Christmas Letter ~ 1991

 Christmas letter from the Westras ~ the fancy border was added for this blog post, and it was combined into one image from the original two pages. The typography indicates this was printed using the old dot-matrix printer. We were happy to find some of these Christmas letters (in 2020) and to remember the highlights from years gone past.  To enlarge, click on the link for the GoogleDoc and press the +. 

To Mom ... From Shane

 In the "scan and box" pile, there was a little piece of paper money. Quite a piece of workmanship. It is a "Mother's Day Reserve Note" ... this note is legal tender for all mothers, public and private. Drawn on the Shane Westra treasury of money, by Shane, the secretary of the treasury for the United Westra Household ... this bill is good for three work hours. THREE ... being displayed numerous times, in a variety of ways. This was the 1991 series, which would have Shane in his sophomore year. 

I wonder if Mom/Margie ever collected (I'm sure Shane has done more than three hours of work, but I wonder if the bill was ever exchanged for it ...)

2HAN3 I2 C00I ... Shane is Cool

Also included in the "scan and box" pile, was a handwritten note, on (now) aged lined paper. From Shane, to Mom. No date, so we don't know if it was something that went along with the bill above, or was from a different time/season. 

 Transcribed ...

Mom ... I always like it when you're there. If I come home from school or a different place, you'll be there. Even if you're not there right at that time, I can trust that you'll be back. I remember when I got knocked out on Chris' ice patch on the patio. I woke up in your arms. I still remember it and will for a long time. You always put up sayings around the house. I think it helps a lot to be a better person. I always read them. I love it when you make pancakes and eggs and Hillshire sausage and we all sit down and eat till we're stuffed. Love Shane

Jen - LDSingers/Snow

Wendy had gone to Snow College and had such a good experience, especially enjoying the singing group LDSingers. That was a big part in the decision of where I went to school (that, and the full tuition + fees/books + housing scholarship swayed me toward Snow). I made it into the singing group and that helped a lot socially, having that group of friends (as I hadn't really known anyone at the college going in). There were four marriages from this year (just for my own memory, John/JanelleWilmore, Dale/JanelleThompson, Ruel/TresaHaymond, Mike/JenniferFrishknect). I dated a couple of the guys myself  (going from tenor to bass).  

1989 - Christmas (Part1)     1989- Christmas (Part 2)

• at minute 12:00 there's a quartet of Mr. Santa
• just past 22:00 there's a quartet of "I'm Getting Nothing For Christmas"

Just a little easier to find me than when it's everyone! LDSingers would put on a Christmas concert, then a Spring concert, and do a spring tour.

Spring 1990 - Part 1

• at 10:30 it's "Telephone Hour" from Bye Bye Birdie

Spring 1990 - Part 2

• 2:00 "Golden Age of Rock&Roll"

My second year at Snow, I was again in the LDSingers group. As some of the guys had been in the group, gone on a mission, and then come back to Snow, there was a bit of an overlap between Wendy and I. Some fellows she knew from her time there from before their missions, I knew after they had returned. The director Brother Wilmore was there all through the years of course!

Having made friends last year, and getting an opportunity to live in a rental house owned by my Psychology professor, I was able to have several of the girls in LDs as roommates. Cindy, Lilly and I had been in LDs together last year, and Jaynee and Chris were new this year. There were three weddings that came out of this year (my roommate Jaynee and the boy next door Kevin were one, Jeff/JoyceGuymon, James/JennyWillmore). 

Christmas - 1991 (Part1)   Christmas - 1991 (Part2)

• 26:00 "Fruitcake"

Brother Willmore had uploaded all the videoed concerts he had ... I don't see my second year Spring concert up there, but I may have a copy. I'm looking to getting an old VHS tape converted. Mom and Dad were always good at coming down to watch the performances. 

