Ruth is Busy with Friends, Family, Clubs in 1964

Ruth is shown feeding Philip Alan Kellogg here in late 1960.  She was helping with his younger brother, baby Roger Winslow Kellogg, at the time of the diary entries in 1964.

Ruth (57) and John (64) had just returned from 7 weeks in Florida when the diary entries were written.  They were still living in Oak Park where Ruth was involved with many First Baptist Church activities and other friends as well.  She was also the guiding hand for her mother and brother, who lived 2 miles away in Chicago - and helped Ken and his family in Westchester.  Diane and Dan Pellettiere were living in NYC.

Monday, Feb. 24, 1964 - "Letter from Diane with Beth Israel Hospital return address.  We phoned her tonight.  She's to be there a week and home a week.  Sounded good.  Went to Mom's for a few hours and forgot to bring my plants home!"    I think I had a bladder or kidney infection when I was at Beth Israel.  Lottie Meredith was 77 by then.

Friday, March 13, 1964 - "Letter from Diane asking if her room is available when they come in for first 2 weeks of July.  Of course we are writing right back that it is and always has been.  She is leaving 'sleeve' question to me - so I'll try to satisfy her with a small sleeve in dress.

Advised Mom to take tranquilizers to calm down.  Flat still not rented as of A.M."  Ruth also mentioned helping with the church circle meeting in the Colonial Dining Room that day.  I had asked Mom to make me a dress a week or two earlier - which is what the sleeve query is about.  Lottie Meredith had a small 2-bedroom flat above their 3-flat on Iowa St.  That caused a lot of stress on Lottie and son Jimmie, but provided some income.  I am surprised about the tranquilizers.  Both Jimmie and Beth were probably taking them.  Lottie's husband, Jim, had died about 20 years earlier.

Friday, May 16, 1964  - "Beth phoned - was depressed - so I drove out and brought Roger back for the nite.  (Philip was napping.)  Roger coming down with a cold.  He settled down by 9:30 for the night."   In skimming through the 1964 diary, I saw many entries about taking one or both of Ken's little boys for a day or two.  Beth was having a rocky time in those years.  Her own mother, Vera Tharp, a dietician, was most likely still working and was not from the Chicago area, so Beth called on Ruth for help.

Ruth and John Kellogg Visit the Pellettieres in Palatine - 1973

1973 - Katie (3), Lynn (7) and Cindy (6) Pellettiere sitting in the family room at the house in Palatine.  Grandma and Grandpa Kellogg flew in from Clearwater FL on May 19.

Friday, May 25, 1973  - "Today was not quite so hectic but still - it had its moments.  I went with Diane to her beauty shop to have haircuts for all 3 girls this afternoon.  It took an hour longer than it should have due to the operator having a long, unscheduled customer.

It was fortunate that I was there to help.  Lynn & I went out for candy and gum, which also helped.  Katie got the "prize" haircut - cute as a button - short & shaped to the natural curl she has.  

The two older girls were an hour late to a naborhood birthday party.  This bothered Diane enormously, knowing how much such things are planned by mothers.  Also we were late in getting the spareribs into oven for supper, but we ate a little later, which was O.K.  I shortened a new long daytime skirt for Diane.  Dan phoned his flight time for early A.M. arrival tomorrow - John to go for him at 5:30 A.M. from here."

Ruth and John were 67 and 74 at that time and still functioning well, though the pace in Palatine was much faster than in FL.. With Dan in to Las Vegas twice, it was helpful to have them visit.  Dan and I both went to Las Vegas on May 28th for the pro-am golf tournament he was in charge of,

As much as everyone else liked the haircut, Kate did not.  Looking back, she probably wanted her hair to be longer like Lynn's and Cindy's.  This diary entry is not in Pieces of a Life.

Kate and Daddy Dan in 1972

Kate and Daddy Dan Pellettiere enjoy a moment together in one of the new chairs in the living room in Palatine.

Grandparents Ruth and John Kellogg flew in from their new home in Florida the night before Kate's 2nd birthday.  They came in for birthday parties for Kate and also Lynn in May - and to babysit while Diane was at with several AOII functions as brand-new alum chapter president.  They stayed long enough to babysit for a week while Diane and Dan were in Las Vegas at an ad agency business golf function.  Ruth's diary entry is below.

