopee. Now we have a 3-day weekend to hopefully finish things up. I decided on cheap, boring, brown. It looks fine.

Anna is busy deciding one which toys will go in which playroom. I promised I would help her make a list in the morning. Yesterday she wrote out all the invitations to her birthday party by herself. Elisabeth figures her birthday should be with Anna's. Today Anna got a card in the mail, and Elisabeth cried all the way back to the house - real tears, too!

Yesterday and today I made "bulldog" outfits for them - plaid blouses. (I bought green cords.)

Almost forgot - the coats were $23. You don't need to pay all of it if you don't want to - Honest.

How are you guys? Hi Dad! Oh yawn, I'm sleepy. Nice talkin' to you. Looking forward to Thanksgiving. Let me know what to bring. Pies or relishes or whatever.

Monday nite...

Well, our 3-day weekend is almost over and we almost got everything done upstairs. You know how it goes. Stan really wants it finished for when his family is here Friday so at least we have a good goal!

Anna did most of the enclosed letter herself - just needed help spelling about 1/2 the words. She absolutely refusd to believe that "write" begins with a "w". She threw a fit! So who cares, anyway? I think she should be right.

Elisabeth sent her letter separately. I don't know whats inside - it was a secret!

Love,

Jacque