Maria and Mark Elope, Christmas 1984 and Other News from the Year!

No Christmas card this year, in a disaster zone as far as the business is concerned and Maria and Mark eloped!!!   So I do not know what I am doing about now.  Maria saw Mark at the cash register at a local store and had us check him out.  Next thing they were dating and then went to visit Jimmy at BYU and came back married!  We had a dinner and cake celebration with friends at a restaurant at UTC and I can't find any of the pictures!!!!  

They both appear very happy, came to the L J office to share the news with me.  What a huge surprise!!!  

The only pictures I have of us at Christmas are of Kristi, Linda and Gary; John and Meagan.  Good grief, hope we do better next year!   

John poses with Meagan in her Dance Costume

Meagan at '84 Christmas

News from earlier this year is that my friend Carla from Glendive is also in the financial business!!!  She is a financial consultant for Shearson/American Express.  This, after all her years in the music business and then as music professors in a private school.

Evidently the Wall Street firm is experimenting with teaching highly educated individuals (Carla has her Doctorate) to be financial consultants and use their contacts as clients.

News about the Silver Gate Cabin.  I suggested to Dick sometime ago that we start having family times scheduled every year and that all families contribute to the cost and the ownership of the cabin goes into a Trust for all the heirs to use from now on.  I think we are all on board to finally make it happen.

Major Events in 1985 and Christmas and Christmas Card 1985

Park City, UT--January--Meagan learns to ski--Fun Trip!

Provo, UT--April 19--Jimmy and his bicycle collided with a garbage truck and spends six months recuperating at home 

La Jolla, CA--May-- Mark, Gary, John, and Jimmy convert surf house to playhouse!

Big Bear, CA--July--Much needed vacation at Lagonita Lodge 

Forest Park, Illinois--Move in September, Gary, Linda, and Kristi are at Loyola Dental School

 

Austin, TX--Sherry and son Zack move to Austin, Texas as Sherry secured a job in the loan business using the experience she has gained in La Jolla.

San Diego, CA--September 12--Michael Aston Valko born, Maria and Mark are the proud parents.

Glendive, MT--November--Janet's brother Dick passes away--Janet joins her family for a loving tribute.  The funeral was very nice.  Dave told about when they were young in the depression with one bicycle for two boys and doing the paper route for years.  Marilyn and Jeanne gave the prayers at the funeral, Carole gave the prayer before the funeral and I gave the prayer at the viewing the night before. 

Everyone was taking it all really well but it is scary to Mary and Cheri and Jeff to have the whole responsibility of the store.  Right next door to the store Dick had just bought the building and got other merchants to come in.  The rent will be about $3000 a month to Mary so if they can keep the merchants in there it should be good.  It is called Anderson's Mini-Mall and he got a Citizen of the Month Award for bringing new life into downtown when the town is so depressed.  

 Dick and Mary 

We gathered at Mary's house in Glendive, Montana

Dave and Dorothy

Carole, Marilyn, and Janet with Mom.   Arky and Rod's wife and baby.

Remaining Anderson children with Mom

Carole and Len with their boys

Marilyn and Arky, Jeanne, Mary, Mom, Dorothy and Dave, Janet and Carole, Len and their boys

La Jolla, CA--November--Jimmy set apart as an Elder and at same time President Kimball passes away.  

Jimmy traveled all over Europe after High School graduation and attended ski school in Austria and Italy with a rich friend and so was able to be on the BYU ski team.  Just before trying to get ready for a spring ski trip to Colorado, he was hit by a BYU garbage truck while riding his bicycle.  He received severe head injury and damage to his tibia.

While mending for 6 months he prepared for a mission and left last month for Colorado Mission.  He was not able to go abroad because of possible head seizures and need for leg physical therapy.

Boulder, CO--November--Jimmy arrives at first city to serve on his mission!

San Diego, CA--December--John finishes graduate school at San Diego State.   He is looking for a job

Los Angeles, CA--John begins his new career as a Tax Accountant with Peat, Marwick, Main and Co.  

San Diego, CA--December--We are putting Maria in as Operations Manager, in charge of keeping all supplies bought and forms printed, turning the garage room into a mailroom, etc.  We just have to get more organized and get Richard to spending his time doing the right things.  We are also cleaning and reorganizing the Clairemont office for better looks and efficiency.

Christmas in La Jolla

Meagan and Michael

Maria and Baby Michael

John and Meagan

Grandma Janet and Michael

Michael

John and Meagan

Maria and Michael

Christmas in Illinois

Kristi

Christmas in Colorado for James

After Christmas Notes

I have been up since 3 am writing long notes to those I want to rather than sending a lots of cards.

