Connection

Hello Dear Reader,
Ten o'clock at night is late but I was afraid if I didn't call or make contact with someone all of our travel would be in vain. I first called Wally Curl but he didn't answer. I then called Marieta Grissom. Success! She answered the phone. When I explained who I was and that we had just arrived she said that if we would stay in the breakfast room she would get hold of the others and meet us there shortly.

I sat in the breakfast area while Anne took the luggage to our room. In a few minutes Marieta appeared and introduced herself. She's a lovely, happy woman with a great smile and beautiful skin. Then Wally came. He's a tall, handsome, kind, and dignified man--my first e-mail contact with the McNeill family. Cousins Connie and Judy also came. We sat, talked, and laughed for an hour. I felt a definite connection to these good people.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Arrival

Hello Dear Reader,
Before Anne and I left Utah I hurriedly pulled a file folder of information on the McNeills and printed out e-mails concerning the McNeill reunion. We didn't have a lot to go on but knew that the attendees were staying in the Comfort Inn in Fort Madison. We arrived there at 10:00 pm Friday night.

The inn had a vacancy so we checked in. I asked if there was a Wallace Curl and/or a Marieta Grissom staying there. Happily they were both still there. Now I had to decide what I should do.
Love,
Aunt Genni

More Reunions

Hello Dear Reader,
On Thursday, the day after Grandma (Mary) Carter's funeral, Anne and I left at noon to drive to Florida. Knowing there was to be a reunion of the McNeill (half-siblings and cousins of Mark G. Fifield) descendants in Iowa the previous day through Friday, we opted for the northern route hoping to arrive in time for some activities. We ate supper in Cheyenne, Wyoming and drove on until 10:30 when we stopped in Nebraska the first night.

We continued our trip on Friday. When we realized we wouldn't be in Fort Madison in time for the last scheduled activity we left the freeway and drove south before continuing east. We went through beautiful Iowa country and through Oskaloosa, Mahaska County. We traveled across other counties the Ballingers and Fifields lived in.

We felt Grandma would have been pleased to know the efforts we were making to reunite with distant places and people.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Grandma Carter's Funeral

Hello Dear Reader,
Grandma (Mary) Carter's viewing and funeral were nice. She had lots of people who loved her and many flew in or drove from all over the country to be there. Some came from New Jersey, some from Texas, and others from Alabama, Georgia, Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Colorado, and all over Utah. Many fitting tributes were paid to her.

Her love seemed to spill over to family members as we were reunited, renewed acquaintances, and loved each other. We parted with good feelings and fond remembrances. Grandma left us a wonderful legacy.
Love,
Aunt Genni

In Memoriam

Hello Dear Reader,
This post is to honor the memory of Mary H. Carter. She died this morning at 3:10 am mountain daylight time. She lived a good life and loved her family very much. We will miss her greatly until we are united again.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Big or Diminutive?

Hello Dear Reader,
Grandpa (Wes) Carter continued in sports his junior year of high school. Twice in his personal history he mentions that because he was held back he was bigger and older which helped him achieve in athletics in high school. I wonder if he was trying to be positive about a bad experience.

In one newspaper clipping in his high school scrapbook it says, “Paced by the diminutive Carter at forward, Provo High basketball team turned back a scrappy crew from Bingham 28 to 20 here Friday. Carter, converting seven points from the foul line, collected 13 points.” He may have been bigger than he was two years earlier but he was far from the biggest man on the team. In some team pictures he looks as though he was the smallest.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Summer Work

Hello Dear Reader,
In the summer (I think before Wes’s junior year in high school) he got a job at Pacific States Cast Iron and Pipe Company as a molder. The job paid about $50 a week. If you want to calculate what that translates to in today's dollars, click on The Inflation Calculator (to the right on this page) enter $50, then 1936, then 2009. Grandpa made a lot of money that summer! He said he was able to get a job with the company because they wanted him to play ball for them. He was on their softball team.

As I searched microfilm I came across many articles in the Evening Herald and Sunday Herald about “Provo Pipe’s softball team.” They did very well. All of this is to let you know what a competitor Grandpa (Wes) Carter was.
Love,
Aunt Genni