May 11, 1969 The Ceremonies, The Potato Salad, The German Chocolate Cake and The Nicest Letter

May 11, 1969         Saturday

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I hope you both have a lovely day tomorrow.

Ann and her friend, Bob, came last night and left about an hour ago. Her choir has to sing twice tomorrow so she had to be back for that. They have remodeled the church and rebuilt the organ so there is to be a dedication service tomorrow.

Ann was real disappointed in the ceremonies at Westminster to dedicate the old church. There were so many people she couldn't see nor hear and some of the speakers weren't very good. She brought a program, though, & it looked real interesting.  Nixon didn't appear. They had half way expected him and Ann said the town was full of officers.

It is so cold and rainy here I hate to stick my head out. We're going to a play tonight at school. we needed the rain but the cold weather won't help anything grow.

B had a meeting at school this afternoon at 2:00 so he couldn't even stay at home until the kids left. He was disgusted about it and probably won't be home until 6:00. It seems like Sunday because we had dinner at noon. I wish you could have supper with us. I have a lot of left overs including potato salad. I made my first batch of the season and it tasted so good.

Ann had asked for a German chocolate cake so I had that too, but gave Bob the rest of it to take with him. I think he fixes his own food.

Ann is getting anxious to start her summer job. She thinks it will be fun and she will have the choir all summer, too.

I hope Daddy feels better. He must keep walking though, or his legs won't get stiff even if it hurts.

Maybe we'd better ask Marjorie about the quilt before we send it. I hate to just send it & tell her to have it done without asking first. Maybe I could just send it to the woman.

I had the nicest letter from Pat's grandmother in Atlanta. She writes once in awhile & this was just to thank me & B for loving Patty. They all think it's wonderful that I have made her some dresses. It was a lovely letter but how could we not love Patty when she's one of ours now?

I have a Sunday School lesson to get ready so I'd better start.

Hope you both are fine."

                        Lots of love,

                              Bonnie

NOTE:  My small college town of Fulton, Missouri was jammed with visitors and dignitaries for the dedication of the Churchill Memorial. Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech (formally known as The Sinews of Peace) was delivered in Fulton, at Westminster College in 1946, 6 years after St. Mary of Aldermanbury Church in London was destroyed by a bombing raid.  It was proposed that the church be re-built on the Westminster campus.  Former President, Harry Truman broke the ground for the project.  640 tons of stone and 7,000 individually marked and numbered pieces were transported to the Westminster campus in order to re-build the church as it was.  The Master of Ceremonies was Angier Biddle Duke, remarks were made by Averell Harriman and the dedication address was given by The Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Admiral of the Fleet.

It was both disappointing and frustrating not to be able to see very well during the services due to the standing room only crowd.

Listen to Churchill's speech, 1946: