Beach Haven

Week of 2 January 1984

Mom was back to some specifics of logistics for the week. Added me to the car insurance. Added Jessie to their health insurance. Visited Francis Hunsaker in the hospital. Lisa’s picture was in the local paper for her work in dancing instruction. “Gave Mike money for skiing, Dan money for haircut, Lisa money for butter and eggs”. Shows where our various priorities were at the time. “No jobs for Mike or Lisa yet.” Dan introduced the family to some girl he began to date. Mom didn't know this yet, but it was not destined to work out. 

She notes how she and I worked on some genealogy. “Dan broke the truck steering.” Dan, do we see a pattern here?

Week of 9 January 1984

They called for truck parts, but the parts turned out to be for a different year truck. Dad gave the agent of the company supplying the parts an earful. He managed to get the right parts and fix the truck that same week. I’m not sure exactly what this means, but in her entry for this Monday she notes “6 baby puppies today.” They bought a family annual pool pass at the local natatorium in Brigham City and we took advantage of it that week.

I took a sales job and got some training that week. Side note: the job didn’t last long. I’m not a salesperson. Mom was kind enough to buy a $500 stoneware set she didn’t need. Crystal started clogging classes at Lisa’s dance studio.

She notes the passing of Elder Mark E. Peterson this week. He was an Apostle of our church. He held a special place in our family. When I was 10 and we were still living in PA, we went to Palmyra, NY to see some of the church historical sites and attend the pageant that happened there in those days. While we visited the sacred grove of trees where Joseph Smith received a vision of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, there was an outdoor church meeting held. Elder Peterson was the main speaker. We met him after and talked for a moment or two. Since then we tended to follow his talks as a general authority.

Aside from fixing the truck, Dad put in some overtime at work this week. The result was he became tired, didn’t feel very good and became “grumpy and miserable.” Crystal spent some time with family friend Heather Hoffmeister. Mom visited Heather’s grandmother Alma Thrash. That Sunday was the baby blessing for Jessica. I performed the blessing. Mom notes with some sadness that Dad couldn’t be in the circle for the blessing. He was still working through whatever he needed to with the bishop and stake president but was not ready to receive some of the blessings of the gospel in his life personally. 

Week of 19 December 1983

Poor Dan. As the previous entry notes, they purchased a car. Only a week later he lost control on some ice and wrecked it. The damage to the car must not have been so bad as Dan planned on repairing it himself. The damage to the trust they had in his driving was not so unscathed. This wasn’t the first car of theirs he left worse for wears.

As for me returning from my mission, after the initial excitement, she gives notes about some Christmas shopping on my behalf. The weather turned cold, and it was 0-degrees at their home. Lisa’s divorce became final this week. I spent time with a friend, Randy Owens. Curtis came over to visit Lisa. This would have been the first time I met him.

We took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family over the holiday. She notes that we left that Thursday about 1:00am. I’m sure the parents would have had to work a full day before we could leave. Given the hour it would seem like Dad was working the swing shift and we had to wait for him. Going through Wyoming she noted that it was 70-degrees below zero. Perhaps she meant seven. I’ve been through Wyoming many times in the winter and that sounds more likely. In Wyoming the gas line froze, and they had to put some dry-gas in the tank to get the engine started. In Iowa, the snow was blowing, causing low visibility. There was similar weather in Illinois and Indiana. We arrived at her parents’ home about 10:30pm Christmas Eve. Grammy Miller had an open house for us over the holiday. Only a few people came because of an ice storm. Mom managed to get some genealogy done over the week. She mentions the names of people I remember and events that were common while I was growing up. For example, they played pinochle at the home of my Dad’s parents with old friends, Kate and Nick Morgan. 
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Week of 12 December 1983

​As  you might guess, much of this week was taken up with Christmas preparation activities. Shopping, decorations, crafts, cards, and a long list of things Mom did. The other preparation list related to my (Michael Beach) imminent return from my church mission to Spain. She did a lot of cooking for various parties this week as well.

