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I remember my grandma’s journals sitting on the end table between two recliner chairs in her living room. Pat Sajak was spinning that wheel and I was staring at each spiral notebook and wondering what was inside. Did she write about me? What grown up thoughts and impressions were inside? What was my grandma’s world like when I wasn’t around?

My grandma Lila Dean Stoddard Bates was an avid journaler. She inspired me to find a love of journal writing, though she was much more consistent! When she passed away I asked my dad what would be done with the journals. It took a few years before they were finally ready to have them transcribed into electronic form and I begged to participate in the project!

Recently my family brought California a large box from California filled to the brim with my grandma’s spiral notebook journals. She wrote every day, even if it was something short. I’ve been working on these every Sunday afternoon for weeks and have made it through 1978, 1988, and one entry from 1984.

These are some excerpts that I think exemplify what her life was about.

Love

A Letter to my Grandchildren Circa 1978

When someone truly loves you they’ll want to do things that make you happy. Things they might not enjoy, but when they know it makes you happy- they’ll do it.

For instance my dear husband did not know how to dance and he didn’t care about it. But when we started dating he knew how much I enjoyed it, so he went to Murray’s and learned.

And what a surprise to me! This made me so happy to think he thought enough about me that he did this for me.

Grandchildren

June 16 1984- Gary, Connie, Michelle came over this afternoon. Gary and Norm pulled the tree stumps out… Norm was happy to get them out. Now we can start working on fixing the yard up. Michelle and Connie helped me in the house. It was nice having them here to help because my back is still giving me trouble. We fixed dinner for everyone. The girls vacuumed and cleaned the porch and driveway by the plants.

June 7, 1978 Fashion show of Le Voy Fashions today at Relief Society. I was asked to be one of the models. They had a dress the fit Shawna so she modeled with me. She was a doll. Everyone was surprised that she was my granddaughter. So many in this ward think Kent is an only child. They were surprised when I told them I had nine grandchildren and I had three other children. It was a fun day. It was nice having Carola and Shawna and David and Jenny with me. We had a nice lunch.

August 10, 1978 – We arrived at Ron’s about 3:30. It’s so nice to see them again Dallas looks just like Ron when he was a baby.

Dallas and Family Today

August 1 1988- Today is Jenny’s birthday (11 years). Gary and family couldn’t’ come over- the girls all have dancing til 8:00 PM. Kent, Janey and Christina came over for dinner and birthday cake. I took Jenny shopping this afternoon for some shoes. She found a pair she wanted in the third store. Christina was a little shy at first but she finally got acquainted.

Her Children

July 30 1988- Saturday. Carola went to work at 6:20 AM. She works from 7:00-2:00. Drain was having a fair today and a parade at 11:00 so we took the children (except David). He didn’t want to go, to see the parade. We went to the fair after. Left for home about 1:00 in the afternoon. Norm took the kids to the swimming hole and Carola and I went to water her house.

Carola’s house seems to be home base for all the kids here. They call Carola Mom. 4-5 teenagers are coming and going day and night. Phone never stops. It’s good to see the kids so happy and having so many friends.

September 24 1978- We all went to SS. Ron and children left at 5:00 PM to go home. I sure miss them. Ron did a beautiful job caring for the children.

Ron and Family Today

Her mother’s funeral:

March 1, 1978- The funeral was very nice. Beverly gave a nice talk. Gary dedicated the grave. It was a thrill to hear what he said. It was his first time to dedicate a grave. He did so well. I was so proud of him.

July 1- Started to take plants out of our tropical, so we could enlarge our two bedrooms. Kent doesn’t want us to do it. He likes the tropical and he doesn’t think we need larger rooms. But Norm and I want larger rooms.

In front of the addition my dad was opposed to.

History

June 9 1978- High Priest dinner social tonight. Today our prophet President Kimball made an announcement to the world that he had a revelation that every worthy man that belonged to the church could hold the priesthood. This was quite a surprise. I didn’t think this would come in my day, but it’s wonderful.