At Christmas I no more desire a rose
than wish a snow in May’s new-fangled mirth
but like of each thing that in a season grows
Shakespeare

January 4, John Sandberg changed everyone's job description. He moved me to a position that required just typing, and gave Cheryl Ewing the mag card typewriter. I was given a new IBM that John mumbled (a moot observation) "It cost the Company a thou."

Leta Nance

I was unhappy with this new setup, but did not really resent Cheryl. John also presumed (he did that real well) to take away Jim Lynch's private work area, and did this while Jim was off on vacation. Jim came back to find his desk moved to the general area of Marketing, and no more work tables! Soon after, Jim gave notice that he was leaving MSC. And he began encouraging me to try for his position. He told me I could handle it as well as anybody. He actually was over-qualified at MSC though, he was a graduate of Notre Dame. And he was soon leaving MSC.

In order to apply for his job, I typed up a letter which, in retrospect, I think it was quite good and it did the trick:

TO:Terry L. Brown
FROM:Leta L. Nance
SUBJECT:Market User Analyst Position

I should like to be considered for the opening in the Marketing Department. May I submit my qualifications as follows:


1. Understand contract language and have been working with Jim Lynch in typing all the contracts and summaries he has prepared.
2. Am very comfortable with detail work.
3. Already know many aspects of the Marketing field, and I am always willing to learn.
4. Have a license as Health Insurance Agent for the State of Washington.
5. Handled the setting up of the Individual Contract when I began working here.
6. Would feel I was making a more valuable contribution to my Department than at present.
7. One of the things I most enjoy at present is the preparation of the Sales Activity Headcount Report. It involves a lot of detailed work before the final typing.

My reason for wanting to handle this position is that I would like to become more involved with the workings of the Company than I feel I am at present.

I have been employed at MSC for four years (and one month) -- a little short of the requirement -- however, I feel my years of working with all contracts (special, standard, etc.) would give me an advantage in learning this specialized phase of Marketing.

Respectfully,

I got the job. So now I had full-charge of writing the largest (merit) contracts, both new ones and renewals. Now I could pass on my work to Cheryl, the mag card operator, for typing. After working up the contracts, I made up the corresponding booklet and sent it to our commercial printer. I had close rapport with the family who owned University Press. Leo and Marge Aspenlieter and their two sons, Tim and Rich.

John asked me how much salary I wanted for this. I asked only $115 more per month. It was still much, much less than Jim was paid, but I didn't want to ask too much and foul up. My title at the time was Marketing User Analyst and later on until the day I retired, it was Contract Specialist.

There was a farewell party for Jim. He wrote up some humorous words for his farewell speech. It began:

I don't know how to thank John Sandberg for giving me this opportunity of having lunch with my friends. What a sweet guy -- real original -- a profound influence on all those around him. It is my wish that all of you here can get to know this wonderful decent human being as well as I have so that you, too, can admire his tact, his originality, his vast vocabulary, his modesty, his management style, and his creative ability. And if John has his way, you will.

Then Jim mentioned by name several of the people with whom he worked. Saying: "LETA - When I think of the words serene and profound I think of you. You are a beautiful person. One I'll not forget."

February 26 was a total eclipse of the sun. The next total eclipse anyone in our area will be able to view will be in 38 years -- 2017! Hope you all enjoy it and think of me!

Gary remodeled Bob's ham shack. The room we called "The Ramshackle Ham Shack." He paneled the walls and put in lots of shelving.

In March John Sandberg had Barry draw up a series of marketing pictures which were framed and hung in his office. They were pen and ink, and depicted the foibles of marketing.

A new individual medical plan was being initiated, and a proper name for it was up for grabs. The Select Plan for Individuals was the one I submitted, and it is the one they chose. I got no compensation for it, though. When I left the Company, the plan was still in effect.

It was John 's idea to have me subsidized for classes in calligraphy so we could personalize the booklets for groups of 100 and more. For this, I was given time off from work for classes; my fees and class materials were paid for; and they allowed me to take three more courses to learn other lettering styles.

Gloria and I had classes at Spokane Falls Community College in Genealogy in April. We went to a Genealogy Workshop at the Westminster Church. I was really too busy to get very deeply involved in Genealogy, but hoped to do more in later years.

