Sunday Evening, January 11

A neat little bridge we go through on our way home from Roy and Deb’s.

Traveling through Lancaster.

We decided to go by Landis Homes to visit Cerwin’s mother.

Just before turning off of Route 272, I took a picture of this place of business – which was a farm house back in the ’40s and where Cerwin’s family lived when he was a preschooler. Prior to housing a business, it was a restaurant.

He and our friend Don Hollinger like to talk about Cerwin’s first day of school – when Don was responsible to help him get on and off the bus.

Cerwin said we will have to ask his mom a few questions about this place.

Their memories of the “Landis Valley” house:

• It was where they lived when their Down syndrome daughter, Thelma, died from pneumonia. She was not quite two years old.
• Cerwin’s brother, Elvin, was born when they lived here.
• Cerwin said this was the old Route 222. One of his memories is when the road crew was concreting the road. He loved watching the big equipment, and remembers playing with his little red wagon on the porch and pretending that he was an earth mover.
• A favorite story from this house is when Cerwin and his sister Velda heard that their dad was going to town, and decided to hide in the back seat, then jump up and ask for ice cream. That didn’t work too well. 🙂 They got punished instead. Plus, Mother was frantic at not knowing where they were. (There weren’t cell phones in those days.)
• After reading this, Miriam (a cousin) messaged me to say, “This is also the house where they had whooping cough.” She remembers, because her family was visiting when Cerwin’s dad brought the children home from the doctor and said they have whooping cough.” Miriam’s family left immediately and stopped at the doctor for shots. (Thanks for that memory, Miriam.) Cerwin forgot about that.
• Cousin Resie asked if this is where they lived when her dad helped on the farm. Mother said, yes it was. Amos (a younger brother of Mother’s) was single and offered to help during the time of Thelma’s death. He was there for a longer period of time – as their hired man when Daddy had surgery for appendicitis.
• Our friend Don Hollinger relayed another memory from 1948. His dad bought a new Pontiac. Cerwin’s dad was so impressed with it that he also bought one.

I read a journal of the past two months from Jon (her grandson) and Jen from Minnesota. They have four young children and have some cute stories to tell.

Jen sends the journal to me by email and I read it to Mother since she cannot see well enough to read.

Mother is doing fairly well, but seems to be gradually losing strength, and uses oxygen at night and when she needs it during the day. Some days are better than others.

Keep her in your prayers.