April 24, 1999

Dear Adrienne Joyce,

I sincerely thank you for your good and most informative letter of April 17. It was sure great to know that you and Benny found Uncle Sid and Aunt Lizzie Boykin's old home at 400 Sheldon in Clovis. Thanks very much for the copy of the history of the house. When I was just a child that house was like a Palace ... I remember the huge bear-skin that lay on the floor in the foyer ... Uncle Sid had killed that bear and Frank, my brother, and I were overcome with excitement every time mother took us there to visit. We would get so excited, as a matter of fact, that mother had quite a time keeping us in line. I remember all of the little birds and the tassels on Aunt Lizzie's lamps, the pictures of those very stern- looking ancestors that hung on the walls in the dining room and the trophies and ribbons Uncle Sid had received for his registered Hereford Bulls. It was difficult for mother to keep Frank's and my hands off the many things in all the rooms of that house!

Sounds to me like you've been rather busy making copies of what I sent you. I am glad to know that so many people are interested in my stories. When I picked up this morning's paper I read that Confederate Memorial Day was going to be a big affair here this year, and the article brought to mind what you said about Benny's having mentioned to David Stone what I had said about his mother keeping my mother's grave in the Portales Cemetery clean and with fresh flowers on it every Confederate Memorial Day for over forty years. What you did not know is that David has been doing that since his mother passed away. If David wanted a copy of my "Memories of Mother", he should be entitled to have it. I am sending him a copy (see a copy of the letter I have written to him, which is enclosed.) It is indeed interesting to see how intertwined all of our lives have become. With every passing year I become more thankful to you, dear, for keeping in touch. You surely come from fine Stock! No doubt about it!

You keep the photo album just as long as you want. There is no hurry to have it back.

And, now that you have expressed such great interest in my "Memories of Mother", I am sending you copies of "Memories of Dad" and some of my "Earliest Recollections". Estelle and Annie, our daughters, asked me to set down on paper some of the things I had told them about these recollections. Hope they won't bore you.

Let me hear from you when you get back from your "check up". Say hi to Benny. I hope you both are in fine fettle.

Love You,

Ralph