Ruth & John Home from L.A. Vacation, August, 1977

Ruth and John Kellogg were 71 and nearly 78 when this picture was taken in Clearwater FL in 1977.  They were enjoying friends at Horizon House as well as son Ken and his family: Nellie, Phil and Roger.  Ruth also kept an eye on her mother, Lottie Meredith (90) and her brother, Jimmie (66), who also lived nearby.

Sat., August 6, 1977 - "We're HOME again.  A brief summary of the 2 weeks are on notebook paper herewith enclosed.  We had no trouble making connections with the 2 AIRLINES, but National was an hour late getting us to Tampa.  Again - we had much good food on planes plus a Jackie Gleason - Burt Reynolds movie.  We found 67 degree weather on our walk from United to National Buildings in Los Angeles Airport, but felt good.  Didn't like seats so when they let off a lot of passengers in New Orleans we got 2 good seats for the hour trip from there here.  

Had to take old Airport Limo as J. told Whitley Limo to meet us on the 5th, as was on our schedule by Oceanic Agency!  Their mistake.  We discovered it in Los Angeles Airport boarding ticket - stamped Aug. 6th!  Big lot of straightening, washing clothes, looking at mail.  Dan's brother, Joe, died Aug. 1st!"

As I perused this diary, which has both 1976 and 1977 in it, many little errors popped up in 1977 - such as repeating information within the same entry or in two different entries.  Maybe this is early evidence of the dementia that gradually appeared.  Should the Kelloggs have realized from other paperwork that the trip ended on Aug. 6, not Aug. 5?  We'll never know...

Dan's older brother, Joe, died suddenly at the age of 55.  We and the 3 girls, Lynn, Cindy and Kate, went to The Field Museum that day, Aug. 1, to the King Tut exhibit.  Dan had a strange sensation while were were eating a little later and soon afterward we learned that Joe had died.  This diary entry was not in Pieces of a Life, nor was the picture.

3 of Ruth's Diary Entries in October, 1965

The picture is of me, Diane, in 1964 after Dan Pellettiere and I had been married.  I was sitting on the bed in our apartment in Riverdale, which is part of NYC.  Dan worked for N.W. Ayer, a famous old advertising agency, and I worked for an insurance co. as a technical writer in the EDP department.

Ruth and John Kellogg. my parents, had sold their house in Oak Park.They were living in an apartment, so still involved with local friends, especially from their church, First Baptist.  That would all change when they
moved into the condo they had bought in Clearwater FL, but were renting to a tenant for a year.  Their house had sold faster than they had thought it would.

October 12. 1965 -  John got the CHECKER CAR today.  It looks like a station wagon!  Bulky!"  The huge Checker car (also used for taxicabs) was big enough for guests like my brother and his wife,  who had 2 little boys, plus Ruth and John.  Eventually it also served our family of 5 by 1970.

October 17, 1965  - "Diane phoned with big news (while she had Beth on the phone) that she's expecting first baby about June 1.  
   Beth was expecting luggage we gave her."  The luggage must have been Beth's birthday gift.  She was
Ken's wife at that time.   In a later diary entry I said I thought the doctor's due date was wrong - and he did change it to mid-May - a week after the baby actually arrived.

October 18, 1965 - "Dropped note of congratulations to Diane & Dan.  Went to bank for my household money.  My sewing machine returned at cost of $30.  I used it on towels - seems okay.  Phoned Kay and Roberta."   It was so typical of the times to send a note rather than picking up the phone to make a call, especially a long distance one.  I used to love to write notes and letters and enjoyed getting them from others.  At one time I kept a schedule of who I had written to, trying not to leave any one out inadvertently.  Between friends and relatiives, there were probably 30 people on it.
"Kay and Roberta" were two of Ruth's friends from church.  The Kelloggs joined First Baptist in Nov., 1941 when they moved to Oak Park.  Ruth was 35 and John 42 at that time.

Neither the diary entries nor the picture are in Pieces of a Life.

1971 - New House & Girls in Palatine and Palm Sunday in Florida

The picture was taken in 1971 in front of our new house at 1132 Skylark Drive, Palatine.  Our 3 girls, (left) Cindy (age 4), Lynn (age 5) and Kate (17 months), were enjoying a breezy, warm day.  This photo has been on at least one Christmas card.

Meanwhile, in Clearwater, FL grandparents Ruth (65) and John (72) Kellogg were leading a busy life.

Sunday, April 4, 1971 -
"An on-the-go day - Palm Sunday.  First,  to 9:30 service - where Claire & Merle sat with us.  Second,  home for a few hours to read & eat a bite of lunch.  Third,  To Morton Plant hospital to see Ethel Betts (broken hip case) and took her candy.  We stayed about 1/2 hour.  Fourth,  home for 3 1/2 hours and - Fifth,  to Concert (free one) where we arrived same time as Claire!  Sixth  To Fritche's for 7 P.M. snacks - the 4 of us.  Seventh  - home by 8 to see FBI on TV!   Whew!

Took a look at M.P. hosp. gift shop - small too, but has large stock room."

Ruth and John were feeling at home in Florida by 1971.  The Jennings (Claire and Merle) had been friends of theirs at First Baptist Church in Oak Park.  Other old friends also appeared from time to time.  Some moved to FL and others just rented condos for a few months.

However, Ruth and John were going to Palatine in mid-April after Easter to stay with us in our much-bigger house - over twice the size of the split-level we had had in Mt. Prospect.  They helped us with the process of getting things put away after having moved in on April 9-10-11 with the help of friends.  Most of this  information and the picture are not in Pieces of a Life.

Life With John in Florida - Car Accident

After growing up in snowy, cold Buffalo NY, John always dreamed of retiring to a warm climate.  In the mid-1960's, they tore up their roots in Illinois and replanted themselves in Clearwater FL.  Their roomy 3-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath co-op apartment was in the brand-new Horizon House on the Causeway leading to Clearwater Beach.

Ruth probably didn't object because that was what many of their friends were doing, traveling and re-locating in Florida. By then she had been overseeing brother Jimmie and her mother, Lottie, for 20 years - and was probably tired of that responsibility.  They, too, moved to Florida (Largo) after a few years of separation from Ruth.  Though no one realized it, she was also ever-so-slowly fading into dementia.

Though the photo is most likely from the 1950s or early 1960s, it gives you an idea of what Ruth and John looked like as they grew older.  Never very easy to deal with, John exhibited his anger in different ways, such as on the roads in Clearwater. 

"John got a citation today!  Police came here after J. had slight accident on Causeway.  Easter holidays have brought too many cars and caused so much delay that he got upset at people 'cutting in' & thus got it himself!  Tonite I drove both ways to Greer's." This is from Ruth's diary on April 17, 1981.  She was 74 and John was 81.  The following quote is from her April 24, 1981 diary entry.

"No tennis as John had to appear in court about last week's accident on crowded Causeway. 'No contest' plea got him $25 fine.  I hope he has learned something.  Started reading a free gift book - "The Spike" by Arnaud de Borchgrave & Robert Moss.  John liked it very much."

Both of them were avid readers and led an active social life centered around traveling as well as playing bridge and tennis with friends, some of whom were from their 20+ years at First Baptist Church in Oak Park.  As far as John's learning something from the ticket is concerned, fat chance!