 John starts February 10 with Peat Marwick in Los Angeles.  Should be exciting to finally be working after all his schooling.

We are doing all right but will have to make some decisions this next year about selling our house.

Business is Going Well! 1986

1986 is going to be as hectic as last year with everyone wanting to refinance and all sources strained it appears, but all is well at the moment.  Richard and I are feeling good and believe it or not Richard had a hot dog at Price Club and said he didn't like it!!! 

I had some really difficult problems on my loans this week though.  I asked the Lord to help me and we did get them done!!  When I went out to one of the Lender's where Dan Northcutt from our Stake works he told me he was amazed and said he had told the girls working for him that I could never pull it off,  but I did.   

I had one borrower in Austria on a ski trip who would be back three days late for the other borrower to be able to close and I had another borrower who could not qualify and since each person was buying the other person's house (three houses, four couples involved) everything had to work and if it didn't I would have felt very responsible because two of the borrowers were mine.  Thank the Lord we worked hard, negotiated with everyone and got the one in Austria to fly back early and got one borrower to pay extra to get a buydown so the lender would approve him and it all turned out ok.  

On another deal on a loan we had worked on for three months we had finally funded and were going to close the next day when the escrow officer called and said we were $19,100 short and the borrower had said he did not have any money to bring in and the lender had said they could not lend him any more and if we did not have it by morning the whole deal would fall through and the property would be foreclosed on. Payments were not being made and they could not see that the taxes were paid though and for some reason it did not show up till right at the the last minute.  We were panicking for about 15 minutes when the borrower called up and said his bank was opening up special for him to get a cashiers check and it closed.  So we had some close ones but we closed them and were paid!! 

We have about 25 loans going and it is so hard to keep up with it all but at least we can pay the bills and keep moving ahead.  This Saturday I taught four of the Help You Sell agents about financing and they said said they really learned a lot and enjoyed the class.  They are pretty good to refer loans to me.  Since brokers have become a thing now and not everything being done by the banks the real estate agents have a lot to learn!

Went by mistake to 7th Ward last week and they were having a Farewell for Johnny Rasimas to the Tonga Mission.  His sister Michelle is very vivacious and gave a good talk.  Donna Moncrief is so pretty and she gave a good talk and the father did also.   

Linda wrote that they are having problems with mice in Chicago and need D-Con!  We know all about mice from problems we had!!!

Maria and Mark are moving in here.  Most of the time baby Michael is very relaxed and a chubby, jolly fellow.  

James is doing well on his mission! 

We just realized that Brother and Sister Squires who were at the MTC when James was there are relatives!

News of the Children and Grandchildren, 1986

 Jimmy writes such great letters,  his "big" spirit lifts us all.  I need to take his advice and live the gospel and be happy.  So often I feel sorry for my role in life when I should be grateful the Lord has blessed me with a good mind and ability to do loans.  I had my biggest month ever.  $8900!!  It helped to pay a few bills but we still have a  lot more to go and unwinding from Jones.

We are starting a new company asap so we can get paid on both sides, by summer we will probably be on our own for better or worse.

I decided it would be smart to sell this big house eventually and to buy a new smaller free and clear with cash and not have to work so hard.  I think I would like to live where there is more openness.

This last month I worked every day from 6 am to 10 pm and caught a bug and went to the doctor today to try and get well.  Had to give up my walks with Jean but hope to be back tomorrow or next day at it.

I put Jimmy's stereo in my bedroom and really enjoy the good music so much.

Mom enjoyed a letter from Jimmy.  Glendive won the state championship in basketball again, 4 out of 5 years. Hunter plays on the team!

Mary is sending us all a plan that I had suggested originally on setting a time for each family at the cabin so hopefully we will all use it.

John did not come home this weekend but Linda and Gary were here.  Gary is doing well.  Linda's cooked us all dinner and does all very well.    Kristi is very petite and she and Meagan play well together though Meagan gets a little frustrated because Kristi is not quite old enough for some things.   

Meagan gets more beautiful all the time with her silky brown hair and brown eyes,  Kristi looks like a pixie and Michael looks a lot like Jimmy did as a baby though his eyes seem much bluer.   He laughs and smiles all the time and has big dimples like Mark.  

Jimmy says his leg is getting stronger, he has surely had a challenge with that. 

Jimmy's bank statement show he spent a lot last month, he must be eating well!

                          Meagan, Kristi and Zack

Fuquas to Come and New Family News, 1986

As of May 31 Richard is completely separated from Jones.   

The Fuquas are going to live with us this next year to see if Len can do this business.  Coming down in time to get the boys in school.

Richard and I enjoyed a weekend in Big Bear, need to get away from it all sometime.

