Written by Eva some time before 1997:

I am not sure this folksy way of writing will be as enjoyable as it is to me. There will be more if you think it's even halfway understandable. I have had fun with it and have one about when I took him to the airport and he could not get through because of his knife (they took it from him and mailed to him at home). Also they finally located the fact that he had on a truss (when people had hernias, that's what they wore--Mom used to wear one.)

ODES TO ORVILLE
I only heard this story yesterday about Orville, my 95-year old half-brother. Well, he went to visit someone in a little village called Mill Shoals about 40 miles from his town. He took his younger brother Ulla (85) with him and they stopped a lady on the street and asked directions. She thought they were mashers. You see, Orville is a card, well, he thinks he is a comedian, and he probably said something the lady considered inappropriate. Well, she didn't do anything but call the police and when they were getting ready to leave town, the police picked Ulla and Orville up. Anyhow, Orville is a can and bottle saver; and though Orville has never drank liquor in his 95 years on planet earth, the policeman saw empty beer bottles in the back of Orville's car and thought they were his and they made him walk a straight line and touch his nose. Orville thought that at his age that was pretty cute to get stopped for being a masher and he tells the story on himself, I hear.Here's something sweet about Orville. If you take your walks in the beautiful cemetery in Orville's hometown, you will see lots of lovely walkways. Some of Fairfield's finest walkers and joggers choose to do their exercise in the cemetery. You know there's very little traffic, it's beautiful and very quiet. You may hear a breeze rustling the leaves once a while that could make you think there was some kind of traffic (you know, on the other side). Anyhow, there are many beautiful gravestones, used to be called tombstones, in the cemetery. You may ask what does that have to do with Orville. Well, there is one beautiful tombstone in that cemetery and it has Orville's name on it. His birth date is registered on it but not yet his date of departure from here to the Gloryland. What I am going to tell you is about Mary, his wife, whose name is on the wife's side of the tombstone. Mary Orville died in 1986. This is to describe how Orville misses Mary and how he fills up his time since she has graduated this life.Orville and Mary's wedding occurred when he was 19 years old and she was Sweet Sixteen. They left home and he struck out on his own, working for our Dad's water well drilling outfit. Being a saver as he has been all his life (some called him a tightwad). If you meet him he may brag about his tie that he bought for ten cents or the suit coat for $1. He had a nice pig farm also made a good living at the "plant" in town, and raised four very smart, well-educated children. He and Mary took care of many sick people, then she got sick and died and it seems kind of like she was one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. You will likely say the same thing about Orville (except for his corny jokes).

I hardly know how to start describing Orville and what a "catbird" he is today compared to what he was before Mary died and got so lonesome he just had to find a way to run around like he does. Well, I am getting ahead of my story. Postscript. Orville died in 1997 and his name is now on the tombstone; if you ever go the Fairfield Graveyard you will see it as the loving husband of his precious Mary.

MUSGRAVE REUNION ~ 2002Hi, Family, Thanks for coming to the reunion and making it so very successful. Carl has emailed some pictures to me which I hope to get together ones that you may enjoy. (Soon as I get the hang of it.) I am forwarding to you Kara's email. Do you have a commentary about the Reunion in Ojai? If we have no comments or finalizing statements, then we may as well take it off the webpage. Perhaps we could restate where it will be next time and who will take the reins over. Maybe you enjoyed one particular thing more than others, maybe meeting up with cousins you have never seen before, i.e., Carl Manly and his family seeing the bunch for the 1st time. Maybe the funniest thing to you. The talent show, Eunice's yodeling, Avery's splits and exercise, Jim and Dick's You are My Sunshine. Carl's saxophone. I mostly was so excited to have everyone show up, that was the best part for me. Let me hear from you by end of September. I will put a report together before we take it off the website. Thanks Carl and Kara for opening up your home for this wonderful occasion. Again, my deep and abiding thanks and appreciation for the effort, time and expense all of you went to in making this such a resounding success. Lovingly, Auntie Eve

A MONTANA STORY

My Montana sister, her ten kids, and all of their kids had the Weber Family reunion in Missoula, Montana, and they asked me to join them. I jumped at the chance! I got to crosstalk with electrical engineers (one a female), a female big rig truck driver, an attorney, a female stock broker, a female producer of videos, a female power plant manager with a Jeep whose license plate reads "ChickMdn," a math teacher/coach, a NASA spacecraft engineer, and an Otis Elevator designer. These people are movers and shakers and they don't sit still.

We had a barn dance and a talent show (yes, I played my harmonica, i.e., "Sweet Betsy from Pike," "Streets of Laredo," and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"). No, I didn't win a prize, but did get an award for the "Most Flamboyant" and shared one with my sister called "Best Water Worrier." We had a line dance on the program headed by two 400lb linebackers and five other sundry beings. We rafted the Rattlesnake River. I heard the wind in the cottonwood trees again, smelled the mountain air, sang "The Rose" at a Kareoke bar, talked story with many interesting people, and had delightful food of all kinds. (No pictures, I forgot my camera.)

Eight pounds heavier, I returned home to a wonderful, rainy Santa Barbara.

Photo of Eunice and June