LETTERS FROM THE PAST

This blog is to honor those who have come before us. These are family letters that I have had for years and wanted to be able to share them with family. It's an interesting way of knowing how life was in the past.

Myron F Taylor with 3 of his buddies in 1952. Over the last 20 years I've been working on our family letters. Letters that have been passed down. Including letters from my parents to my great-grandmother. Every letter was saved by my great grandmother and grandmother. I hope someday to either print them or give them to a museum. I am copying the letters–not being able to photocopy all of them. Each letter is in script. I know today very few can read them. I hope you enjoy them.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Aug 1960 - Jim (Forest) Matheson

Home – wed.

Dear Mable & Archie,

Thought you might like to hear from us. So will ablige.

I wrote mother & Jay last Sat. but didn’t know if they were home yet or at your place. But in case you get this before you see them or they get my letter (or something) I have wound up on sick list again.

Dr. tells me I have Hepatitas, a virus liver ailment. I was very sick when I came home a Tues. night (week ago), but thought I only had int. Flu. I had been very sick at my stomach for some time, possibly 2 or 3 weeks and seemed to get a little worse each day. Finally on Tuesday nite I got so sick I wasn’t sure I was even going to make it home. However, I managed to stick it out till shift was over.

I just barely made it in house and got my shoes yanked off and made a mad dash for 1st bathroom I could get to and really heored.  Along with it I made about 10 trips to bathroom, sometimes I would just get back to bed and wouldn’t even get laid down and would have to dash back to “pot” again.

Then after that let up by next night I had horrible gas pains in pit of my stomach. I had been trying to eat what I thought” was real cagey, just beef broth, hot chocolate, toasted chees sand. Good old milk to drink, crackers & soup, etc. But gas got so bad I laid in floor & managed my stomach trying to get gas started moving. I stood on my head, (well wished I could), but I did lay on dor en pant and hung head in floor, both on my back & stomach, until I finally got it rolling then I went to bed.

But on Friday Morn, I just decided there must be something else wrong so went to a Dr. He took one look at me and said what is the matter with you. I said “supposed to be Flu, but must be something else, as I am so sikat my stomach all time.” He asked 3 or 4 questions and then asked me if I had looked at myself lately. I thought he was “touched.” I said no, So he told me to look at my skin, at the color. Then he told me he was positive I had Hepetitas. Kind shook me up a little. I was afraid I was getting Elophantitia mixed up with Hepatitas. (Confounded Brie a Brach) (A Funny looking faces was drawn here) cant even spell, let alone write. I guess I haven’t last all my sense of humor.

Sosaid he would take a blood test and send right in to find out before he could do anything, as there were about 4 different kinds.

By then I had swallowed a few times and got the old ticker back down where it belonged (bout more than half scared me). So I asked him what that meant in my language. He told me it was a virus infection. (dirty cotton picken “bugs”).  Just imagine a handful of dirty old “bugs” crawlin’ round on “my” liver, let ‘em tickle their own “gizzards.” If this seems sorta “silly” don’t scold me cause I am just tryin to keep from cryin’.  (Time out didn’t make it)

Well, back again, well continue if I can figure out where I was. Oh! Yes! I was getting “bug tickles” on my liver (arf).

Anyway Dr said it was virus inf. And we would have to await the lab report. We got report back Sat. morning and he called meat home and told me it was positive, but that there wasn’t a thing we could do for it with medicine or durgs. Onlly with proper diet and rest. Told me what not to eat, which was what I had been eating & lot of no whole milk, eggs, butter, cream, ice cream, no Fried foods, salad dressing etc. but eat lots of potatoes, lean meats, bread, angel cake, hard candy, jams & jellies lots of sugars & starches, and all the calories I can cram down.

I was to do no work for 60 days. Only read & watch TV sleep this every PM was not even to piddle around in yard. That kinda shook me up again. I sure didn’t need that, in my way of thinking.

Well I mulled that over the rest of the day & night wondering what it would be like not to go “anywhere.” As I was not to go out in “crowds,” shopping, church, etc. But as I thought back over th last year I remembered that last fall I had given myself and all that I had over to the Lord to use as He saw fit. All I had asked in return was that He Bless me in my heart & soul so that I knew I was in his will and walking down the right path. I knew that there the past years I had made many mistakes and no doubt I will make many more yet, but Mable & Archie I want you to know this all those years that I didn’t go to church it wasn’t because I didn’t want to go.

I was miserable down inside all those year, but Leorne refused to go to church (doesn’t matter why – to you – that is).

When we were married I as determined to make a home that would weather the years and this is why I did many things that I otherwise would not have. I made a vow before Man & God to Love, honor, & cherish. This I meant to do. I walked this way until I saw what it was doing for my boys. Then I realize I must make a choice. This I did and I find no reason to live otherwise now.
I have a peace down in my heart that words cannot express. I have felt the Glory of God rol in my soul and found that it has done something for me that no other power could ever do.

Now this has come to my mind to tell you at this time, so I will, as I have no lease on life as to time and I surely want you to know this and fee I better not wait Longer.

For years I harbored hard feeling down deep in my heart against both of you. Things that happened years ago. Things I told myself I must forget, but couldn’t. I fought with myself for years over this but could never feel any different. Finally I asked God to take these things out of my heart & mind as I didn’t see how I could serve God and feel this way. He was very good and did and put in its place a very deep love & concern for both of you and especially for Archie. That was some time ago (year 2 or 3) but I never felt like I could find the right time & place for to say what I felt. But I must get those things out of the way now.

When I was so sick 10 years ago the only thing that kept me alive was my faith in God that he would let me live to see my boys grown up and taken care of and I knew Leonne couldn’t do it by herself. So I believed God that he would let me take care of the things that they needed.

These things have been taken care of as far as security is concerned. I have$11,000 insurance with Aetna, thru Varian and I was so much better & didn’t take a blood test then. Said wait till Sat. Said I could go for rides in car if I didn’t ride, as long as I get my rest & wasn’t tired.

So, now I wish I had a good car so I could so some of the places I would like to see. But I expect all of these things will work out too. God said he would supply our “needs, “not our “wants.”

I would like to write Margie or call her but have lost both her address & telephon number. Do you have theirs. If you do please send them to me.
Oh yes, I guess I will draw $65.00 a week disability in a week or 2 and am working trying to get Dallas a machinist apprenticeship thru State of Calf. And there are plenty of schooling possibilities here so I feel that I have the answer on that angle.

Well Leonne & Dan just got up from “napping” and telephone rang so lost my train of thought, so will drop it right there.  My said on that.

My Pastor came up Sunday PM & prayed for me and I felt a nice cool, clean, real pleasant feeling in my right side. I knew I had had a touch from God.

Went back to Dr. yesterday and he was very much surprised to see the improvement said my liver had been about 2” oversize and had gone down to about ½ “ oversize.

Mother was wanting Gene’s address.

2119 E Evergreen
Vancouver WA

Would you call Maurice and talk to him then I wont have to write so much. And tell mother to call Harold and tell him. Would appreciate it if you would send Margie’s add & Tel # by return mail.

Hope this don’t make you love me any less

Love,

Jim & family

Tell mom to write Gene for dates she wanted.


NOTE: spelling mistakes are in the letter. Some things I was no sure what he was writing so did the best I could. 

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