Last Letter From Dad

From August 17, 1976 through June 11, 1984 I collected 33 letters from my dad. 

The hand-written letters are all in CAPS and are difficult to decipher.  Some are typed, and others typed using triple carbon copies so Al, Bill and I could each get a copy.  Ever so frugal, Dad typed others on motel stationary because the stationary was free in those days. I kept the letters because I thought my dad was a bit of a character, and the letters were sometimes corny, but mostly I kept them because I suspected his time was limited and Dad’s descendants wouldn’t know him other than through my lies and exaggerations.

Here is my dad’s last letter written June 11, 1984. This letter was written just over a month before my son, John, was born and Dad was diagnosed with a fatal brain cancer.  It was only a few months later that Dad died of that cancer. (September 29, 1984)  Dad (Richard Francis Millen) was just short of his 68^th birthday on June 27 as of the letter listed below.  John is about to be born and Ann is 2 yrs 8 months.  I will type it exactly the way he typed it – pretty clean typing for the typewriter era.  Dad was having some serious cognitive and motor issues from the cancer by July 23, but I can only speculate whether the cancer had any impact on this letter. 

Dad is clearly in a humorous mood, griping about having nothing to gripe about.

I don’t recall him ever using an apostrophe when typing.  It was probably too much bother.

June 11, 1984

 Dear Tom and Jean and assorted little ones wherever they may be:

We understand the last few weeks of pregnancy are only enjoyable because they are almost over.  So reminding you of that is about the most cheerful thought I have had in the last two days.  One of those periods when you run out of energy for very much of anything and it appears old age is gaining a lot faster than you think it oughter. [sic]  So you want to buy a boat? [Our family had a boat for many years]

[Short section of CLEAN humor deleted here as it might be misunderstood by readers.]

Anything for a change of pace or a change of this peace that is boring me to the ultimate.  Guess it is time to look at cemetery lots again.  On top of that the corn aint in. 

Yup  rain and cold so bad the air conditioner cant even be checked out.  We have the new furnace in and must pay for it on the 18^th.  So we pay whether or not it can heat the house or not as it is only been cold enough to have it on heat to bring it up from 65 outside.  Its been 55 to 65 outside so much that the airconditioner cant be given a real test as it only goes up to 84 a couple of days since the 31^st of May.  My gosh there I am griping away and it is only 11 days that we could check it out anyway.  It sure is a lot more May weather than June, infact May has been as  cold as April most years. 

Lets see about bad conditions I can gripe about.  Gladys is so unsympathetic to this mood tha I cant even get an argument no matter what I say.  She just stands around and laughs at all the great ideas.  Tom, never marry an even tempered woman.  They will gripe hell out of you by sailing by your moods with out even getting mad.  Such poise and grace should be reserved to the angels as it  is damn annoying in a human being who tolerates you better than you tolerate her.  It puts you down as a miserable human being when your ego cant stand such perfection in your spouse.  So Jean throw a snit once in awhile so Tom wont be weighed down by being married to the perfect woman like I have had to contend with all these 39+ years.  Of course Tom will likely take his mothers side as she always deserves any credit there is for staying married 39+ years.

We went to see a Cubs game when they played Atlanta and sorry Tom the Cubs walloped the Braves that day.  Then went on up to Wawautosa to see Phils and all his grandchildren Thur Friday and Sat. nights.  Left Sunday as tired again from all the activity.  Karen and Nancy have their kids in everything and the girls are in lots of things too.  Along with those great husbands Pete and Steve.

[penciled in, all in caps, as always]

SO ALL WELL IF UNHAPPY HERE IN C/R

Mom and Dad Millen