Thu, May 29, 1947: that horse

"Your letter was much appreciated and enjoyed.  I want to see that horse before I know if I should be honored that you thought of naming it for me."

--Letter from my mother, Winfield, Kans., to my father, Bloomington, Kans., Thursday, May 29, 1947.

Tue, May 27, 1947: greenness of spring

"I wish that you could be out here in the country with me before the greenness of spring gives way to the parched brown of summer.  Except for tiny purple blossoms at the top our alfalfa was a sea of knee-deep greenness.  As a backdrop could be seen the green hedgerow.  To the far left as the team--Bess & Sorrel--with me trailing on the mower behind made way to the South, the grass of the meadow gave the illusion of being a smooth, green carpet.  The abundance of rainfall this spring has done it."

--Letter from my father, Bloomington, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., May 27, 1947.

Mon, May 26, 1947: burned to the ground

"The Winzer house--inhabited by a family of ten--burned to the ground early this morning.  No one was injured--but the fire consumed all of the family's possessions--except the car; so it was nothing short of catastrophic to them.

"The activity of neighbors since then has illustrated to me the difference in attitudes of rural and urban communities.  As soon as Dad got word he & Mom started searching the house for items which might be useful to the unfortunate family.  Before the morning had passed I believe that every family in the community had begun to contribute materials or labor to the cause....

"After a late dinner [lunch] we made preparations to cut alfalfa in the field south of the house... At long last Stan & I got the mowing equipment into action--his mower behind the tractor--and mine behind a team of horses--Ol' Daisy & Sorrel. (I was all set to change the name of the latter in your honor--until I discovered that a girl's name wouldn't fit him very well.)"

--Letter from my father, Bloomington, Kans., to my mother, Winfield, Kans., Monday, May 26, 1947.

Thu, May 22, 1947: show

“came back at noon – nite – show – Best Years of Our Lives”

--Entry in my mother’s diary about dating my father, Thursday, May 22, 1947, Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas.

Sat, May 3, 1947: Bloomington picnic

“went to Bloomington picnic – got acquainted with family over Rook”

--Entry in my mother’s diary about dating my father, Saturday, May 3, 1947, Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas.  Bloomington was the small farming community my father grew up in.

Graduation photo of my father, Southwestern College, 1947.