Visionary Betty

Shortly after our first child, Ken, was born in February 1950 I went off to graduate school at Penn State. In the past week I find that I am inordinately glad of that fact. I have found a small suitcase full of letters which we wrote back and forth that year. As a matter of fact there are numerous such letters from B. Clarkson to James R. Taylor which were sent to me in Cincinnati, OH just after we were engaged and I was studying at the University there the summer of 1948. There are also letter from Harriet (that was what I first knew her as and what I continued to use in personal contact) Taylor to James R. [Her family called her Betty to distinguish her from her Granny, Harriet, and her Grandma Clarkson - Lizzie.] Most every body else called her Betty and she was somewhat more comfortable with that name when addressed by others. The point is I have those letters now to bring me closer to her in my time of sorrow.

One I read today is particularly remarkable. It was written November 29, 1950. She talks about picking up “a couple of those house plans at the bank the other day. There was a wonderful few hours of dreaming. Someday -- maybe one like this. This one is mostly windows-particularly the Living room. A nice fire place, big windows, a compact kitchen, and a possible 3 bedrooms, and the big terrace makes it attractive. Pick us a Sate, a county, a city, and here we go.” What is so remarkable is that in November 1964 we were in Montana, in Yellowstone County, and in the city of Billings when we actually bought that house. Fourteen years later. There it is, above. Taken October 9, 2005 with family visiting as we celebrated Betty’s 80th birthday, my 81st, Paul’s and Louise’s 10th Anniversary and Jim and Cec’s 20th Anniversary. Along with Pete, Lisa’s and Cecilia’s birthdays also in October.