Eldon "barbering"June 1948
Undated, but approximately February or March, 1948
I know it's been a long time since I wrote to you but I've been ashamed to face you, even in a letter. You put me through 13 years of school, 9 months of Barbering & now I don't have a job. I feel terrible and can't seem to do anything about it. . . . Waiting is harder than working. I do want to Barber & if I can just hold out I'm sure something will present itself for me. Thanks for the 2 dollars as we have budgeted ourselves too close this week & were afraid we wouldn't be able to stay away from the Baby Bank. We will make it tho and I have confidence that the Lord will answer our prayers.
May 19, 1948
My 20 pay insurance [?] costs 80 cents every 2 weeks & I get $500 back in 20 years so use tip money for insurance. Including tips & commission I bring in an average of $40 a week so we really feel good. Barbering is just what I needed. I work about 4 hours a day at present and wait 6 hours. I'm getting better & pretty soon will be able to compete with Mom and Aunt Florence. Seriously tho, it's pretty hard to satisfy the average man. My boss has taught me more about barbering, shaving & all than Moler college did. He is a swell man & gives me all the help I need in every way I'd need it. I cut Dr. Towndsend's hair twice now & hope to have a steady customer. I have worked 9 weeks now & have about 63 more weeks to go before I take my master barber test.
We still owe 27 dollars on doctor & hospital bills then the Baby will be paid for in advance. [Baby was due in August.] We have about $165 in the bank now & want to make it one thousand as soon as possible The first $1000 is supposed to be the hardest - the rest comes easy. We have a "Hit & Miss" budget. We try to hit the bank every week, but miss sometimes.
On March 29, 1948 I received a letter from Eldon. He was very excited about his stake missionary work. It was the last letter I received from him prior to his death.
On July 9, 1948 Eldon was killed in a car accident in Los Angeles, California. He had been married 11 months, and Susan was expecting their first child. My parents flew to Los Angeles immediately, and the next day Chuck, Pinkie, Leona and I drove there.
Newspaper report of Eldon's death
Telegrams of condolence sent to Jess & Mable
Eldon's funeral program
Perhaps Eldon had a sense that his life would be short - Mable recorded in the back of Eldon's baby book:
Mother's Day - 1947 Mother, I have to get married and start my family for I haven't much time.
Susan, don't you carry on when I go & tell Mother too. You know where I'm going & what the gospel means to me.
2 comments:
It was late Sunday afternoon, and we were sitting on the lawn in front of the house. The phone rang, and Mom Butler went in to answer the phone. She came out after she answered the phone, and she was crying and acting like she didn't know what to do. I suppose Dad was still at the church. They packed a few things and we took them out to the Pueblo airport. Eldon had died before they reached California. A big, heavily loaded truck had gone through a stop sign and hit them broadside. At first they were concerned about Susan because she was pregnant. The seat in the car was a bench seat, and it had been shoved through the door on Susan's side. She was pushed out of the car and was not seriously injured. The truck had hit their car with such force that the front grill of the truck was imprinted on the side of Eldon's head. It seems so sad now. I guess, at the time it happened, we were in shock and did what we had to do. elb
The newspaper article about Eldon's death said he died on Friday. Evidently, my remembrance of Sunday after-noon was incorrect. I do remember that we were out on the lawn. It was July and too warm in the house. I do remember Mom answering the phone and coming out of the house crying. I don't know why I felt that it was Sunday. Perhaps we had been someplace together. elb
Post a Comment