The Life Of Lucille Erskine Westra Burgener

The Westra siblings knew her as "Grandma Burgener". Our dad's mother, she had remarried after Dad's father passed away before all but Scott had been born. She continued to live in the house Dad /Lamar had grown up in, on Grandview Circle. I remember there was always an ice cream bucket full of cookies on top of the fridge at her house. Sugar cookies, frosted eggs and chicks for Easter, trees for Christmas, chocolate chip other times during the year.  Grandma Lucille not only wrote a complete history for herself, but also for her husband (Biography of Joseph Westra). Grandma Lucille's typewritten history is scanned in on Family Search, but parts are faded and a little difficult to read. Here's a link to a re-typed document in its entirety and original format. 

The Life Of Lucille Erskine Westra Burgener ~ An Autobiography

I'll try to spotlight portions of Lucille's written words in smaller segments pertaining to upcoming topics/themes here on the blog. I've included a small life summary below which is based on her autobiography ...

Claude Arthur Erskine and Olive Laura Cushing were married June 18, 1907. They bought a home located at 831 Harrison Avenue. This was where they would live out their lives, and where their children would grow up. They had six children, five girls and one boy. Lucille was third. Mildred born Nov 9, 1908 died shortly after birth. Ruth was born January 2, 1910. Lucille arrived October 25, 1911. Maxine was born September 18, 1913, then Harold Claude, born February 28, 1915, and Shirley Laura, born July 11, 1934. 

Lucille wrote about many memories from her childhood ... a fire in the fireplace, Mother playing piano, Father fishing. Taking dinner to Grandma Cushing who lived on the next block. An old coal stove in the kitchen and heated flat irons to warm the beds in winter. One closet for the family to share. No car. No washing machine. Going to Liberty Park ... swimming in the summer, skating and sledding in the winter. 

School days included Emerson Elementary, Roosevelt Jr. High and graduation from East High school in 1929. Lucille then started working at her Uncle Hurd's law firm as a stenographer. She met Joe Westra on the streetcar on the way to work and they started dating in the Spring of 1930. They were engaged the following Christmas Eve (1931). Joe went on his mission to the Southern States from June 1932-June 1934. Lucille waited, and wrote, and continued to work and save for their marriage, which happened September 5th, 1935.

Lucille and Joe had four children, two boys and two girls. Joseph Lamar (5/28/1937), Sharon (9/16/1938), Diane (3/10/1943) and Steven (6/22/1946). Lucille's niece Janice came and lived with them for the 1942-1943 school year. Lucille had a miscarriage in 1945. They moved into the Grandview Circle home in 1949.

In 1953, Lucille and Joe finally got a belated honeymoon. Partially for Joe's work (a convention in Cleveland) they saw Niagra Falls and many of the church historical sites. Lucille started working again in 1958, a secretary for Granite School District. She worked there through 1973. 

Lucille had pleurisy and bronchitis as a child, and struggled with bleeding ulcers later in life. The family was in a rollover accident in 1962 that resulted in some serious injuries. A broken foot in 1969, arthritis starting in 1973, knee replacement in 1982, bronchitis again in 1985 and a broken nose in 1986. Joe had health issues as well; a ruptured appendix in 1945, and a blood clot after the operation. Hypertension in 1957, bleeding ulcers in 1959. He had his first heart attack in 1961. He had another in 1964 and his last one in 1965. He passed away on May 24. Lucille hadn't ever learned how to drive, but she took a class and got her license in 1965 when Joe got so sick. 

Lamar went on his mission to the Netherlands (9/1957 - 3/1960). Married in 1962. Sharon got married on June 27, 1957. Diane married in 1962. Steve was drafted into the army and left December 1965, he served in the finance department in Frankfurt Germany. He married Jan in 1972. Lucille remarried in 1968. She and Victor Burgener had many happy years together. She passed away on August 29, 1990.

Six Siblings at Age Eight

 

Going through paperwork set aside to be scanned and filed, there were many programs from the grandkid's baptisms. In Dropbox, there is a folder specifically for the grandkid baptisms - although not all have programs or pictures. In current (2020s) culture, there is often a plethora of pictures, especially for little girls, in their pretty white dresses (Taylee, Jenna, Aniston and more). 