Saturday, April 22, 1972 - "Seemed like Sunday today.  Girls came in to watch me unpack.  Didn't sleep very well.  Lot of preparation went into birthday dinner for Katie and other grandparents and Vi.  D&D spent morning furniture shopping alone.  Girls (not Katie) went to a party in afternoon.  Olive Kenney phoned.

I went with Diane on a ride to take folks home at 7 - all the way to Austin.  Katie liked birthday presents."

The "other grandparents" were Dan and Josephine Pellettiere, who lived in Austin where Ruth lived from 1922 to 1929.  Dan's older sister, Vi, helped her parents a great deal.  By then they were 80 and 82.  The woman who called Ruth was one of her church friends who was still living in Oak Park.  When Ruth and John visited our family, they also saw some of their old friends from First Baptist.

Retirement Life in Florida Not Always Serene - 1973

The picture shows Ruth Kellogg (72) and her mother, Lottie Meredith (91), in Clearwater FL in 1978.

Ruth and John had just returned from a "rugged" 6-day trip to the Yucatan in Mexico.  Ruth was usually calm, didn't seem to let much bother her, except for my father. So imagine my surprise when I read this diary...

Friday, March 1, 1973   -   "Glad to be home and not anxious to leave soon again but that will come all too soon in late May -- to Diane's.  My mother gives me a hard time - trying to make me feel guilty and pliable to her needs.  If I were a stronger personality, it might have helped but now?  Between the various family members and my own desires & pleasures there are so many conflicts.  Now Ken & Nellie and boys seem well-adjusted and not dependent on me.  But how to work out Mom's needs without conflict here is tough!"

Lottie and her son, Jimmie, had moved from Chicago to Mt. Prospect after Ruth & John moved to Florida. They were a mile from me and baby Cindy, toddler Lynn. (Kate was born in 1970.)  I kept an eye on them, taking them on errands, visiting their small apartment. I thought it odd that my parents had left Lottie & Jimmie behind, as though they were forgotten luggage. Jimmie was schizophrenic, having had his first public episode at church in high school, followed by time at Elgin (mental hospital) and treatment off and on from then on.

I knew that Lottie was demanding of my mother, but didn't realize how much Ruth wanted to escape that responsibility. She had helped guide Lottie and Jimmie since my grandfather died of heart problems in May, 1944 at 63.  In either 1969 or 1970, Lottie and Jimmie moved to Largo, Florida, a short car ride from Ruth and John's apartment.  Dan and I helped get them packed up.  

In March, 1973 Lynn was 6, Cindy 5 and Kate 2, so visiting me in 1973 would be much more physical for 66-year-old Ruth.  She had babysat with Ken's boys when they were younger, but by 1973 were 12 and 9 with Mario (Nellie's son) slightly older.  There was a lot of drama when Ken's first wife was in the picture, so Ruth was happy to see life settle down once Nellie and Ken were married in 1972.

Ruth Celebrates Turning 73 in Clearwater FL

The picture (1978) shows us about to leave Clearwater FL after a visit with Grandpa (John) and Grandma (Ruth) Kellogg.  Dan, Lynn, Cindy, Kate are shown with Diane as the photographer. This isn't in Pieces of a Life, nor are Ruth's diary entries.

Thursday, July 5, 1979  - "A year older - 73.  Busy!  Hair done while Mom baked chicken thys while Jim & I shopped.  We got Pepperidge Farm pineapple cake and Mom put 5 candles on it.  Later John phoned to get flowers - none at our store!  I did and hurried home for the Kelloggs - 3 of whom came.  

Philip phoned to say 'Happy Birthday' and how old are you?  He had to work from 4:30 to 1:30 A.M.!

Ken brought cake they ordered & got as requested by John.  Gave me a silver bracelet.  All went well.  Took pictures."

My mother meant "thighs" rather than "thys" in the second line of her diary entry.  She was a good speller most of her life, but later on dementia gradually impaired her language skills.  Evidentally they ate with Lottie Meredith, Ruth's mother, and Jimmie, her brother, at lunch in their small home in Largo FL to celebrate Ruth's 73rd - and then dinner with son Ken Kellogg, wife Nellie and younger son Roger (15) to light the candles again.  Ruth and John lived on the 7th floor of Horizon House in Clearwater FL for many years after leaving Illinois.

I looked for the pictures Ruth mentions, but haven't found any.  I'm not sure if copies were sent to me.