Letter to Nora Crystal Hall Lund

Dear Nora,

I would like to tell some of the nice things I remember about your parents. It is hard to get acquainted with men folk, unless you are in their homes frequently, which I was not, but I always thought of your father as a firm character that could not be swayed this way or that. He was honest and true and his decisions were the result of careful thought.

One time my husband bought a sack of alfalfa seed from him, which proved to be unscreened and he was quite disappointed. However, he planted it and had a good stand. Later when George met uncle, he told him about it, which made him feel badly and he immediately sent the full amount of cleaned seed and refused to take pay for the first. Said his aim was square dealing and we later found it so. His life was so that he demanded respect.

Aunt Julia was one of the most outstanding persons I ever met. I admit the splendid control she always had of her many children. though her health was very poor in her earlier years, she carefully managed her household affairs, training the boys to help in the home, etc.

One time I was visiting at her home and Roy was very sick with quinsey, which had nearly reached the breaking point, and his sufferings were awful. But she sat down by him and told him such an amusing story that we all had to laugh and Roy’s laughter caused the gathering to break and he immediately became easy. It seemed that she always knew just what to do in every emergency.

Aunt Julia was neat and always dressed nicely and with taste, and the children always looked neat and clean. I always thought they were so pretty and well behaved, even though they were full of life. I think of their home as ideal, with the splendid cooperation of the parents who seemed to share in all that was uplifting, and their beautiful voices singing together.

Once in church sacrament meeting, the bishop called on the three best tithe payers in the ward to get up and speak. Your father and my husband were two of the three speakers, and I was proud to count them as my relatives.

Annie Crawford Isom

[Nora Crystal Hall Lund was the daughter of Alfred Lorenzo Hall and Julia Elzina Hansen, and lived from 1903 to 1987].