In the Westra archives ... back in the days of film cameras, there are not so many photos. In fact, scanning Dropbox, the only picture to be located of the actual baptismal attire, was Shane, in 1984. In Derek's "box", there was a prepared plaque saved, and Jen had kept her wonderful wood memento varnished with shellac. None of the baptismal programs were found (yet) ... were programs printed up in the olden days? 

So, grabbing what pictures were available (school photos, snapshots) ...

Here's a side-by-side look at the six siblings at age 8.

In the small history recap for each year, it was noted that Scott's baptism was held on January 1, 1972. New Years Day (having it on the holiday surprised me! What a way to start off the new year). Chris's baptism was on September 28, 1974. While we don't have a picture of Wendy's baptism, her certificate of baptism was scanned and saved. Her baptism was June 5, 1976 with the confirmation the next day on June 6 in Sacrament meeting (as was done in the "olden" days ... at some point it was changed to where the confirmation was done directly after the baptism). Wendy's confirmation and Shane's baby blessing were done in the same meeting. Before her baptism day, Jen recalls thinking "if I'm going to do anything bad, I should do it NOW since it will be a fresh start!" (not that Jen ever did anything wrong, right?) Chris stepped in for Dad (mission prep?) for Shane, and for Derek. 

See a couple other comparison collages for the Westra six ...

New Year's Babies - Six Siblings

Graduations at a Glance - Six Siblings

Christmas Letter ~ 1989

Retyped for easier reading ... photos from the 1989 Dropbox folder

Hello to our family and friends! Here's short synopsis of our 1989 family happenings. 

Lamar is still working at Unisys as a computer systems analyst. He was released a couple of weeks ago after seven years as a counselor in the Bishopric. It's still been too busy to notice much difference time-wise, but I have a loooong list of things for him to do one of these days, so I hope things lighten up after Christmas. We have to get things done in the house during the winter, because the yard is his top priority from March until October! He loves working in it!

Margie is teaching the Social Relations/Compassionate Service lesson in Relief Society and trying to keep things running smoothly at home. 

Scott just turned 26 and has been graduated from BYU for two years now. He has spent these two years working as an accountant for the Arthur Young Company (now Ernst and Young). He took the CPA exam in November, but won't hear until February if he passed all or part of it. He is serving as Elder's Quorum President in the Young Adult Ward of our Stake.

Chris returned home from his mission to Columbus, Ohio, on October 6. He had a wonderful, successful mission and loved it. He is how 23 and started at BYU on the Fall block schedule. He is just starting his senior year in Psychology. He still loves physical fitness and running and mountains and nature. He loves life and people and it very active in his student ward and in dating (making up for the past two years!) He is working as a psychiatric technician at the Utah Valley Medical Center and enjoys that also.

Wendy is 21 and is currently serving a mission in Atlanta, Georgia, teaching the deaf (American Sign Language). She has been serving 5 1/2 months now. Her address is: 3863 Memorial Dr. #305; Decatur, Georgia.

Jeni, 19, is a Freshman at Snow College, where she received academic and Honors Dept. scholarships to cover tuition, books and room and board (which saves her and us a bundle!) She is enjoying singing with the L.D. Singers and will be in the musical The Sound of Music in a couple of months. 

Shane is 13 1/2 and is in the 8th grade. He is doing well also. He has a pet hamster named Bartholomew.

Derek is a cute, toothless 7 year old and is in the 2nd grade. He is fun -- and noisy-- to have around.

We hope you are all healthy and happy and have a wonderful Christmas and a terrific New Year in 1990!

The Westras 

(this will be backdated to December 1989)

"Used To You Already" ... Mission Return

Chris left on his mission in October of 1987. Derek would have five years old. So two years later, comparison pictures of Chris and  Derek. Mom remembers as they picked Chris up from the airport and were traveling home in the car, Derek commented  "You've only been home a few minutes and I'm used to you already!"

Related Posts ...

• If you ever find a picture or event and wonder when it happened (a birth, leaving for a mission, new house, etc), remember there is a great Westra Timeline that lists all these events in order! It's also in the family dropbox. Good information!
• For more funny sayings, check out the Cute Quotes page (Derek's cute quote above as been added there!)
• Check out the labels (Missionary, Chris, Derek) for similar topics!