. . . too busy to even breathe

Della and Harker Davis (center)
50th Wedding Anniversary
30 October 1939

Lou Butler is 3rd from right in the third row (just in front of the window)

I hope you can enlarge the picture on your screen 

to Della and Harker Davis

from Lorena Arnold Shockley (Harker's half-sister)

1 January 1940

I surely am proud of the picture you sent me, and for an outdoor picture of a group it is extremely clear and nice.  I always thought you had a lovely family and then too, I think it almost more wonderful to raise so many to maturity and to still be here to rejoice in your golden wedding, than the Golden Wedding itself and that is something to be proud of.  I think it is marvelous to be spared to each other for the full 50 years and then to have never lost but the one child is quite as rare.

I intended to write and congratulate you on your Golden Wedding Anniversary but right then we were too busy to even breathe except that it was natural and necessary.  I had a bunch of beet toppers and potato pickers to board - from 10 to 17 for five weeks and while they were here we were extra busy - maybe you can imagine.  I did enjoy it even if it was a lot of hard work for us.  Then after they left we were behind with some of our other work and the letter was just put off from day to day.  I had that present wrapped and ready 3 or 4 days before we got it mailed.  Please do not think hard that I did not write.

With love, Most sincerely, your sister