In Muscatine on Saturday, December 8, 1951, Dale wrote, “Up at 7 A.M. & ate alone. Bought 10 yards heavy brown paper & covered back porch screens. Letter from Wilma – Marvins lost their baby. Kids went to a show in the afternoon. Snow today but not cold. TV at night.” Helen’s nephew Marvin Schaffer (son of Louie) was married to Fern Stevens; their daughter Christie died at five weeks old.
