October 12, 1968

Miltona, MN

Dear Marjorie,

I’m sorry I haven’t written in a long time. With school, it’s been so busy, but I know that’s no excuse.

We had our 4-H meeting this week and I was elected Reporter. That means I have to submit articles to the newspaper and also keep up the scrapbook. I’m excited but a little afraid, too. The whole town will see my articles!! I will be writing an article after every meeting and after special events. You have a big job for your club as Secretary. You will have to pay good attention to everything at the meetings!! And we both will be writing a lot!

I feel as though I am getting into the swing of things at school. It’s a half hour bus ride for us kids from Miltona to get into Alexandria, so I do some homework and reading on the bus. I sit with Maija Johannson who is in my grade. Her brother is Per and is the same age as my sister Katrina. Per is a senior in high school. He and is brother Lars are 10 months apart in age, and they are both in the same grade! It’s like they are twins, but they aren’t. I guess Per started early to school.

Anyway, Per and Lars sit in the back of the bus with all they boys. They are really noisy. Then it’s the older girls, and then us younger girls and boys sit towards the front. I’m so glad we aren’t the youngest anymore. I get on the bus after the Johannson’s and I am so self-conscience getting on, knowing Per can see me.

It’s not like we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, you know. I’m not sure he knows I exist now, even though we became friends at the state fair. He’s really popular at school, and I’m an underclassman, so the older boys don’t pay much attention to us, but sometimes when we pass in the hall, he’ll nod at me. Makes me feel so special, because a lot of my girlfriends don’t even know any upperclassmen.

And Per is one of the Homecoming candidates! And to be fair, my sister Katrina is a queen candidate, too! Homecoming is next week and there are all kinds of activities planned. We’ve already begun the floats for the parade. Each class has a float and we use chicken wire and paper napkins to make them. Do you do that, too? We stuff the paper napkin into the chicken wire hole and use different colored napkins and spray paint to make the design. Lots of the moms and dads help. One of the guys who lives near Alex is letting us use his haywagon, and our float theme is “Smoke ‘em Out” and we have this beehive that we’re going to have smoke coming out of. I think it’s pretty clever. We can’t tell anyone so it’s a surprise.

I’m loving my classes—I have Mr. Cline for English. I’ve got to go right now, but in my next letter I’ll tell you about this cool thing we’re doing in his class—diagramming. And I want to tell you about Ms. Condon’s class.

Got to go. Love ya!

Irene