December 12, 1965 314 N. Fremont St. River Falls, Wis. 54022
Dear Ones All:
Our smiling faces on the enclosed card, are the closest we can come to greeting you personally this Christmas time. However, don’t let this keep you from coming to see us any time during the year.
During the past year, Bruce and Doug have been in school at our local University. Bruce has changed his major to Speech Correction, which is a new program at our school. Doug seems most likely to major in speech in the Liberal Arts curriculum. Last summer Bruce attended eight weeks of summer school, and appeared in a musical comedy. The rest of the summer he worked on a construction job at the University, building an outdoor amphitheater. He said that this was, “the first honest money” he had earned. Doug graduated from High School, and then spent three weeks in a church work camp in Monterey, Mexico. He became well acquainted with the health hazards of American tourists on such trips. In spite of this the trip was the high spot of many years for him. He played his last year of American Legion baseball, while he was working in a lumber yard at hard labor. The two combined to keep him flat on his back at all other times. Both boys are active in church choir, college choir, chorus and other musical activities. Our church conference bought a building for Wesley Center, on campus, and this has been a second home to them. Merry had a similar experience at the University at Madison, while in graduate school. Now all our kids have been Wesleyites. (We think this is good).
Merry and Jon are now in Shiprock, New Mexico. They are working in a residential school with the Navahos. This is under the Department of Indian Affairs. This is a very novel experience for them, but it allows them to work together for two or three years, which is what they wanted. Merry has worked in a church camp with the Winnebagos in Wisconsin, so it is not completely a new idea to her. Their address is:
Merry and Jon Webb Box 1096 Shiprock, New Mexico 87420
Merry spent the summer at the University at Madison, working on her Masters Degree in Music. When she gets this finished, we will have seven college degrees in the family. We hope the boys continue the precedent.
Betty began teaching full time this fall. In addition to her past elementary program in art she added two classes in the High School. Again she had to start from scratch, and is now accumulating equipment and materials to offer such advanced work. Needless to say, she does even less housekeeping than she used to. She says that this is an improvement. She has less time to mess up the place!
In may we had two family reunions. In River Falls, Will’s family gathered for his mother’s 80th birthday. All five children were there, along with the guest of honor and other relatives. In Neenah, Betty’s family met with all but one of the children present. Dad McCain recently passed his 85th birthday.
“When the song of the angels is stilled, The work of Christmas begins: To bring peace among brothers, To make music in the hearts.” (H. Thurman)
Will, Betty, Bruce, Douglas HARRIS