That week they bought a 1978 Ford Fiesta for $2000. That week Lisa’s almost-ex was attempting to find her in SLC. Mom was thankful Lisa had returned to Honeyville so he couldn’t find her. Lisa was adamant that she did not want to get back with him. Mom was happy that was her position. He turned up at a hospital in Ogden with symptoms of an overdose. The hospital called to see if Lisa had any interest in going to the hospital. She said no. Mom noted “He’s trying the sympathy route.” After sharing some negative opinions of him she then points out, “Curtis came over. He’s a great kid.”

On Saturday of this week she writes, “Mike gets home tonight” then in large letters “Can’t wait!” Anyone who has ever sent out a missionary will understand that sentiment. That part must have been written during the day. After picking me up she writes that the plane was 40 minutes late. The airline apparently lost my large suitcase. I honestly don’t remember that. It was after midnight by the time we got home. It was 17 December but we decided to have our Christmas then and not wait, so presents were opened. She says we didn’t get to bed until about 2am.

On Sunday, after only 4 hours of sleep, Dad took me to the Stake Center to be released. There was a special Sunday School program that day. I was asked to give my testimony in Sacrament meeting. Vangie and her husband came up for Christmas dinner. More presents got exchanged and we watched a Christmas fireside on TV. Her last word for the day was “relaxed.”

Week of 5 December 1983

This week is the first I’ve seen mention of Curtis. He was among family helping Lisa pack and move her things. They all enjoyed lunch at the McDonalds inside Crossroads Plaza. Here’s a look at how things have changed. Mom grumbled about spending $16 on six people for lunch (not counting baby Jessica). Later that day they put up the Christmas tree. Her last note of that Saturday read, “tired – a full day.” Of course, that didn’t stop her from sharing another long list of stuff she did on Sunday.

The next several sentences on Sunday are telling about how life was for Mom at that point. “Most of the snow is going away. Feel very homesick for my family lately. Must be because it’s the holidays and we’re going to visit in a couple of weeks. Mike gets home in 6 days. Just can’t believe it. It seems forever. Dan needs a haircut. He don’t want one. Worked on Santas.”
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Week of 21 November 1983

This entire week is summed up in a single paragraph, so I thought I’d just quote it to give you a feel for how she writes:

“Snowed hard all day - several inches on the ground – cold – Fred still on swing shift – Dan has truck & is to be at work – don’t know if he made it to work or not through the canyon – I’m worried about him – Crys is sleigh riding at the church – She gets a perm tonight at 6:30 – Lisa went back to work today – I’m all alone & it’s quiet here”

Week of 28 November 1983

Dan hit ice in the parking lot at work and slid into some lady’s parked car.  Mom took Lisa back and forth to SLC sever times this week. She attended the 50th wedding anniversary of the Halls. They are an older couple who served as missionaries in our branch back in PA when we still lived there. Thanksgiving was ‘quiet’. Then she writes “This morning I passed out – must be my sugar.” Dan and Crys had gone roller skating and Dad was at work.

Lisa had to miss work as Jessie was sick and running a fever. She worried about her ability to be supportive of Lisa as they were struggling financially themselves. Lisa decided to look for work locally and not continue in SLC. It snowed on Thursday adding six more inches on the ground, then another fifteen inches on Sunday. In the middle of the snowstorms they moved Lisa back up to Honeyville from SLC. On the weekend, Mom got in a baking mode and listed a bunch of things she baked and who she made them for. 

Week of 7 November 1983

This week is just a list of shopping that happened, and tasks Mom set up for herself. There were some visits going on. For example, Lisa took baby Jessica to visit family friends Don and Alma Thrash, and picked Crystal up from visiting the Hoffmeister family. She got a letter from me while on my church mission in Spain, fixed a jacket, and did some crocheting.