On May 1 we had a tornado -- a freak phenomenon for Spokane. At work we were told to go home immediately. This tornado was west of the city and heading our way. Moving fast, I got in my car and drove home. I was surprised by my thoughts. Imagining Bob and me in the basement -- no supplies, medication, food or such, and the house crashing down on us. The tornado spent itself out and was never a threat. A picture of it did manage to make the papers.

I took a short Medical Terminology course given at MSC. It was easy, and probably did me some good.

I built a rock waterfall by the pond and we got a circulating pump to move the water. It worked quite well -- although not perfectly.

July Bob and I drove to Seattle (Tukwila) where he bought a new electronic gadget, a VCR. These video recorders were just coming out on the market. We picked it up at a supply house where Bob did a regular business.

Then for a month we tried a special deal at the new Family Fitness Center just a mile from home. We decided to join it to get in on the swimming. But we didn't like the pressures put on us to bring our friends in to join up.

Barry asked to have us give a birthday party at our house for Susan on August 26. We had not seen much of either of them for quite a few months. I remember that on July 4th, a party at our house was a little flat because Susan didn't feel well and couldn 't come. But when I called Susan about some detail or other about Barry’s forthcoming party for her, she informed me that she and Barry were separated!

Devastating news! And I thought they had a good marriage -- 12 years and four children . . .

We went ahead with the party, and I did a heck of a lot of work for it at quite an expense. The next day Susan filed for divorce!

Barry had moved into a small apartment in Brown's Addition, an old section of Spokane. Bob and I went to see him taking along some breakfast. When we saw the small space he occupied we were horrified. We had Barry move all his things and come live with us. Barry showed us a watercolor he was working on -- a seascape with Susan in it -- he was doing this to give to her.

Susan was asking and getting custody of the children, the house, the furniture and the car. Barry thought it was all right -- they would certainly be getting back together. But Barry spent some lonely, despondent days with us getting adjusted to this breakup.

Having no car, Barry carpooled to work and back with me. He drove my car as far as the Opera House where he got out and walked on to his architecture office, and I then drove a few blocks to my job. I did a lot of praying for him and the children. Barry would not allow one word against Susan. He jumped right in to her defense.

We bought some clothes for him. He needed a boost in his morale. We got him a suit and heavy winter coat.

Bob and I went to Salt Lake City and visited the Genealogy Library. Leo found out at this time that our great-grandfather, Daniel B. Robbins, was buried close by in the Pleasant Prairie Cemetery, on a hill north of Millwood. So with Opal and Bill we went to look for Daniel's grave. There were also several other relatives buried in this little old cemetery. Most of these relatives were pioneers of the Peone Prairie and Mead areas.

On October 31 Bob's sister-in-law, Virginia, died unexpectedly. She was in the hospital in Portland suffering a diabetic attack. She was alone in her room and choked on her food. When discovered, she showed no brain activity or vital signs -- the family decided not to try to revive her. The funeral was November 1. Paul, Nora, Loretta, Allen, Barry, Bob and I went.

Gary and Barry moved Susan's furniture to the new mobile home which she bought. Her friend, Sandy Alberado, had a trailer at Silver Lake so Susan wanted to live there, too. It took two trailer moves to get her located -- first to a hookup at Medical Lake. With this first move, Gary had a very bad sore throat. It came about that he had mononucleosis. And Gary was not able to return to work until December 10. He was extremely tired and couldn’t help with any more moving.

In December, I took Nikki to Fred Meyers and helped her get Christmas gifts for her from us. I told her to just go ahead and spend $100. It was fun!

December 11, to end a very "atypical" year, Bill had to undergo open-heart surgery. He came out of it really well, but Opal said he looked as if he were dead when they brought him down from surgery.

We had dinner several times at the Greenacres Cafe. They used folded, years-ago copies of the Valley Herald paper for placemats. I don't know what date this item was from in the past, but it reported:

Pinecroft, Irvin:
Leo and Dennis Keener, Richard Eliason, George Berg, and Jefferson Chambers went to Coeur d'alene Saturday on bicycles. This was a Boy Scout test and the boys made the trip with one hour to spare despite the rain.