Following Grandmother Mortenson's death Adelle sold the family's house in Evanston and moved to Wheaton. Lois came to live with them and Kenneth visited often.
Margaret recalls Russell Graves who was very nice to Evangeline, but the Mortenson family had the feeling that they were country cousins. Margaret eventually found out many years later that Russell had made his home in Washington, D.C., but he had…
Margaret's family made a summer trip to Stony Lake and from there to Minnesota to visit relatives. She remembers how difficult the roads were and all the troubles that this caused. They arrived in Duluth but had to make it back to Racine because of…
Margaret tells about the girls at Wheaton going out early to play football. They would get permission to do so and didn't want people to see them, so they got up very early in the morning and had a "jolly time" together. They got a sense of what the…
Margaret tells about her family's road trip to Michigan in the summer of 1923. Three tires blew up during the trip. They had to spend the night at the Gales home, the family of Alex, who used to date Margaret. He tried to reconnect with Margaret, but…
Margaret reads a letter to her mother in which she describes her work in the library and what she earned. She tells of her expenses and asks her mother to pray for her so that she would earn more.
Margaret tells about the beginning of the end of her father's life. A.D. had his first stroke during of after one the many football games to which he would take Margaret. His health began to decline steadily after that and working became a struggle…
Margaret had her tonsils removed and a nurse that Grace Van Hough knew came to watch over her for 24 hours. She remembers the nurse commenting on her muscles from head to toes (Margaret had was in sports a lot and had developed pretty strong…
Margaret tells of Grace Van Hough who came to live with them and persuaded Adelle to let her buy a grand piano. Adelle's piano went out but when Grace was leaving she took her piano with her and didn't bother to replace Adelle's piano.
Margaret tells of hospitality at the Mortensons. There was always someone living at their home for a year, or two, or more. That was normal and had become part of their life.
Lois invited Margaret to spend the night over at her family's home. She got there just in time for dinner, after which they went out with the intention to see a professor but instead were joined by a group of boys with whom they spent the evening…
It was easy to make friends and there was so much going on. One night Margaret heard music outside just as she was ready to go to bed, and her friend Muriel urged her to come out. There was a group of boys serenading them that night.
Margaret tells about her friendship with Lois McShane and the group of close friends that formed around them. She recalls their parties and other get-togethers/events. Some of the boys in the group dated Margaret.
Margaret recalls her parents' decision to send her to Wheaton much against her will. The bribe was a second summer to the girls' camp, which cost pretty much the same as attending Wheaton. The only other pleasant experience was her meeting in later…
Margaret was invited to share the room of the junior girls she had met in the late summer because one of them wasn't coming back to Wheaton. This was a tremendous piece of luck to have a junior's room.
Margaret's desire was to go to Vassar for college. Her parents decided that she should go to Wheaton, so they took her to visit there. To convince her, Margaret's parents bargained with her that she could go to the girls' summer camp again if she…
Kenneth discusses the fourth week of the Country Team Seminar. The groups for Southeast Asia and Latin America divided, both focusing on their respective areas. The main speaker was Professor Russell H. Fifield from the University of Michigan.…
Kenneth received, through some persuasion, a three year contract at American University. He was instantly chosen to set up the Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies. The program was quite successful and active, as Kenneth was quite up to date…
Kenneth acquired a royal barge from Thailand. It was dropped on his desk by a young man who had joined the Board of Economic Warfare and whose parents had died. The picture was part of his inheritance. The Landons believe it is an original painting…
Margaret tells of Anna Fyshe visiting and playing their piano. Anna Fyshe, having been trained professionally, was not asked to play. When she did sit and play, however, she commented that it was quite a fine piano and was thrilled to have had the…
Margaret tells of how one day the Landons' bulldog, Candy, took baby Kip's entire head in its mouth. Peggy had to drive her high-heeled shoe into Candy's belly to save the baby. Kip received first aid, but there was no serious damage. The event put…
The cowboy evangelist tried to seduce Mrs. Ousley, who had become a Christian at his meetings. She had many problems in her marriage and was considering divorce. Margaret was shocked when Mrs. Ousley, who was a friend of hers, told her about the…