St. Johns, Ariz.
Dec. 23, 1929

Mrs. Rosalia Payne (Lurlene’s 7 years older sister)

Dearest sister - Read your letter so long ago.  Am so glad you are such an understanding person, So, you won’t reprimand me for not answering sooner.  Mother is not well a bit (?).  She eats too hearty of everything and the Suffers.  You remember mother always did have an abnormal appetite.  Sometime I’ll write you a big long letter and tell you just how Mother is.  As usual I’m in a big hurry.  Alice is wanting to graduate in the spring.  Has been working hard all fall.  Her teachers tell us she is an exceptional student.  Then too, she plays the piano real well and is invited to play accompaniments, etc.  All this helps to keep her busy and happy, as you know when we are needed we are happiest.  Afton certainly is the pride of our hearts a good student and so lovable.  His friends and teachers say “Oh He is the sweetest kid.”  We do love him, etc.  Tenney is in the 7th grade, nervous, ambitious, and lovable.   His teachers say, with such a personality, he ought to attain to anything.  Tenney is not a sweet disposition but so ambitious for doing something.  Winifred has the nicest disposition of all of them, is just like her Dad, but I guess I’ll spoil it.  I hope not.  Warren G has just started school is doing real well and little Verna Mae is just the Baby.  Spoiled as she can be, but Oh we do love her.  She isn’t a bit less smart than any of the rest.  We are proud of them all.  Well you’ll wonder why I’m writing this way.  It is, when you wrote about ??? I was so so pleased and wondered about all the rest.  Then I thot, well that serves me right I never write a word about mine, so how could I expect that from you.  This letter is all the Christmas I’ll have for you this year, except my wishes.  (I’m afraid I didn’t have much more last year.). But I do hope you’ll have the happiest. Something Christmas of your lives.  I think you’ve got the nicest family and think you are the very loveliest grandest sister that a person could ever have.   All of us to all of you, Lurlene (especially Mother).