Week of 14 November 1983

Unlike the previous week, Mom wrote more specifics this week. She didn’t just talk about shopping, she included items bought for specific people. She and Lisa both got perms. “It sure feels great to look better” she notes. After a long list of chores, and extra expenses helping Lisa get back on her feet, she mentions they had their second snow storm of the year. Dan was at work with their old car. She hoped he didn’t get into an accident coming down the canyon on his commute home. As it turned out, Dan called that the canyon had been closed and he would be stay all night at ‘Sherwood Hills’. Dad managed to make it home in the Datsun truck that was not running well. He didn’t have to navigate any canyons on his route. Dan finally got home by 2p the next day (Sunday). It snowed all that day as well.
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Week of 21 October 1983

My age is showing. Last time I posted I mentioned Mom putting in something about me transferring to Seville and a 2-week medical checkup for Lisa and Jessica. These things actually happened the week of 21 Oct, not 17 Oct. In fact, I was so far off that I identified it as the week of 14 October. I guess I was losing it that week.

Week of 31 October 1983

No mention of Halloween. Dad no luck on the deer hunt this week. Dan got a job at Sherwood Hills washing dishes. The clutch went out on their truck so they bought a used truck from the Baker family in Honeyville. It was a ’66 International and only cost them $200. There was a long list of food created early for Christmas between Mom and Lisa. They attended the wedding of Dan Peterson. He’s a guy I went to high school with.

Lisa’s mother-in-law contacted her and shared her then-husband’s address. She also offered to help pay for the divorce. 
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Week of 17 October 1983

This week included a baby shower for Lisa and Jessica. That was pretty much all she said, so I’m including some info from the next week.

Week 14 October 1983

She got a letter from me on my mission in Spain. I told her of my transfer to the city of Sevilla and that I got sick from the change in water. I don’t really remember that, but she was just saying what I had written to her.

Lisa took Jessie in for her two-week checkup. All well. She mentioned that Lisa was working in one of those haunted houses. Mom and Dad took ‘the kids’ (I assume that means Dan and Crystal) to dinner in Salt Lake City and to a professional wrestling match at the Salt Palace. It was a free-for-all that included twenty wrestlers going at each other all at once. It seems the kids had been wanting to see it so the trip was a pleasant surprise. She said the “kids really enjoyed it.”
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Week of 10 October 1983

That Tuesday she writes “FIRST GRANDCHILD”. She gives a number of details about Jessica that one normally does about a newborn such as time, weight, length. Then she talks about Jessie’s eyes and hair. On Thursday she brought mother and daughter back to Honeyville. That weekend family friend Alma Thrash and our sister Vangee Nez came to visit and see the newest family member. Vange made fry bread for tacos. Mom lists a bunch of others who came by over the weekend to visit and check out the baby. Sunday was another day of receiving attention while at church. Everyone wanted to hold Jessica.

She heard from me this week while I was still on a church mission in Spain. International snail mail was not as reliable as it is today, not that it’s much better these days. 
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Week of 3 Oct 1983

More paper sales accounted for. She and Dad did some shopping for furniture and chainsaw parts. They both got a raise that week at work. In her typical numerical way she listed hers as 37 cents per hour or 5%, and Dad’s as 53 cents per hour or 4.8%.

This week she took Lisa to the hospital so the doctors could induce labor. After several days of inducement nothing happened. Mom gave up and went home on Sunday. Lisa had some blood clots pass, but nothing more that week. While staying at Lisa’s apartment, Mom mentioned a troubling experience. Here’s how she wrote it. “Woke up 6:00am. Went to bathroom. Sounded like someone threw someone up against wall in other (empty) side of house and then someone running down steps. Scared. Went downstairs and got knife and stood by front door for two hours. It got daylight and I felt better. Cleaned up and went to the hospital.”

Mom was worried that she hadn’t gotten a letter from me on my mission for about a month. That’s how it goes with international snail mail. As when she mentioned this in earlier weeks, I was sending a letter every week without fail. 
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