Maria and Mark are in Michigan, Maria went a week early so they could have more time with baby Michael.  Mark is working with a air conditioning/heating company and quite likes it.  Hope that works out.

Linda and Gary spend weekends in El Cajon and Linda is here all week and has gotten some sewing done.  The last two weeks she also took care of Meagan because Meagan went to Zoo school in the mornings one week and to Scripps Aquarium School in the mornings the second week.  Meagan can read and can write also.  She is going into first grade this year.

John is taking a real interest in cooking so I am giving him a small food processor for his birthday, he wanted it!  He and Gary are planning a trip to the High Sierras. 

We received a letter from James' mission president saying he is being called to be a district leader!

Richard and I switch furniture around a little so we can have a private sitting area in our bedroom to maintain our privacy.

We put the bunk beds in James' bedroom for a couple of the Fuqua boys. We have quite a juggling of people in our house.  Linda is having her baby in San Diego instead of Chicago and so may be here for a bit even after the Fuquas come and Maria and Mark come down quite often, too.

Two of the boys will probably be in the garage.  We have new carpeting  in there and we will make a wall out of high storage shelves.  Everybody says we are  crazy and asking for trouble but I think we can all get along if we try.

Roberta was very surprised to hear the Denver Temple will be dedicated in October.  It was started the same time as the San Diego Temple and it is getting nowhere.  Evidently the architect here displeased the church officials so not moving forward fast.

Meagan is sewing her own Barbie doll clothes.  I cut out a lot intending to make them for Christmas but never had time so I showed her how to sew them by hand and she loves doing it!!!

My Mom is now living permanently with Jeanne, She is 84.  I was in an old folks home last week and those people sit around like vegetables, and a lot younger than Mom, too.  So sad.  Happy Jeanne can take her in.  

The Fuquas are Here!!, 1986

All the Fuquas are here, 15 people here this weekend! Gary has returned to Chicago  and Linda will be having her baby soon.

Eric has already had his car stolen, put the keys under his carpet and window open, etc.  Kathy (John's friend) was nice enough to meet Hunter before registration at La Jolla High.  

The middle bedroom facing the ocean we took the wooden shutters down and putting up mini-blinds, such a beautiful view and so light in there.  Linda and Kristi are staying in there.

Richard sold three houses this weekend and we funded almost a million dollars in my loans this month!!

J I Earl News, Linda and Baby News, 1986

Richard wrote to James and one of the things he told him was that I was working hard and very effectively.    He said I was extremely capable and  have proven to be a real sophisticated business person. Wow!

Although it was tedious to separate from Jones we now have eight of us, two computers, two memory writers as well as three typewriters and a large copier.  

A large company just bought out Help U Sell,  we think this will give us a boost and help us build the business more effectively.

The J I Earl family is in the midst of compiling a a book detailing the life and posterity of Joseph Ira Earl, son of Sylvester Henry Earl.  Sylvester was the one who joined the Church, was in Nauvoo, and trekked to Salt Lake.  So Richard is busy gathering information on the children and grandchildren of his Mother,  Vida Earl Hardy.  Sounds like a big job. but Richard will make assignments and gather it in, he is good at that.  Ken Earl and his wife Ludeen Earl are going around the country and gathering pictures and information for the book.  He is son of Kenny and Verdie and Kenny was the son of J I.  Ken has a law practice in Moses Lake, not sure if he retired or just taking the time to do it.

Linda had her baby September 11 and I flew out with her and Kristi and baby Craig.  We keep calling him Michael by mistake.  Linda and Gary are renting a roomy, old house and Gary rides a motor scooter to school.  Some other dental students in the ward gave Linda a little shower.  It is interesting how Church people are the same all over, they look the same and talk the same.  Linda has high blood pressure though so she's going to have to slow down, she has things perfect all the time, such a worker.

Downtown Chicago is very alive and busy.  I was surprised at how hot and muggy it is though.  

The work is going well with Jimmy on his mission and we are so proud of the example he is setting and we're doing well on getting the bills paid.   

Eric and Hunter went back to Glendive to go to school, it was frustrating to start over in a big city.  Carole is reassessing what she is going to do, she can work here but she doesn't like techy work so will see.

No Christmas Card 1986

No Christmas Card again this year and the only pictures taken were of Michael.  What a cutie he is.

1986 was the year of the refinance.  Rates went down and everybody wanted to get in on the lower rates.  Banks could not handle the volume so for me and my team it was a banner year for doing loans.  Of course, there were not enough appraisers and things took a long time.  We literally worked around the clock.  It was a very hard year but we were up to it and did very well.

But no time for anything else but work!!!